# Cloudy floor: the word the documents never use

> A dulled floor in 163 warranty documents: the causes they name, who excludes the result, and the 9 brands whose repair voids the warranty.

Source: https://floorcareanswers.com/cloudy-floor

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# Cloudy floor: the word the documents never use

A floor goes hazy and the word that comes to mind is *cloudy*. It appears in 0 of the 156 documents whose text this site holds. So do 3 of the 5 words a reader is likely to type. The publishers write about the same floor constantly — they call it a *dulling film*, a *residue*, a *build-up*, or a *loss of gloss* — and the sentences that answer the question are filed under words nobody searches.

Handed over in those words, the answer is harder than the question. This corpus names two causes and both are care instructions. It excludes the result from coverage in 7 brands. And the only repair it names is recoating: nine brands say that voids the finish warranty against 4 that offer it — with 2 brands in both lists, one of them inside a single sentence.

Documents read August 22, 2026; the searches on this page were run August 25, 2026. Every ruling below is the publisher's own sentence, printed with the document it was cut from. Nothing here diagnoses a floor, and no sentence on this page is our reading of what a warranty ought to say.

## The word you would search for

Each word below was run against every document whose text this site holds, with the pattern printed beside it. The zeros in the first group only mean something because the second group is not zero: a run in which the publishers' own words also came back empty would be a broken reader wearing the face of a silent corpus.

| Word | Whose | Documents | Brands | Searched with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| cloudy | a reader | 0 | 0 | \bcloud(?:y\|iness\|ing)?\b |
| hazy | a reader | 6 | 4 | \bhaz(?:e\|y\|ing)\b |
| milky | a reader | 0 | 0 | \bmilky\b |
| white spots | a reader | 0 | 0 | \bwhite\s+(?:spot\|mark\|haze) |
| streaky | a reader | 17 | 10 | \bstreak(?:s\|y\|ing)?\b |
| film | the publishers | 81 | 18 | \bfilm(?:y\|s)?\b |
| residue | the publishers | 55 | 12 | \bresidue?s?\b |
| dull | the publishers | 69 | 14 | \bdull(?:s\|ed\|ing\|ness)?\b |
| gloss | the publishers | 129 | 30 | \bgloss\b |
| build-up | the publishers | 52 | 11 | \bbuild[- ]?up\b |

### Two tests this page was planned around

This page was briefed on two consumer tests said to be published by manufacturers. Both were searched for and neither is here. They are printed rather than quietly dropped, because “we looked and it is not there” and “we did not look” are different statements and only one of them can be checked.

| Claim | Documents | Searched with |
| --- | --- | --- |
| the glass-plate test | 0 | \bglass\s+plate\b |
| Southwind | 0 | \bsouthwind\b |
| Pete's mineral-spirits swab | 0 | \bpete'?s\b |

## What the publishers let you put on it

Two questions, kept apart because the corpus keeps them apart. One is what you may clean with; the other is what you may apply — a wax, a polish, a finish. Counted as rules rather than entries: a single document can carry several, and counting entries would report more publishers than this corpus holds.

| Question | Entries ruling | Silent | Brands | Rules |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What am I allowed to clean it with? | 141 | 25 | 30 | 283 Permitted on conditions · 139 Forbidden · 4 Permitted |
| What am I allowed to put on it? | 102 | 64 | 23 | 174 Forbidden · 16 Permitted · 8 Permitted on conditions |

The commonest answer to the first question is not a yes or a no. It is a permission with something attached — usually the publisher's own cleaner, named. That matters here because the two causes this corpus gives for a dulled floor are both ways of falling outside that condition.

| The entry rules on | Entries |
| --- | --- |
| both questions | 92 |
| the cleaner only | 49 |
| what may be applied only | 10 |
| neither | 15 |
| document not in our hands | 6 |

2 brands in this register rule on neither, and they are named rather than counted: AquaGuard Performance and Golden Select. A reader holding one of those floors gets nothing from this page, and should be told so by name.

## What they say will happen

50 documents across 8 brands tell the reader in advance what will dull the floor. They come to 10 distinct sentences — counting documents counts our filing, not the publishers' opinions — and the two causes they name are a residue left behind and too much cleaning solution.

| The publisher's sentence | Documents | Brands |
| --- | --- | --- |
| “Leftover residue will form a dull film.” | 40 | Bellawood · CoreLuxe · Dream Home · Duravana |
| “Use of more than the recommended amount of cleaning solution may leave a dulling film.” | 4 | Mannington |
| “Do not use soap or detergent products as they will leave a dulling film.” | 4 | Mannington |
| “Loss of gloss or build-up of dulling film due to lack of maintenance or improper maintenance” | 4 | Mannington |
| “Improper maintenance, which results in loss of gloss or buildup of a dulling film.” | 2 | Home Decorators Collection · Style Selections |
| “Left over residue will form a dull film.” | 1 | Home Decorators Collection |
| “Do not use detergents or abrasive cleaners since these products can leave a dull residue.” | 1 | Shaw Floors |
| “The use detergents or abrasive cleaners since these products can of plywood and heavy cardboard are examples of leave a dull residue.” | 1 | Shaw Floors |
| “Improper maintenance which results in loss of gloss or build-up of a dulling film.” | 1 | Shaw Floors |
| “• The Limited Warranties do not cover conditions caused by improper use or maintenance, such as: o loss of gloss or build-up of dulling film due to lack of maintenance or improper maintenance.” | 1 | Mannington |

## And who pays for it

A warning tells a reader what to do. An exclusion decides who pays, and it is written in a different part of the document. These are the sentences that decide, and the line they draw is one a reader cannot see by looking at their floor: a finish worn through is covered, a finish dulled is not.

### puts a dulling film or loss of gloss outside coverage 8 documents · 4 brands · 4 distinct sentences

| The publisher's sentence | Documents | Brands |
| --- | --- | --- |
| “Loss of gloss or build-up of dulling film due to lack of maintenance or improper maintenance” | 4 | Mannington |
| “Improper maintenance, which results in loss of gloss or buildup of a dulling film.” | 2 | Home Decorators Collection · Style Selections |
| “Improper maintenance which results in loss of gloss or build-up of a dulling film.” | 1 | Shaw Floors |
| “• The Limited Warranties do not cover conditions caused by improper use or maintenance, such as: o loss of gloss or build-up of dulling film due to lack of maintenance or improper maintenance.” | 1 | Mannington |

### names the cleaner that dulled the floor and excludes the result 4 documents · 2 brands · 2 distinct sentences

| The publisher's sentence | Documents | Brands |
| --- | --- | --- |
| “• Improper maintenance such as Product dulling by soaps, vinegar solutions, detergents, harsh chemicals, dressings, one-step cleaners, or wax.” | 3 | STAINMASTER |
| “Flooring dulled by soaps, detergents, harsh chemicals, dressings, one-step cleaners or wax.” | 1 | Select Surfaces |

### says a loss of gloss is not wear and is not covered 24 documents · 7 brands · 9 distinct sentences

| The publisher's sentence | Documents | Brands |
| --- | --- | --- |
| “Gloss reduction or surface scratches are not considered surface wear.” | 7 | COREtec · SMARTCORE |
| “These items are not covered under this limited warranty • Gloss Reduction.” | 7 | Dream Home |
| “Gloss reduction is not considered wear and is not covered by this warranty.” | 2 | Home Decorators Collection · Shaw Floors |
| “Gloss reduction is not considered wear through, and therefore is not covered under the finish warranty.” | 2 | Malibu Wide Plank |
| “NOTE: Gloss Reduction, Scratches and Dents in the finish are not considered surface wear and are not covered under this warranty.” | 2 | SMARTCORE · Shaw Floors |
| “Gloss reduction is not considered surface wear;” | 1 | Home Decorators Collection |
| “Also, Gloss Reduction, Scratches and Dents in the finish are not considered surface wear and are not covered under this warranty.” | 1 | SMARTCORE |
| “NOTE: Gloss reduction is not considered wear and is not covered by this warranty.” | 1 | Style Selections |
| “Gloss reduction, scratches and dents in the finish are not considered surface wear and are not covered under the warranty.” | 1 | COREtec |

## The way back, and what it costs

One repair is named in this corpus and it is recoating or refinishing. Four brands offer it. Nine say taking it voids the finish warranty. Two appear in both lists, which leaves two offering a repair with no clause withdrawing coverage for it.

| What the brand's documents say | Brands | Which |
| --- | --- | --- |
| a repair, and no clause against it | 2 | COREtec · SMARTCORE |
| a repair, and that it voids the warranty | 2 | Armstrong / AHF · Style Selections |
| only that it voids the warranty | 7 | Bellawood · CoreLuxe · Dream Home · Duravana · Home Decorators Collection · Mohawk · Pergo |

### 1 sentence that does both at once

Found by intersecting the two sets rather than by remembering which publisher it was. The rest of this corpus separates the repair from its price by a section or by a document; here they share a clause.

> “While the factory finish of the Style Selections hardwood floor may be refinished, doing so will void the Finish warranty.”

Style Selections — [STYLE SELECTIONS™ PREFINISHED SOLID AND ENGINEERED HARDWOOD FLOORS — LIMITED WARRANTIES](https://pdf.lowes.com/productdocuments/87154efa-3538-4243-b1db-571c072c1605/09520266.pdf) · stamped “Warranty Version June 2018” · read August 22, 2026

### offers a way back 10 documents · 4 brands · 3 distinct sentences

| The publisher's sentence | Documents | Brands |
| --- | --- | --- |
| “Dull finish can be corrected with spot or overall recoating care systems.” | 7 | COREtec · SMARTCORE |
| “(8) The covered products may be professionally sanded and refinished 1-3 times (as specified by the individual product) if proper sanding and refinishing procedures are followed as identified by the National Wood Flooring Association (www.nwfa.org).” | 2 | Armstrong / AHF |
| “While the factory finish of the Style Selections hardwood floor may be refinished, doing so will void the Finish warranty.” | 1 | Style Selections |

### says taking that way back voids the finish warranty 48 documents · 9 brands · 8 distinct sentences

| The publisher's sentence | Documents | Brands |
| --- | --- | --- |
| “Applying another finish or sanding (such as in preparation for another finish) may damage the factory-applied finish and voids this limited warranty against finish wear.” | 39 | Bellawood · CoreLuxe · Dream Home · Duravana |
| “Applying another finish or sanding (such as in preparation for another finish) voids this limited warranty against finish wear and may damage the factory applied finish.” | 15 | Dream Home |
| “• Refinishing the flooring voids the wear resistance warranty.” | 5 | Home Decorators Collection · Mohawk · Pergo |
| “Mechanical, chemical, or other modification of the finish, such as sanding or abrading, voids this warranty.” | 2 | Armstrong / AHF |
| “NOTE: Sanding voids Footnotes (3) through (7) and will eliminate scratch protection qualities.” | 2 | Armstrong / AHF |
| “While the factory finish of the Style Selections hardwood floor may be refinished, doing so will void the Finish warranty.” | 1 | Style Selections |
| “Applying another finish or sanding (such as in preperation for another finish) may damage the factory-applied finish and voids this limited warranty against finish wear.” | 1 | Bellawood |
| “Refinishing the flooring voids the wear flooring will be free of defects in material and/or manufacturer's resistance warranty.” | 1 | Mohawk |

## The one permission

A polish is forbidden outright by the largest prohibition template in this corpus. 1 brand writes the opposite for its own floors, and the sentence is printed here because a reader holding that floor is holding the exception. It does not travel: nothing on this page says what any other publisher permits.

| The publisher's sentence | Documents | Brands |
| --- | --- | --- |
| “• If stain removal causes a change in gloss level, apply polish per recommended guidelines.” | 4 | Mannington |
| “use polish or “mop and shine” products only if you wish to make the floor shiny.” | 2 | Mannington |

2 sentences matched the same search and were excluded from this count on a published rule, because a prohibition is written with a permission's words: “do not use polish” contains “use polish”. The rule and its reason are in the vocabulary below.

## The words that were searched for

Every count above is a search, and a search nobody can see is a number nobody can check. Each pattern is printed with a control string cut from a real document — if a pattern stops matching its own control it has stopped being the search it was published as, and the build fails instead of reporting a smaller number. The counter-reading is the meaning each token must NOT be given.

| What it looks for | Pattern | Control string | What it does not mean |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| warns that something will leave a dulling film | \b(?:dull\|dulling\|hazy)\s+(?:film\|residue)\b\|\bresidue\s+will\s+form\s+a\s+dull\b | “Leftover residue will form a dull film.” | It does not mean the publisher covers the result. This token records a care instruction — the document telling the reader what an act will do to the floor. Whether the outcome is inside the warranty is a separate sentence, usually in a different section, and it has its own token. |
| puts a dulling film or loss of gloss outside coverage | \b(?:improper\|lack\s+of)\s+maintenance\b[^.;]{0,120}?\b(?:dulling\s+film\|loss\s+of\s+gloss)\b\|\b(?:dulling\s+film\|loss\s+of\s+gloss)\b[^.;]{0,120}?\b(?:improper\|lack\s+of)\s+maintenance\b | “Improper maintenance which results in loss of gloss or build-up of a dulling film.” | It does not mean the publisher forbids the act that caused it. An exclusion decides who pays; it does not instruct. Four documents in this corpus carry an exclusion of this shape and no warning anywhere near it. |
| names the cleaner that dulled the floor and excludes the result | \bdull(?:ing\|ed)\b[^.;]{0,140}?\b(?:soaps?\|detergents?\|one-step\s+cleaners?\|dressings?)\b | “Flooring dulled by soaps, detergents, harsh chemicals, dressings, one-step cleaners or wax.” | It does not say the named products are forbidden. It says the damage they cause is not paid for, which is the publisher declining a claim rather than giving an instruction — and two of this corpus’s brands do it without a care sentence anywhere that would have told the reader beforehand. |
| says a loss of gloss is not wear and is not covered | \bgloss\s+(?:reduction\|loss)\b[^.;]{0,110}?\b(?:not\s+(?:considered\|covered)\|exclu\w+)\|\b(?:not\s+(?:considered\|covered)\|exclu\w+)[^.;]{0,110}?\bgloss\s+(?:reduction\|loss)\b | “Gloss reduction is not considered wear and is not covered by this warranty.” | It does not mean the floor is undamaged. The sentence draws a line inside the warranty — a worn-through finish is covered, a dulled one is not — and the reader who cannot tell those apart by looking is exactly the reader this sentence decides against. |
| offers a way back | \bdull\s+finish\s+can\s+be\s+corrected\b\|\bre-?coating\s+(?:of\s+the\s+floor\|care\s+system)\|\bspot\s+or\s+overall\s+recoating\b\|\bmay\s+be\s+(?:professionally\s+)?(?:sanded\s+and\s+)?refinished\b\|\bmay\s+be\s+refinished\b | “Dull finish can be corrected with spot or overall recoating care systems.” | It does not mean the way back is free of consequence. One document in this corpus offers the path and withdraws the finish warranty for taking it IN THE SAME SENTENCE, and that document is counted under this token and under `yol_bozar` both — deliberately, because it says both. |
| says taking that way back voids the finish warranty | \b(?:applying\s+another\s+finish\|refinish\w*\|re-?coat\w*\|sanding\|abrading)\b[^.;]{0,140}?\bvoids?\b\|\bvoids?\b[^.;]{0,100}?\b(?:refinish\w*\|re-?coat\w*\|another\s+finish)\b | “Applying another finish or sanding (such as in preparation for another finish) voids this limited warranty against finish wear” | It does not forbid the act. Every one of these sentences describes what the publisher stops covering afterwards, and a reader who has already lost the gloss coverage to `parlaklik_disi` is being told the price of the only repair the document names. |
| permits a polish | \b(?:use\|apply\|applying)\s+(?:a\s+)?polish\b\|\b(?:use\|using\|apply\|applying)\s+[^.;]{0,40}?\bmop\s+and\s+shine\b | “use polish or “mop and shine” products only if you wish to make the floor shiny.” | It does not generalise. This is one publisher writing about its own floors, and the same act is forbidden outright by the largest prohibition template in this corpus. The token records that a permission exists, never that it travels. |

### What was excluded, and why

A sentence a pattern matches and the column's name does not describe is a hole in the search. Every exclusion is a published rule with its own count, never a quiet subtraction.

| Column | Rule | Why | Fired |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| permits a polish | \b(?:do\s+not\|don['’]t\|never\|avoid\|no)\s+[^.;]{0,30}?\b(?:use\|apply)\b | A prohibition written with the permission’s words. The token means the publisher granted leave; a DO-NOT clause is the opposite fact about the same products. | 2 |
| permits a polish | \bshould\s+not\b\|\bare\s+not\s+recommended\b\|\bis\s+not\s+recommended\b | A recommendation against, which is neither a ban nor leave. Counted out of the permission column rather than coloured as one, because this corpus has no third verdict for it. | 2 |

### What could not be read

A quotation has to be a sentence, and a multi-column PDF returns its columns woven together. Where every span a column matched in a document came back woven, that document is excluded — and named, because the count above then omits a publisher who does have a sentence on the subject.

| Column | Brand left out | Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| offers a way back | Malibu Wide Plank · Mannington | 2 |
| permits a polish | TrafficMaster | 2 |

## What this page does not know

- **why a particular floor went dull** — No document in this corpus diagnoses a floor. Every sentence here is a rule written in advance for a class of product, and none of them can tell a reader which of the causes they name produced the film on their own floor — or whether any of them did.

- **how to remove a film that is already there** — Thirteen documents name mineral spirits and every one of them is about wet adhesive during installation, not about a film on a finished floor. The corpus prescribes recoating, and recoating is the act nine brands say voids the finish warranty. There is no third instruction in it.

- **the wet-mopping field** — Excess water is one of the two causes this corpus names for a dulling film. The register carries wet mopping as one of its fifteen fields and, as of 25 August 2026, it has been read — 92 of the 172 entries answer, 74 are silent and 6 are unreadable — but this page is not joined to it, so nothing here is derived from what those publishers say about mopping.

- **the two tests this page was planned around** — a glass-plate test and a mineral-spirits swab, both said to be published by manufacturers. Neither is in this corpus. The searches and their zeros are in the first table; the page was built on what the documents hold instead.

- **the longest quotation here is 249 characters**, and the cap is 300. Past that a quotation stops being a citation. No document on this site is republished; every sentence links to the publisher's own file.

This reference is compiled and published by **the operator of this site**, a materials-only flooring retailer in the United States. It sells the category it writes about here. No brand pays for inclusion, no brand is ranked, and no ruling on this site is our reading of what a warranty ought to say — every one of them is a sentence the manufacturer published, reproduced with the document it came from.

The operator sells flooring materials. It does not sell or arrange fitting, and this site publishes no labour figures, no prices and no offers.

Nothing here is legal advice. A warranty is a contract between a buyer and a manufacturer, and the document that governs a particular floor is the one that came with it — not necessarily the one published today.

Documents last read August 22, 2026. This release covers 163 documents across 33 brands and 153 product lines.

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