care information and disclaimer

Disclaimer

Most complaints & issues regarding hardwood flooring are related to the following four factors and Yorkshire Wolds Flooring Ltd. cannot entertain ANY claim in these respects:

1. Movement of the floor, due to changes in the relative humidity and temperature of the environment into which it is installed.Wood is a hygroscopic material. It acts like a sponge, taking up moisture and expanding when subjected to higher levels of humidity and conversely, giving up moisture and shrinking, when subjected to lower levels of humidity. Severe changes in humidity can also result in the cupping, bowing and / or splitting of boards and also in the de-lamination of engineered floor boards.It is critical therefor that humidity conditions on site, prior to ordering / fitting a wood floor, are appropriate to that of the flooring being considered. Expert advice should be sought in this regard and site moisture levels measured and recorded prior to fitting.Bearing in mind that the temperature and humidity levels inside a building vary, both during the day and night and also throughout the seasons; wood is constantly moving. The significant movement is always across the grain (i.e. over the width of the boards) rather than along the grain, where movement in length is negligible.Although solid hardwood floors are quite suitable in most situations, a quality engineered floor has just as much beauty but with considerable advantages in terms of stability. This is particularly important in situations involving under-floor heating and again, expert advice should be sought prior to order / installation.
2. The appearance of the laid floor differing from, for instance, a hand sample supplied with quotation.No two pieces of wood are exactly the same. Colour and grain texture can vary considerably within the same board, let alone between separate boards. The random occurrence of characteristics such as knots, sapwood and heart kern, are an inherent part of the beauty of any natural wood product; as are variations in colour and in texture.Clearly, a single sample piece can never be totally representative of the laid floor. For this reason it is strongly advisable that the client is shown one or two full cartons [of the floor to be laid] loosely laid out on site to give a good feel of how the laid floor will look.
3. Scratches and / or other damage occurring to the floor.Wood flooring should be regarded as a piece of furniture. Provided it is looked after and cared for properly it can last a lifetime, or more. If it is abused or neglected, it will soon start to reflect such treatment.It is important that common sense is applied here; for instance if a chair or table is dragged over a piece of lacquered/oiled flooring it will result in marks or scratches (felt pads applied on to the feet of furniture are a very inexpensive and simple solution).Outside shoes treading dirt into the floor will cause similar damage (if the flooring is close to an outside door then a mat-well is a good idea, or better still is an area where outdoor shoes are removed prior to walking on the floor.)The pressure of a stiletto heel can immediately result in indentations and scratching of wood floors.Wood floors should be swept on a regular basis with a clean, dry and soft sweeping brush. From time to time a wood floor can be cleaned with a damp (but not wet) cloth or mop then dried off quickly with a clean towel. Ideally this should be done using warm clean water. Wood floors should never be swilled with a wet mop or with a bucket of water!
4. Unsatisfactory Installation.Yorkshire Wolds Flooring strongly advise that installation of any wood floor is undertaken by an experienced and suitably trained person or team; ideally one that has been recommended by word of mouth. Such a person / team will be fully aware of the importance of factors such as:- inspecting the site, measuring humidity levels, sub floor levels and preparation, recommending the correct type of flooring, underlay and fixing, expansion gaps and aftercare.