Hello friends and neighbors! Today, I would like to talk about what you should look for in a waterproof flooring. And it may not be the product itself. First off, there isn’t a floating floor out there that is completely waterproof. They may be water-resistant on the surface. But if water gets underneath, all bets are off. And so is your warranty. Which is what we are going to talk about. You guys know how I feel about a warranty. It is only as good as the person you are talking to. Come to a locally owned shop and deal with an owner who has to stand behind the product, and you get what you pay for. Talk to someone at a box store who is working part-time, well, good luck. But regardless of where you are shopping, what should you look for?
First, I like to look at the product highlights. These will give you an idea if they are right for your situation. Is there a special pet warranty? Can you steam mop? And is it wheelchair safe? That will at least narrow it down faster for you. Then I jump to the warranty exclusions. Anyone can say they have a lifetime warranty and have a million exclusions. I am going to look at Home Depot’s LifeProof for an example, as well as one that I carry from Engineered Floors called PureGrain High Def. Let’s compare:
Lifeproof
- WARRANTY: lifetime residential and 20-year commercial
- STEAM MOP: YES
- WEAR LAYER: 22 MIL
- PET WARRANTY: NO
- WHEEL CHAIR: NO
PureGrain High Def
- WARRANTY: Lifetime Residential and 10-year commercial
- STEAM MOP: YES
- WEAR LAYER: 20 MIL
- PET WARRANTY: YES
- WHEEL CHAIR: NO
At a glance, we have 2 similar products. Both have lifetime residential warranties. When looking at the exclusions, I see that Lifeproof says the warranty excludes:
- Dissatisfaction or damage due to improper installation or maintenance, including use of improper cleaning solutions or finishes, unevenness, or irregularities.
- Damage caused by fire, burns, abuse, flooding, spills, scratches, abrasive scouring pads, scuffing, staining, construction, or installation.
- Damage caused by vacuum cleaner beater bar, indentations or damage caused by spiked heeled shoes, improper rolling loads and/or caster wheels, chairs or other furniture without proper floor protectors, and cuts from sharp objects.
- Changes in color or sheen from exposure to sunlight or due to the use of rubber-backed mats.
- Exterior applications.
- Installation on stairs
I see three important areas here. The first indicates that they have a special installation method that, if not followed, they can deny you. So hiring that handyman might not be the way to go. (Some manufacturers even say that if a professional flooring installer does not install the product, then the warranty is even voided.) I won’t get into the details of the installation because it is lengthy. The second area says that it excludes damages caused by spills and scratches. Since there is no stipulation on what types of scratches and spills, this means that ANY scratch or spill can void your warranty! The third is that it excludes installation on stairs. I do not know why Lifeproof isn’t warranted on the steps. It tells me they are not that confident. It also says improper rolling loads. This usually pertains to large furniture, but it is unclear. I had to call them to see if wheelchairs are okay to use, and they said they are not.
When looking at the exclusions from PureGrain, we can see the same exclusions on installations as the Lifeproof. The PureGrain says it will warranty against spills, but does have a list of things that can stain and are excluded. The following are excluded from the stain warranty coverage: ink, iodine, mercurochrome, betadine, dyes, asphalt, tar, grease, baking grease, cooking oils, and nail polish.
So there is some reassurance for you here. At least you know what they won’t cover. The warranty on the Pet coverage is pretty straightforward. If you follow their cleaning techniques, then they will stand behind it. No guessing games. Most of the warranty information is clear-cut and there for you to read, unlike Lifeproof. One thing that is also mentioned for both products is that the warranty protects a residential homeowner. Not a renter. The minute you want to rent your home out, you lose your warranty.
So what have we learned here? Most Luxury Vinyl products are going to have a lifetime warranty and have “water-proof” somewhere on the box because the next company is doing the same thing. Doing a little research can tell us if there is real coverage or if the manufacturer has an exclusion that allows them to deny all claims. And if any of the requirements are not clear to you, then either call the manufacturer directly or come see us, and we would be more than happy to show you what you are getting!
