Heard a GC tell a homeowner that glue-down carpet is basically indestructible today

Was grabbing supplies at the local Flooring Liquidators in Dayton and overheard this builder telling a customer that glue-down carpet is maintenance free and will last 20 years. I almost choked on my coffee. Dude is setting that homeowner up for a nightmare when they try to replace it and the pad is fused to the slab. I've ripped out enough glue-down jobs from the 90s to know that stuff turns into concrete after a decade. We all know moisture and glue don't mix, especially on basement slabs. Has anyone else had to explain to a GC why they're wrong without making them look bad in front of a client?

3 comments

3 Comments

vera1951mo ago

Wait, are we really acting like glue-down carpet doesn't turn into a nightmare after a few years? I've seen that stuff so bonded to a slab you'd need a jackhammer just to get it up. And 20 years? That's a stretch even for the best carpet, glue or not. Moisture always finds a way underneath, and then you get that musty smell and the glue starts breaking down.

jessej231mo ago

@vera195 got it right, this is just like how everything nowadays is designed to break or be impossible to fix.

moore.beth1mo ago

OH MAN, this is SO true! It's like everything from appliances to furniture is built with a timer now. I just dealt with a toaster that died after 14 months - the heating element just gave out, and replacing it costs almost as much as a new one. Same with my phone battery that started swelling after 18 months and magically it was "out of warranty." It's this whole cycle where nothing is made to last or be repaired because that would cut into their profits. They want us tossing stuff every couple years instead of keeping things for a decade like our grandparents did.