Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  04/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We paid $50,672 for flooring We are experienced licensed contractors We had a total breakdown in functionality. We cannot remove the boards (crucial and what is advertised). With the envelope sized gaps,every spill, drip of water, or accident becomes a costly issue. We have a varied climate in Georgia. These floors cannot handle that. There is nothing in their literature to call attention to that fact. We followed every single recommendation given to us for success. We purchased RH monitors at their request to keep things in line. The system itself is a mechanical connection that floats on top of any solid floor and that SHOULD be able to be removed with a provided suction cup. We were unable to ever remove the boards with the intended tool. We were down to a pry bar or putting a screw directly in the board to lift it, only to break the clip beneath it. This, of course, ruins the board as well- it’s completely unsustainable. The company provided an electric suction cup that was able to keep its grip on the board, but would often break the crucial clip in the removal. We are left to reinstall the floors again and again, leave boards missing, or waste material because it is damaged in forced removal. After months of troubleshooting, jumping through every hoop they asked for, the company has told us it must be our home (even though we proved otherwise) and basically they won't do anything about it. We had a conversation in the beginning with a sales person on the phone who stated if we had issues, we could send it back, one with a co-owner where they stated they would want us satisfied and would probably repurchase (return it less a ‘restocking’ fee) it from us only to be told later that wouldn’t happen. Boards are popping up damaging trim and other portions of our home. We have boards missing in every room in an attempt to mitigate new issues. We have to physically damage our floors every time there is a spill to avoid larger issues.

  

  Business response

  04/14/2023

  To Whom it may Concern:
  

  We confirm that this complaint has been filed by a client of ours who received her floor at the end of March 2022, over one year ago. As the photos show, and the client will confirm, she received a beautiful and easy to install solid hardwood floor with no assembly or craftsmanship issues to report. Despite being well outside our industry-standard 30 day return window, we have provided this client significant and courteous customer support which is in-line with our brand promise.
  
  Our basic assessment of the situation is that the humidity in the client’s home has exceeded our recommended range which has caused her floor to expand beyond the expansion gap she allowed during installation. This situation is easily solved by lowering her humidity or trimming her floor to fit at her chosen humidity once stabilized. However the client refuses to undertake these steps to recover from her decisions.
  
  Background: Steller Floors manufactures high performance, innovative solid hardwood floors that are made in America from the highest quality solid wood materials using expert craftsmanship. A wide range of climate conditions can be accommodated when basic directions are followed. We have made it clear to the client that neither we, nor any other flooring company, can monitor or control her home environment. The client, who is in fact responsible for the climate in her home, received a copy of our assembly guide and our terms and conditions which are also freely available on our website (www.floorsbysteller.com). These, and our social media, frequently discuss the effect of water and humidity on wood. For example:
  
  - We require the floors to be climate controlled within 24 hours after delivery
  - We suggest an indoor RH of 35-50% and between 65 and 85 degrees F
  - We describe long-term RH acclimation and offer support for these circumstances
  - We make it clear that extreme changes in humidity can cause undesirable effects
  
  In addition, we have made several attempts to help her personally to understand the effects of her indoor climate on her wood products, and how she can easily adjust her floor and climate to meet her needs. In fact, the only scientific reason wood products expand is due to increases in humidity or liquid water. Therefore, we can confirm from her photos that her floor has absorbed a significant amount of water in her home.
  
  This client has repeatedly described having her home at 55% RH (we assume at 73 F), and she recently included a daytime photo of a wall-mounted humidity sensor showing 50% RH at 66 degrees F. The client suggests her ranges are well within our recommended ranges. However, it is unlikely that her reported readings tell the whole story given the condition of her floor.
  
  For example, in a hypothetical situation where the photographed 66F is an unusually cool target for A/C units in early April, we might imagine that the client is opening her windows at night to cool her home, and subsequently depending on her daytime RH readings for reporting. Dewpoint for her reported daytime conditions–where liquid water would condense on her floor–occurs at 56 and 47 degrees F respectively, which are regular overnight temperatures in Georgia this time of year. This scenario would certainly result in extremely wet, cool conditions near the floor at night that are outside of our recommended ranges, and it would cause her floor to expand. The client has not directly described this scenario, but it seems likely.
  
  Luckily, her photos show that despite the reported expansion her Steller Floor remains in perfect operating condition as long as she simply trims the floor to fit with new expansion gaps–in line with both our prior recommendations that accommodate her high humidity preferences, and our brand promise of a flexible and adaptable solid hardwood floor. She could also choose to use a dehumidifier to reduce the floor to its manufactured size and avoid potential mold growth throughout her home.
  
  Interestingly, any other wood floor products would likely have been destroyed by the degree of expansion shown in the photos. We regret that this client can not understand the value that her Steller Floor provides (despite its obviousness in her exact scenario). Further, we refuse to assume responsibility for the consequences of the client’s decisions regarding her interior climate and we consider this customer relationship closed.
  
  Signed,
  Britta T***** for all of the Co-Founders at Steller Floors
  

  
  

  Customer response

  04/18/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

  
  The company not only makes false assumptions about how we are managing our home space, they are completely inaccurate. We provided them with regular RH readings on the phone and with the photos provided. We have NO other issues with any other wood product in our home, which would be expected if we had humidity issues as the business claims.
  

  We have gone above and beyond to maintain these floors because we saw them as an investment. We called them at every point in the process to ensure we had optimal conditions.  The system continues to fail. We agree that extreme  humidity can have adverse effects on wood, but we are seeing this failure inside their recommended window.
  

  No consumer would be able to trim or cut floors every day, nor deal with the volume of failure we are seeing. Simply put, the floors do not function as advertised and continue to have issues beyond the scope of normal manufacturing defects. 

  
  Regards,
  ******* *****

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩