A sample approval should explain what has been accepted. For an importer or contractor supplying a South American project, a small finish swatch, a full panel and an installed mock-up answer different questions. Treating one signed sample as approval of every system property can leave gaps in the final order.
Plan the approval sequence around the decisions still open. The objective is to link the reviewed sample, the technical documents and the supplied product through references that remain clear during manufacturing, installation and maintenance.
Choose the sample that answers the question
A finish swatch can support a colour or texture review. A full panel can show the face, edges, underside and product identification. A representative installed mock-up can help the team review joints, access and selected interfaces using the proposed support arrangement.
| Review item | Suitable evidence to arrange |
|---|---|
| Colour and texture | Identified finish sample under agreed viewing conditions |
| Panel construction | Full panel or documented section detail |
| Joint and edge appearance | Representative assembled panels and perimeter detail |
| Access around outlets | Mock-up of the proposed panel, covering and floor-box arrangement |
| Load or electrical requirement | Relevant technical evidence and agreed tests |
| Installation interface | Approved drawings supported by the appropriate mock-up detail |
The sample type should follow the question, not the other way around. A visual mock-up is not automatically a structural test installation, and standing on a panel is not a substitute for the specified load evidence.
Create a sample identification record
Label each sample with its model, finish reference, relevant dimensions, supplier reference and submission date. Add the project and intended room or application. Keep photographs with the record, while recognizing that photographs are not a controlled reference for colour by themselves.
For a Brazil project, agree whether the submission record and installation information need Portuguese descriptions. For Spanish-speaking project teams, use the agreed Spanish terminology alongside the same product codes. Translating the description should not change the product identity.
Separate visual and technical acceptance
Record the scope of each approval: for example, colour accepted while the electrical documentation remains under review. List exclusions and open questions explicitly. A signature without that scope can be interpreted differently by the purchaser, consultant and factory.
Where the floor needs a particular electrical finish, use the exact grade and relevant evidence. The HPL and PVC comparison guide explains why a material family name is not sufficient to identify its properties; the same selection principle applies when reviewing samples for South American projects.
Include the difficult details in a mock-up
Choose details that could affect the order or installation method. These might include a perimeter cut, a floor box, a threshold or the edge of an adjacent wall system. A mock-up made only from uncomplicated full panels may leave the actual coordination questions unresolved.
Agree who provides the base, supports, covering and accessories. State the purpose of the inspection and the measurements or observations to record. If an issue is corrected, update the drawing or detail as well as the physical sample.
Control changes after approval
Reference the accepted sample and drawing revision in the purchase order. If the finish, core, edge treatment or supporting component changes, identify the change and obtain the appropriate review before treating it as equivalent.
Retain an agreed reference sample where practical and record its storage location. Inspectors should know whether it represents colour, construction, workmanship or another defined characteristic. Do not use it to infer a property that was never reviewed.
Connect approval with shipment and handover
Give the inspection team the current approved references and a list of unresolved conditions. Reconcile the shipped model and finish codes with those records. A later inspection should not unknowingly compare production against an obsolete sample.
At handover, preserve the installed product references and care instructions for future replacement inquiries. Where appearance can vary between batches, obtain the supplier’s documented position and the project’s acceptance requirements rather than promising an invisible match indefinitely.
Request a sample package with a clear purpose
Send SunTree Floor the destination country, proposed floor system, finish criteria, drawings and the decisions your team needs to make. Ask about sample and documentation options, including availability, commercial terms and the scope of any mock-up supply, before committing to a programme.
For the subsequent order, use the South America wholesaler checklist to keep the approved references aligned with the final component schedule.