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Great Goofs

Polka dots, no extra charge

by Gary Hesterberg

From The Family Handyman

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When we decided to put in a new kitchen/laundry room floor, we went top quality all the way. The subfloor was in fine condition, but to get a perfectly clean and level surface, I installed a 1/4-in. layer of plywood. On the recommendations of a contractor buddy, I used cement- coated nails in the subfloor to prevent nail movement. We installed top-of-the-line perimeter glue-down vinyl, no seams. It looked beautiful. About three months later, however, a small yellow dot appeared in the floor. The manufacturer’s representative immediately recognized that the cement coating on the nails was bleeding through the vinyl and causing a stain. The nails were incompatible with this floor, which voided the warranty. Soon we had hundreds of yellow dots, one for every nail.

From The Family Handyman - August 2000