All Forum Posts by: Daria B.

Can anyone recommend a reliable HVAC company to service (check out system) and possibly do duct cleaning?

My contractor said he would ask the company he deals with but I still have not gotten that contact. 

I searched Angie's List but there are so many that I thought I would try to get a recommendation from and establish actual-used company from an investor.

I will still search Angie's List to see if anything pops

Thanks!

@James Powell very nice, very nice. 

I am excited to see the finished results whole-house when mine is done. Painting is being done now and I suspect flooring will commence next week or cabinets first then flooring. I expressed that kitchen cabinets go in first and then flooring for that room. It’s a waste to put cabinets on top of a finished flooring.

I was able to get the underlay for $30 per roll. All said and done after I started looking, LL was less at the contractor price same quality as what I had begun to see.

I look back and the time, some a lot and some not so much, I have spent picking out stuff is well worth it. I made sure I had back ups of things that if not available when I was ready to order, would be my go to in order to not stop the process.  

I went with the 6mil vapor barrier for the concrete and lessor cost - same brand - underlayment. 

 I did opt to do 6mil vapor barrier over concrete then underlayment over that as I didn’t want to go against the manufacture install instructions that would affect the warranty. I also did a lessor cost - same brand - of underlayment used throughout.

 Yes you are correct. The store LL folks were not any help at all, which is why I called the company tech support and at least they knew the products.

I would love to not have to pay for underlayment. 

Investors are 50/50 install/don’t install. Stores of course want to sell but I have had store sales people also say it’s not necessary - but it could be done if I were wanting to 1st, not mess up the warranty given the 6mil plastic mentioned in the install instructions, and 2, use it if the floor isn’t necessarily level or want to have added buffer for sound.

This property is also in MD where it gets cold. The slab is a finished walk in level of that makes a difference. I don’t know of that’s considered at-grade level.

 At this point I think flooring is the worse ever to pick out. I thought I would have this issue with kitchen cabinets but that was the simplest of all decisions.

 I wish I had time but the contractors need to keep moving and I don’t want them to stop all because I can’t get the flooring. I have been dealing with a lot of sales personnel that do not know their product. It’s been research and read research and read. 

When I spoke with the LL tech it was “recommended” speak on certain things like this product does not require underlayment caveat that by having specific concrete and wood subfloor sections in the installation instructions that should be abide by. So while it does not require underlayment, it is recommended if wanting to dense the sound more when walking over top or added protection for moisture.

I also looked to the contractor for knowledge and in their experience it’s what ever products they have installed and what worked - that’s if anyone has come back and said “hey I have a problem with the floor”.

@Keith Lewis

According to the installation instructions and the tech at LL I called, both say put down the 6mil plastic over concrete and then the underlayment. This is just for the concrete. 

Several manufacturers reference the 6mil over concrete at install, otherwise, something about the warranty being voided or the fact they give the buyer a hard time if there are issues. 

It’s a townhouse 3-lvl, 1st lvl walk in so the entire lower level is concrete heated space. Upper 2-lvls are OSB/plywood that was covered in carpet from onset of new construction. Flooring has never been finished where the carpet was installed.

To-date, there have never been moisture issues that I was aware of.

This flooring does not have an attached pad.

@Account Closed

I too did the same thing, every store look-touch-feel-experience. 

In my case, it's a rental and I have a budget that is already looming over. Mostly because I underestimated what I thought flooring would cost. I got 3 contractor estimates and who I choose so far I am pleased with - they are right on top of everything. So for Home Depot even with a contractors reduction, it was too much. All in all I didn't do too bad and likely am overboard on what I feel is good-bad-indifferent on some cost because I am a frugal person. LOL I do shop around and also want the better-best quality for a good price-point that I can live with.

Regarding the environment, I should have been thinking of that as well but it was not something that was at the top of my list. I think I did ok and do not see anything in the specs on this particular flooring so hopefully I am good to go.