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Both are engineered hardwood floors. Since the original is bamboo -- and not really used anymore in Central Texas due to responding poorly to humidity over time -- the new kind will be hickory.
what you're pointing out is that there is a "betterment" aspect to changing the flooring in the extended area.
that puts the change far beyond the realm of simply "matching" the stairway to the rest of the flooring area that the builder is willing to do at his expense
So you are getting an upgraded floor from what you are describing. I don't think it is unreasonable for the builder to ask you to pay for the stairs based on that. He could just put the bamboo back in and then you are stuck with the same problem that it doesn't hold up well. Seems like a fair compromise.
In the State of Texas, any builder defects are warranted in perpetuity. This is an obvious builder defect. As a hopefully retired builder in Texas, I would expect to replace all of the flooring and so should your builder. I can assure you if he went to Resolution Court (arbitration) he would lose his case. I wouldn't settle for anything less than replacing the entire floor. Had he performed his function as builder, this would not have happened. This is his problem, not yours.
FWIW, the builder is not going to be paying anything for these repairs. What ever sub was responsible for the gap that caused the damages is the one that's going to have to pay as the builder will back charge him for any monies the builder is out. If the sub no longer works for the builder, then the builder will be out the money. But HE hired the apparent moron to do the work, not you. This is HIS PROBLEM, not yours.
I would want to see the materials and understand how the transition is proposed to be done with the stairs. The devil is in the detail.
Also, some bamboo looks very different from wood. Other bamboo looks similar in visual texture. Again, details matter. If it's a 'feature' kind of stairway that 's very visible, then that would make a difference to me as well.
If I decided that I could live with the original stairway, I would ask for some compensation - 1,500 or 1,000 or whatever.
Or push on demanding a full replacement.
Paying myself for replacing the stairs would not be acceptable at all to me and I would be left very unhappy due to having to pay for something that was not your fault at all. Either it's all replaced or I end up with some modest amount of compensation for having to live with it. I think that's fair.
So you are getting an upgraded floor from what you are describing. I don't think it is unreasonable for the builder to ask you to pay for the stairs based on that. He could just put the bamboo back in and then you are stuck with the same problem that it doesn't hold up well. Seems like a fair compromise.
Exactly.
If the builder sticks with replacing what was originally there the stairs and undamaged rooms wouldn't need changing.
I'm surprised the builder has been so generous
So you are getting an upgraded floor from what you are describing. I don't think it is unreasonable for the builder to ask you to pay for the stairs based on that. He could just put the bamboo back in and then you are stuck with the same problem that it doesn't hold up well. Seems like a fair compromise.
Quote:
Originally Posted by old_cold
Exactly.
If the builder sticks with replacing what was originally there the stairs and undamaged rooms wouldn't need changing.
I'm surprised the builder has been so generous
The OP was pretty clear that the floor is no longer manufactured so my understanding is that there was never an offer to 'put the bamboo back in'. There was a major water incursion so it's very likely that no floor would have survived that so not sure what is meant by 'stuck with the same problem'.
So I really only agree if the builder offered a like for like replacement and the OP instead wanted a wood floor. But that's not what the OP is saying.
The OP was pretty clear that the floor is no longer manufactured so my understanding is that there was never an offer to 'put the bamboo back in'. There was a major water incursion so it's very likely that no floor would have survived that so not sure what is meant by 'stuck with the same problem'.
So I really only agree if the builder offered a like for like replacement and the OP instead wanted a wood floor. But that's not what the OP is saying.
Correct. The builder at first wanted to do a board-for-board replacement of the damaged area only, but it's not possible due to the type of wood no longer being made. The closest match was not remotely close. So at minimum, the bedroom would need to be replaced with a different kind of floor.
If nothing else these conflicting responses prove this is indeed a tricky situation and I really appreciate all the thoughts here.
The OP was pretty clear that the floor is no longer manufactured so my understanding is that there was never an offer to 'put the bamboo back in'. There was a major water incursion so it's very likely that no floor would have survived that so not sure what is meant by 'stuck with the same problem'.
So I really only agree if the builder offered a like for like replacement and the OP instead wanted a wood floor. But that's not what the OP is saying.
Because the OP said that bamboo doesn't hold up well in Central Texas due to the humidity. So rather than find a comparable bamboo product that might match closer, the builder is willing to change it to hickory which is a superior product to handle the humidity. So the hickory will last longer based on what the OP is saying about the humidity in Texas and its impact on flooring there.
Because the OP said that bamboo doesn't hold up well in Central Texas due to the humidity. So rather than find a comparable bamboo product that might match closer, the builder is willing to change it to hickory which is a superior product to handle the humidity. So the hickory will last longer based on what the OP is saying about the humidity in Texas and its impact on flooring there.
To me, what the OP is saying is that she did pick an entirely different floor. The builder could very well have picked a similar look (but different) bamboo that wouldn’t have looked too different from the undamaged rooms. However, the OP has decided to go with hickory since it doesn’t do well in humidity. I don’t see why the builder should be compelled to do a full replacement of the stairs because the OP chose a product that was suboptimal for the climate originally.
Typically stairs are just done to match as closely as possible the wood that is chosen since the planks have to be custom made anyway- that is how it was done in my house. It just sounds like the OP is choosing something that is a radically different look. When I had water damage in my home, I just replaced the damaged room with a wood that looked close (but was still different) and they installed it with a little more space to allow for more moisture. I had oak, though.
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