c/flooring-installers

Spent $300 on a laser level system in 2018 and it still pays for itself every time I do a big tile layout.

That was the best money I ever spent on a tool, but my buddy just dropped $150 on a cheap one from Amazon and the line drifts after 10 minutes, has anyone else had that happen with those budget units?

Unpopular opinion: I used to think laser levels were a waste of money for flooring work

After 12 years of using a 4-foot bubble level for everything, a contractor I sub for told me to stop being stubborn and try his Bosch GLL. I bought one after that big commercial job in Austin where my lines were off by a quarter inch across a 60-foot hallway.

Update: That homeowner who refused to let me cut the door jambs flush

She watched me like a hawk the whole time, then after 3 hours told me I was doing it wrong because her brother-in-law said to leave a gap for expansion, but the door wouldn't even close - has anyone else dealt with someone who thinks they know more but won't listen?

Glue down lvp failed on me after 6 months - what would you do?

I did a 1200 sq ft glue down LVP job in a basement back in February and now the edges are curling up along the seams in three different spots. I used Bostik Greenforce and followed the trowel notch size from the flooring guys. Would you try to heat and re-press those sections or cut them out and replace the planks?

Rant: A customer's single comment made me rethink my entire prep process

Had a client in Austin last week point out all the tiny bumps under their vinyl plank from old glue residue I thought I'd ground down enough. It's making me go back over every floor with a scraper twice now, even when I think it's clean. Anybody else get called out on prep work and change up their routine?

That advice from a retired installer about underlayment actually saved my back today

I had this old timer named Jerry give me a tip at a supply house in Nashville about six months ago. He told me to stop using the cheap foam underlayment and switch to a rubberized one for click-lock vinyl plank, even though it costs about $0.50 more per square foot. I always thought he was just trying to upsell me or something, you know how those supply house guys can be. But I tried it on a 1,200 square foot job in a basement last week, and man, the difference was night and day. The floor felt way more solid underfoot, and I didn't have to keep going back to fix those little click separations that drive me crazy. Has anyone else had an old-timer give them advice that actually panned out? I'm curious what other tips are out there.

My mentor told me to always use a 1/8 inch trowel for sheet vinyl and I ignored him for 2 years

An old timer named Frank who ran a shop out of his garage told me that thin spreads keep the seams flat and stop bubbles. I kept using bigger notches and had to redo three kitchens in Columbus before I finally listened. Has anyone else had a cheap stubborn lesson like that that cost them real money?

Brand new flooring nailer jammed on me mid job yesterday

I was in the middle of putting down red oak in a living room in Akron yesterday and my brand new Bostitch MIIIFN just locked up solid. I've only had it for like 3 weeks and this was maybe the second room I've used it on. The cleat got stuck halfway in and the gun wouldn't fire or release. I spent 45 minutes messing with it on site trying to pop the cleat out with a screwdriver and some pliers. Finally I just had to pull the nail out with my hand and bang the plunger back with a hammer. Anyone else have issues with these newer nailers locking up on the first few jobs? What did you do to fix it?

Rant: That 8-month gap between glue-down jobs in Phoenix

Went from doing glue-down vinyl every week to nothing for 8 months. Then suddenly got a 3,000 sq ft office space in Scottsdale. The difference was brutal. I lost my timing on the trowel, was spreading too thin. First 200 sq ft had bubbles I had to pull up and redo. Never letting that kind of gap happen again. Anyone else lose a skill that fast without practice?

Wasted $200 on a moisture meter that lied to me for 6 months

Bought a cheap pinless meter off Amazon. It kept telling me my subfloor was dry. I did a whole kitchen that way. Customer calls me back 3 months later complaining about cupping. Pulled the floor up and the moisture was at 18%. Had to eat the cost of the material and labor refund. Bought a Tramex meter after that and checked the same subfloor. Totally different readings. Has anyone else had a bad meter cost them a job?

Hot take: I think back buttering tile is a waste of time for wall jobs

I did bathroom walls for 3 years without ever back buttering a single tile. Just troweled the wall and set them. Figured hollow spots were normal. Then I had a 200 square foot shower job in Austin where half the tiles sounded loose after a day. The homeowner called me back and I had to pull 30 tiles off. That was the moment I realized I was doing it wrong the whole time. An old timer at the supply house told me you need that full coverage on walls because gravity works against you. Some guys swear by just troweling the wall and say back buttering slows them down. Has anyone else had to redo a job because they skipped this step?

Warning: subfloor moisture meter gave me a false reading last Tuesday

I was laying glue-down vinyl plank in a basement job near Columbus last Tuesday. Checked the slab with my pinless meter, got readings around 3%, thought we were good to go. Laid about 300 square feet before I noticed the glue wasn't tacking up right in a corner. Pulled out my old calcium chloride kit, ran a quick test, and that corner was pushing 12% moisture. Had to tear up everything I'd done, rent a big dehumidifier, and wait three extra days. My meter was flat-out wrong on that concrete because the surface was sealed with something I couldn't see. Anybody else ever get burned by a moisture meter lying to you?

That brutal Tuesday last month where everything went wrong at once

I had a job in a condo downtown Chicago, starting on a Tuesday at 8 AM. The customer's subfloor had high spots I didn't catch during the measure, and I spent two hours grinding concrete instead of laying floor. Then my saw blade snapped halfway through cutting the first row of LVP. By lunch I was behind by 3 hours, and the customer kept checking in asking when I'd be done. What's the worst single day you've had on a job and how did you bounce back?

That time a builder told me my transition strips were all wrong

I had this builder walk through a job I did last fall in Cleveland, and he pointed at my T-moldings and said they looked like speed bumps. He told me I was leaving too much gap between the two floors, like a half inch, which made the transition strip stick up way too high. He showed me how he runs his stuff with barely an eighth inch gap and uses a thinner profile strip. Now I adjust every door threshold and transition to sit almost flush with both surfaces. Has anyone else had a builder tear apart something you thought was standard?

That $50 self leveling underlayment I tried was a total scam

I was doing a small bathroom job last month in a old house where the subfloor was pretty wavy. Saw this new self leveling underlayment at the supply house, cost me $50 a bag, thought it would save time. Mixed it up exactly like the instructions said but it never flowed out right. Ended up with a lumpy mess that I had to grind down with a diamond wheel, wasted like 4 hours. Anyone else get burned by a product that just didn't work as advertised?

Pro tip: I used to hate using moisture meters on every job

Was at a site in Phoenix last month where I thought the concrete was dry but my partner checked it anyway and it read 12% moisture. Saved me from putting down a wood floor that would have buckled in two months. Has anyone else had a close call like that on a slab that looked good but wasn't?

Was skeptical about those click-lock LVP floors for years

I fought against using click-lock luxury vinyl plank for a long time, thought it was all cheap and flimsy. Then I did a 1,200 square foot basement job near Columbus Ohio with a decent brand and I'll be darned if it wasn't actually solid and easy to install. Has anyone else come around on something they used to hate in the trade?

Three straight jobs over in Denver where the subfloor wasn't flat enough

Kept seeing wavy plank joints after a week on site. Pulled out my 6 foot level and found dips close to a quarter inch in spots. The GCs said it was fine but I started charging for leveling compound upfront. Has anyone else noticed builders skipping the flatness check on new construction?

Appreciation post: The homeowner who measured everything twice before I even pulled up

Last month in Austin, I had a job installing hardwood in a small 12x16 living room. The homeowner was a retired engineer named Dave, and he had the whole room marked out with chalk lines and notes. He told me, "I just want to make sure your time isn't wasted by my bad measurements." That was such a nice change from folks who eyeball it and then blame me when things don't line up. He even had a diagram showing where the subfloor had a slight dip. Has anyone else had a customer go that extra mile to help?

Old timer told me to stop back buttering every single tile and he was right

I used to back butter everything no matter what, but a guy with 40 years in told me to stop wasting my time on flat walls with good coverage. Tried it on a backsplash in a kitchen remodel last week and saved almost 2 hours. Anyone else been doing this wrong for years?

That time a homeowner in Tampa insisted I install laminate over a dirt crawlspace

I used to try and reason with them, but after that moldy mess I just show them the warranty void clause in the contract. Anyone else have a go-to line for shutting down truly wild requests?

Question about using a chalk line on dark hardwood

I was laying some ebony-stained oak and my chalk line marks were basically invisible, which threw off my whole layout. A guy at the supply house said to use a white carpenter's pencil instead, and it was a total fix. Anyone have a different method for marking dark floors?

My neighbor swore by this $30 vinyl plank cutter from Harbor Freight and I finally caved.

Used it on a 500 sq ft basement job and the cuts were cleaner than my miter saw. Anyone else have a cheap tool that actually holds up?

Remember when we used to cut everything with a handsaw? Tried it on a herringbone pattern last week and the angles were all off.

Why does nobody talk about the glue-up time on that new 'fast set' vinyl plank adhesive?

Last Tuesday in a condo downtown, I had a 400 square foot job with this stuff. The can said 30 minute open time, but it started skimming over in maybe 15. Had to scramble to pull up and re-spread half a row, which set me back almost two hours. Has anyone else found a trick to keep it workable longer, or is it just a bad batch?