Warranty concerns

Hi,
This is a continuation of the thread that I posted a while back (http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?threadid=68680)

I was planning to purchase unstained 3"-wide maple from Stone River Hardwoods (http://www.stoneriverhardwoods.com/). I was a little nervous because the wood is very inexpensive there, so I needed to know what to ask them. I asked them all the questions you guys suggested, such as where the wood was milled (Kentucky), how it was coated, etc. (all in the past posts). The one thing I have not been able to get from them is a warranty in writing. I have asked them twice to fax or email it ot me, and my wife asked one additional time. They say they will 'try' to get it to us, but there is always some kind of excuse like the guy who has it is out, or we have a new one coming in from the printers, etc. The attitude seems to be "hey, our wood is high quality and our warranty is as good as anyone else's out there, why do you need to see it, don't you trust us?"

For references, they gave one builder's name and said they don't give references anymore because the people get annoyed about being called.

Any advice on what else I can do, or do think this sounds too risky? The price is only $2.99/sf, so I'd hate to look elsewhere.

Thanks

Paul

 

Paul, There is a lot of wood and also a lot of horses in Kentucky! As you read posts on various flooring forums on the internet, I'll bet you see the following more than once or twice. "You get what you pay for"

 

Thanks for the reply Fred. The reason I posted the original questions is because I'm not always a believer in you get what you pay for. I think a lot of the time, people get ripped off because they don't know the difference, so they figure that the more expensive must be better. After all, it's wood, not surgery. If you get maple of a given quality with a given finish at a given price, it should be possible to compare from A to B without depending on using the price as an indicator. Their claim is of course that they can't believe anyone would charge or pay $7+ /sf for 3" maple - but that's their claim.

So, I'll ask again, anybody, what's the difference between 'high quality' wood and bargain basement wood. Also, for more details of the quality and finish, please check the link in the top message of this thread.

Thanks

Paul

 

Pn:

You're not going to get a very good finish warranty on builders grade. Just to give anyone an idea of how confusing warranties can be, check out this Bruce warranty link. Keep in mind it's Bruce and should only be used as a general guideline.

http://bruce.com/resbrucewoodna/gene...ranty_info.jsp

 

Most manufacturers produce products of different quality levels and different price points. The manufacturer's name does not always assure the best quality. There is a different in the quality of milling among the manufacturers. Most offer a lifetime warranty on manufacturing and structural defects. The finish warranty is where you will find the greatest differences in price and quality. A manufacturer usually has a copy of the warranty in the cartons of wood, if it is a warranted product. Warranties are frequently used to help sell the flooring products and are usually readily available. If you seek a warranted product, purchase a warranted product from a reputable dealer. Some of the best prefinished hardwood flooring products have a 25-year finish warranty. Prices will vary, depending on what part of the country you live in. Thus, many turn to the internet to do some comparison shopping. Many builder grades, tavern and cabin grades do not have any type of warranty. Shop around and educate yourself before making a decision as to what product you want to buy to assure that you are getting the most bang for your $$.

 

The company said they will fax me the warranty this morning. I'll give them one more chance to get it to me. Maybe I can post some of the text here for your opinions.

Is there anything else I can ask them to get an idea of the quality? They sent me samples, but I don't think I could tell much from looking at tiny pieces.

Thanks for your help.

Paul

 

Paul:

How many square feet are you looking to buy? I don't think it's been mentioned as yet. I recall a comment from Steve Simonson at http://www.ifloor.com that goes something like this when it comes to price. It's not exact but close..kinda.

When considering a long term? investment in any type of floor covering, consider not only the up front cost, but how miniscule the amount may be in obtaining an upgrade or higher quality in the time you will live at your present residence.

I wish I could find that message board quote. Perhaps Fred has seen and saved it? I'm not good at finding stuff on this puter but I'm gettin' better. It really came down to pennies a day.

Something to think about

 

Ken's right about buying the best you can afford to buy. Divided over the period of time you plan on living in the house, it can amount to just pennies a day. Aluminum oxide is an additive many manufacturers are going with these days to make the polyurethane more durable. Again, the amount of aluminum oxide, the number of coats of finish, the application technique, warranty, and price points vary within a single manufacturer's product line as well as among the different manufacturers. For instance, let's say a manufacturer's top warranted product has a 25 year finish warranty that has 6 coats (a coat of aluminum oxide to seal the wood, 4 coats of poly, topped off with a coat of aluminum oxide), but it also sells a 3 year finish warranty product with a 4-coat poly & aluminum oxide (mixed up together) finish and it also sells a builder's grade with no warranty with a 4 coat aluminum oxide & poly finish (not as much aluminum oxide) on 2 common wood. As you can see for a single manufacturer, there is a range of finish warranties, type of finishes, and of course the price for each level of quality and warranty will be different.