Even though we decided to install additional luxury vinyl planks in our closet makeover, we do not actually like our flooring.
LVP (luxury vinyl plank) flooring is designed to provide the look and even the feel of luxury flooring materials, but without the extra cost. Rather than having to be glued down, as with sheet vinyl, vinyl composite flooring is made to be interlocking, and so it snaps together in place.
Our floors are Shaw Endura Plus vinyl in the color Sea Glass, but they have been discontinued. Their website states that their flooring combines “durability, style and waterproof technology, these floors let you live worry-free.” Our flooring is not durable after only three years within our home.
Why We Don’t Like Our Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring
Buckling – After only three years in our home, the luxury vinyl plank flooring is buckling in many, many places. The flooring is not pleasant to walk on and it’s happening in major walking areas of our home (mainly kitchen). It’s floating, but there is some space between the planks and the foundation. When you step in some places where there is a gap, my heel slams the board into the foundation. My joints are sore.
According to whatisvinyl.com, an “uneven floor will weaken the seams between planks, resulting in buckling.” So the fact that we don’t have a moisture barrier below our flooring is the most likely reason that the floor isn’t holding up.
Moisture Barrier – Or lack thereof. After installing the planks in our closet, we discovered there’s no moisture barrier under our flooring. Not having the moisture barrier could be the culprit of our issues.
No Underlayment – The plank itself features Soft Silence acoustical pad for noise reduction and added comfort, but they are not soft to walk on. I would like to have some underlayment with cushion for a softer walking experience. According to the installation instructions, since our flooring has the attached pad, an additional underlayment is not approved.
Contacting LGI Homes About Breaking LVPs
I submitted a work order on their warranty portal, but it disappears. I tried again, but it disappeared again. I found an email address and sent my question about who to get in contact with about having the builder file a claim with Shaw about our flooring.
I also called their phone number, but any button you select goes to a voicemail saying “this is Avaya IP Service” and please leave your voicemail after the beep. I doubt I will hear back from that service.
Contacting Shaw About Breaking LVPs
On chat support, Shaw responded “this could indicate that the subfloor is not level and has low area causing the locking system to be stressed and fail. If there is no moisture barrier between the concrete and flooring it could trap moisture under the flooring. I would recommend that you contact the builder regarding the issues you are having with your flooring. An additional underlayment is different than a moisture barrier. The moisture barrier is only 6-mils thick, which is the thickness of a trash bag. If you believe that your flooring has a defect, please contact your builder and request that they file a claim on your behalf with Shaw. This will allow us to send an independent inspector to investigate the issues.”
I contacted Shaw a second time and they were able to provide a link to a form for me to fill out. Once I filled it out, I received an email asking for Proof of purchase, Photos, and Retailer information that the builder used for the flooring portion of the build.
I responded that we didn’t choose the floors that LGI installed in our home. We we’re able to figure out that they were installed by Flooring Services.
Contacting Flooring Services About Breaking LVPs
Since Shaw gave me someone’s direct email, I sent them the current email chain about the flooring. They did not email back, so I submitted the information on a contact form on their website. After I didn’t receive a response from that, I called them.
I was transferred to their warranty department and they were able to find the order with LGI Homes. But they were unable to help me because they did not install the flooring in our home – LGI only purchased the material from them.
Flooring Services was able to see on the contract that they booked the installation through Flooring Services, but it was later voided and LGI chose another installation company.
This forced me to reach out to LGI again to ask for this information. They provided a company name called Interior Logic Group. I called the Dallas office, but the woman informed me that they only install floors in rentals. She said there’s a separate company called “Interior Logic Group Builder Services” and that I’d have to contact them. I called the number provided, but it only lets you leave a voicemail.
LGI did send a screenshot of the person’s contact information with Interior Logic Group, but they didn’t answer the phone and there was no option to leave a message. I replied back to Shaw’s email with the new information provided. They responded that they do not deal directly with homeowners.
Then Shaw jumped in and responded to the email.
At this point I have no idea what to do.
What We Plan to Do Next With Our Floors
What I’ve found from most websites on how to fix our flooring is that the planks need to be replaced. Since the color we have is discontinued, we would need to replaced the entire house with a color/pattern that is in stock.
And, if we already have to replace the entire house to fix the kitchen, then we might as well research better quality flooring.
This entire process has been a headache trying to file a warranty on our flooring.
Cheers,
Katie
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Update 4/10/2024 – I received a call from a third-party floor inspector. He said the he doesn’t work with the brand or the builder, but he can come and take a look at the flooring to see if it falls under warranty. He will be coming out to the house soon!
