On 22 May 2006 09:24:36 -0700, "dalemstevens"
wrote:

Hi,

Any suggestions for the best way out of the following linoleum floor
installation disaster?

A (young) installer (with experience) opted to cover an old linoleum
floor with quarter-inch plywood and then cover that with new linoleum.
The plywood was secured with abundant use of one-inch staples dispensed
from a quality gun, then the new linoleum was glued to the plywood.
The problem is that the plywood has bowed up in the center, at least a
4 foot diameter bubble raised about a half inch. How could this
happen? Obviously the staples failed. Would the approach have worked
if screws secured to the floor joists were used instead of random
application of staples to the subfloor? The linoleum is glued tight
and if one tries to pull it up the paper backing tears and is an ugly
mess.

I'm trying to think of solutions; I hate to recommend a lot of
unnecessary work, such as tear everything out, or pull off the
linoleum, scrape off the glue, screw the plywood down into the floor
joists and try again. I know this sounds insane, but could the bubbled
plywood be screwed down through the new linoleum (into the floor
joists) and a second layer of plywood be used and newer linoleum glued
to that? Seems to me that if this is done the big bubble will just
become smaller bubbles.

My role is that of an advisor to correct this farce (I'm related by
in-law once removed). I wasn't involved in the original work (thank
heavens) so I can't comment as to why it didn't work as planned;
however, I do feel that the plywood-over-linoleum idea should have
worked OK, if it had been done correctly, and I see it has been
recommended in this newsgroup, so I probably would have gone along
with the idea if I'd have been consulted at the start, but not
necessarily the idea to use staples.

Thanks,

Dale
Dale, I also think all those layers should be ripped up. There is a
new type of vinyl floor that need not be glued down. It comes 4 meter
wide or about 13'. It has a fiberglass backing instead of cardboard
and thus more flexable. So after the ripup belt sand the high spots
and use a levelor on the low spots.