Product Warranties

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

(9) Product Warranties

The Company warrants certain qualitative attributes of its products for up to 50 years. The Company records a provision for estimated warranty and related costs in accrued expenses, based on historical experience and periodically adjusts these provisions to reflect actual experience.

Product warranties are as follows:


	2011			2010			2009
Balance at beginning of year	$	37,265			66,545			56,460
Warranty claims paid during the year		(57,163	)		(77,017	)		(167,053	)
Pre-existing warranty accrual adjustment during the year (1)		4,473			2,261			125,124
Warranty expense during the year		45,569			45,476			52,014

Balance at end of year	$	30,144			37,265			66,545

(1)	The higher warranty expense in 2009 relates primarily to certain commercial carpet tiles that were discontinued in early 2009.