Hello,
I finally decided to register here and hope to get some expert advice.
We installed about 150m² (1,615 sq ft) of oak lava oil-finished wide plank flooring. The planks are quite rustic, and the offer already mentioned that occasional checks (splits) may occur and are excluded from the warranty.
So far, about 100 spots in our apartment have been repaired where the top layer slightly peeled off: the affected areas were cut out and filled with a black wax stick. Some of these spots are quite large, and the repairs are clearly visible. For us, 100 spots are no longer "occasional," as stated in the offer.
Now, some of these repaired spots, as well as other areas, are peeling again. We are especially concerned about potential injury risks since we have a 6-month-old daughter who will soon start crawling.
Today, the owner of the parquet company finally came to inspect the floor personally. Some planks will be replaced as a goodwill gesture. At the same time, he said that this is completely normal for this grade of flooring, that he has the same floor at home, it is his best-selling product, and that we are the first to complain about it.
Fortunately, we are in a strong negotiating position, but I don’t want to go into that here (family connections).
But now the question remains: Is this really normal? Extensive online research has not really helped me.
I hope to get some answers here.
Best regards and many thanks in advance
I finally decided to register here and hope to get some expert advice.
We installed about 150m² (1,615 sq ft) of oak lava oil-finished wide plank flooring. The planks are quite rustic, and the offer already mentioned that occasional checks (splits) may occur and are excluded from the warranty.
So far, about 100 spots in our apartment have been repaired where the top layer slightly peeled off: the affected areas were cut out and filled with a black wax stick. Some of these spots are quite large, and the repairs are clearly visible. For us, 100 spots are no longer "occasional," as stated in the offer.
Now, some of these repaired spots, as well as other areas, are peeling again. We are especially concerned about potential injury risks since we have a 6-month-old daughter who will soon start crawling.
Today, the owner of the parquet company finally came to inspect the floor personally. Some planks will be replaced as a goodwill gesture. At the same time, he said that this is completely normal for this grade of flooring, that he has the same floor at home, it is his best-selling product, and that we are the first to complain about it.
Fortunately, we are in a strong negotiating position, but I don’t want to go into that here (family connections).
But now the question remains: Is this really normal? Extensive online research has not really helped me.
I hope to get some answers here.
Best regards and many thanks in advance
schubert79 schrieb:
What else was the seller supposed to write? He explicitly points out this problem! Or should he have said… it definitely occurs extensively and 100% of the time. But we are not in the USA...Well, my understanding of "occasionally possible" is that it happens rather rarely. If I had about 5 spots on roughly 150m2 (1600 sq ft), I don’t think I would be here on the forum. But as mentioned in the first post, about 100 spots have already been repaired, and we keep finding new ones, as shown in my last post. If it had said "frequently" instead… That’s why my question is, at what point does “occasionally” stop being “occasionally”?
Checking cracks are scale-like, small-area separations of the upper wood layers.
As noted in the product datasheet, these cannot always be avoided in various types of wood. It is, after all, a natural product that cannot be standardized and grows according to the random conditions of its environment.
However, filling knots and wood cracks with a filler in a color completely different from the wood grain is not the standard practice!
Why not?
Because it "negatively" affects the overall appearance.
One could jokingly ask why knot holes and cracks were not filled in carmine red.
According to DIN EN 14342 (OP 6), the labeling of products for wooden flooring must include the intended use and the essential characteristics with reference to the mentioned standard.
The product note provided here in the forum clearly does not contain such a source reference.
According to DIN EN 13629, three normative grading classes with corresponding characteristics are defined, which are listed under OP 4.3.3 there.
Since the product datasheet does not specify anything in this regard, it is probably a "free grading," also known as factory grading.
In your case, it is a smoked oak (where the smoking refers to post-treatment and thus the appearance).
According to DIN EN 13629, the parquet floor you purchased would be classified in the grade with the lowest requirements.
In this class, all possible features are allowed without restrictions on size or quantity, provided they have adequate strength and do not affect durability.
And this seems to be true in your case.
So, bad news if you base your expectations on the standards.
Also, any indication that earlier hand samples might have shown something different is probably not legally relevant.
Sorry, but this is the current status regarding the parquet flooring.
--------------------------------
Regards to everyone: KlaRa
As noted in the product datasheet, these cannot always be avoided in various types of wood. It is, after all, a natural product that cannot be standardized and grows according to the random conditions of its environment.
However, filling knots and wood cracks with a filler in a color completely different from the wood grain is not the standard practice!
Why not?
Because it "negatively" affects the overall appearance.
One could jokingly ask why knot holes and cracks were not filled in carmine red.
According to DIN EN 14342 (OP 6), the labeling of products for wooden flooring must include the intended use and the essential characteristics with reference to the mentioned standard.
The product note provided here in the forum clearly does not contain such a source reference.
According to DIN EN 13629, three normative grading classes with corresponding characteristics are defined, which are listed under OP 4.3.3 there.
Since the product datasheet does not specify anything in this regard, it is probably a "free grading," also known as factory grading.
In your case, it is a smoked oak (where the smoking refers to post-treatment and thus the appearance).
According to DIN EN 13629, the parquet floor you purchased would be classified in the grade with the lowest requirements.
In this class, all possible features are allowed without restrictions on size or quantity, provided they have adequate strength and do not affect durability.
And this seems to be true in your case.
So, bad news if you base your expectations on the standards.
Also, any indication that earlier hand samples might have shown something different is probably not legally relevant.
Sorry, but this is the current status regarding the parquet flooring.
--------------------------------
Regards to everyone: KlaRa
Luttrich schrieb:
The only DIN references related to grading that can be found on the Hain page are standard EN 13489 for geometric properties and EN 1310 for surface characteristics.Sorry, but DIN EN 1310 "Round and sawn timber – Measurement of characteristics" (issue 08/97) has been withdrawn without replacement in the meantime! And DIN EN 13489 applies only to multilayer parquet elements, formerly called "engineered parquet."
However, we are apparently dealing with solid hardwood flooring here.
Therefore, DIN EN 13489 is not applicable.
The grading characteristics for solid hardwood flooring are actually found in DIN EN 13629, as I already pointed out!
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Regards, KlaRa
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