HARDWOOD
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HARDWOOD
Q. How do I care for my new hardwood floors?
A. Caring for hardwood floors is easy. Frequent sweeping or vacuuming (with soft attachments) to remove loose dirt and soil is generally all that is required. For moiré information, see our Hardwood Care and Maintenance Section.
Q. What can I do to minimize scratches and indentions on my new hardwood floor?
A. The finish on the hardwood floors provides greater resistance to everyday household scratches. Remember to use floor protectors under the feet of your furniture. If you have casters on furniture, make sure they are barrel-type wheels a minimum of 1” continuous width is recommended).
When moving furniture, use extra caution. Never drag furniture to a new location, always lift. Also, be aware that certain shoe types like stiletto heels can damage hardwood because of the pressure exerted through them. And finally, if you have pets, remember to keep their nails trimmed.
Q. What changes will I see over the years in my hardwood floors?
A. Wood is a natural product and will react to changes in its environment. The cure is to minimize humidity changes. A constant humidity of 50% with a temperature of 69-70 degrees F will lend stability to your floor. Direct sunlight can affect color, so it’s a good idea to move area rugs and furniture periodically to allow for even color changes. Remember, hardwood is a natural product and develops a warm, beautiful aged patina over the years when given proper care.
HARDWOOD CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Like any other floor covering, real wood floors will show signs of wear over time, depending on the size and lifestyle of your family. But by observing a few precautions, and using the cleaning and maintenance program recommended by the manufacturer, you can expect years of beauty from your hardwood floors.
Never clean or mop your hardwood floor with water. Do not use any wax or cleaner that must be mixed with water such as oil, soap or paste wax products, or other household cleaner that contains lemon oil, tung oil, or ammonia as this may damage your floor and result in a loss of warranty.
Water can dull the finish and permanently damage the floor. To help eliminate fine particles of dirt and grit that act like sandpaper and will scratch any floor, vacuum or sweep daily. The vacuum head must be a felt or brush type. Be certain that the wheels of the vacuum are clean and do not damage the finish. DO NOT USE A VACUUM WITH A BEATER BAR HEAD.
Remove spills promptly using a soft cloth and cleaning products recommended by the manufacturer. Be sure to keep pet nails trimmed and paws clean and free of dirt, gravel, grease, oil, and stains. Place protective pads beneath furniture legs to reduce scratches and dents. Use a dolly and protective sheets of plywood when moving heavy
objects, furniture, or appliances. Some objects may be too heavy to move across a hardwood floor under any circumstances.
Certain types of casters on furniture may damage hardwood flooring. Barrel-type wheels (a minimum 1” continuous width is recommended) or wide, flat glides are best for protecting your hardwood floor.
A humidifier is recommended to prevent excessive shrinkage of wood floors due to low humidity levels. Wood stoves and electric heat tend to cause very dry conditions. In damp conditions, proper humidity levels can be maintained with an air conditioner or dehumidifier, or by periodically turning on your heating system during periods of high humidity in summer months.
Exposure to the sun and its UV rays accelerates the oxidation and aging of wood and fabrics. This causes the stain and/or wood to fade and/or change of color. It is recommended that you rearrange rugs and furniture periodically so the floor ages evenly.
Remove shoes with spiked or damaged heels before walking on the floor. Spike or stiletto high-heel shoes may cause denting and related damage to hardwood floors due to the extremely high compressive force they generate. Such footwear can produce dynamic loads in excess of 1000 pounds per square inch, even when worn by someone of slight or average build.
As added protection, use dirt-trapping walk-off mats at all exterior doors to keep sand, dirt, grit, grease, and oil off your hardwood floor.
THE BEAUTIFUL GUARANTEE
Titanium, Platinum, and Gold SelectAFloor and Liz Claiborne Prestige hardwood floors carry the Beautiful Guarantee Replacement Warranty. If at any time after the installation and during the terms of the Beautiful Guarantee Replacement Warranty you wish to change your new hardwood for a different style or color your Carpet One Floor and Home retailer will replace it free with another SelectAFloor or Liz Claiborne Prestige hardwood floor style or color of equal or lesser value. Should you wish to replace your flooring with a SelectAFloor or Liz Claiborne Prestige hardwood upgrade, you may do so by paying the difference in retail price. No monetary compensation will be paid if a lower priced hardwood is selected.
This is a one-time only replacement. Simply call your Carpet One Floor and Home retailer within the time frame of the warranty and indicate you wish to choose another SelectAFloor or Liz Claiborne Prestige hardwood floor under the Beautiful Guarantee Replacement Warranty. This is a replacement warranty and does not apply to matters covered by other warranties.
Replacement includes material and labor. Labor to move furniture, permanent construction (built-ins such as cabinets and bookcases), equipment, or electronics is the responsibility of the customer.
No replacement will be made with respect to hardwood that has been subjected to abuse, improper maintenance, vandalism, alteration, or damage caused by smoke, fire, flood, wind, lightening, or any other casualty event. This warranty applies only to the original purchase of a Carpet One Floor and Home style hardwood floor that has been professionally installed by a Carpet One Floor and Home retailer or authorized independent installer.
Please note the following: Custom installations of any hardwood floor installed with patterns, medallions, or a border are excluded from The Beautiful Guarantee Replacement Warranty. No replacement of either the wood floor, patterned wood floor, medallions, or the border are covered under this replacement warranty.
NO QUESTIONS ASKED REPLACEMENT WARRANTY
All of our Silver and Bronze SelectAFloor and Liz Claiborne Prestige hardwood floors carry a No Question Asked Replacement Warranty. If at any time after installation and during the term of your replacement warranty you wish to change your new hardwood for a different style or color SelectAFloor or Liz Claiborne Prestige wood floor, your Carpet One Floor and Home retailer will replace it with a different SelectAFloor or Liz Claiborne Prestige style or color of equal or lesser value. Should you wish to replace your flooring with a SelectAFloor hardwood upgrade, you may do so by paying the difference in retail price. No monetary compensation will be paid if a lower priced product is selected.
This is a one-time only replacement. Simply call your Carpet One Floor and Home retailer within the time frame of the warranty and indicate you wish to choose another SelectAFloor or Liz Claiborne Prestige hardwood floor using the No Questions Asked Replacement Warranty. This is a replacement warranty and does not apply to matters covered by other warranties.
Replacement includes materials only and does not include reinstallation charges. Labor to move furniture, permanent construction (Built-ins such as cabinets and bookcases), equipment, or electronics is the responsibility of the customer.
No replacements will be made with respect to flooring that has been subject to abuse, improper maintenance, vandalism, alteration, or damage caused by smoke, fire, flood, wind, lightening, or any other casualty event.
Exception: Custom installations of any wood floor installed with patterns, medallions or borders. No replacement of either the wood floor, patterned wood floor, medallions or the border are covered under this replacement warranty.
LIMITED WEAR WARRANTY
When used under normal residential traffic conditions with proper care and maintenance, your Carpet One Floor and Home retailer guarantees that from the date of installation, the finish of your hardwood floor will not wear-through during the period specified by the warranty level of the product purchased.
Should you feel that your wood floor is not wearing properly, contact your Carpet One Floor and Home retailer. If the finish of your wood floor wears through during the warranty period, your Carpet One Floor and Home retailer will repair or replace the affected area. This Limited Wear Warranty applies only to the original purchaser and installation site and is not transferable. This limited warranty excludes indentations, scratches, or damage caused by lack of proper maintenance, misuse, abrasives, insufficient protection from furniture, wet mopping, scratches, or indentations caused by spiked-heel shoes and pet nails, and any casualty event.
Normal exposure to sunlight will bring about changes in shading of any hardwood floor as the floor ages. Area rugs should be moved occasionally because they block sunlight and may give the appearance of discoloring under the rug. This is not considered to be a product defect and is not covered by this warranty.
For CORK products, floor covering installed on stairs is excluded from the Limited Wear Warranty.
LIMITED INSTALLATION WARRANTY
Your Carpet One Floor and Home retailer guarantees the quality of workmanship to be professional and in keeping with the standards set by the wood industry. Should further service be required attributable to the original installation of your hardwood floor, your Carpet One Floor and Home retailer will return and provide that service at no cost to you for the life of the floor. “Life of Floor” is defined by the number of years in the Limited Wear Warranty.
This Limited Installation Warranty applies only to the original purchaser and installation site and is not transferable. Wood is a natural product; variations in its grain pattern, color and/or texture are normal and are not considered to be installation related deficiencies. Your Carpet One Floor and Home retailer does not warrant the product against variations in grain or texture.
Hardwood flooring, being a natural product, will continue to expand and contract through heating and non-heating seasons. Properly installed hardwood floors may consequently experience some separation between the boards at different times during the year. If such separations occur, it is not considered a product or installation defect and is not covered by this warranty.
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR HARDWOOD WARRANTIES
In addition to the requirements specified for each respective limited warranty, the following general terms and conditions apply to each of the limited warranties unless otherwise specified.
- These limited warranties apply only to hardwood installed in owner-occupied residential space where no commercial activity takes place. NOTE: Some styles are approved for commercial use; see label on back of sample for approved styles. For commercial use, only manufacturers’ warranties apply.
- These limited warranties apply only to the original purchaser and installation site and are not transferable.
- These limited warranties exclude wood flooring that has been put to commercial use (except those styles specifically designated as approved for commercial use), abnormal use or conditions, or abused in any way. “Commercial use” includes, but is not limited to, use in a store, office, or other place of business. “Abnormal use or conditions” includes, but is not limited to, water damage from plumbing, storm or flood; damage from smoke or fire, or other casualty event. “Abuse” is any use of the flooring that is unreasonable considering the normal and expected uses of a hardwood floor in a residence. These limited warranties do not cover indentations, scratches, stains, or damage caused by negligence, moisture, erosion, pebbles, sand or other abrasives, pets, spiked-heel shoes, or color variations, naturally occurring wood characteristics, insufficient furniture protection, or improper alterations of the original manufactured product.
- These limited warranties do not apply to damages from exposure to extreme heat, dryness, or water saturation. They do not apply to insects, erosion, pebbles, sand, other abrasives, or stains as a result of chemical or industrial products, other than recommended cleaning products.
- To qualify for repair or replacement, the original sales receipt or other documentation which demonstrates proof of purchase must be supplied.
- These warranties apply only to the residential installations performed by a Carpet One Floor and Home retailer or authorized independent installer.
- Due to color variations of product and/or samples, Carpet One Floor and Home is not responsible for the failure of any hardwood flooring product to match (1) flooring products in adjacent space, or (2) other wood products, such as cabinets, stair railings, trim, and moldings.
- CARPET ONE FLOOR AND HOME AND LIZ CLAIBORNE PRESTIGE COLLECTION SHALL UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES BASED UPONG THE FOREGOING WARRANTIES, CONTRACTS, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL CLAIM. Some states or provinces do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusions may not apply to you. The foregoing warranties give you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from state to state or province to province.
- If there is a conflict between these general terms and conditions and the terms and conditions of the warranties as specified, the terms and conditions of the warranties as specified shall control.
