Supercore flooring install, the refrigerator dented it.
My supercore floor was dented by my refrigerator, this was not supposed to happen.
Comments (21)
Michael Keane
Original Author2 years agoThis is the third floor that I have installed in my kitchen. The first was water damaged, I replaced it with a bamboo laminate. I replaced it with the SuperCore SPV as I wanted it to match my living room. This did not happen with either of the other previous floors. The SuperCore SPV is supposed to be very hard. The floor under the floor is hard, no underlayment was used. I am very disappointed. I first heard of SuperCore on this site so I wanted to show this to others that are considering installing it in their homes. The floor has two indentations in it, one for each side of the refrigerator. The refrigerator was only moved over the floor one time.
Raina S
2 years ago@Michael Keane Did you discuss with @WeShipFloors? How was the refrigerator moved? I don’t expect miracles from this flooring, but it looks gorgeous and I’ve had wood and engineered wood that don’t hold up to heavy appliances.
Michael Keane
Original Author2 years agoI did and they were pretty rude about it, this was their reply. " Sir, you are supposed to protect the floor with hardwood runways when you are moving appliances as I stated previously. This is the same regardless of the type flooring that is installed. It's plainly written in our instructions. Whether you wish to admit it or not, you screwed up the floor." There is a big difference between dragging and rolling. This is the third floor that I had in the kitchen, previously an engineered wood and bamboo, neither had a problem as far as weight goes so it's not the same for any floor. Both got wet hence this floor. The refrigerator was moved on them many times without anything happening, absolutely nothing! All I did was roll the refrigerator out a few feet. It's on rollers so the floor was not scraped, it simply rolled out on it. I did get most of the indentations out by heating it up in small sections with a heat lamp, eight minutes per spot. I experimented with some extra pieces first. I like the floor, it looks great, it seems to hold up to sunlight well. But is is softer than any floor that I have ever installed. I'm still paranoid of rolling the refrigerator out, it sits in a hole so to speak so it has to be rolled out, no options. The next time I try it I will completely empty it to get the weight down and cross my fingers. I may lay some sections of my old flooring down as well, the hard part will be to get the wheels up on them. Thanks, Mike
Raina S
2 years ago@Michael Keane Thanks for your reply and the tips about getting out indentations! I would suggest a sheet of 1/4" plywood to roll it out on. Because, yes, you do need to move appliances occasionally and well I wouldn't have thought about it, either. In fact, I haven't decided whether the refrigerator should go on top of Supercore or if I should let it sit on the plywood subfloor. I have a small refrigerator 10 cu. ft. and it is not on wheels. When it's empty it only weighs 112 pounds. I can imagine now needing to pull out the dishwasher for a repair and It's hard to imagine how to accomplish that and protect the flooring. @WeShipFloors Can you comment? Suggestions for pulling out appliances?
PROWeShipFloors
2 years agoRaina S,
I am glad you did the @weshipfloors because it alerted me to this post. Appliances are just fine sitting on top of your supercore flooring. A piece of 1/4" plywood would be adequate to move your refrigerator out upon.
Michael never talked to us about his flooring issue. He went directly to BBB and filed a complaint saying that we are selling faulty product. Once a BBB is filed, it never goes away. The proper way to handle an issue is to give us a call so we can set up an inspector to stop by and see what is going on with your floor.
In Michael's photo, the floor is dented 3 boards out from the refrigerator. Why is it not dented right by the refrigerator? To me it looks like a subfloor failure and what looks like a dent is actually a bend, that's why heat will bring it out. If the floor had collapsed, heat would not bring it back to level. Our product is only as good as the subflooring it sits upon. Supercore does not bridge loads. Appliances are VERY heavy and that loaded refrigerator's weight bares down on less than 1 square inch total - that's why when moving them it's important to have plywood or hardboard to spread the load out while moving it across your floor. An inspector would have determined what exactly happened, but Michael didn't want to handle things properly so here we are.
Regardless, this issue would not have been a warranty claim - we didn't move the refrigerator improperly Michael did. I informed Michael in his first BBB complaint that he could do a board replacement to fix the flooring.
All we can do is sell you high quality flooring, what you do with that flooring is beyond our control. If you have an issue, how about giving us a chance to find out what's going on and not immediately start hammering us online like Michael did.
Alan Ward
Timothy Winzell
2 years agoThis appears to be the fault of the end user, not the material.
Rather than 1/4" plywood, I recommend using 1/8" Masonite, cut into narrow strips. They're easy to slide under the unit because they're very thin. We regularly use Masonite strips to roll older fully laden refrigerators over wood flooring, without resulting in indentations.
Michael Keane
Original Author2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoThis never had to happen like this. I did go the the BBB, the way the process works is I make a statement and WeShipFloors can and did respond. They could have offered to send an inspector out, they did not. They could have offered suggestions, they could have offered anything really, instead they replied as they did. So instead of resolving the issue, this could be taken into consideration the next time the BBB rates them, I hope that it is.
The sub floor is very even and hard. I carefully inspected it after removing the old floor and it was perfectly flat. Take notice how WeShipFloors makes no mention as to why the two previous floors handled the weight of the refrigerator with ease, I wonder why? And again, no offer of an inspection was offered. The floor was indeed dented evenly, the light might make it look like it was not. I did take notice that some pieces dented more than others. Perhaps the mix of ground up stone vs. plastic was off on my flooring. It's like it does not have enough rock in it. It would have been great to get an evaluation on that!
As far as my heating method went, I can explain that. I noticed the flooring was soft when I installed it. The backing was more like plastic than rock. I have installed several floors, usually saw blades don't hold up very well, but I was cutting through this floor like butter. As plastic sometimes can expand to its original shape when heated I decided to give it a try. I took a spare piece out to my garage which has a hard cement floor. I then hit it with a hammer and dented it. First I took a hair dryer to it with limited success. Then I thought of a heat lamp which worked better. So I took a chance on the real flooring with some success, it's not perfect but it is much better. So if solid concrete is not hard enough I don't know what is. And again, the other two floors were fine. When I moved the refrigerator on this floor it felt very heavy, like it was stuck in mud. The floor was indeed dented, not bent.
WeShipFloors claims I moved the refrigerator improperly. But trying to pull it out and lift it onto a board would be difficult, I tried. But my thinking was, well I moved this thing many times on the the previous floors, in fact I could move it sideways like it was on ice, no problem, so I rolled it out. My other two floors were completely unaffected even though they were installed over the same subfloor. The reason I replaced the first floor was that the refrigerator leaked and ruined it. The bamboo was replaced as I wanted to have consistent flooring between the living room and kitchen.
We Ship Floors claims that you can sit heavy furniture on the floor but you can't roll a refrigerator on it. So my question is how heavy can the furniture be? But in all fairness, for the most part the flooring is holding up ok. I never wanted a battle with WeShipFloors but other than buy more at my expense and replace it, they went on the attack.
So before you buy your question should be, do I want a floor that will easily dent or one that won't. All I can say is my first two floors in the kitchen held up fine to the exact same thing, the WeShipFloors flooring did not. If you do have a problem I hope you don't get told that you ruined your floor as was told to me.
As far as the last statement about me hammering them online. What is a guy supposed to do after being treated the way that they treated me? It's not the first thing that I did, it is the last thing that I did. I am not trying to slander WeShipFloors. I bought the product due to research on the internet. I am only trying to convey my experience so others can make an informed decision when deciding what to buy.
Mike
- PRO
WeShipFloors
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoMichael,
What a guy does is pick up the phone and call us when you have an issue, not go to BBB and file a complaint and broadside us - that just isn't right. You started throwing bombs right from the start and what you did hurts our business. You continue to do so by posting in here about it.
If you would have followed our instructions, you would not have a damaged floor right now. As far as how other floors handled your refrigerator, I cannot say. I did not sell you the product. All I can comment on is our floor.
You sound like a competitor just trying to bash our product online.
Alan Michael Keane
Original Author2 years agoI filed an inquiry, all you had to do is kindly respond, you turned it into a complaint. Why not say, send us a piece or two and we will see if you received a defective lot of flooring, maybe something like that? Maybe say our flooring is better than some in many respects, but it can't handle as much weight as others. But then maybe the lot shipped to me is not indicative of your flooring and is defective, we will never know. If you had done so the inquiry would have been closed as satisfactory. All we had to do was reach an agreement and the BBB inquiry would have gone away. Instead the BBB saw your rude reply and closed it, telling me it might affect your BBB rating in the future. By the rude way that you treated me, and you still continue to do so, I hope they pull your rating! I posted here because instead of receiving courteous service, you accused me of ruining the floor on the basis of a picture, nothing else. I simply wanted to inform others so they could make an informed decision. I can tell you how my other floors handled the refrigerator, they were and are good solid floors. You keep saying that no floor will handle the weight of a refrigerator, well I know of two of them, and more! I still have the bamboo in the rest of my home and I love it with the exception of it's not waterproof, but I knew that when I bought it. I truly regret purchasing your flooring, I have learned my lesson well. In the future I will buy locally from people that stand behind what they sell! I am no competitor, and you have proof that I bought the flooring from you. I am just a guy that does home improvements, as I can, I have helped friends install floors that they have purchased. So you are angry that I posted a truthful account of this transaction, I am not so thrilled about spending thousands of dollars for a soft floor. I can also say that I have never been subjected to what is basically harassment for having a problem with a product. It is a good looking floor, I will give you that, for how long who knows.
Goodbye, MikeTimothy Winzell
2 years agolast modified: 2 years ago"The sub floor (sic) is very even and hard. I carefully inspected it after removing the old floor and it was perfectly flat."
To analyze whether the floor or the subfloor deformed, remove a piece of the flooring in the affected area and use a micrometer to measure the material thickness where the deformation occurred and the nominal thickness of the material. A dial gauge could be used to check whether the subfloor has been indented.
"Take notice how WeShipFloors makes no mention as to why the two previous floors handled the weight of the refrigerator with ease, I wonder why?"
How exactly would they know? Do you believe they are omniscient? It's not in their purview to speculate, but I can. It's likely that your previous floors were more rigid and spread localized pressure over a greater area.
"And again, no offer of an inspection was offered"
Makes perfect sense to me. Inspections cost money.
Michael Keane
Original Authorlast yearlast modified: last yearAlan, I am just a private individual that paid you $3000 for a soft floor and lots of abuse. I have no affiliation with any flooring company, nor have I ever. You accusing me of being a competitor is simply absurd.
Mike- PRO
WeShipFloors
last yearEveryone,
Please follow our instructions. If you have questions or concerns, pick up the phone and give us a call.
Alan Ward - PRO
WeShipFloors
last yearbry911,
Once a BBB complaint is opened, it never goes away (just like this thread) - whether it's resolved to everyone's liking or not. If Michael had communicated with us up front, I seriously doubt this thread would have ever been created.
We strive to have 100% satisfied customers, but don't knee-cap us before we even know you had an issue. That just isn't fair to us.
Alan Ward Mari
last yearIt sounds like the fridge was improperly moved, contrary to manufacturer's instructions, but understandably since previous floors had held up. I probably would've done the same thing. Still, against instructions. It was a mistake anybody could make, but a mistake.
Two things concern me here about the seller of the floor. One, the buyer's comment that the floor seemed soft. He strikes me as an honest man who thought this through (witness his process working with the dent). My concern is, this is a newer product with no track record. In my own reading elsewhere, it seemed like one of the very best on the market. Now I'm wondering if they have issues with consistency in their product--or worse, overpromising. They could be a victim of an overseas supplier, and a certain country comes to mind that sold infamously smelly drywall, toxic baby food, and flooring mislabeled regarding compliance. SuperCore may in fact be the best with none of these problems, but here is an early report that it's soft, so this can and should go down as something to watch and decide as evidence comes in. If it's a one-off, one negative review soon becomes buried among thousands of great ones. If not, we'll soon know.
The other thing that concerns me--far more, actually--is how WeShipFloors has conducted itself here, on this thread. The aggressive nature of their posts, even name-calling, is unprofessional at best. They could have made every point they've made using restraint and respectful tones, but they only illustrated the buyer's points. I understand the outrage and feeling attacked by both sides, but I expect better from a business before I hand over thousands of dollars. I don't think I'd want to face either their attitude or their graceless, fighting tone if I had to make a claim. The fact that the reviews are permanent is no excuse. The response borders on tacky. WeShipFloors was in my top two, but I will think twice before pursuing them any further.
millworkman
last yearMar I think just the opposite. I think @WeShipFloors handled themselves very professionally. Te nuclear option was invoked by the OP, once that is invoked without the curteosy of speaking with the vendor, in my opinion all bets are off. At that point you follow the BBB rules for dealing with the issue.
Mari
last yearI agree he should've contacted the seller of the flooring first, and the seller had the right to explain here. It doesn't give them the right to be rude.
After that, it all broke down. It's not clear who's correct on some of these points-- and they do disagree sharply on several points:
* the hardness of & degree of level of the subfloor--which WeShipFloors has never seen. Also, no tests were done to see if he truly got a defective batch, since seller was so outraged that the initial contact was BBB--*not* at complaint level--and came out swinging from the start, telling the customer he "screwed up" and "whether you wish to admit it or not." I agree with the seller's point, just not the unprofessional wording. You don't talk that way to a customer, any customer. Including one who believes that an inquiry on BBB is not as bad as a complaint. WeShipFloors came out ready to fight like a 12-year-old whose lemonade stand just got criticized.
Also in debate: is this floor soft or not? Points that support that possibility:
* Reshaping from heat* Seller's claim that it bent in a gap (again, without any evidence) vs buyer's claim that there is no gap and previous floors didn't bend, etc
* The whole issue of, why didn't inferior floors dent with fridge? SuperCore is supposed to be amazingly hard. Yet it was beat out by not one, but two previous floors?
Yes, buyer should've covered the floor per instructions. And should've called 1st. But none of that explains the rest of these points.
And the seller falsely suggested buyer may be a competitor just trying to smear his company...and then topped it off with accusing the buyer of lying outright...that's it for me. The man was honest that he pulled out the fridge without protecting the floor.
The buyer goofed. But the seller's words are far more questionable ("competitor"), rude ("you screwed up"), unproven (misc), and slanderous ("just plain lying"). True or not, we should carry ourselves better than this.realestateproject27
last year"When moving appliances or heavy furniture, we recommend laying a rigid panel or suitable protective substrate on your floor before moving any object."
- I have found this on most flooring handling and care guides.
Nothing new to discover here.
Why not just do a board replacement, and when you expose the subfloor, make sure there isn't a soft spot there. If there is a dip, put in some leveler.
The flooring relies on the subfloor for continuous support throughout. If there is a void or a gap of space between the subfloor and your new flooring, that would allow room for movement and heavy objects will press downward. This would be considered a weak spot in the support system for the flooring.Mary Elizabeth
last yearTL;DR all of the comments. We installed Supercore (8mm with the 5G lock) and moved a beverage fridge and a small 20 cubic ft regular fridge/top freezer with no issues.
For the beverage fridge, we used corner dollies with soft rubber wheels. For the regular fridge, just the wheels that it comes on - didn't need any kind of underlayment, and no dents or scratches at all. (It was new and empty.)
Mari
last yearI don't think anyone's questioning that the OP should've covered the floor, and he's been honest about it. I was actively looking at this company's products, though, before I saw this unprofessional bru-ha-ha...
In the end, though I wouldn't have handled the issue the way he did, I was appalled enough at the floor supplier's response that I'm a bit reluctant to consider dealing with them myself.
Susan Bales
5 months agoThe installation instructions tell you not to put cabinets on it, so the fridge problem isn't a huge shock.
Reload the page to not see this specific ad anymore
bry911