We would like to take this opportunity to show you how we can provide the best service and highest quality product at affordable rates.

Think again. Just as important as the flooring it is the contractor hired to install it. Facilities executives understandably spend quite a bit of time determining that they have the best flooring product at the best price. However, they often do that for the installation, which can be fraught with problems, such as excessive moisture and poorly completed seams.

It is easy to underestimate the scope of work involved in a commercial flooring installation project and to assume anyone can handle the work. That can lead some facilities executives to think that buying flooring products directly from the mill and then hiring their own flooring contractor will result in a quality job at a lower price.

Although a commercial flooring project, may appear to be a relatively straightforward undertaking that is usually not the case. It is a major construction project; there is a lot of planning that goes into the project and technical pitfalls that you have to avoid. For instance, if the contractor does not properly heat-weld two pieces of flooring together, the seams can end up cracking and coming apart.

Moisture can cause problems in several ways. If hard-surface flooring is installed over a sub-floor with high moisture content, the water not be able to escape through the floor. That can create a breeding ground for mold. Excessive moisture in the sub-floor also can keep the flooring adhesive from gripping adequately.