ACCEPTANCE OF FLOORING
As wood is a natural product, there will be variations in grain, color and texture. These variations are not to be considered flaws, but a natural characteristic of wood. Inherent in a natural product, there may be imperfections that occur in nature or reveal themselves during the manufacturing process. The accepted standard in the industry allows a defect tolerance and grading variance not to exceed 5%, which may be of manufacturing or natural type.
Prior to installation, all floor boards should be inspected. Regardless if it is a natural or manufacturing defect, boards that have an unacceptable grade, color, finish, texture or grain pattern should not be installed and should immediately be reported to the seller. The acceptance of the flooring remains the sole and joint responsibility of the installer and end-user. Once the flooring is installed, it has been deemed acceptable by the installer and end-user.
To achieve a uniform appearance across the entire floor, it is critical to blend several cartons of the flooring during installation. Additionally, extra flooring should be retained due to future repairs. It is the responsibility of the installer/end-user to determine if the jobsite subfloor and jobsite conditions are environmentally and structurally acceptable for wood flooring installation (see Minimum Jobsite Requirements). Tennessee Wood Flooring declines any responsibility for wood floor failure resulting from or connected with subfloor, subsurface, jobsite damage or deficiencies after hardwood flooring has been installed. In addition to the 5% manufacturing defect tolerance, the customer shall order 5%-7% in addition to the actual square footage needed as allowance for cut-off or waste.
For patterned, ornamental or floors with a specific saw grade the cut-off or waste can be higher. Tennessee Wood Flooring’s liability shall be solely limited to the replacement of defective products i.e. materials only in excess of the 5% industry accepted norm, excluding trimming waste allowance. In any case, Tennessee Wood Flooring shall not be liable for installer’s lack of judgement, quality of installation, labor, installation costs or any other consequential losses. Installation guidelines are intended to offer general guidance as it relates to Tennessee Wood Flooring solid pre-finished or engineered flooring and are NOT a replacement for a professional, certified installer.
Tennessee Wood Flooring wood floors MUST be installed according to the National Wood Flooring Association’s (NWFA) installation guidelines in order for Tennessee Wood Flooring’s warranty to be valid. The most current publication of the NWFA guidelines are available to all members and a list of local NWFA Certified Professional Installers can be located at