We have been doing more and more work for retailers who send us products to be tested and evaluated for any number of problems. Some of the things we see require more knowledge on the part of the dealer of the products you sell and work with and what the policies of your suppliers are. Carpet, wood, laminate, ceramic and vinyl all have their own set of unique characteristics and idiosyncracies. Carpet and vinyl are probably best understood by retail and commercial floor covering dealers. Wood and laminate are the least understood products being sold, and wood is the hands-down leader of confounding floor covering dealers.

Let me give you an example of how difficult it can be to get an answer on a product or problem. We constantly work with clients on large commercial problems that require knowing the product being used, the installation procedures employed and what they should be and an understanding of the dynamic psychologies taking place. The product may be the easiest part of the problem to figure out. There hasn’t been a case or situation we’ve encountered yet that did not result in determining whether or not there was a problem with the product – the evidence will always yield an answer. A recent case involved the installation of a woven Axminster carpet, installed with the double stick method, that is glueing the cushion to the floor and the carpet to the cushion. Right after the carpet was installed in a new facility, it was exposed to foot traffic, construction crews and a scissors lift driving on it. Seams opened up, patterns were distorted and carpet edges frayed. The flooring contractor complained to the general contractor about the intrusion onto the carpet and the general contractor and end user complained to the flooring contractor about the condition of the carpet. Finger pointing was underway and common sense, as often happens, took a break in this case. It turns out the flooring contractor was not responsible for the complaint conditions but they had to make the repairs to the carpet just the same. The complaining parties were made aware that the problems with the carpet were perpetrated by people working on their behalf. Fortunately the problems could be fixed but not before a lot blame was tossed back and forth.

In another case a flooring dealer sent in a carpet that had been installed in a restaurant only to have the seams delaminate a short time later. The manufacturer told them it was an installation problem but the carpet told a different story. The dealer sent in a section of the carpet with the selvedge edge in place. When the carpet was examined it revealed that there was weak laminate strength over 2 inches into the field of the carpet. In other words, the installers would have had to cut into the carpet over two inches on either side to get to a section which had good lamination. On a carpet that is twelve feet wide this means there would be 11 feet 8 inches, or less, of useable material. In multiple drops the installer would come up short of material. In three drops, or panels, of carpet, for example, they’d be almost a foot short in the width. This weakness in the carpet was not immediately evident, nor would it be expected, but it manifested itself after the carpet was put into service. The manufacturer said the installers did not properly seal the seams but even with the seams sealed, the type of traffic the carpet was exposed to, caused the inherent weakness at the edge of this carpet to fail.

In the case of wood, you have to be aware of what you’re using, what grade it is and how it is graded, be conscious of the fact that you are going to get some junk boards in a box and understand that you are going to have to cull pieces of material out of the lot. You have to know what the classifications of the wood are you’re selling and installing and how to sell and work with them. There is a lot of information available from NOFMA (National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association) most floor covering dealers are not aware of. If you get the books they have it will help you avoid the vast majority of problems you have with all types of wood flooring products.

The more products you take on to sell the more problems you’re going to encounter, which is only natural. You have to experience this learning curve to learn and be proactive in preventing problems. You have to come out of the gate knowing as much as you can about the products you offer for sale and how to handle complaints and problems with them. It’s frustrating at times but opening up these new areas of business and profit often are. Some dealers will do this with few if any problems and others may throw up their arms in despair wondering what they’ve gotten themselves into. Just remember that if you have a problem or just a question you can call on us to help. Answers to questions don’t cost you anything. If we do any work, then there’s a cost involved. We can test for almost anything you encounter on any type of floor covering product. Either way you’ll find an answer and learn something to help you and your business back on track to profitability.