Various questions about the installed parquet

Hello everyone,

I’ll try to put various questions into one thread. About 9 months ago (before we moved in) we had parquet flooring installed. On the ground floor it was glued down and I am generally satisfied. What I do notice, however, is that I repeatedly have areas where when I run my finger over, there are hollow spots in terms of sound. It’s not that there is a hole underneath, but as if there is no parquet adhesive under that spot. They are country house planks about 2 m long and it’s always only small spots. Especially along the edges, e.g., by the door or wall, but also sometimes between two planks. Everything is still fixed, so nothing moves. A friend of mine also had country house planks installed by another professional company and he said it was the same for him. Now I wonder if this is “normal.” Hopefully there are no disadvantages. 2nd question: Upstairs I had the same parquet (multi-layer parquet) installed floating. Before the furniture was in the rooms I noticed that when walking over it you could clearly feel it had some give. The craftsman said at the time this would change when the furniture was in the room, and he was right. In the rooms it is indeed no longer noticeable. But in the hallway it still is and in one spot there is a noticeable depression where the floor visibly sinks. Also, you hear a slight creaking noise when walking on the floor in the hallway. I had already pointed this out to him at the time and he said he had re-supported it at that spot. My first guess was that the planks would settle with time. However, it has not gotten better over summer and fall. There is no furniture in the hallway either. So it will not be like in the other rooms. Since the planks are floating and not connected to the screed, I wonder if this is okay. Otherwise, I will have to complain. It is definitely still under the warranty period. In the basement, we had vinyl flooring installed by him. Also floating. There are also a few spots in the room with small dips. I think the floor is not 100% level. Is that acceptable? It is rigid vinyl. So I don’t think it is harmful to the floor, but if I want to complain? I definitely can’t wait 2 years. However, redoing the floor there would be a hassle, especially since I don’t find it that disturbing. In the attic, cork laminate was installed on chipboard panels. It was foreseeable that this would be a challenge. Already during renovation it became clear that the floor there was not quite even and the chipboard panels were installed incorrectly. But the floor installer said that this was not necessary or profitable. But you can already see with the naked eye that the cork laminate is not even over the room or has to follow the unevenness of the substrate (from the middle of the room to the stairs the floor slopes slightly). You can also hear this when walking on it. Now I don’t know if the squeaking and creaking only comes from the chipboard underneath. The neighbors have carpet there. They also have creaking. I cannot blame the floor installer here because the substrate is as it is, but I wonder if the cork laminate will eventually be damaged because of this. Last but not least, the strangest thing is that this company did the majority of the renovation work for me.

...the first message no longer fit... Last but not least, the strangest thing. This company did most of the renovation for me. Floors, walls (wallpapering and painting) as well as installing doors (is a room designer). So... the whole thing has a contract volume of just over 30,000 according to the offer. I then always received invoices in stages for the installments, which I paid immediately. Only: I never received the last installment invoice. I have no precise idea how high it will be. But I suspect between 5,000 and 7,000 euros. At first I thought okay, maybe there’s something to improve after moving in or so, but it’s now been 8 or 9 months. My lawyer said it could have something to do with the year-end closing or taxes, that wouldn’t be unusual. Legally it doesn’t expire that quickly. But still, I find it strange. I think if I haven’t heard anything by the end of the year, I will ask. I have the money set aside, but of course, it would be good to get it off my hands and besides, it’s also common that at the end you can no longer really track what he still includes in it. Some things are BP. Angebot abgewichen. For example, we agreed at the beginning; that he removes all the wallpaper. Then we took over a room as it was. Then he had to repair the screed a bit more extensively, which certainly costs a bit more (filling cracks). Also, the installation of the interior doors was added (I estimate about another 1,500 euros for 5 doors total). I provided the doors. At the same time, I have the problem that I might still have to assert the above defects (?). What do you think? Do you know this or is this common practice in the trade?

These are partly natural products; if the floor was not poured beforehand, you will always have unevenness in the floor.

Regarding the invoice, there will be something coming.

These are partly natural products; if the floor was not poured beforehand, you will always have unevenness in the floor.

It has already been leveled. And yes, I also think the invoice is still coming.

@ :
There are two points I would like to address here.
Point 1 was the hollow spots audible when running fingernails over the surface.
The parquet floor is glued to the substrate; in this case, it should be noted that these are country house planks.
Now, there are limit values for the surface flatness of the installation substrate (usually a screed with leveling compound), regulated in DIN 18202 Table 3.
If nothing was agreed between you and the contractor, the mandatory standard is always row 3 in Table 3. This means that at a 1 m measuring point distance, a deviation of 4 mm (this would be the "gap" under a straightedge) is permissible.
If a country house plank is installed on such a surface, it can well be that it cannot bridge the "depression" in the screed surface, so the element "floats" in places.
In practice, the installer usually weights the parquet element at these spots before the adhesive cures to ensure it lies fully embedded in the adhesive bed.
But this is not always possible. And not always 100% successful. Meaning: hollow spots under glued parquet planks cannot always be avoided.
What is permissible?
A look into the comments of DIN 18365 helps here (such things are not covered in the standards). There it is stated (as the state of the art) that hollow-sounding areas do not constitute a defect if the installed units do not move under load.
Since 100% adhesive coverage on the back of the elements is not always possible, it is considered that a minimum adhesive coverage/bonding of at least 40% represents a sufficient bonding lower limit!
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Point 2 was the floating-installed prefinished parquet elements, which have been called "multilayer parquet elements" for several years.
If the elements bend downwards when walked on or under pressure load, this is only conditionally permissible. Conditionally permissible because, as noted before, a screed surface flatness within limit values allows unevenness. These are accepted without load by the loosely (floating) installed parquet material, the planks, but they do compress under walking load.
And here attention is required:
The standards do not specify allowable magnitudes, so practical experience must be relied upon for conclusions.
If the limit for screeds according to DIN 18202 Table 3 Row 3 is 4 mm over 1 meter measuring point distance, then the loosely installed parquet planks forming a total unit must not deflect more than <4 mm.
This test is performed on the parquet surface so it can be done non-destructively even afterward.
Greater deflections carry the risk that, due to the constantly repeated loads (when walking), either the locking between the "clicked" plank elements unintentionally opens, or the milling breaks out at the long or short edges, thus damaging the element.
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How you should proceed (this is and cannot be legal advice!!):
For points 1 and 2, you can simply and meaningfully determine the magnitude of the hollow spot(s) and deflections yourself.
If the findings are outside what is considered usual or unavoidable, it would be advisable to notify the responsible company in writing.
This letter must include the term MÄNGELRÜGE in bold print in the reference line (this stops the agreed warranty period).
It must clearly describe what is being complained about and include the indication that you set a deadline of .... weeks (4 weeks is usual) for defect remediation. All outstanding payments will be withheld as a precaution.
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You see that the topic, as simple as it may appear at first, does contain several "pitfalls."
The inspections describe an objectively ascertainable defect situation that is "solid and sound."
Good luck: KlaRa

There will be something coming regarding the invoice.

I called about 4 weeks ago and asked what was going on with the invoice. He said he hadn't gotten around to it yet. The order was completed a year ago now. Can someone tell me what the reason for this could be? Honestly, I'm getting really annoyed not knowing what is still coming. He also couldn't give me an approximate amount. I find it a very strange behavior. When I asked him to look at the defects described above, he did respond and said he would send someone, but that it is currently difficult. I also emailed him, but so far no reaction. His wife and business partners told me on the phone yesterday that he had received my email and had not forgotten. I think I'll wait one more week and then make a formal complaint about the defects in writing. Hopefully he will react then. Really frustrating what craftsmen are able to get away with these days. Just selling, but no service anymore. May not apply to everyone, but obviously to many.