How do you put a hole in a water pipe buried in concrete that manifested a leak 30 days after the installation of laminate flooring? In this case, the consumer told the dealer he caused the leak, and it was his responsibility to replace the floor.

The dealer only nailed the trim boards—with short nails unable to hit the pipe—and the water pipes were buried in the concrete substrate, which the nail would not have been able to penetrate. Even if the nails somehow managed to puncture the pipe, the leak would have been noticed right away. The consumer claimed it took so long because the nail got imbedded in the pipe and when it got rusty it dislodged and opened the hole. If this sounds plausible, logical or reasonable to you, you have a better understanding of science, physics and possibly the occult than I can ever comprehend.

In another case, also with a new laminate installation, the consumer claimed the installers were responsible for water damage to the flooring because the plastic water line that feeds the refrigerator broke—six weeks after the installation. This again, is a stretch of the imagination, but plausible because the installers actually did move the refrigerator. Still, six weeks is a long time for something like this to happen. It’s possible there was a weakness somewhere in the line or connections that were aggravated by the installers moving the refrigerator.

Both of these cases are better addressed by the consumers’ homeowners insurance than by the dealer simply because they took so long to occur and are most likely not installation related. After speaking with the dealers, they admitted having no policy for things like this. They have guidelines and policies for removing plumbing fixtures such as sinks and toilets, which they will remove but will not re-install simply because they don’t want to be responsible for any leaks or damage. We discussed having the same type of policy for refrigerators, which I suggested they shouldn’t even move out if there is a water line—let the consumer do this.

It amazes me what people think are flooring problems, either created by the installation of the material or by the material itself. Today I got a call from a dealer who said a customer is complaining about dust particles on furniture in a spare bedroom. Carpet was installed six years ago throughout the house, yet this was the only room afflicted with this condition just recently, and the consumer is certain it is the fault of the floor. The most frustrating thing about this is the dealer has to prove it is not the carpet. If there was going to be a problem of particulate flying off the broadloom, which is unlikely because carpet actually traps the stuff, it would be in rooms that were getting traffic and use. The cause, as he told the customer, is likely dust from the air handling system blowing in, but she isn’t ready to buy this.

These seem like insane situations, but they are the types of complaints you have to deal with. To protect yourself you have to be armed with as much information as you can and an understanding of the products you sell and the methods you use to install them. Unfortunately, you’re stuck trying to defend yourself from unreasonable claims like these, which nine out of 10 times you are not responsible for. Call us if you ever have a problem like this, and we’ll do our best to help you.

If you want to learn more about carpet, attend the LGM Carpet Seminar July 11 to 13 in Dalton, where you will also get to see it made.