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I was going to write a book on our problem with Mr. Hardwood but decided to simplify for the readers sake.
We dealt with Mr. Denis Brazeau, the owner, for a quote to install matching hardwood in one room and to re-finish the rest of the floor in our two story house. Later, but before scheduling the job, we added an additional room to the install.
- Install time quote: 2 days, scheduled for a Thursday. We could be in the house during this period.
- Re-finish time quote: 3 days, scheduled for the following Monday. We booked a hotel for four nights, three days (two nights) for the work, one extra night for drying, and one as a buffer in case of issues. Scheduled return to the house: Friday, 5:00 pm
Issue #1: When the crew showed up to install on the Thursday they did not have matching wood as indicated in the quote - one week delay
Issue #2: The crew did not show up on the rescheduled day. When we got in touch with Denise he told us it should only take one day instead of two.
Issue #3: When the crew showed up on Friday they said it was definitely a two day install and that Denise did not write the additional room on the quote. Fortunately we had an email from Denise confirming the extra room. This delayed the re-finishing by one day so we pushed our hotel booking out by one day.
Issue #4: Saturday morning, the day we were supposed to return, we checked the house and only one coat had been applied. We had not been informed that we could not come back in nor were we told that they would not come in to finish the job on Saturday. Apparently, they had not worked full time at our house due to other contracts. An additional two nights at the hotel was required.
Issue #5: When we finnaly returned to the house, the finish was completely unacceptable. The grain and the edges of the boards had sucked in the finish leaving tiny holes all over the floor. It looked horrible. As it turns out, they used two coats instead of the three recommended by the stain and urethane manufacturer. Another night in the hotel.
Issue # 6: After the third coat was applied and we got back in the house, we noticed high sheen and dull patches throughout the house. The re-finishers had applied the wrong sheen. Another night in the hotel.
When we finnally returned to the house for good, we saw several flaws but just wanted to get the job over and done with. We agreed to a reduced price for all the hassle. But the story does not end there.
Issue #7: It is four months later and we are seeing the finish lifting slightly at many of the edges between boards. It has a grey appearance. Initially, I thought it was because of issues with the old floor, but it is happening to the new floor as well.
Over all this was a horrible experience and we will never deal with Mr Hardwood again.
Sorry, I guess it did turn into a book after all.
Yes, I decided to post here. Regardless of the price their service and workmanship was substandard and people deserve to know.
There is a lot more to good service than price. Would you accept an extremely poor quality floor in exchange for a 10-15% discount.
Let me guess, you are a contractor who thinks that if you offer someone a few bucks everything is fine. The discount they offered just covered the added hotel costs and to clarify, they did not offer the discount when they realized they screwed up, they gave me the full invoice at which time I refused to pay full price. In the end, I still have a floor that will need to be fixed within the next year.
Do you feel that others should be sheltered from knowing how this contractor operates? How will they make an informed decision when choosing their flooring guy? It would be great if everyone who has experienced a major issue with the workmanship or business practices (within the control of the contractor) would speak up. It would force the contractors to straighten out and do a better job.
If you feel that incompetence should be covered up with a few bucks, you are being selfish and doing a great disservice to your community.
A few more comments; the discount was not given to gag me, it was given because of the expense and hassle of moving out of my house three times. I would never agree to receive money to keep quiet. People need to know about contractors that do a poor job.
I have had four main contractors (not including subcontractors) and a cabinet maker contributing to our renovations. Of those, the kitchen guy was great, the cabinet maker was good, the insulation guy was mediocre, and the flooring guy and counter guy failed miserably. That puts the average at mediocre at best. I think it is time to shake up the construction industry and start demanding better quality. The best way to do that is to inform the public.
I never liked the phrase "argumentum ad hominem". To imply an argument is false based on the "fail" of a tongue in cheek statement lacks the oversight to see the real issue here; The contractor failed to provide a reasonable level of service. Whether you believe the discount was gag money or not is inconsequential. I have informed the public of the issue and they can now make a slightly more educated decision should they encounter this contractor.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
