Ashawa Bay Warranty

Limited Lifetime Structural Warranty

Hill Wood Products, Inc. warrants to the original purchaser that your Ashawa Bay Hardwood Floors will be free from manufacturing defects and for the life of the product, when used under “normal residential conditions,” will not:

  • Buckle
  • Warp
  • Twist
  • Separate at the plies due to glue bond failure

“Normal residential conditions” means those daily activities commonly associated with residential use.

Limited Finish Warranty for Residential Use

Hill Wood Products, Inc. warrants that the factory applied finish layer of the pre-finished product will not wear through, crack, flake, or peel from the wood for a period of twenty five (25) years from the date of purchase by the original purchaser when used under “normal residential conditions”. Normal residential conditions” means those daily activities commonly associated with residential use.

Limited Finish Warranty for Commercial Use

Hill Wood Products, Inc. warrants that the factory applied finish layer of the pre-finished product will not wear through, crack, flake, or peel from the wood for a period of five (5) years from the date of purchase by the original purchaser when used under “normal commercial conditions”. Normal commercial conditions” means those daily activities commonly associated with commercial use.

Limited Structural Warranty for Installation over In-Floor Radiant Heat

Ashawa Bay Hardwood Floors are suitable for installation over radiant in-floor heat as long as the flooring is installed and maintained in accordance with National Wood Flooring Association’s recommendations for flooring over radiant in-floor heat. Please see additional warranty coverage for installation over in-floor heat.

Limited Structural Warranty for Non-North American (Exotic) Species

Ashawa Bay Hardwood Floors manufactured with a top veneer of non-North American species such as but not limited to Jatoba, Sapele, Santos Mahogany, Cumuru, etc. are not warranted for face checks and splits nor for color variations. All other aspects of our structural warranty remain in effect. Further, floors manufactured with non-North American species are not recommended or warranted for installation over radiant in-floor heat. Please see additional warranty coverage for installation over in-floor heat.

Site Conditions

Site conditions must meet or exceed those laid out in the National Wood Flooring Association installation guidelines. These include, but are not limited to, proper subfloor construction, moisture, environmental, relative humidity and temperature. Relative humidity must be maintained at all times during installation and thereafter between 35% and 50% and temperature between 65°F and 72°F. Failure to do so may cause damage to your floor. Damage determined to be the result of improper site conditions is not covered under terms of this warranty.

Warranty exclusions

THE WARRANTY APPLIES ONLY TO THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER OF THE PRODUCT AND IS NON-TRANSFERABLE. THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER MUST PROVIDE AN INVOICE OR PROOF OF PURCHASE IN ORDER TO BENEFIT FROM COVERAGE.

The warranty against wear excludes damage caused by water, use of a wet mop, lack of maintenance, negligence, marks made by blows, accidents, scratches, furniture, house pets, high-heeled shoes, erosion, grit, sand and other abrasive substances, extreme environmental conditions and lack of preventive measures or improper protection. In order for coverage to apply, worn areas must extend over at least 10% of the entire floor.

Moreover, Hill Wood Products Inc. cannot guarantee its finish against the fading that results from normal wear. We recommend that felt pads be glued to the legs of furniture to avoid scratching the floor when objects are moved. The pads should be cleaned and replaced regularly. Avoid sliding heavy objects or furniture over the floor. Place floor mats at each doorway and in high traffic areas in the kitchen where water or oily detergents may damage the floor. Discoloration from exposure to sunlight is a natural phenomenon not covered by warranty. Wood is a natural material that expands and contracts with the seasons and heating of the home. Even when properly installed, slight gaps may appear between boards at various times of the year. Such gaps are not covered by warranty. It is important to maintain relative humidity in the home as constant as possible (between 35% and 50%). Use a humidifier or dehumidifier, as the case may be. Temperatures in the home should range between a comfortable 18°C and 22°C (65°F and 72°F).

The warranty does not cover damage sustained during transportation, storage, installation or any other cause not covered expressly by the warranty described hereafter. The warranty does not cover labor costs or other losses or expenses incurred as a result of a defect covered by warranty. Under the terms of the present agreement, should it be carried into effect, the responsibility of Hill Wood Products Inc. is limited to repairing, refinishing or replacing defective products, at the discretion of Hill Wood Products, Inc. If it is impossible to correct the situation, Hill Wood Products, Inc. will refund to the purchaser an amount based on the purchase price of the defective area of the flooring, proportional to the balance of term outstanding on the original warranty. No Hill Wood Products, Inc. distributor, retailer, installer, agent, salesperson or representative is authorized to modify or extend the conditions or duration of this warranty.

This warranty specifically excludes and replaces any other warranty in relation to Hill Wood Products, Inc. including the legal warranty in jurisdictions where exclusion of such warranties may be provided for by law. Under no circumstances may the purchaser of the product exercise recourse of any kind whatsoever against Hill Wood Products Inc. saving and accepting conditions provided for specifically in this warranty.

A 5% margin for error and imperfection is an accepted industry standard and shall not be considered a structural defect under the terms of this warranty.

Claim procedure

If you wish to file a claim under warranty, first contact the authorized Ashawa Bay Hardwood Flooring dealer from whom you purchased the flooring. If the latter is unable to solve your problem, please contact our head office at Hill Wood Products, Inc., PO Box 398, Cook, MN 55723 (telephone: 800-788-9689). We will send you a form that you must fill in and return to us. Claims must be made in writing and sent to Hill Wood Products Inc. within six (6) months of the appearance of the defect. Hill Wood Products Inc. reserves the right to a thirty-day delay following receipt of the claim in order to inspect the product. During the thirty-day delay, no alteration, replacement or repair may be carried out. Failure to comply with this stipulation will cause the warranty to become null and void.

Radiant Heat Warranty

Ashawa Bay engineered floors warranted for installation over radiant in-floor heating systems

Ashawa Bay engineered floors are warranted for installation over radiant in-floor heating system. Our standard limited lifetime structural and finish warranty applies to installations over radiant in-floor heating systems.

Our floors are built to stand up to generations of use, and should age beautifully with minimal care. We pride ourselves in applying continuous and rigorous quality control and back our floors with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects and on the pre-finished with a 25 year finish warranty in residential applications and a 5 year finish warranty in commercial applications. Please see our full warranty for complete details.

As with any flooring installation, care is advised in radiant in-floor heat applications due to the potential for overheating of the in-floor heat system. It is also very important that the heat be increased gradually to avoid shocking the floor.

Caution is advised when installing exotic species such as Jatoba, Santos Mahogany, Ipe etc over radiant heat as they may show some face checking and other veneer defects after exposure to the radiant heat. Exotic species, which are defined as species not indigenous to North America, are covered under Ashawa Bay structural warranty when used over radiant in-floor heat, however, these exotic species floors are not warranted against face checking, splitting, cupping, delamination or other defect of the face veneer when installed over radiant in-floor heat.

For Radiant In-Floor Heat Applications, installation/operation must meet or exceed the following requirements:

  1. Prior to installation, the heating system should be operated at 60% of maximum output for at least 2 weeks for complete moisture stabilization. About 3 days prior to installation, reduce the heating system to a suitable temperature of about 18 C or 64 F.
  2. About 2 days after installation, gradually over a period of 10 days increase the temperature to comfortable operating level.
  3. During the operation of the in-floor heat system, the temperature of the floor MUST NOT EXCEED 81 degrees F / 27 degrees C. Exceeding this temperature will void your floor’s warranty.
  4. As with any wood floor, the floor will perform best if humidity is maintained between 35%-55%. Use a humidification system as needed.

Please refer to the NWFA flooring installation guidelines for complete best practices to ensure your Ashawa Bay engineered floor will give a lifetime of use.