Two separate warranties
There is the manufacturer's product warranty, which covers the board itself — delamination, finish failure, manufacturing defect — and there is our workmanship warranty, which covers how it was fitted. They are different documents from different parties, and knowing which applies saves a lot of time when something goes wrong. We hand both over at completion.
What product warranties do not cover
Nothing wears out under warranty. Scratches, dents, pet damage, sun fading, water spillage, and movement caused by humidity outside the stated range are all excluded across the industry. So is any failure traceable to the subfloor — which is precisely why we insist on moisture readings and levelling rather than treating them as optional lines.
- Moisture from the subfloor: excluded, and the most common cause of claims
- Underfloor heating above the stated surface temperature: excluded
- Damage from steam mops and alkaline cleaners: excluded
- Normal wear, scratches and denting: excluded
Keeping humidity in range
Most manufacturers require 40–60% relative humidity and 18–24°C. British homes drift well below that in winter when heating runs hard, which is when gapping appears and people assume the floor was badly fitted. A cheap hygrometer and, if needed, a humidifier in the driest months prevent it. This is genuinely the single most useful thing an owner of a real wood floor can do.
Cleaning that protects the finish
Vacuum with a hard-floor head, then a barely damp microfibre mop with a pH-neutral wood floor cleaner. Never a steam mop, never a string mop and bucket, never washing-up liquid or vinegar. Oiled floors benefit from a maintenance oil roughly annually in traffic areas; lacquered floors do not, and applying oil to lacquer creates a mess that has to be sanded off.
Protection at the door and under furniture
Two doormats at every external door — one outside for grit, one inside for water — remove most of what would otherwise abrade the finish. Felt pads under every furniture leg, checked and replaced annually because they collect grit and become sandpaper. Castor cups under anything heavy. These cost a few pounds and add years to a finish.
If something goes wrong
Photograph it, note when it appeared and what changed in the house — new heating settings, a leak, a period of the property standing empty. Contact us first; we will identify whether it is a fitting matter or a product matter and take it up with the supplier on your behalf if it is theirs.