Expertise of floor covering installation

The Forensic expert kollegium conducts construction and technical expertise of all types of floor coverings in both judicial and pre-trial proceedings.

During the expertise of floor covering installation, a comprehensive set of measures is carried out to detect violations of construction standards and identify defects in floor construction and the installation (laying) of floor coverings.

During the expertise of floor covering installation, experts examine the following parameters:

1. Installation of the base (soil, concrete, sand, crushed stone, gravel):

• use of materials complying with the design documentation and applicable technical regulatory legal acts;
• presence of foreign inclusions;
• compliance of the actual compaction with the design documentation and applicable technical regulatory legal acts;
• deviation from straightness (flatness);
• compliance of the layer thickness with the design documentation and technical regulatory legal acts;

2. Installation of the screed:

• use of materials complying with the design documentation and applicable technical regulatory legal acts;
• deviation from straightness (flatness);
• compliance of the layer thickness with the design documentation and technical regulatory legal acts;

3. Installation of floor waterproofing:

• use of materials complying with the design documentation and applicable technical regulatory legal acts;
• compliance of the actual dimensions of the covering with the design documentation and technical regulatory legal acts;
• compliance of the layer thickness with the design documentation and technical regulatory legal acts;
• deviation from straightness (flatness);
• bond strength of the layer to the base;
• actual appearance of the covering (presence of bubbles, blisters, air pockets, unbonded layers and edges, tears, dents, folds, leaks, sagging, and mechanical damage);

4. Installation of thermal and sound insulation:

• moisture content of the base;
• method of laying thermal and sound insulation materials;
• layer thickness;
• deviation of the thermal insulation surface from the specified slope and horizontal level;
• actual appearance of the covering (presence of sagging layers, inadequate adhesion to the base, and mechanical damage);

5. Installation of monolithic (concrete) floor coverings:

• use of materials complying with the design documentation and applicable technical regulatory legal acts;
• compliance of the layer thickness with the design documentation and technical regulatory legal acts;
• presence of insulating pads;
• reinforcement of the layer;
• deviation from straightness (flatness);
• bond strength to the base;
• actual appearance (presence of potholes, cracks, waves, and mechanical damage);

6. Installation of wood, parquet board, and laminated panel coverings:

• use of materials complying with the design documentation and applicable technical regulatory legal acts;
• presence of a thermal and sound insulation layer;
• dimensions of support posts (for wooden floors);
• deviation of support posts from verticality (for wooden floors);
• actual arrangement of joists and their joints (for wooden floors);
• dimensions of joists (for wooden floors);
• actual appearance of wooden elements (boards, panels, joists);
• actual fastening method of wooden elements (for wooden floors);
• thickness of the adhesive layer (for parquet floors);
• bonded area of the parquet strip (for parquet floors);
• deviation from straightness (flatness);
• ledges and gaps between adjacent covering elements;
• presence of waterproofing and sound-absorbing underlay (for laminated panels);
• presence of expansion gaps near walls and expansion joints (for laminated panels);
• presence of a gap between the skirting board and the floor covering;

7. Installation of coverings made of roll materials (PVC linoleum):

• use of materials complying with the design documentation and applicable technical regulatory legal acts;
• moisture content of the base;
• deviation from straightness (flatness);
• thickness of the adhesive layer;
• bonded area of the covering;
• trimming of adjoining sheets;
• joints between sheets;
• size of gaps between coverings;

8. Installation of tile coverings:

• use of materials complying with the design documentation and applicable technical regulatory legal acts;
• thickness of the cement-sand mortar bedding layer;
• moisture content of the base;
• deviation of tile joint widths and their deviation from straightness;
• deviation from straightness (flatness);
• presence of ledges between adjacent tiles;
• bond strength to the base.

Violations of the requirements established for these parameters are considered defects in floor covering installation.

The main factors contributing to floor covering defects are:

• failure to comply with the requirements of the design documentation and technical regulatory legal acts during the performance of the work;
• failure to comply with floor covering operating requirements;
• improper maintenance of floor coverings during their service life.

Depending on the type of parameter being assessed, this expertise may be conducted both during the installation process and after the completion of floor covering installation.

In some cases, when the expertise is conducted after the completion of floor covering installation, it may be necessary to open the floor structure. This is required to determine the characteristics of the underlying layers of the floor structure and to collect samples for determining the strength characteristics of the materials used.

The following questions are submitted for resolution during the expertise of floor covering installation:

1. determine the cause of the floor covering defect, as well as classify it according to significance (significant, minor, critical), possibility of elimination (remediable, irremediable), method of detection (obvious, hidden), and nature (manufacturing-related (design or technological), operational);
2. determine whether the completed floor covering installation complies with the design and technical regulatory documentation;
3. determine the quality of the completed work;
4. determine the cost of eliminating the defects.

You can consult on expertise of floor covering installation at the Forensic expert kollegium at: Minsk, Zhukovskogo st., 11 A, 4th floor 

or by phone +375 (17) 317 04 71; +375 (17) 317 04 72; +375 (17) 317 04 73; +375 (17) 317 04 74; +375 (17) 317 04 76; +375 (29) 109 60 11; +375 (44) 588 60 11