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Installation Checklist
Preparing your home for installation
- Remove and box all items from furniture to bemoved.
- Remove all hanging objects from the walls directly in and around the area of installation. Vibrations from the installation may cause damage to these objects.
- Disconnect and move any electronics, appliances, & computers.
- If flooring is to be installed in the closet, remove all contents on floor & low hanging objects.
- Our installers are not responsible for damage to valuables present in and around the installation area. They must be removed.
Work Enviroment
- Our installers will need access to an area where they can store and cut flooring materials during the course of an installation. This area is typically a back porch or a car garage.
- Our installers will need access to electrical power in the installation & storage area.
- The interior temperature of the installation area must be at a minimum of 65 F 48 hours prior to the installation and 48 hours after installation.
Preparing Your Baseboards
- In some cases, the new flooring may not be as high as your existing floor. This will cause some of the old paint lines to show after installation. We recommend that you paint your baseboard prior to installation if your new floor covering is not going to be as high as your existing floor
You Must Be Home
- All occupied homes must have an adult person at the house throughout the installation process.
- If you are not present for your scheduled appointment, you shall be responsible for a $75-$200 trip charge.
Unforeseen Circumstances
- Additional work is required if unforeseen circumstances arise when removing or replacing your existing floor. For example, a portion of the sub floor may be damaged and the only way to determine this is after we remove the existing floor. Any imperfections found in the subfloor that need to be corrected are the sole responsibility of the customer.
Wiring
- Our installers shall not install cable or any other wiring underneath any flooring. Doing so can damage the wire and may also void the manufacturer warranty of your flooring.
- Please communicate to our installers the location of the security wires in your home, so that they do not cut them by accident
Structural Defects
- We are NOT responsible for any existing structural defects or any problems that may arise due to the existing structure of the house not being compliant with the building code. For example, if a water pipe is closer to the floor than required by the building code and a nail is driven into the floor and into the water pipe, the pipe leak will not be our responsibility.
Moldings
- If your existing floor is laid under quarter round, we can not be responsible for breakage of any moldings, when the floor is removed or installed over the top.
Pattern & Color Matching
- There will be some variation on shade or characteristic between the sample you chose and the product actually installed in your house. However, the difference will be within the manufacturer's tolerance specifications.
- In most homes the walls are not square, this making it impossible to have the pattern on flooring material parallel to the side of every wall.
- For materials with a pattern, it is the homeowner's responsibility to instruct the installer which wall they would like the pattern to run parallel with. Otherwise the installers will use their best judgement
Squeaky Floors
- Our installers are not qualified to fix squeaky sub floors or wall structures. You are responsible for hiring a contractor to fix them if this condition impedes the installation process.
Doors & Baseboards
- If necessary, our installers will remove doors and set them back in place. However, they will not be able to shave doors in the event the new floor is higher than the existing floor.
- We are not responsible for excessive gaps under the baseboards or door jams if the new floor is lower than the existing floor.
Unavoidable Circumstances
- Vibrations from the installation may cause cracks on the wall moldings and popping of some lose drywall nails. We are not responsible for such damage since it is part of the installation procedure.
After Installation Inspection
- After installation, please be sure to thoroughly examine the job with your installer to ensure your satisfaction before they leave the job site.
- Please complete the installation completion form provided by the installer.
Touch Ups
- Due to the stiff nature of certain flooring materials, even with our installer's best effort, it is possible that walls or baseboards could be scratched during installation. Any retouching or repainting will be the responsibility of the customer.
Clean Ups
- After your new flooring installation, the installers will remove all waste from flooring and any other trash on the site. However, you may find some dirt or dust that you will need to vacuum or clean away.
- The removal of your existing floor and installation of your new floor covering will create some dust that can not be avoided. We recommend a thorough cleaning after the installation is completed.
Proper Ventilation
- Properly ventilate your home after the installation for 72 hours by opening all the windows and utilizing the fan in your cooling or heating system.
Color & Pattern Matching
- If you have a preference on the direction of the pattern of the carpet, please discuss it with your associate at the time of the sale.
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Steps - Carpet
- We do not match the pattern of the carpet on the steps unless it is specifically stated in the contract.
- In some scenarios we may not be able to match the pattern of the carpet on the steps with the area next to it. Please ask the sales associate to discuss alternative options with you.
Seams - Carpet
- Our installers shall not install cable or any other wiring underneath any flooring. Doing so can damage the wire and may also void the manufacturer warranty of your flooring.
- Please communicate to our installers the location of the security wires in your home, so that they do not cut them by accident
Leftovers-carpet
- Most likely you will see some pieces of carpet leftover from your installation. This is because carpet is manufactured at standard widths and must be installed in the same direction. Let the installers know if you want to keep your carpet remnants.
Humidity & Temperature - Carpet
- Excessive moisture and temperature changes can cause the carpet to break down. We are not responsible for damage from excessive temperature changes and moisture.
Direction Of Hardwood
- We can run floating hardwood floors and glue down wood in any direction. Please notify your sales associate if you have a preference.
- We must run nail down hardwood perpendicular to your floor joints.
Hardwood Grades
- No two hardwood boards look alike. Each hardwood board is assigned a grade at the mill by a lumber grader.
- CLEAR grade contains more uniform coloring and characteristics.
- SELECT grade contains slightly more natural wood characteristics and color variation.
- #1 COMMON grade contains prominent color variations and varying characteristics.
- NATURAL grade contains pronounced variations in natural wood coloring from deep to light brown. All natural tones of this wood are accepted including mineral streaks.Sound knots and honeycombs too.
Hardwood Installation
- Despite what many people say, putting top nails in the floor is necessary. This is done to nail down the hardwood in an area where the regular nail gun cannot operate, or to improve board's stability in the middle of the floor.
- One in every ten boards may splinter or crack during the process of installation. If this occurs, we will remedy the situation by either using putty or replacing the board.
- The replacement stair nosing may not cover small holes on the side of the steps that were covered by the previous stair nosing or carpet.
- We always box in bull nose steps. Please discuss this with your sales associate before installation.
Transitions - Hardwood
- The transitions will not match the grain and the color of the hardwood 100%. The part of the tree used for transitions may be different from the hardwood board. The difference is more pronounced in the stair nosing.
- Our sales associates use their best judgement for determining what transitions you need. However, if you have any preferences, please discuss them with your sales associate at the time of the sale.
- The transition from the wood floors to the base of some types of handrails may have a small gap due to the curve at the edge of the base which the handrail sits on.
Small Imperfections
- To mask small imperfections in the manufacturing of the floor, putty is used to compensate. It is standard procedure to fill in areas such as nail holes, any gaps or chips that are smaller than a penny. Very rarely does a board need to be replaced.
Leftovers-Wood
- The typical waste factor of hardwood floors is 7% or higher depending on the shape of the room and the material being used. Please let our installers know if you want to keep some leftovers.
Sunlight & Wood
- All wood changes color as a result of exposure to sunlight. This is a natural change that occurs in all species to a greater or lesser degree and cannot be prevented.
Humidity & Temperature Hardwood
- Since wood is a product of nature, it is very common for it to seasonally expand and contract.
- You should maintain proper climate controls at your home to prevent excessive gaps from approaching in your hardwood floor. A temperature of 70 F(21 C) and relative humidity of 35% to 50% are ideal.
- We highly recommend the use of humidifier during the winter months when the humidity starts dropping. This is most important in the first year after the hardwood installation.
- Not maintaining proper climate controls may cause boards to splinter or crack.
Post Installation- Vinyl
- Do not drag any heavy objects on the vinyl, especially in the first 48 hours after installation.
- Avoid stepping on the seam sealer for 24 hours after installation.
Ceramic Tile - Color And Pattern Matching
- The color of the grout may vary between the sample and the actual floor.
- Shade variation of ceramic or porcelain tile is a natural aspect of the tile. We will do our best to mix the tiles through out your floor but keep in mind that all the tiles will not be exactly the same.
Leftovers - Ceramic Tile
- Ceramic floors or wall tiles may scratch or break under certain types of impact. Please take special care and be sure to keep a few extra tiles in the event that this occurs.
Laminate - Color & Pattern Matching
- We can install your laminate flooring in any direction because it is a floating floor. Please notify your sales associate if you have a preference.
- Laminate floors may need to be separated at doorways with a use of T-molding. Please discuss this with your sales associate if you have any questions.
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