Don’t Void Your Wood Floor Warranty

Many manufacturers are now offering warranties of 30 to 50 years on their premium prefinished wood floor products. Sounds great, but be careful. A wood floor warranty can easily be voided.

I’m just back from Surfaces, the flooring and stone show in Las Vegas. The show gives me the opportunity to talk with both manufacturers and flooring inspectors and see beyond the advertising verbiage. Here’s the caution regarding these great warranties: maintenance.

In order to maintain these warranties, manufacturers list specific care instructions for their products. It is important when buying these products to get these instructions. If you are buying a new home, make sure the builder gives you a file of warranties and care instructions for all the surfaces in your home.

Roughly one half of all wood flooring claims are determined to be caused by improper maintenance. When this is the determination, the claim is denied. Make sure that you or your cleaner are using the proper cleaning solutions and procedures to preserve your wood floor warranty.

Note: vinegar and water will void many warranties.

And some warranties require the product to be kept within specific temperature and humidity ranges. If you are using a professional cleaning service, let them know what finishes you have on your floors and indeed on all your surfaces and they can help you determine the proper cleaning strategy to protect your surfaces, your health and your warranties.

For information on cleaning some of the new trending stone surfaces see our article.  For more information on the Surfaces show, check here.