1. The Problem: A New Floor that Looks Old
A homeowner in Barcelona contacted us out of frustration. Following a comprehensive renovation, the newly installed laminate parquet flooring presented serious problems: it lifted in several areas, 'creaked' when walked on, and showed visible undulations. The installation company attributed the problems to the quality of the material, a claim that our expert report debunked.
2. The Real Cause: Installation Errors
The technical inspection revealed that the material was of excellent quality, but its installation was completely deficient. The errors violated the most basic rules of good construction practice (lex artis):
- Absence of Expansion Joints: The installer laid the parquet continuously throughout the floor, without leaving the mandatory perimeter and transition joints. With no room to expand, the parquet buckled and lifted.
- Unlevelled Subfloor: The base on which the flooring was installed was not correctly leveled, causing the undulations and vertical movement of the planks.
- General Bad Practice: Planks with a broken 'click' anchoring system and an arrangement without proper interlocking were also detected, generating an anomalous aesthetic pattern ('staircase' effect).
3. Expert Conclusion
Our report unequivocally concluded that all the defects were attributable to an incorrect execution of the installation, and not to a defect in the material. It was determined that the only viable solution was the complete removal of the flooring, the proper leveling of the subfloor, and the reinstallation of the material from scratch.
The ruling established that the installation company had to assume 100% of the rectification costs, freeing the homeowner from any additional expense and providing her with the necessary legal tool to demand a definitive solution.
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This case is an example of our experience in Hidden Defects Expert Reports . If you need a technical diagnosis in Barcelona, we can help you.