A homeowner in Des Moines asked me why I was pulling up the old underlayment instead of just going over it

They said their last installer did the opposite and saved them a day of labor. Made me actually stop and explain the moisture risk, which I realized I don't do enough.

3 comments

3 Comments

blairsanchez2mo ago

That "saved them a day of labor" part is the problem. It saves time now but costs way more later. Moisture gets trapped and rots the subfloor. You end up paying for a full tear-out and repair instead of just the new floor.

keithreed2mo ago

My old landlord did this exact thing with vinyl plank over a wet basement floor. It's the same mindset that puts cheap fixes on public infrastructure, like patching a pothole instead of repaving the whole road. We're surrounded by systems built for short term wins that guarantee a bigger bill later. It feels like the whole economy runs on skipping the prep work now and calling it efficiency.

nancyd8523d ago

Is it just bad luck that I end up paying for both the cheap fix AND the later repair, or does that make me the actual idiot who can't learn a lesson? @keithreed totally nailed it with that infrastructure comparison - it's like my whole life is just one long series of skipping prep work and calling it good enough. I swear I've got the Midas touch for bad flooring decisions, but it always turns my money into mold instead of gold. Last time I tried to save a buck on labor I ended up ripping out half a kitchen floor three months later. My wallet and my back both hate me by now.