Every floor project has three warranties running in parallel. The manufacturer warrants the product. The certified applicator warrants the installation. The owner carries every failure outside those two scopes — substrate movement, mis-use, deferred maintenance. Knowing which warranty covers which failure is the difference between "covered" and "out of pocket" when a problem shows up year two. This page maps the scopes, names the trigger language for tender, and lists the red flags that show up before money changes hands.
Manufacturer Product Warranty
The chemical product (resin, hardener, dry-mix, pigment, aggregate) is guaranteed against material defect for a stated period. Typical term: 2 years for decorative resin, 5 years for industrial resin and PU-cement, 10 years for high-grade epoxy SL on conditioned substrate. Coverage scope: replacement product only. Labour to remove the failed material is excluded.
Applicator Installation Warranty
The installation workmanship is guaranteed against installation defect for a stated period. Typical term: 2 years for thin-mil decorative, 5 years for standard industrial, 7 years for premium build-up systems. Coverage scope: re-installation labour + manufacturer's product replacement when the manufacturer warranty triggers. Substrate-related failures are explicitly excluded unless the applicator certified the substrate before pour.
Owner Scope (Everything Else)
Substrate movement after pour, change-of-use, deferred maintenance, accidental impact damage, chemical exposure outside spec. Coverage scope: there is no coverage — the owner pays. Knowing which failures fall here is what prevents argument when year-two cracks appear and everyone points at each other.
Documents that should be in your project file
The warranty triangle holds only when documentation is complete. Five documents must reach the owner before final payment.
- Manufacturer warranty certificate. Project-address registered, SKU + lot number listed, term + scope explicit, signed by manufacturer or authorised distributor.
- Applicator installation warranty. Term + scope + substrate-prep evidence + applicator certification number, signed by applicator company principal (not a project manager).
- Substrate prep records. ICRI CSP measurement at named locations (typically 3 locations per 1,000 m²), ASTM F2170 moisture log at named depths, photographs of mechanical prep work.
- Adhesion pull-off test results. EN 1542 or ASTM D7234 pull-off at named locations (typically 3 per 500 m² for industrial systems), failure mode documented (cohesive vs adhesive).
- Completion certificate. Pour date, system build-up (layer by layer with SKU and thickness), final inspection sign-off by applicator + owner representative.
Red flags before money changes hands
Six red flags surface before payment that signal the warranty triangle will not hold when needed.
- Warranty "subject to manufacturer terms" without copy of manufacturer terms. The terms are the warranty — without them attached, the warranty is unenforceable.
- Single warranty document signed by applicator covering both product and installation. Manufacturer must register product warranty directly. Applicator-signed-for-everything is a procurement red flag.
- No substrate prep evidence. Missing CSP and F2170 records mean the applicator cannot defend the install if delamination occurs. Owner loses by default.
- SKU not named in completion certificate. Without SKU + lot number, manufacturer warranty cannot be validated. Generic "epoxy SL 3mm" is not a warrantable spec.
- Warranty term shorter than the manufacturer's published warranty. If manufacturer publishes 10-year and applicator offers 5-year, ask why. Usually a substrate hedge that should be made explicit, not implicit.
- "Trust me, we'll fix it if anything happens" verbal warranty. Has no value at year three when the applicator's project manager has moved company. Written or worthless.
Year-by-year warranty timing
When failures actually appear in IL field experience, the timing distribution is concentrated.
- Months 0–6: Installation defects surface — pinholes, fish-eyes, colour streaking, cure failure, blister formation. Applicator scope. High-action zone for warranty triggering.
- Months 6–18: Substrate-related failures surface — moisture-induced delamination, substrate movement cracking. Either applicator (if prep records show non-compliance) or owner (if substrate moved post-acceptance).
- Months 18–60: Wear-layer failures surface — surface abrasion under traffic, slip-class degradation, decorative finish dulling. Often owner scope unless wear exceeds spec'd lifecycle.
- Years 5+: End-of-design-life reached for most decorative and mid-grade industrial. Re-coat or replace becomes the next decision, not warranty claim.
Final read
Manufacturer warrants the product. Applicator warrants the installation. Owner carries everything else. The three documents — manufacturer warranty registration, applicator workmanship warranty, substrate prep records — held together as a project file are the protection. Without them, every year-two failure becomes a court case the owner loses. Specify the warranty terms in tender language before the project starts, and refuse to release final payment until all five documents are received. Related: how to evaluate a floor installer · compliance verification checklist · role-targeted FAQ · system selection by use case.
Sources
- Sikafloor warranty terms (product warranty + applicator network agreements).
- Mapei Mapefloor warranty terms.
- Master Builders Solutions / Ucrete warranty terms.
- EN 1542 / ASTM D7234 pull-off testing standards.
- ASTM F2170 / F1869 substrate moisture testing standards.
- IL contractor field experience compiled from 200+ projects.