Bamboo floors not laid randomly, has this ruined the look?

3 years ago

We took months picking out the flooring we wanted, then in less than a minute had the option of how we wanted the flooring laid. I'm kicking myself because I didn't have the full comprehension of what I was agreeing to when asked. My boyfriend nonchalantly said to me - "I told the contractor laying the floor in a pattern was ok, he said that's what most people do- you ok with that?"

The quick example he gave me looked like what I now know is a more "random" installation. All I can now see is the choppiness created by the aligned seams across the wood grain, and I'm devastated that the flooring I envisioned when we chose this floor won't be happening. Does this just look bad to me because it's not what I had envisioned?

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Comments (9)

SJ McCarthy
3 years ago
I'm seeing a floor that has 3 staggers. By the looks of this floor it will meet 'technical' specifications for off-set of seams...but that's about it. Not all installation instructions recommend 'random' installation procedures...mainly because they assume the person installing it is a flooring professional...not just some person who swings a hammer.

The contractor is incorrect. Most people do NOT want their floors laid in a pattern. What s/he was trying to do was to encourage you to say, "Yah. Ok. No problem." not knowing that what you WANTED was random.

Sigh. I'm sorry but this is an ugly install. It *most likely meets minimum spacing requirements...but that's it. What you are seeing is a common pattern for TILE!!!! Not wood, bamboo, laminate or vinyl.

Quick question: What type of 'professional' did you hire? Did you hire a wood flooring professional or did you hire a general contractor who said they can lay wood (like) flooring?

Best thing to do is find the installation instructions and tell him/her to STOP! The more you allow the install to go ahead, the more flooring you will have to remove and reinstall.
Sammie J
3 years ago
oh, ugh!! How far have they gotten? I'd have them stop right now. Then, lay out the floor as you wanted - and have them tear up what has been done so far and start over.

I hate when things like this happen when it was preventable. I know it's not what you want to hear - but your contractor will say that you approved it, so the repair will probably be on your dime.

If the floor is already laid, you can use rugs to break up the pattern. It looks worse because that is all you are seeing right now.
Melodie Nichol thanked Sammie J
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Melodie Nichol
Original Author
3 years ago
Ugh. They are pretty much completely done. I'm seriously looking into how difficult it would be to re-lay it myself as it should have been. We are already over budget after finding extensive subfloor damage that had to be replaced. It makes me twitch every time I see it, like a crooked picture that you can't straighten.

We will be using area rugs, so I'm hoping that will help. I'm just grieving the loss of what my floors should have been.

SJ - to answer your question, it was a general contractor, not a flooring specialist who installed it. Lesson learned - contractors are not designers and you can't trust their advice on "this is how most people do it". Once I saw the installed pattern I knew - this is what you do with tile, not plank flooring.
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SJ McCarthy
3 years ago
Sorry to hear about the budget overruns. Use area rugs to keep most of this out of sight for now. Don't beat yourself up for it. I would still get hold of the installation instructions *just in case* they mention it. If they do...or you find something else wrong with the installation you can ALWAYS use the INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS as a handy-dandy way of getting a the contractor to come back and fix the problems...'cause it says so right "here".

Is this nail down? Glue? Floating? Click-together (like laminate)?

Do you have a link to the manufacturer's website? You should be able to find the instructions there AND in every box of flooring.
Melodie Nichol thanked SJ McCarthy
Melodie Nichol
Original Author
3 years ago
Click-together floating floor. That's why I thought it may be possible to re-lay myself. I couldn't find installation instructions online, but I will look for those in a box when I can. Thank you all for the input!
PRO
Beth H. :
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
if there is no glue, you can easily undo everything. I know, I know, it's some work, but this is something you'll be looking at for a long time. Do it over the correct way.

and yes, it looks like a tile floor installation.
kayozzy
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I see that a lot and absolutely hate it! I would pull it up and do redo it before quarter round is put in. You can do it in a couple of days, maybe one depending on the square footage. It took me longest to pick which piece of wood I was going to lay next, so when I choosing a whole row at a time instead of which piece next, it went faster. You just need to buy a flooring install kit for about $20. It will take a little time to get the hang of it, but then you'll be knocking it out. I use a chop saw. Hopefully you have enough extra material for some longer end pieces. Although you can reuse almost all the end pieces since you have various starting points anyways. There are several how to videos on Youtube. Much better than trying to read directions. The other thing I noticed while doing it is that sometimes a piece will gap in the previous row, so keep checking as you go that the ends stay tight. It's easy to bang back together from the end by the wall if you only have one or two more rows done, but gets harder as you do more rows. Good luck!
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PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
3 years ago
"I'm kicking myself because I didn't have the full comprehension of what I was agreeing to when asked."

A homeowner owning up to what she's agreed to. Refreshing here.
SJ McCarthy
3 years ago
A click together floating floor can be carefully pulled up and reinstalled. You will lose about 5%-10% because of little splits or breaks on the click edge.

Do you see any transition strips through doorways? Do you know the name of the product? Can you find an extra box and send us a photo of the product? You should have 1-3 boxes left over (for repairs in the future).
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Bamboo floors not laid randomly, has this ruined the look?

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Bamboo floors not laid randomly, has this ruined the look?

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