Konecto Casa edges coming apart

rgfloor · December 6, 2009, 08:57 PM

Why not request an inspection be done? Then moniter how it is done, moisture tests, temperature , pull test, etc.

Call the dealer and file a complaint.

rusty baker · December 6, 2009, 09:01 PM

rgfloor said

Call the dealer and file a complaint.

He bought it on-line from Hugh Scott(Indiana Floors LLC) He said they won't reply to e-mails.

rgfloor · December 6, 2009, 09:08 PM

rusty baker said

He bought it on-line from Hugh Scott(Indiana Floors LLC) He said they won't reply to e-mails.

Call the manufacturer (he said he already spoke with someone there)they can get the party started. You betcha!!

Lifsabsurd · December 7, 2009, 05:37 AM

I have left a phone message for Hugh Scott at Indiana Floors, asking him to call me back. That was about 3-4 days ago and he hasn't called back. A day later I sent an e-mail formally requesting that he file a warranty claim for me. I have no e-mail response either. Perhaps he is busy or on vacation, whatever. I need to call again. I also talked to the distributor and to the manufacturer, Konecto. They both told me to file a claim. But, as I understand it, the claim filing, according to them, must start with the retailer, i.e., Indiana Flooring. If I were very cynical I might wonder if this is a run-around. One would think that an open, honest manufacturer would send someone to investigate, no? After all, if there is a problem with a defective product, it is not likely the fault of the retailer or the distributor. Is it?

rgfloor · December 7, 2009, 08:12 AM

I doubt that they are trying to give you the runaround, however they may have certain guidelines in place. If this is the case it is much easier if one follows the terms of their warranty.

Does not Indiana Floors have an 800 #?

Lifsabsurd · December 7, 2009, 08:51 AM

Actually, I called back and did reach Hugh Scott this morning. He was very cooperative and he will file a claim if needed. He doesn't think the slab temperature is very relevant because he believes that everyone goes by room temperature and everyone understands that slab temperature may be much lower. He asked about the leaving of room around the edges of the sheet for expansion, but I don't think that could possibly be a problem. Most of the periphery of the sheet is at least a quarter inch from any obstruction to expansion. This is not an insulated basement and the walls have not been finished yet. Only in a few places, like against the threshold of a walk-out basement door did I cut the planks to fit fairly closely to an obstruction. I will be doing the CC test as soon as I can get the materials, which should be today. I thought that a kitchen scale would do to measure the water uptake but apparently I will also have to invest in a more sensitive scale.

Daris Mulkin · December 7, 2009, 09:01 AM

You will need a gram scale for the measuring of a calcium cloride test if that is what you are doing. You will also need 3 tests for the first 1000 sq. ft. and 1 test per 1000 after that. Follow the directions on the box to the letter. You will also have to abraide the floor in a aproximately 20x20 in square and wait 24 hours before setting your tests. Then do it by instructions.

Daris

Lifsabsurd · December 7, 2009, 11:48 AM

Yeah. I bought 3 CC test kits this morning. And a pH test kit. I still need the scale though. The contractors' supplier wanted to sell me one for a mere $190.00. I also decided to buy an infrared thermometer and I played with it for about half an hour. Outside temperature was about 36 degrees at the time, which is probably as low or lower as it ever got at night during the week and a half that I was installing the planks. And it was typically at least 10 to 20 degrees higher than that during the daytime when I did the work.

Around the walk-out basement door, and measuring the surface temp. of the "installed" planks themselves, I found temps. as low as 52 degrees. And the planks were just about as cold on the floor below two basement windows also. But these are areas where one expects cold drafts. Elsewhere the plank temps. varied up to almost 65 degrees. In most of the basement the plank temps. were in the high 50s or low 60s. Not as cold really as I thought they might have been. The air temp varied between 70 degrees and 66 degrees depending on where one checked. I specifically measured the temp. of several loose plank butt ends in an area of the basement which is well away from windows and the door, and found them to be well above 60 degrees F.

What was somewhat surprising to me was to find that my upstairs sheet vinyl kitchen floor had temps. in the 60s also, even though the thermostat upstairs is set at 75 degrees. Upstairs furniture had surface temps in the 60s also. I began to doubt the gun, but I turned a stove burner on for just a few seconds and, after turning it off, checked the temp., which was well over 100 degress. The Ryobi gun claims on the box an accuracy of plus or minus 2 degrees F if measuring roughly in the range of the 50s to the 80s. On the information sheet inside the box it only claims plus or minus 3 degrees.

At the recommendation of Hugh Scott I also lifted up a couple of corners of the sheet to check for wetness on the bottom of the planks. I saw and felt absolutely none.

Barry Carlton · December 7, 2009, 03:49 PM

Lifsabsurd said

Actually, I called back and did reach Hugh Scott this morning. He was very cooperative and he will file a claim if needed. He doesn't think the slab temperature is very relevant because he believes that everyone goes by room temperature and everyone understands that slab temperature may be much lower. He asked about the leaving of room around the edges of the sheet for expansion, but I don't think that could possibly be a problem. Most of the periphery of the sheet is at least a quarter inch from any obstruction to expansion. This is not an insulated basement and the walls have not been finished yet. Only in a few places, like against the threshold of a walk-out basement door did I cut the planks to fit fairly closely to an obstruction. I will be doing the CC test as soon as I can get the materials, which should be today. I thought that a kitchen scale would do to measure the water uptake but apparently I will also have to invest in a more sensitive scale.

NO NO NO don't do that (unless you want a new toy

), go the the Post office or a pharmacy they will usually do it for free. We do not want you to spend more than absolutely necessary.

b

Lifsabsurd · December 7, 2009, 03:56 PM

I have taken a few closeup pictures of the edges coming loose. In one I have tried to show both the edge coming loose and the fact that the edge currently seems to have a temp. at or above 65 degrees, using an infrared thermometer gun. I hope the attached pictures will work.

rgfloor · December 7, 2009, 04:01 PM

[QUOTE=Lifsabsurd;83397]I also decided to buy an infrared thermometer and I played with it for about half an hour. Outside temperature was about 36 degrees at the time, which is probably as low or lower as it ever got at night during the week and a half that I was installing the planks. And it was typically at least 10 to 20 degrees higher than that during the daytime when I did the work.

Around the walk-out basement door, and measuring the surface temp. of the "installed" planks themselves, I found temps. as low as 52 degrees. And the planks were just about as cold on the floor below two basement windows also. But these are areas where one expects cold drafts. Elsewhere the plank temps. varied up to almost 65 degrees. In most of the basement the plank temps. were in the high 50s or low 60s. Not as cold really as I thought they might have been. The air temp varied between 70 degrees and 66 degrees depending on where one checked. I specifically measured the temp. of several loose plank butt ends in an area of the basement which is well away from windows and the door, and found them to be well above 60 degrees F.

What was somewhat surprising to me was to find that my upstairs sheet vinyl kitchen floor had temps. in the 60s also, even though the thermostat upstairs is set at 75 degrees. Upstairs furniture had surface temps in the 60s also. I began to doubt the gun, but I turned a stove burner on for just a few seconds and, after turning it off, checked the temp., which was well over 100 degress. The Ryobi gun claims on the box an accuracy of plus or minus 2 degrees F if measuring roughly in the range of the 50s to the 80s. On the information sheet inside the box it only claims plus or minus 3 degrees.

QUOTE]

Yeah, they can be fun to play with at times!!

Check the cat, dog, the wife, (maybe NOT) but what you really are looking for is the SLAB temperature. If you can take up a corner and hit the bare concrete, this is what will give a true reading. Anything else has been insulated in one way or another.

Lifsabsurd · December 7, 2009, 04:18 PM

Actually, I found a very nice guy at a seemingly very nice place called Southland Carpet Supplies on 2380 Grissom Street near Westport Plaza in the St. Louis area (314-993-8600) - shameless plug for the place - who is going to let me just USE his scale this one time for pre- and post- weighing for free. He is only about a 15 minute drive away from me. Taylor Tools of Denver is the manufacturer of the moisture test kits I bought (they are relatively cheap, at $14 for the kit which also includes a pH test, and about $11 for the CC test kits alone) and they also sell the $190 dollar scale. They will also do the weighing (and calculations) for one if one wishes to mail the collected, resealed jars of calcium chloride to them in a sealed envelope. I will probably do this also, but after I do the weighing and calculating on my own. They serve to keep a documented record of the results.

Taylor Tools - Moisture/pH Testing

One problem is that I really don't want to tear out planks (I may have to laboriously use repair glue to salvage them some day), so the 3 tests won't perhaps be ideally situated. I cleaned (lightly sanded) an area next to an edge of the sheet where it ends in a doorway to an uncovered work area that is not to be tiled. I had plans to put an edging strip over the planks at this point but have not yet done it. There are loose planks right next to this location. And I lifted and pulled back two corners of the sheet in opposite ends of the tiled area and cleaned the concrete there too. I hope to start the tests tomorrow and get info by Friday.

Lifsabsurd · December 7, 2009, 04:28 PM

Well, I have also measured temps. directly over the concrete in corner areas where I have pulled back the sheet, and in work and laundry rooms immediately adjacent to tiled areas but which are still uncovered, and in an area near the foundation wall on one side where I didn't tile because I planned to extend a wall over the area in the future. I typically found that the bare concrete temps were in the high 50s to mid 60s. It depends on location in the basement. For example near the walk-out basement door there are cold areas, which is not surprising to me, temps. as low as 52 degrees F. And near two basement windows on one side of the basement, also. Actually these are in the same wall as the basement door. But these are not the only places where planks are loose. In fact, the planks are loose in virtually all covered areas, including near the centers of the tiled area, away from all outer foundation walls. I'm not yet ready to tear out planks to measure concrete temps. below them.

Tandy Reeves · December 7, 2009, 04:52 PM

I was going to keep my mouth shut but just have to say this. Tear out the planks and do the tests right. To just lightly sand the area and then put the tests somewhere else is pure and simple a waste of your time and money. All foreign mateial must be removed from the concrete including what is in the pours.

I have always preached to my students that if you don't have time to do it right now when are you going to have time to re-do it. Good luck

rgfloor · December 7, 2009, 05:04 PM

Lifsabsurd, you do realize that by doing all these tests, pulling back planks, lifting corners that no manufacturer is going to stand behind their product.

If you have any hope of the manufacturer doing anything for you, you MUST give them the chance to inspect the original, undisturbed installation.

While it may be a good thing to try and prove what is going on it is ultimately voiding any warranty. Just my .02 cents, I am backing out of this discussion now.