Terms and Conditions
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE
The products produced by us (Element Flooring Supplies) are described in the suppliers’ quotation or order confirmation. We produce bespoke products that are Customer specific i.e., the Customers desired colour, style, and size of flooring.
We will produce products especially and customised to your requirements. When you place the order, we will ask for all the information we need from you. For example, what your desired colour is, the style of the flooring, the size and the total amount which you require. When providing us with the information while placing the order, please make sure you are certain, as we cannot accept any changes to the order once it is placed.
The supplier uses reasonable commercial efforts to be as accurate as possible when providing sizes, weights, capacities, dimensions, and measurements in quotations. But please note that some discrepancies can occur due to batch variations.
The Suppliers reserve the right to amend the specification if required by any applicable statutory or regulatory requirements.
The customer should only confirm the placement of the order after the Supplier has confirmed available stock of the Customer’s desired specification of the floor. In the event of an amendment to the specification, the Supplier is entitled to supply an alternative Product to match as closely as possible to the Products that the Customer has ordered. The Supplier will provide the Customer with reasonable notice as soon as this becomes apparent. Then the order shall be confirmed by the Customer by paying the required deposit.
The Supplier strongly recommends ordering the Product for a job/project in one order, rather than splitting orders. This ensures that the product is consistent throughout. This minimises colour and grade inconsistencies/variations in the products’ final look.
The supplier is committed to complying with current EU and UK Timer Regulations. All Timber and timber products provided by the supplier are, to the best of the Suppliers knowledge and belief, in line with:
- the EU regulations on timber contained in Regulations (EU) no 995/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council (the EU Regulations),
- 2013 no. 223 Environmental Protection, the Timber and Timber products (placing in the market) Regulations 2013 (the “UK Regulations”)
In accordance with Article 4(2) of the EU Regulations (as incorporated into the UK Regulations) the Supplier exercises all necessary yet proportionate due diligence procedures outlined in Article 6 of the EU Regulation to ensure that any timber or timber product provided by the Supplier has been legally harvested in accordance with the EU Regulations and the applicable legislation of its origin.
Ownership of the products and Bespoke products is transferred to the Customer once the Supplier (us) has received the payment in full and in cleared funds.
Orders
The quantity, quality and description of and any specification for the Products will be provided to the customer by the Supplier in the Suppliers quotation. These should be carefully reviewed by the Customer and confirmed with the Supplier.
If any changes are to be made to the order, these need to be mentioned and confirmed with the Supplier BEFORE the order is placed.
NO CHANGES TO THE ORDER WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE ORDER IS PLACED. This includes, but is not limited to, the specification of the wood or the colour of the wood.
After placing the order, a deposit of 100% is required before we can proceed any further. The deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE due to any circumstances.
WE DO NOT ACCEPT ANY RETURNS OF ANY PRODUCTS.
UV LIGHT IMPACT
Please note, all natural products are affected by light. When strong sunlight gives off UV rays, it can have significant effects on the natural wood flooring. We will always tell customers if their floor finish consists of UV Oils, natural oils or lacquers which can be affected if the floor is exposed to strong UV light for an extended period of time.
Strong UV light can cause shrinkage to the wood, breakdown of the finish and accelerated oxidation. This can result in extreme colour fading if the surface temperature of the floor is too high.
Wood flooring that is left exposed to extreme sunlight and unfiltered UV rays will noticeably change the colour in the first 1-3 months. These changes may include darkening, lightening or yellowing of the wood.
Wood flooring that has a darker coloured finish may fade/change faster as darker colours absorb more heat. Prolonged exposure to heat and sunlight can also cause shrinkage to the wood floor, which can result in splits and cracks forming, eventually leading to delamination.
Due to this, we recommend that customers have UV filter/UV film installed on their windows if the windows where our floor is fitted get a lot of sunlight. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions of Installation for specifications of allowed floor temperatures.
Terms and Conditions of Installation
Pre-installation
We as a company require a normal working environment to be provided to us during the installation, this includes, but is not limited to:
- The work site has working electricity, floor sanding equipment requires 240V
- Welfare facilities (WC at minimum)
- Job site to be watertight, no leaks
- Normal temperature should be between 15°C and 22°C
- The job site to be easily accessible and free of any debris laying around
- Parking arrangements, or advice from the Customer about available parking
Flooring must be left to acclimate in its packaging for 48-72 hours at a relative humidity level of 45%.
All installation services will take place at the agreed-upon address when commencing the job.
Flooring should ONLY be installed at the above-mentioned temperature
Before the floor is installed, it is essential that the following requirements are followed:
× Sub-floor must be dry, level and with good load-bearing properties
× The sub-floor can be: concrete, plywood or joints
× The moisture content of the sub-floor should be 9%, with a tolerance of 2%
× If the sub-floor is concrete, its humidity should be less than 3% and the mortar should be evenly set
× Humidity of plaster works and paint works should be less than 5%
× If the site is a new build, the rooms should be enclosed with all windows closed
× All “wet” trades must be completed and the site should have a humidity of 40% to 55%
× If old flooring is to be removed from the job prior to us installing the new flooring, we offer a service of taking-up and disposing of the old flooring. This should be discussed with us prior us starting any installation on the site. Taking-up and disposal is chargeable and will be invoiced to the Customer
If any of the requirements mentioned above cannot be met by the Customer, alternatives should be discussed before installation of the flooring begins.
We should not be held accountable for any time that it takes our contractors to travel from the job site to any essential amenities/facilities that have not been provided or are not easily reachable/accessible. These include, but are not limited to:
- 240V tool battery charging stations or power points
- Toilets
- A “rest” place, or somewhere where the fitters can rest or take their break/lunch break
Any problems that may arise from pre-existing problems with the sub-floor, or the sub-floor being in the wrong condition, void any and all warranties.
Any furniture or other things, such as tools or building materials, that are in the room where the floor is to be installed, should be moved prior to the fitters getting to the job site. If the rooms are obstructed, our fitters will not be able to start the installation.
We are not liable for any damages caused to the Customers belongings if they were left unattended in the space where the installation is to take place.
Moving furniture can be arranged with us, this is chargeable, as it is not something that is included with our services. If the Customer wishes to arrange moving furniture with us, it will be invoiced to the Customer at the completion of the job. Although all precautions are made to ensure that furniture is moved with care, accidents do happen.
During the installation
During the installation of the floor, our fitters inspect the boards before fitting them. This is done to ensure that no damaged or defective boards are fitted.
Installing new flooring may produce a lot of dust, the Customer is responsible for taking appropriate measures to protect their belongings. Dust travels, so therefore it cannot be contained to just the room where the installation is taking place.
A lot of structural problems cannot be seen until the old flooring is removed. If our installers find any structural problems during installation, such as, termite damage or water damage, the installation will be stopped until the Customer has resolved the problem. #
During installation, areas should be free of all unauthorized personnel and all other trades people. Anyone who steps on the newly installed flooring less than 24-72 hours after installation, is responsible for any damages that may be caused to it.
All other trades are restricted from entering the area of installation. If any other trades enter the area, our Employees have the right to pack up and leave without any notice, in order not to put the installation at the risk of failing and for health and safety reasons.
Delay of Service
If the installation needs to be delayed or postponed after it has already begun, due to circumstances beyond our control and/or not related to the company, caused by, but not limited to: other works/tradesmen on the job site, if flooring area is not cleared, unsuitable site conditions, or if requested by the Customer/contractor, the company holds the right to charge for the working day, per tradesman – per day.
The installation work will then be re-booked for the most convenient day for both parties, both the Customer and the Company. Specific dates that might be requested by the Customer/contractor are not guaranteed.
Underfloor heating
Underfloor heating must be switched on for at least 2-3 weeks before installation. Then before and during the installation, the underfloor heating must remain off. The surface temperature must never exceed 27°C . Please contact your underfloor heating provider if you are not sure about something.
After installation is completed, giving the subfloor has underfloor heating, it is best to leave the flooring for at least 4-5 days after installation. Then raise the temperature by 2-3 degrees a day. This is done to not “shock” the floor, as high temperature can damage the wooden floor.
You must never:
- Change the surface temperature dramatically
- Have hot spots
- Carry on using faulty underfloor heating
- Have high humidity in the room
- Operating the heating above a surface temperature of 27°C
- Clean the floor with water
- Place heavy rugs, mats or furniture on the wood flooring
If you do any of the above things, it can result in any of the following hardwood floor reactions; these will not be covered by our factory guarantee:
- Warped boards
- Engineered flooring that may delaminate, this is the top layer of the board coming off
- Gaps appearing between the boards
- If not fitted properly, you might also find the whole floor lifting
- Lack of effective heat transference through the flooring
- Splits or cracks in the wood
For Sanding and Finishing
Depending on the type of stain and how deep stain has penetrated the wood, they might not be able to be sanded down in order to remove the stain.
After the installation is completed, a 72 hour “curing” period must be allowed before covering the newty sealed floor with things like rugs or furniture. We are not responsible for any damage caused to the floor or seal if this requirement is not followed.
Please note that, when sanding existing wooden flooring, deep surface stains such as adhesives, paint, juices, wine, per urine, water stains, etc., that may have saturated the wood deeper than just the surface, it may be harder to remove during the sanding process.
Maintaining your Hardwood Flooring
We highly recommend our customers to always maintain their wood flooring with professional maintenance products.
If you spill anything on the wooden floor, it is best to clean it up immediately with a cloth that’s slightly damp, then wipe dry.
Using furniture pads on legs of your chairs, sofas, tables, etc., will prevent scratches to your floor.
Vacuuming or sweeping regularly is recommended due to dust settling everywhere, meaning it can settle between the floor boards and in the grains of the wood.
Never use abrasive materials when cleaning your floor. This can and will cause scratches and damage your floor.
Your flooring can be sanded down and re-finished with a coat of wood floor finish. This is done when and if your floor starts looking dull after a few years. Please note that, how often you’ll need to do this depends on your lifestyle.
Safety of our Personnel
If for any reason, our employees feel that they are unsafe due to poor site conditions or working practices, they have the right to pause the installation and leave the job site without any notice. They will return once the situation has been fixed and the employees feel like their health and safety is not being put at risk.
Changes to Terms and Conditions
We hold the right to change or amend the above terms and conditions at any time for operational or any other reasons. Please refer back to the above terms and conditions any time you use our services so that you are aware of our requirements and how we carry out our services.
