The inspection of resilient (vinyl) floors varies because of all the different products available and how it is supposed to be installed. Is the floor glue down installed or floating? Is the floor sheet goods or luxury vinyl? Is the floor planks or tiles? Is the floor installed in direct contact with the subfloor or was an underlayment used? The biggest issue always seems to be gaps between the planks or tiles. There are so many different causes for gaps. Some simple answers and some easily correctable issues, and some issues that can be quite complex so the entire floor must be replaced. All the different manufacturers have different installation requirements. Most will have a requirement for flatness of the subfloor and some will be different depending the product and manufacturer. There is a difference between the words flat and level. Flat is a smooth countertop or dining room table. Level is what you want your dining room table to be so things don’t slide off. The easiest way to measure the flatness of a floor is with a string line.

Here are just a few of the questions an inspector will ask you: how long was the product acclimated in your home or business before it was installed? What steps did the installer take to make sure the floor was flat? Who installed the transitions or shoe molding? Is any part of the room exposed to direct sunlight? Is the area where the product is installed maintained at a constant, livable temperature year round? The protocols for the inspection of resilient flooring follow some of the same protocols as the inspection of wood and laminate. Although The Resilient Floor Covering Institute offers generic installation guidelines, each manufacturer requires their specific installation guidelines to be followed.

Carpet inspections are performed for many different issues such as but not limited to: perceived wear or loss of texture, soiling and spots and stains, apparent soiling due to traffic-related pile reversal, differences in color to the carpet at the seams, visible seams, loose, buckled carpet and lines or bands in the carpet noticed the day it is installed.

The protocol followed for the inspection of carpet whether it is residential or commercial is written by The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) ANSI/IICRC S800 - Professional Inspection of Textile Floorcovering.

The protocol and guidelines for how carpet is to be installed comes directly from the manufacturer but in many cases manufacturers forgo that responsibility and state the carpet is to be installed following the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Standard for Installation of Commercial Carpet CRI 104 and/or the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Standard for Installation of Residential Carpet CRI 105.

The protocol and guidelines for how carpet is to be cleaned and maintained is typically provided by the manufacturer and must be followed, most especially for warranty claims. Most manufacturers direct the carpet owner to the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Seal of Approval (SOA) program for direction as to how a carpet should be maintained. The most complete source and industry standard for how carpet is to be cleaned and maintained is The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) S100 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Cleaning of Textile Floor Coverings.

As you can see there are many documents, guidelines and rules to be followed for the inspection of carpet, how the carpet is to be installed and most especially how the carpet is to be cleaned and maintained. It is the carpet owner’s responsibility to follow what the manufacturer requires as to how the carpet is to be cleaned and maintained. Demand from the store where you purchased your carpet the care and maintenance guidelines. Do not rely on the advice from the people where you purchased your carpet, what the installer may say and most especially what Aunt Ester may say. How does the saying go: "ignorance of the law (care and maintenance guidelines) does not excuse one from the responsibility of appropriate carpet ownership." Educate yourself and go the manufacturer’s website to the get the proper information

The inspection of tile floors includes products such as: ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone. There are so many variables because of all the different products available and how they are installed and most especially, cared for. The installation of these products is not for the faint of heart, you must be on your A game. Not following the rules can become a very costly replacement. Very few manufacturers provide installation guidelines, most of the protocols come from Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook for Ceramic Tile Installation. Don’t let the word “Ceramic” befuddle you, the guidelines cover all types of products installed such as tile on floors and walls , indoors and outdoors. Some special guidelines are needed for the installation of marble and stone and we might reference the Marble Institute of America (MIA) for that information.

Is the grout cracking? There are reasons why. Are the tiles cracking and coming loose? This is typically due to the floor moving up and down. Are the edges of one tile higher than the other (lippage)? This could be a defect in the tile and/or it could be because the installer did not set the tiles flush one to another. Is the grout darker in some areas and lighter in others right after the floor was grouted? This could be because the grout was not mixed properly or it was over washed. Do you see pinholes in the grout? This could also be from improper mixing. How about a white haze on the grout? This could be efflorescence, an easily performed but tedious task to remove.

The inspection of laminate floors whether it is the locking luxury vinyl products or traditional high density fiber core varies because of all the different products available and how it is supposed to be installed. Every manufacturer has installation guidelines as to how their product is supposed to be assembled, how long a span you can have without the need of a transition, and how flat the floor has to be (refer to the resilient flooring summary). Although there are some specific guidelines established by manufacturers as to how their laminate is to be installed, in lieu of those, the North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) offers guidelines as to how laminate floors are to be installed. The inspector will ask you some of the same questions they would if the floor were wood, because laminate acts a lot like wood. How long was the laminate in the home before it was installed? Was the home within livable conditions when the laminate was installed? Is the floor over a crawl space or basement? Is the basement finished and if not, is it dry? When did the issues start? Is the floor cupping? Are the edges bubbling up or look like the top layer is pealing up? Are there gaps between the sides and/or ends of the planks? Is it consistent throughout the installation or just in one area? When did the gaps start? What is the relative humidity in your home? Are the heating ducts under the floor insulated? Did the installer flatten the floor?

The inspection of wood floors whether it is solid or engineered varies because of all the different products available and how they are installed. There are rules established by manufacturers and The National Wood Flooring Association as to how wood floors are to be installed. There are also rules as to how wood floors are to be inspected for certain problems, most especially finish and appearance issues. How long was the wood in the home before it was installed? Was the home within livable conditions when the wood was installed? Is the floor mechanically fastened, glued down or floating installed? What species of wood is the floor? Is the floor strip, planks (wider than 3”), prefinished, site finished, smooth surface, or brushed and scraped? Is the floor over a crawl space or basement? Is the basement finished and if not, is it dry? When did the issues start? Is there a crackling sound coming from the floor? Throughout or just in one area? Is the floor cupping? Do you see splits or checking in the boards? Are there gaps between the sides and/or ends of the boards? Are they consistent throughout the installation or just in one area? When did the gaps start? What is the relative humidity in your home? Are the heating ducts under the floor insulated? Did the installer flatten the floor?

As you can see, depending on the issue occurring with you floor, there are many questions that need answered. And truth be known, most issues with hardwood flooring are related to acclimation, how well it is fastened, the relative humidity in the home, and how it is cared for.

The moisture in concrete should be tested by an independent third party contractor who has been trained and credentialed to perform the testing according to the current industry standard.

Concrete is permeable, and it can take upwards of 120 days for a 4” thick slab to cure. The rule of thumb for curing of concrete is “30 days per inch.” Once the concrete has cured, testing for moisture can begin. Using a Tramex CME4 Concrete Moisture Encounter, non-invasive moisture meter can help determine when the official testing can begin.

Moisture measurements in concrete need to be taken prior to the application of adhesives or floor coverings. If accurate measurements to assess the slab’s moisture content aren’t properly taken, adhesives, wood floors, carpet, resilient or tile flooring may ultimately fail. Testing can be performed on the surface of the concrete using calcium chloride tests following Association of Standards and Testing Measurements (ASTM), ASTM F 1869.

The most popular testing is called In-situ or internal relative humidity (IRH) following testing protocol ASTM F 2170 which provides a more accurate, uniform result and the ability to test for moisture further into the slab. I use Protimeter MMS3 moisture meter and probes.