Cork Flooring Warranty for 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 10.5mm, 12mm
Effective November 2011
CORK WARRANTIES
Forna Cork floors are covered by a 10-Year Residential Wear Warranty, a 5-Year Commercial Wear Warranty, and a Lifetime Structural and Joint Integrity Warranty.
- 1. Wear-through Warranty
Commercial Wear Warranty is exclusively for floors with additional 2 coats of LOBA AT applied on site. This is restricted to wear on the surface of the boards. The wear must be readily visible and cover a minimum of approximately 10% of the installed floor. Gloss reduction is not considered wear.
- Lifetime Structural Warranty
Forna products are carefully inspected prior to packaging during the manufacturing process
and are warranted to be free from manufacturing defects.
- Lifetime Joint Integrity Warranty
The joints will remain secure and the planks will not come apart. NOTE: All FORNA CORK
floors are engineered to minimize gapping that may occur in natural floors with seasonal fluctuations. Minor gapping (up to 0.2mm or 0.01 inches), without the unlocking of the pieces, may occur and is not considered a defect.
Forna Cork Floors Wear Warranty is made subject to the following conditions:
1) This warranty is valid from the date of purchase, applies only to the flooring products in their
original installation location; it is non-transferable and applies only to the original purchaser (whose name is written in the invoice); shall expire if the product or installation location is transferred or resold.
2) This warranty applies to FORNA CORK cork floor products and exclusively to the use in
interior residential applications that are subject to normal traffic, excluding wet or dump
areas such as bathrooms or saunas.
3) The floor must be applied properly, including but not limited to the following:
- A moisture test must be performed to determine if excessive moisture exists in the
subfloor.
- When installing over concrete, a calcium chloride moisture test must be performed. Readings
greater than 2,27kg/93m2/24 hours are unacceptable for installation.
If a moisture meter is used, a reading greater than 4.5% is unacceptable.
- A polyethylene film vapor barrier must not be used over wood subfloors.
Moisture readings of wood subfloors must not exceed 14% throughout the
entire installation.
- If glue is used, glue entire floor with glue that meets or exceeds PVAC dispersion with a
viscosity of 8000 +/- 1000 cpc spindle 6/20 at 20 degrees centigrade – density
of 1.11 =/- 0.02 g/cm on a dry content of 48 =/- 1% (weight). Upon completion of glued installation, the floor must be allowed to set overnight for 12 hours before resuming normal usage of the room.
4) The flooring must be used only indoors in a dry, climate-controlled area.
5) This limited warranty does not apply to water damage of any kind.
6) This limited warranty does not apply to damage caused by water or moisture in the subfloor or underneath the flooring, including but not limited to damage from subfloor hydrostatic pressure (water or moisture under the floor that is transmitted to the surface through exerted pressure) or other conditions that result in water or moisture being under the floor.
7) Proper installation – Please read laying instructions carefully from beginning to end before
installing the floor and strictly follow their directions. In particular, please comply exactly with
the notes on checking the subfloor for moisturize and on laying the floor over under floor
heating. Improper installation will invalidate the Warranty.
8) Proper Cleaning and Care – These warranties will only apply if FORNA CORK
Cork floors have been properly cleaned and cared for. Wet maintenance is entirely forbidden.
9) Proper Maintenance – The surface finish (Water based finish)
is a protective coat which covers the top layer. If the surface finish shows signs of wear,
it must be refinished wholly or in part in good time to ensure that it can fulfill its protective
functions again. A timely maintenance of the surface finish guarantees the long-term durability
of FORNA CORK floors. Improper maintenance of the surface finish will invalidate this warranty.
10) FORNA CORK products are carefully inspected prior to packaging during the manufacturing process. Final inspection and approval is the customer’s responsibility. FORNA CORK does not assume any responsibility over the installation costs if customer does not follow above rule.
11) Cork is a natural material. We do not warrant any difference in shade or color between
samples/photographs and the actual flooring a) from batch to batch; b) due to exposure to sunlight; c) resulting from replacement of a portion of your floor; d) resulting from
the different age and history of the same product reference/batch. Some variation in color and
pattern is to be expected and is not considered defect.
12) FORNA CORK is not responsible and will not accept claims for the installation of incorrect
material, visually defective material or material that does not meet customer expectations in
terms of shade consistency or variation. Installation of material should be deemed
confirmation of pattern, color, appearance and all other visual factors including but not limited
to squareness and thickness.
13) The warranty shall only extend to the repair of replacement of the floor. Any further
liability is excluded if the law allows it. FORNA CORK is not liable in any way for any consequential damage, such as business interruption, removal costs, loss profit, etc.
Exclusions
- Problems due to moisture, mildew, alkaline substances, hydrostatic pressure, expansion and
contraction between planks/tiles.
- Damage due to exposure to excessive heat, cold or dryness. (It is recommended that relative
humidity in a home remain in the healthy range of 30-60% throughout the year. Keeping
humidity within this range may require the use of a dehumidifier or humidifier depending on
the climate conditions).
- Damage due to irregularities in the sub-floor, improper sub-floor preparation or improper use of sub-floor materials.
- Damage due to stains, scratches, gouges, scuus, punctures, tears, cuts, indentation, fading,
burns, accidents, lack of proper furniture rests; improper storage and handling
or incident such as a fire, flood (also plumbing leaks such as overflowing of sinks or similar water damage) or abuse.
Note: Sliding heavy furniture or appliances may permanently damage your FORNA CORK
Cork Floor.
- Loss of gloss over time is consistence with normal wear and tear and is not a flaw.
- It is normal and expected for there to be color variations due to use of natural components,
exposure to UV light and/or sunlight, and age of material. Therefore, color inconsistency
between samples, replacement product or illustrations and actual product is not a
manufacturing flaw.
- FORNA CORK makes no guarantee that the cork products will match or coordinate with customer furnishing, trim, cabinetry, railings, etc.
- Inherent variations that are consistent with those of a natural cork product to include pattern, color, and grain do not indicate defected material.
- Dissatisfaction, problems or damage due to use of improper installation tools and/or
materials.
- Non-compliance with installation instructions and maintenance guidelines
as recommended by FORNA CORK cannot assume responsibility for the suitability has no control over the installer’s proper application. Should an individual piece be doubtful as to appearance or dimension the installer should not use this piece. Failure to apply protective
coating in accordance with FORNA CORK’s guidelines may result in irreparable damage to cork.Such damage is not covered.
- Cracking, warping, soiling, fading, improper maintenance or abuse caused by items such as
roller skates, inline skates, stiletto heels, golf shoes, animal claws/nails;
abrasive materials including but not limited to grave, pebbles, sand.
- Floor covering installed in inappropriate locations is excluded from this warranty.
- Insect infestation after shipment from factory.
- Falling or dropped objects that can dent or fracture the flooring or finish.
- Non-factory applied finishes (by the owner or installer) including, but not limited to,
refinishing or recoating.
- The normal wearing of the finish in high traffic areas and seating areas.
How to make a claim:
If a defect is detected on a FORNA CORK cork floor, notify the retailer who sold you
the material within maximum 15 days, in writing. You must supply proof of purchase. Include
the product name, quantity involved and installation costs (if applicable).
Once the retailer verifies the claim, he will notify FORNA CORK and if necessary, an inspection will be arranged.
If a defect is verified, FORNA CORK will arrange for replacement of the defective floor. If
the floor needs to be replaced, the replacement material will be the same design and coloration as the original. If the original flooring is no longer available, then other FORNA CORK cork flooring product of equal value will be supplied.
Replacement of all or any of the cork flooring is at FORNA CORK discretion and all
labor costs will not be covered.
Any other costs associated with the installation, repair or replacement will not be covered under this warranty. Any attempt to repair, refinish or replace the defected product prior to inspection by FORNA CORK iler will invalidate this warranty.
FORNA CORK will replace a floor one time during life of its warranty.