Who should pay and how do we fix it...

[tb001]

So we had a new dishwasher installed a few months ago. Super expensive D/W installed by Home Depot expo service guys. Last night I noticed the wooden floor in front of the dishwasher is buckling and opened up the sink cabinet and the cabinet floor is puffed up and damaged. On inspection, the drain hose isn’t hooked up very well and is leaking. We don’t use the D/W that often, so it’s probably taken a while to notice it. Or maybe just loosened up to point of leaking?

IMO, the installers are responsible for the damage, but how do you even fix the floor and sink cabinet without ripping everything out and replacing it? Will the buckling go down on its own once it dries out? Should we put weights or something on it to help? Trying to figure out what we actually want done before going back to the installers.

 

[ERD50]

Call HD now, to find out how to proceed. They might blame you if any steps you take aren't what they would recommend.

I had a slow drip from my wash machine drain that caused a wood floor to swell a little. It did go back on its own as it dried.

-ERD50

 

[tb001]

Actually, as I’m looking at it and tried a run, it’s far worse than I realized. The drain hose is completely detached from the air gap. Can’t see how that’s anything but a complete installation failure. We run the d/w at night so lucky we caught it now.

 

[Nick12]

Meet with the head manager at HD. Post on social media, Call local news TV to do story on your situation. Amazing when the problem is viewed on TV.

 

[tb001]

Thanks Nick. We’ll give them the chance to fix things first. Just so nuts that it would come completely detached!

 

[GrayHare]

Since the requirement for an air gap has been dropped in many jurisdictions, it would not surprise me if the installer had gotten out of the habit of attaching it, and simply forgot.

 

[COcheesehead]

Get fans on the wood ASAP and keep them there for a couple weeks. We had the same issue. The buckling will go down. Never completely flat, but close. It will take about 6 months to completely dry out/flatten as much as it ever will.

 

[tb001]

Well, so far I’m impressed with Home Depot Service... tried the number of our customer service rep this morning at 7, but no answer and didn’t leave a message. He called me back anyway and immediately remembered our install and basically said ‘omg, I’m so sorry. We’ll get someone out right away to take care of it.’

 

[Bamaman]

I had Lowes install my Bosch dishwasher. At the end, it couldn't be tested because the guy refused to hook up the wiring. He said get an electrician, as he wasn't one.

Ridiculous. Took me 5 minutes to hook up the wires. It someone is paid $129 to install it, it should include the wiring.

 

[zinger1457]

Just installed a new LG dishwasher last month, the air gap connection wasn't required per the manufacturer as long as the end of the drain hose was connected between 12-40" above the height of the base of the dishwasher. There could be local code issues that still require it.

 

[Winemaker]

Insurable event. Report to HD and your own insurance company.

Neighbor shut off water line leading to outside hose bibb for winter. Opened little air vent on side of valve to facilitate drainage. Never closed vent. When spring arrived turned valve back on, dribble of water dribbling in kitchen cabinet, the onto hardwood flooring. Discovered big mess after returning from spring trip visiting son and DI. Home owners insurance paid for damages, less deductible.

 

[Aerides]

Take a lot of photos now before they come and touch it. Good luck, the last time I had an issue (years ago) where HD caused damage they shrugged as they used 3rd party installers, didn't stand behind them.

Expo is their own I take it?

 

[Sunset]

^^^^^ +1
Yes take a LOT of photos from different angles so you have proof before things get changed.

 

[Souschef]

I had Lowes install my Bosch dishwasher. At the end, it couldn't be tested because the guy refused to hook up the wiring. He said get an electrician, as he wasn't one.

Ridiculous. Took me 5 minutes to hook up the wires. It someone is paid $129 to install it, it should include the wiring.

+1I had the same experience. I just said, "I am an electrician". The dishwasher was from the same manufacturer, and the connections were in the same place. It took 5 minutes just like you.

 

[tb001]

Insurable event. Report to HD and your own insurance company.

Neighbor shut off water line leading to outside hose bibb for winter. Opened little air vent on side of valve to facilitate drainage. Never closed vent. When spring arrived turned valve back on, dribble of water dribbling in kitchen cabinet, the onto hardwood flooring. Discovered big mess after returning from spring trip visiting son and DI. Home owners insurance paid for damages, less deductible.

Ugh. I usually put water sensors under sink cabinets, dishwasher and washer, but we just moved and I’ve been lazy. Water stuff is just a nightmare.

What did you end up doing about the water damage to the flooring? I’m worried any repair who’s going to look worse than just living with a little bit of buckling .

And thanks all for the suggestions. We’re trying to take pictures, but it’s really hard to show the waviness in the floor.

 

[Winemaker]

Ugh. I usually put water sensors under sink cabinets, dishwasher and washer, but we just moved and I’ve been lazy. Water stuff is just a nightmare.

What did you end up doing about the water damage to the flooring? I’m worried any repair who’s going to look worse than just living with a little bit of buckling .

And thanks all for the suggestions. We’re trying to take pictures, but it’s really hard to show the waviness in the floor.

The insurance company replaced all my neighbor's flooring. They did not want to be reponsible for future claims on mold, rot, and buckling.

 

[RunningBum]

HD should be replacing the flooring. If they don't, file a claim with your insurance.

I think I recall a friend that had a similar problem, perhaps a leaking ice maker, and they got the big box store to replace the whole floor. Can't guarantee it wasn't done by insurance instead of the store/installer.

 

[tb001]

Do they try to match the floor and just replace the buckled part? I ask because we have an open concept kitchen/family/living room, all with the same floor. It was a very expensive floor originally and is probably 4K sq ft of flooring. It seems excessive to have the entire first floor replaced, but I’m not sure how they match it if they don’t. What a mess.

 

[RunningBum]

I found my friend's FB post from last year. It was a bad ice maker connection, and it was Sears, not HD. Same kind of open concept floor plan and Sears, or Sears' insurance company, agreed to pay to have the damaged wood replaced, and sand and refinish the whole first floor. So they didn't replace all the flooring, but refinishing it all should make it match? I don't know flooring that well but it seems to make sense to me. They may have also paid for them to stay in a hotel and meals while the work was being done. Comments in the post said that this was not uncommon, so you should expect this to happen and not accept less.

 

[tb001]

I found my friend's FB post from last year. It was a bad ice maker connection, and it was Sears, not HD. Same kind of open concept floor plan and Sears, or Sears' insurance company, agreed to pay to have the damaged wood replaced, and sand and refinish the whole first floor. So they didn't replace all the flooring, but refinishing it all should make it match? I don't know flooring that well but it seems to make sense to me. They may have also paid for them to stay in a hotel and meals while the work was being done. Comments in the post said that this was not uncommon, so you should expect this to happen and not accept less.

Wow, that’s a huge expense. Our flooring was installed when the house was built and in bad need of refinishing in the kitchen. Would be wonderful to have it redone, but given the condition it seems excessive.

 

[RunningBum]

Wow, that’s a huge expense. Our flooring was installed when the house was built and in bad need of refinishing in the kitchen. Would be wonderful to have it redone, but given the condition it seems excessive.

That's what my friend thought, but they did it. Otherwise, you're going to have mismatching floors, through their fault.

 

[ElizabethT]

Insurable event. Report to HD and your own insurance company.

Be very careful about reporting this to your HO carrier as you will likely see your rates double for a full three years, plus it's unlikely any other insurance carrier will write you with a water loss in the interim

If the damage is relatively small, or at least less than three years of doubled rates, I would think carefully before deciding to report.

(Former insurance underwriter early in my former career)

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We had a floor buckle from moisture damage due to a leaky pipe. Our homeowner's insurance covered the pipe repair and floor replacement. I don't recall any big increase in premiums, but that was our only claim in about 30 years of coverage.

 

[aja8888]

We had a floor buckle from moisture damage due to a leaky pipe. Our homeowner's insurance covered the pipe repair and floor replacement. I don't recall any big increase in premiums, but that was our only claim in about 30 years of coverage.

30 years claimless doesn't mean much to an insurance company. Every year starts a new policy contract. You don't get "stars" for no past claims. It's a numbers game with insurance. A few claims and you get the shaft.

 

[COcheesehead]

30 years claimless doesn't mean much to an insurance company. Every year starts a new policy contract. You don't get "stars" for no past claims. It's a numbers game with insurance. A few claims and you get the shaft.

Agree. If you are 30 years with the same company, you started over paying about 28 years ago.