Project Resources, Warranties & Contracts
Total transparency is how we do business. Read up on products, warranties, Texas slab prep and our contract terms before you ever sign anything.
The Products We Install
We buy through established flooring distributors and match the product to your house and budget, not to a sales quota. Your quote names the exact manufacturer, product line, color, thickness and wear layer, so you can look it up, read reviews and check the warranty yourself before you sign.
Want to see what each type of floor is good at? Our floor guide covers LVP, laminate, engineered and solid hardwood, tile and carpet, including the downsides.
⚠️ Please don't buy material before we measure
Flooring is ordered to your measured square footage plus extra for cuts, and it should all come from the same production run (dye lot) so the color matches. Material bought separately may not match, may come up short, and can't be covered by our workmanship warranty.
Warranty Protection & Peace of Mind
Manufacturer Product Warranty
Covers the flooring itself against manufacturing defects. Length and coverage depend on the exact product. It's named on your quote, and you get the paperwork. Installing to the manufacturer's instructions keeps it valid, which is exactly how we install.
Phalanx Workmanship Warranty
Personally backed by Seth Neel. Covers our installation work: seams, transitions, trim and anything we did. The warranty period is spelled out in your contract before you sign.
Putting Floors on a Texas Slab: What Matters
Most DFW homes sit on a concrete slab over clay soil. That changes how a floor should go down. These four things decide whether a new floor lasts.
Older home? Some old flooring needs testing first
In many older homes, especially those built before the 1980s, old vinyl tiles, sheet vinyl and the black adhesive under them can contain asbestos. We don't tear those out blind. If we spot materials like that, we'll recommend testing before any removal, and the right next step depends on the results.
Flooring Glossary
The words you'll see on flooring quotes and boxes, in plain English.
- LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank)
- A vinyl plank with a printed wood or stone look and a clear protective top layer.
- SPC / WPC
- Types of rigid LVP core. SPC (stone plastic composite) is denser and more dent-resistant; WPC (wood plastic composite) is a bit softer and warmer underfoot.
- Wear layer
- The clear protective top of LVP, measured in mils. On engineered wood, it's the real wood on top, measured in millimeters.
- AC rating
- A wear rating for laminate from AC1 to AC5. Higher handles more traffic.
- Floating floor
- A floor that clicks together and rests on the subfloor without being glued or nailed down.
- Glue-down
- A floor bonded directly to the subfloor with adhesive. Common for some engineered wood and commercial vinyl.
- Click-lock
- The tongue-and-groove joint that lets planks lock together without glue.
- Subfloor
- What the new floor sits on. In most DFW homes that's the concrete slab.
- Underlayment
- A thin pad under a floating floor that smooths small bumps, quiets footsteps and often blocks moisture.
- Moisture / vapor barrier
- A plastic layer that keeps moisture from the slab out of the new floor.
- Self-leveler & floor patch
- Cement-based compounds used to fill low spots and flatten the subfloor before installing.
- Acclimation
- Letting flooring sit in your home before install so it adjusts to the temperature and humidity, when the manufacturer calls for it.
- Expansion gap
- The small space left at walls so a floating floor can expand and contract. Covered by baseboard or quarter round.
- Quarter round / shoe molding
- Small trim pieces along the bottom of baseboards that cover the expansion gap.
- Transition strip
- A trim piece where two floors meet, like a T-molding between equal heights or a reducer down to a lower floor.
- Stair nose
- The rounded edge piece on the front of each stair tread.
- Dye lot
- A production batch. Flooring from different lots can differ slightly in color, so a job should come from one lot.
- Waste / cut allowance
- Extra material ordered for cuts, mistakes and spares. Usually about 10%, more for diagonal or herringbone layouts.
- Uncoupling membrane
- A layer under tile that helps absorb small slab movement so it doesn't crack the tile.
- Grout
- The filler between tiles. Cement grout usually needs sealing; some modern grouts don't.
Sample Contract & Standard Terms
Here's a preview of our standard project agreement. Every customer gets these terms with their itemized quote before signing.
PHALANX FLOORING - PROJECT AGREEMENT TEMPLATE
1. Scope of Work
- Removal & Disposal: Removal of existing floor coverings in the listed areas, including pad, tack strip and loose adhesive as needed. All debris hauled away.
- Subfloor Preparation: Cleaning, scraping, grinding and leveling as listed on the quote. Leveling beyond the quoted amount is handled as a change order that the customer approves before work continues.
- Installation: Flooring installed per the manufacturer's instructions, including required underlayment, moisture protection and expansion gaps.
- Trim & Transitions: Baseboards, quarter round and transition strips as itemized on the quote.
- Furniture & Appliances: Moved only as listed on the quote. Gas appliances must be disconnected and reconnected by a licensed professional. Water lines are excluded unless listed.
- Approvals: Customer is responsible for any HOA approvals or permits required.
2. Payment Terms (Two Milestone Structure)
- Payment 1 (Deposit): 50% due upon contract signing to order materials and lock in scheduling.
- Payment 2 (Final Balance): Remaining 50% due upon completion and successful final walkthrough.
3. Hidden Conditions
- Contractor is not responsible for conditions hidden beneath existing flooring, such as damaged subfloor, moisture problems or slab cracks. If found, work pauses in that area to discuss options and a separate estimate.
- If materials suspected to contain asbestos are found, work stops in that area until testing and any required abatement are completed by qualified professionals.
4. Materials
- Natural variation in color and shade between samples and installed material is normal.
- Unopened leftover material stays with the customer for future repairs.
5. Delays & Scheduling
Contractor is not liable for delays caused by supply chain shortages, manufacturer backorders or other circumstances outside the contractor's control.