Troubleshooter: Flooring frustrations

FAYETTEVILLE Marcy's floor doesn't look bad from a distance, but when Marcy got close she says she noticed problems. She tells Troubleshooter Diane Wilson, "We kept getting pieces of fuzz stuck on it. It's supposed to be smooth." While cleaning, she says she noticed little cracks in the finish of her wood floors. Since her home is new, the floors are under warranty. The flooring company, Carpet One of Fayetteville did come out two different times to replace the problem boards. But Marcy says she noticed more tiny cracks. She adds, "They actually told me I'm obsessed with looking at my floor."

Two different inspectors looked at Marcy's floors. The first one from the manufacturer, Mannington stated the condition is because of a dramatic swing in the moisture content in the wood, which they claim can happen because of maintenance practices, direct sunlight, leaks, or excessive topical moisture. Marcy wasn't happy with that report so Carpet One of Fayetteville paid $300.00 for a second inspector. He reported the problems were because of a manufacturing related issue, and had nothing to do with installation or locally caused issues.

Marcy says Carpet One of Fayetteville told her the manufacturer agreed to replace her floors, but Carpet One of Fayetteville wasn't going to install the floor. Marcy says, "Then we found out they decided they're not going to fix my floor and I have to get a list from Mannington of other installers to come in and fix the floor and we've never heard anything after that."

Troubleshooter Diane Wilson talked with Carpet One of Fayetteville. The president said they replaced several boards as a courtesy. He claims the repairs were necessary due to moisture leaking at the window, which he states is obviously not a flooring issue. He also states the cracks are only visible with a spotlight used at close range and at a deliberate angle, and then only barely visible.

While Mannington has agreed to replace the floor, Carpet One of Fayetteville says they're not going to install it because Marcy told numerous employees she did not want them returning to her house. Carpet One of Fayetteville did give Troubleshooter Diane Wilson the number for a local Mannington rep. It took some time, but Marcy got this letter confirming Mannington would pay to replace the floors and they also sent her a list of authorized dealers to do the job.

Now that Marcy has a list of certified dealers to install the floor she's in the process of finding one to do it. A rep with Mannington said it is unfortunate what happened with her floors, he said since the floor is installed during construction and not in a climate controlled environment this can happen. In a statement Mannington sent to Marcy, it stated they don't warrant the cracking of the finish, like the rest of the flooring industry but are doing this as a onetime condition.