I recently had some contractors install flooring over existing tile in my guest bathroom, but they didn't do it right. They were supposed to smooth out the grout lines to make the surface flat, but instead, they poured self-leveling concrete that ended up being anything but level. Now, the floor is full of bumps and waves, and in some areas near the wall, it's even starting to fail. It flexes when I walk on it, which is dangerous. The head contractor admitted they knew it wasn't flat but said their crew was tired and I should call her in three months for a warranty fix. Now that the three months have passed, I'm unsure whether to have them fix it or get another contractor to handle it and ask the original contractors to pay for it. I just want a flat floor!
3 Answers
Honestly, the old tile should have been removed in the first place, to avoid this issue. Who decided to put leveling compound over tile anyway? That doesn’t seem like a smart move.
It sounds like they definitely need to rip out the flooring and redo it. If the contractor mentioned their crew was just tired of the job, that's a major red flag. Don't settle for that kind of work!
But how exactly do they go about ripping out self-leveling concrete? Is it by grinding or chiseling it out?
Yeah, I've seen it happen where crews skip essential steps due to being overworked. Seems like they should’ve taken the time to do it right.
For sure, you need to have it ripped out and properly redone. I can tell you, this is not an easy fix, and you shouldn't have to live with that flooring as it is.
Can you tell me how they would usually remove a self-leveling floor? Do they grind it down or just chisel it away?
The flooring company told me to float out the grout lines, but the crew assumed that meant they could just pour self-leveling concrete over everything instead.