Resilient (or vinyl) flooring, in both sheet and tile products, remains the most popular floor finish material on the market, combining affordability with durability and an increasing range of style options. As tough as it is, resilient flooring is not entirely resistant to some normal day-to-day mishaps such as scuffs and dents, and (like any floor finish) is subject to more serious damage if exposed to long-term moisture or water intrusion.
But those are issues and costs for homeowners to manage long after the warranty has expired. Where a builder might be called comes much sooner, when the owners notice a bubble or two in the floor’s surface or a curling seam along the edge of a tile—the tell-tale signs of an improper installation that can crop up within months of move-in.
Fixing those problems is typically neither time-consuming nor expensive for a builder, but it does cut into his profit margin somewhat and, more important, deflates the potential for a positive referral. Avoiding an errant bubble or pesky seam seal is even easier, requiring a little more attention to detail and setting expectations with installers to adhere to the manufacturer’s recommended methods and materials.