Twenty-five years building quality custom homes

Flooring

Carpet

Carpet soiling

Vinyl/linoleum

Ceramic tile/marble

Hardwood flooring

Carpet

In decorating your home, the color (hue) can be slightly lighter (tint) or slightly darker (shade) and still be extremely attractive in your overall scheme when decorating is complete. It is not uncommon for your carpet (which is still a textile product) to have a slight dye lot variation from the sample in the Design Center.

Display Samples: All type of floor coverings are subject to variations in color, texture, shading and marking. Our samples, therefore, suggest the goods to be delivered and are only typical of the average color, texture, shading and marking. In other words, an exact match is either implied or guaranteed.

Seam Locations: Yardage figures are based on a certain amount of seaming due to the fact that carpet is manufactured in 12 foot widths. No "quarter turning" or "180 degree turning" is done. All connecting carpet shall be laid in the same direction. Please note that the installer doing your job is a carpet professional. He will use his best judgement in the placement and the number if seams required to do the best job with the roll size from the manufacturer.

Seams and foot printing: These show in all carpets. What must be understood is that carpet is a textile product that comes in various styles, patterns, weights and constructions. Each of these products has unique characteristics that dictate how they can and must be worked with. It's sometimes impossible to join two sections of carpet together without seeing some semblance of a seam. It is, after all a seam, the definition of which is a line formed by the joining together of two pieces of material at their edges. The key word here is “ line ”(Peaking occurs with all carpets; however, it is more noticeable with level loop Berbers and short dense construction). All textile materials have a line where they are joined together. This included every piece of clothing we wear, furniture and drapery fabrics, and the seats in our cars. Seams are most likely to be visible in new carpet installed I homes without window coverings or furnishings, especially in areas with the greatest amount of light. Seam visibility usually decreases with time and with reduction of light that occurs when furnishings are placed and window coverings are installed. Foot-printing is most likely to show in new carpet which has not yet been exposed to traffic and vacuuming, and which has not yet recovered the moisture which was almost totally removed in the manufacturing process.

Pile reversal: The vertical reorientation of the surface yarns of a carpet, causing a change in the reflection of light due to the direction of pile lay. Normal shading is also created in the same way, relative to changes in light reflecting off the yarns. It can occur in any type of rug, and can take many forms. It can look like a large water spill or small dots, which look as though someone dribbled on the carpet surface. Pile reversal, also known as "pooling" or "watermarking" can manifest itself in a new roll of carpet or in carpet that has been down for several months. It generally occurs within the first several months of installation and use. The color of the carpet will also affect the degree to which pile reversal is visible. Darker colors will display changes in the pile more readily and visibly than lighter colors. Solid colors will show more than busy, obscuring patterns. Traffic has not bearing on this condition. It is interesting to note that this condition existed hundreds ago in Oriental rugs that were hand tied. No dense high quality carpet or rug is immune to this condition, whether it is hand or machine made. There is absolutely no evidence to support that is a manufacturing or installation defect. Pile reversal does not even occur in a pattern relative to any construction of the goods in which it is found. It crosses over colors, seams patterns, yarn blends and subfloor surfaces. It can be inside, outside, high in a building or below ground. No one has been able to make it happen, so it's impossible to determine the cause.

Carpet buckling and restretching: Your carpet was professionally installed using a power stretcher and is under a labor warranty for one year after the date of occupancy. You should be aware that stretching and after installation buckling of carpet can occur for reasons other than improper installation. The following are some examples.

Carpet being pulled up for the installation of wires, (i.e., speaker, phone, t.v. cable, or alarm wire/pads) and being reinstalled without proper stretching.

Carpet being pulled up for the correction of floor squeaks and being reinstalled improperly.

Improper "wetting" during cleaning of the carpet.

Movement of heavy items over the carpet causing the stretching of the carpet backing (i.e., rearranging of some furniture by dragging in lieu of lifting).

Carpet cushions over ½” thick and less than 5 pound density.

Increase in temperature or humidity over a period of time causing the synthetic back to grow.

These items are not considered original installation related and are the responsibility of the homeowner or other parties involved.

Carpet soiling

Soiling around the Edges
Filtration soil is a term used to describe dark, grayish lines that may appear on carpet. This is not a carpet defect, but a situation in which dust and other airborne pollutants can accumulate on the carpet face fibers in areas with a concentrated flow of air over the carpet or through tiny cracks or other open areas under the carpet. The soiling condition can occur quickly, or it may develop over a period of months or years. The level of soiling is dependent upon the volume of airflow and the level of pollutants in the air. Filtration soiling is not a result of the quality of carpet selected. The condition will obviously appear more pronounced on lighter colorations than darker colorations.

Filtration soil areas may appear around baseboards, under doors, along the edges of stairs and possibly away from walls where plywood subflooring materials have been joined. Generally, the concentrated air flow will be from an upper level to a lower level of the home.

As indicated, filtration soiling can occur under closed interior doors where a central heating, ventilation, and air condition (HVAC) system is utilized. When possible, open Interior doors to reduce filtration soiling that may develop under closed doors while the HVAC system is in operation.

Filtration soil may be fireplace or automobile emissions, residue from furniture polishes, fine sand or clay particles, cooking oils, or a host of other soils or a combination of soils. Oily airborne contaminants trapped by carpet fibers will serve to attract more dry soil.

It is difficult to identify effective methods to reduce or prevent filtration soiling. Preventing airflow through carpet and carpet edges by sealing cracks in the subfloor, as well as under baseboards and edges of stairs, may reduce filtration soiling problems. Keeping air inside the home as clean as possible can be accomplished by reducing indoor air pollutants, such as cooking emissions, fireplace smoke, burning candles, cigarette smoke, and emissions from cleaning chemicals; and by the installation and regular replacement of high efficiency HVAC air filters.

While no one cleaning technique may be successful in all filtration soiling situations, recent innovations in soil- and stain-resist treatments applied to carpet have reduced the effort previously needed to remove the filtration soil. However, the complete removal of contaminants from the soiled areas can be complicated, depending on the type of contaminant materials present. To achieve the best results, the services of a cleaning professional should be considered.

Vinyl/linoleum

Not all sheet vinyl is created equal. In varying grades of sheet vinyl, different wear layer surfaces are applied. This does not change some of the inherent problems with sheet vinyl products. Sheet vinyl products will indent with heavy objects applied to the surface; i.e., chairs, tables, high heels etc. This is not a manufacturing defect.

Since most vinyl is manufactured in six (6) foot widths, seam may be visible in areas larger than six feet. No “: quarter turning” or "180 degree turning" will be done. All connecting vinyl shall be laid in the same direction. Please note that the installer doing your job is a vinyl professional. He will use his best judgement in the placement and number of seams required to the best job with the roll size from the manufacturer. To minimize the visibility of seams, we suggest you select a square or geometric type pattern. Random pattern vinyl will show the seams the most and are only recommended for small areas such as small bathrooms or laundry rooms, never in kitchens or kitchens with an adjoining nook. Because of the construction of VINYL floor products, do not apply a wax or any wax based cleaning product to any vinyl floor, you will destroy the special finished applied by the manufacturer. It is always recommended to use only the appropriate manufacturer, (see your vinyl brochure). Most area throw rugs contain a rubberized backing which may or may not contain an asphalt product, which can discolor any vinyl flooring, use of area throw or scatter rugs should be used with extreme caution, if at all.

In addition, reflections from the vinyl flooring might show slight sub-floor irregularities. The concrete and wood sub-floors are not perfectly smooth and flat. The sub-floor will always be prepared according to trade recommendations.

Display Samples: All type of floor coverings are subject to variations in color, texture, shading and marking. Our samples therefore suggest the goods to be delivered and are only typical of the average color, texture, shading and marking. In other words, an exact match is either implied or guaranteed.

Ceramic/marble

Ceramic Tile: A variety of imported and domestic tile colors are patterns may be displayed. Variations in shade, shape and surface texture can occur between production lots because of very slight differences in heat intensity and moisture content during manufacturing. The samples displayed are examples of average color range, and colors from one production lot to the next may be lighter that the samples.

Marble: No two pieces of marble will look exactly the same. Marble is a natural stone, formed over millions of years with many natural markings. Marble will have different shades and colored veins within the same block of stone from which it is cut. The marble installed in your floor will look somewhat from the sample and different than our model home installations, because the coloring, shading and fissure and vein locations are the result of natural process that cannot be controlled. The individual marble tiles vary in size. Not all of them are 12” X12” square in size. Further, there are variances in the height and width of each tile. When they are installed, this will give an uneven surface appearance so that you should expect to have a condition where some tiles may be "higher" than others. Grout joints of 3/16” to ¼” are used between marble tiles. This tends to minimize the number of high tile areas on the entry floor or a fireplace. Marble is not a "fire-glazed" product as are most ceramic tiles. Quarried marble has a "softer" surface. In the finished installation you will probably notice scratches. These are unavoidable due to the packing, installation, and grouting processes. None of these natural characteristics will be viewed as problems that require correction either at the time of new home walk-through or during the warranty period.

Ceramic and Marble Installation: Grout colors vary from the samples due to variations on temperature and humidity at the time of grouting. All grout is pre-mixed by the manufacturer and blended for the color at their factories. Colors cannot be guaranteed against water conditions in local water mixed with the grout or against drying rates. These as well as other factors can cause grout colors to vary in shade. The builder is not responsible for any variation in color grout, sanded or non-sanded. Exact layouts and grout joint widths are determined by the tilesetter at the time of installation and are governed by the actual size and shape of the tile or marble, the exact dimensions of the areas to be covered, and the guidelines established between the builder and subcontractor. Tight joints are not recommended for floors because no allowances can be made for undulations in the floor or for variations in thickness of the tile or marble. Small hairline cracks may develop in ceramic or marble flooring or grout, particularly when installed over concrete slab. There is no way to completely eliminate the characteristics which are inherent to concrete and because small hairline cracks are not structurally significant, and the difference in the color of the original grout and the new “patching” grout may be even more noticeable and offensive than the small cracks, they are not covered under the new home warranty

Hardwood flooring

Wood Floors add warmth and richness to any décor.  Again, there may be slight color variations in the showroom sample and the finished product in your home. Beautiful hardwood floors are products of nature and therefore not perfect. Each pre-finished plank is professionally installed one at a time. This often allows the condition of "overwood." Overwood is when adjoining boards are not perfectly even in height and noticeable by touch and/or sight. In addition, small spaces between each oak plank may be present. This is not a manufacturing defect and is considered normal. Your hardwood floors are manufactured in accordance with accepted industry standards that permit imperfections in an amount not to exceed 5% of the area covered with wood. The imperfection may be of a manufacturing or natural type. The use of stain, wax, filler, or putty stick for correcting imperfections during installation is accepted as normal procedure. Pre-finished wood floors cone in two finished types. The first is a "satin" finish, which will require waxing one or more times a year (or more, depending on the foot traffic in your home). The second type is a “luster” finish that has a polyurethane coating. The polyurethane-coated woods do not require waxing. The buyer is aware that with pre-finished floors, the stain will not match existing stair rails, cabinets or nosing.

A natural characteristic of wood is to swell when exposed to moisture. It is not recommended that wood floors be installed in bathrooms or laundries, where excessive moisture may be found. We install a sheet vinyl moisture barrier under all hardwood installed over concrete slab, (except Mannington planks, which are exempt), but excessive moisture, a plumbing failure, etc, will cause hardwood to warp and in extreme instances can cause enough pressure to break the adhesives and force the hardwood off the sub-floor, necessitating replacement.

Shoes with small diameter heel contact points will cause indentations in all hardwood floors. A 100 pound woman with ¼ inch diameter heel contact points can easily exert a force of 2,000 pounds per square inch and an exposed nailhead can exert a force of 8,000 pounds per square inch. (This can be a problem for any floor, hardwood, ceramic, marble, sheet vinyl. or carpet.

General Care of Hardwood Floors: (see Manufacturer Brochure for specifics)

Sweep and Vacuum regularly to keep clean.

Clean and apply recommended finish (refer to brochure) every five to six months, or as often as necessary. Avoid heavy build up by using a liquid stripper. Pay special attention to entries.

Buff several times between treatments to restore the luster of the hardwood floors with an electric buffer, using clean soft pads and following directions supplied by the buffer manufacture.

DO NOT damp mop.

Shading variance can occur (bleaching) if wood is subject to direct sunlight.

Suitable window coverings should be installed to prevent this from occurring.

Pad or rug-holding materials under area rugs should be carefully selected; some do not breathe and can affect the wood flooring.