Flooring Recommendations

[Rick K]

Hey gang, long story short, I need a recommendation for someone to put in a relatively small piece of laminate in a condo kitchen for a good price - replies appreciated.

Long story: My wife and I rent out a first floor 1Br condo in Dupont circle - main drain backed up and water warped the laminate floor in the kitchen and came up through the wood floors in the living room (and warped the kitchen cabinets a bit, but nothing noticeable from the outside of the cabinets).

Condo mgmt company refuses to repair anything b/c the laminate floors are not original equipment apparently (building built in the '60s), the main floors still look "pretty good" to them (noticeable difference in the flooring where water came up), and kitchen cabinets aren't original. Would like to work through them to get this repaired, but they're telling me to work through homeowners insurance. Bastards. Any suggestions on how to take them to the mat are also greatly appreciated. TIA

[John Hallen]

Unlike 3/4 " wood flooring, where you can replace individual pieces, laminate requires you to disasemble the entire floor back to the damaged pieces. Then hopefully you have spare pieces that can be used for the repair. You need that specific manufacturer and product line for it to match and fit. Good luck with that:bang:. As far as who picks up the tab, who caused the problem? If from decades of other owners/tenants putting grease and what ever down thier drain, that could be difficult to prove as to who is culpable. Hopefully, you can work out something between your landlord, mgmt co., and insurance. Good luck!

[arob]

Rick, I had the same issue with my rental condo several years back. Woman above me busted a pipe (old/original/rusted), and turned my unit into a baby pool. Condo association said for me to go after the woman, and didn't want to get involved. They also said that their insurance policy is only "secondary" to my personal property insurance policy. Soon, it became a battle between the insurance companies. I ended up filing with my insurance, then turned it over to the HOAs insurance company for reimbursement. HOA insurance carried a $2500 deductible, so out of $3500 worth of work, they ended up paying only $1000 of it. My personal deductible was $500, so I came out of pocket $500. Luckily, my kind neighbor felt bad and paid my deductible for me. It was a nightmare dealing with the insurance companies.

This was an ongoing battle for almost two weeks, so I decided to just file the claim with MY insurance company (just to get the repairs done - couldn't live with shit all jammed into the dining room), then let them go after the HOAs insurance company. I do recall that "negligence" was an issue, and I had to prove that she intentionally caused the pipe to burst, which I really couldn't (and know that she didn't).

As far as repairing the laminate, if it's just a small spot to repair, I've got a buddy who may be able to do the labor for a very small price - or just go through your insurance, and let them deal with the management company / their insurance. I mean, that's what insurance is for, right? Just get the repairs done.

[HoodPin]

What was the cause of the drain backing up? Was it your fault? In which case pursuing though your own insurance makes sense. Or was it backup beyond your control? If it was a main line plumbing failure, outside of your unit, then the Condo Assoc should be responsible. If the blockage was caused by another occupant, then they should be sued. Not necessarily a cut&dry set of rules, but a reasonable approach IMHO.

[Rick K]

It wasn't my tenants fault that the drain backed up, it was the main drain at the bottom of the building (caused from 12 floors above dumping grease/paint/etc). Since my unit is the one closest to the bottom of the main drain, it sees the effects of a backup first. The mgmt company freely admitted that it was an issue with the main drain and are taking monthly steps to clean it out.

They just refuse to take ownership over repairing anything in the condo that was damaged b/c none of it is "original" from the '60s.

Rob, it is a small spot, would you mind PM'ng me the guys contact info? Thanks

[HoodPin]

It wasn't my tenants fault that the drain backed up, it was the main drain at the bottom of the building (caused from 12 floors above dumping grease/paint/etc). Since my unit is the one closest to the bottom of the main drain, it sees the effects of a backup first. The mgmt company freely admitted that it was an issue with the main drain and are taking monthly steps to clean it out.

They just refuse to take ownership over repairing anything in the condo that was damaged b/c none of it is "original" from the '60s.

Rob, it is a small spot, would you mind PM'ng me the guys contact info? Thanks

Wow! Who's dumping grease/paint into the drains? Other tenants or the managment's employees/contractors? If possible to show "negligence" on the part of the management (or their agents), then it should be a slam dunk against them. If this happens regularly, then some solution needs to be suggested; like maybe a macerator (http://www.saniflo.com/macerator.aspx) in the drain line to keep debris from accumulating and clogging the line.

[Rick K]

Wow! Who's dumping grease/paint into the drains?

Renters. Other clueless tenants.

If possible to show "negligence" on the part of the management (or their agents), then it should be a slam dunk against them. If this happens regularly, then some solution needs to be suggested; like maybe a macerator (http://www.saniflo.com/macerator.aspx) in the drain line to keep debris from accumulating and clogging the line.

Yeah, this has happened a few times in the past, but has never actually spilled over onto the floor. We have records of contractors coming in to address this stuff each time it happens. Their solution this time is to dump an enzyme treatment down the drain once a month to clear a path.

[Dr K]

When we lived in NC, our foam-backed wood flooring (real wood but not real wood flooring - cam in 12x12" tongue-and-grooved pieces, wood about 1/4" thick) got some damage, and we needed 2 tiles replaced. Got a guy from the flooring company in and he arrived 2-1/2 hours late and stinking of alcohol, and not walking straight, either. He pulls out this curved sharp knife and I whispered to my wife he was going to cut his hand off in our house, he was so drunk. He proceeded to cleanly cut out the 2 squares, fit the new ones in perfectly, and a great repair. I don't know how people can work that drunk.

[HoodPin]

When we lived in NC, our foam-backed wood flooring (real wood but not real wood flooring - cam in 12x12" tongue-and-grooved pieces, wood about 1/4" thick) got some damage, and we needed 2 tiles replaced. Got a guy from the flooring company in and he arrived 2-1/2 hours late and stinking of alcohol, and not walking straight, either. He pulls out this curved sharp knife and I whispered to my wife he was going to cut his hand off in our house, he was so drunk. He proceeded to cleanly cut out the 2 squares, fit the new ones in perfectly, and a great repair. I don't know how people can work that drunk.

Sober he's probably afraid of knives....and usually cuts himself because of it. I too am amazed by the ability of impairment postponement exhibited by some. :(

[BlackTalon]

Management company may be blowing you off, but at the end of the day it's actual the Condo Assoc's issue (the management company is just their 'employee'). You should write a letter to the Board president ASAP, and copy the property manager. The Assoc should be responsible for picking up the tab if it was a main plumbing line that cuased the damage.

I work with a lot of property managers, and have seen several blow off legimate claims -- you need to go above their head.

[Rick K]

Yeah, thanks Dave. Already have a nasty, yet somewhat constructive note to them...

[Lupin..the..3rd]

Sounds like the Management Co. was negligent in their responsibility to properly maintain the drain. When was the drain last inspected? What steps were they taking (if any) to ensure it was properly serviced and operating correctly? When did they first notice that paint and other inappropriate materials were being dumped in there? What actions did they take?

Isn't that what the mgmt co is paid for? - to proactively monitor and maintain the building's common systems??

[BlackTalon]

Isn't that what the mgmt co is paid for? - to proactively monitor and maintain the building's common systems??Not necessarily. Management Co is paid to provide whatever services the Condo Assoc hires them to provide. I've seen some cases where all that consist of was paying the bills.