Retailer's Poor Communication Could Lead to a Claim

Ool 817 Wfb Sm

Ool 817 Wfb Sm

The Homeowner's Issue

Shortly after a new engineered white oak plank floor prefinished with hardwax oil was installed in the homeowners' kitchen and dining room, they began noticing spots and stains in the wood flooring that would not come out. The retailer recommended a floor cleaner to help with the spotting condition, but it made the issue worse. The homeowner called an inspector.


RELATED: Is the Contractor Responsible for Subsequent Moisture Problems?


Roy: The Inspector's Observations

I observed darkened spots on the wood flooring, especially near the kitchen stove. After the homeowners told me they fry a lot of fish, I felt confident that the appearance of the spots was consistent with grease stains. The homeowners told me their previous parquet floor never stained like this one and that the cleaning product recommended by the retailer only made it worse. Their retailer had given them the impression that this new wood floor would require very little maintenance because it had nine coats of finish on it and came with a 25-year warranty. I also discovered the cleaner they had been using was not formulated for floors finished with hardwax oil. I concluded that the wrong floor maintenance system was provided for this type of floor. I believe the retailer did not fully understand the clients' expectations—they wanted a floor where spills could be simply wiped away with a cloth, as they had done with their previous wood floor, and this floor was not that.

Blake: The Attorney's Analysis

It appears there may have been a disconnect between what the retailer represented as "very little maintenance" and what the customers were expecting. And that is the main point here—what were the customers' expectations for this product, and did the retailer address them properly? For homeowners who want to do little to no maintenance on their wood floor, the retailer should not have recommended this type of flooring, particularly for a kitchen. It's baffling to me that a professional retailer would recommend the wrong cleaner for a very specific type of floor finish, particularly when the retailer sold the flooring in question. If the retailer were only arguably liable for selling the customers a product that did not meet their expectations, I think any doubt was removed when it then told the customers to use the wrong cleaner, which further damaged the floor. In my opinion, the customers have a good claim against the retailer to replace the floor with a more suitable product.


RELATED: Refinishing Shortcut Could Cost Contractor 'a Bundle'


Page 1 of 6
Next Page
Resource Book
Looking for a specific product or a company? Wood Floor Business has the only comprehensive database of the industry.
Learn More
Resource Book
Podcasts
All Things Wood Floor, created by Wood Floor Business magazine, talks to interesting wood flooring pros to share knowledge, stories and tips on everything to do with wood flooring, from installation, sanding and finishing to business management.
Learn More
Podcasts