Konecto Installation Tidbit

jennydavis

I find it interesting that a couple of people have said that you need to stack your boxes UPSIDE down for proper acclimation. I have even had one person say to me that most people are pretty much idiots and don't read the installation directions and that it is in there. Well I listened and stacked the boxes for acclimation UPSIDE down for more than 48 hours.

Interestingly enough though ----- here IS EXACTLY WHAT THE MANUFACTURER (konecto usa) HAS to say ------- (not self proclaimed experts)



HMMMMMMMM!!!
We also used a hand roller before using a 100 Lb. roller and one particular individual said we were wrong to do that. So here again pasted from the manufacturer http://www.konectousa.com/files/installation_plank.pdf is what the installation guide says:

Condition Konecto Prior to installation: Konecto must be stored at room temperature of at
least 65 degrees Fahrenheit. For 24 to 48 hours before installation. You don’t have to

remove planks from carton.

The two preferred methods of rolling are using a hand roller with direct pressure to the

seams, and a 100 lb -3-section flooring roller. It is recommended to use a hand roller as you install and follow after installation with a 100 lb-3-section flooring roller. However, one or both methods are required.

We, unfortunately are among the people battling Konecto adhesive failure. We are struggling with the supplier right now. They have been very slow in getting anything accomplished and in fact the retail store we purchased from now has an individual saying the method of installation we chose was wrong. Very rude individual that took our $ for 141 boxes and forgot all about customer service. Well we followed the manufacturers directions quite well and added the UPSIDE down box acclimation to it. We do not have gapping but do have a lot of lifting on 600 s.f of OSB that was vacuumed and scrubbed and revacuumed and also 600 s.f. of radiant floor (yes the floor was not powered on at the time -rehooked August 23) Installed in the summer in an addition to our heated existing home in floor temps. of about 70 - 75 degrees. We have kept the temps. pretty consistent between 65 and 70 since then. We have been told by one of the people at our retail store that a hand roller was a dumb idea and the supplier (seapac) has dragged his feet for 2 months now. We have not installed the rest because we do not want 3,000 sf home full of lifting Konecto.
I will be contacting KONECTO directly tomorrow and still have faith the the company themselves will do the right thing.

jennydavis

I called them and they do not even have a record of my claim. I submitted the claim officially September 19, 2008. The rep. came to my home on September 24, 2008. He said last week that he has not heard anything either. But then he does not return calls or emails very well either.

The claim I guess was opened officially September 24 2008 in our home.

So GREAT !!!!! -- Konecto has no record of us whatsoever at this point and said to go back to our retail store. Quite a few of you have been given the same runaround. I guess we are not an exception. This is exasperating and very trying. Our home is in total upheavel with unfinished floors.

Mudd

A wooden rolling pin from the kitchen is not a flooring "hand roller."

jennydavis

Konecto says to use a hand roller OR 100 lb. roller. It does not require both according to KONECTO USA (read it yourself). We did use a wooden kitchen roller to lay down seams but immediatley used the 100 lb. roller FOR TWO WEEKS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY! Retailer had to call for the 100 lb roller and ask us to bring it back.

Mudd

A "hand roller" is a specialty flooring tool.

The one I own is a heavy metal cylinder a couple inches wide and a couple inches in diameter with a handle. One side is rounded and the other is squared.

When one leans on it and rolls it along, a great deal of force is applied to the small area where it contacts the floor.

A wooden rolling pin has a lot wider and lighter and isn't an appropriate substitute.

Also, if your subfloor has some variations to it (and most do), anything wide - be it a rolling pin or a 3-part flooring roller - will ride on the high spots and little or no pressure will be exerted on the low spots in between.

I'm sure that other professionals here would confirm this.

jennydavis

We had the installers from our retail store come in today and try to fix the seams that did not lay down from adhesive failure. They had two types of rollers. One probably like mentioned in the above post and a small one with three rollers. Both types were small and hand held. They did apply good pressure.

But Konecto again right from the website does not require both hand held and the 100 lb. methods only one. So we chose to apply good pressure with hands and the kitchen roller and then used the 100 lb. roller. The seams are still lifting although when smoothed down they look great. No gaps just lifting.

The installers torch should have fixed the glue problems. NO such luck. They will be back fortunately tomorrow to try to help out again.

Mudd

If they're pros, they should be able to iron things out for ya. Sometimes it takes a couple tries on a repair - they have to try different tricks and see which ones "take."

jennydavis

They came and went a second time and said it is not worth it for them to keep coming back for weeks chasing lifting planks. They peel up the lifted planks and find it clean and dust/debris free. So they thought probably not enough pressure at time of installation. (although we rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled) That was still their consensus. Nice guys - I do need to mention that. But coming in with a fresh eye that is what they thought. So they repaired some with glue and a torch and then got down with their "hand rollers" and rolled each affected plank of the approx. 1200 s.f. we have down. The next day they only did only the downstairs Guess what?? One day later lifting still eveywhere. A few that were previously glued but only the edges the glue did not completely spread perfectly to and then new planks everywhere.

SandyK

Jenny, have you paid for this flooring yet? Did you use a credit card? You might have some leverage there by filing a dispute.

jennydavis

Yes - but the credit card is only good for 90 days I believe. This purchase was made in March of 2008 and we have battling this floor since August when we were finally able to lay it down.