Anyone have hardwood floors?

LaurelBee · March 2014

We just got our hardwood floor installed this week and I seriously cried last night. I just feel like they did a sloppy job. I spent all weekend painting the walls and trim, but I have to patch a bunch of holes they put in my walls and my trim work! There are dents, divots, and scratches on the floors too. Plus, the floors have nail holes all over them. Is this normal to have visible nail holes along the edges? PLUS, they used this reddish color putty in some of the nail holes and cracks that doesn't even match the wood. I called to complain and I'm waiting for a return call.

Another thing that upset me- my kids and I were hanging in the basement yesterday while the 2 installation guys were working. I brought the kids up for breakfast and there was a 3rd guy standing in my kitchen talking to the installers. He was the supervisor or something. Not only did he walk into my house with out my knowledge, he didn't address me or introduce himself to me at all. I understand that to him, he was simply on the job site, but it's still MY HOME. Would this bother you? I'm debating bringing it up when he calls me back.

EVA116 · March 2014

No I do not see a lot of nail holes with our floors. Either way, if you are upset with the job they did then you have a right to complain.

I am sorry, I know it sucks to be so excited for something and then have it be a let down.

LaurelBee · March 2014

Thanks @eva116. Exactly, it's such a let down...

LaurelBee · March 2014

Not the best pic, but here are the nail holes I'm talking about.

nanabanana06 · March 2014

Yeah. That's not a good job. I'd complain. Ours are nailed and glued to each other. The nails are in the seam though.

LaurelBee · March 2014

It was a professional place here in the Chicago burbs. @crashintome1 I guess I wouldn't be so upset if I did the dents and scratches, but it's like driving off the lot with a brand new car that has dents and scratches on the door, ykwim? It's going to happen (especially with 2 kids) but I didn't even get a chance to move the furniture back in before noticing all that's wrong.

LaurelBee · March 2014

I would LOVE pics of your floors for reference. Thanks!

nanabanana06 · March 2014

I'll take a pic when I'm home. You can't see any nails at all.

Helenahhandbasket · March 2014

I was sad to learn this thread was actually about floors. Just me?

lildevil968 · March 2014

We have flooring like yours, and we don't have visable holes in the floor.

studyinpink · March 2014

Ours is an older home but no visible dents/holes.

LaurelBee · March 2014

Here's a pic of the filled in holes and my busted up trim.

jorkz821 · March 2014

We don't have visible nail holes at all. Sorry you've had a bad experience

LuckyDad · March 2014

Assuming you haven't paid the bill in full yet, I'd complain and send pictures to someone higher up the company chain.

MamatoA2010 · March 2014

@LaurelBee- I'm sorry they did a shitty job. We had hardwoods put in our kitchen about 5 years ago. A professional job shouldn't look the way your floors do. I would call and talk to a supervisor.

angelashly · March 2014

I would complain ours doesn't have holes like that

nanabanana06 · March 2014

Please excuse the messy floor. I was in the middle of mopping when I took the pic.

Ours is done in the same process as the one above. No nails to be seen.

nanabanana06 · March 2014

Off topic. @corgimum‌ I has a corglet too.

NotSharknado · March 2014

I'm sorry! I know how you feel about the rudeness. We had our cabinets installed today and when they showed up I had to pour salt on their path. By the time I came back in they had unplugged everything I had on my desk(router, printer and phones) to plug in their tools. They had 4 empty outlets in the kitchen. Da'fuq?

spotco2 · March 2014

Whoever installed that floor knew just enough to be dangerous.

Please tell me that you did not pay them yet as that is not acceptable. When you hire a professional contractor to do a job there is a level of professional fit and finish that is expected of their work. That's why you pay a professional, licensed and insured contractor.

If they do not make it right, don't pay for it. If they threaten to put a lien on your property until you do, let them. Then have another company come out and give you a written estimate to repair what they did. Take that estimate to the local magistrate court and file suit against the contractor for the amount of the repairs.

As far as dings and dents to the walls and trim, if it was unfinished wood that had to be sanded and finished after it was installed, it would almost be normal. That looks like prefinished wood though, so there should have be no damage except for possibly to the shoe mold.

The scratched boards where they moved the refrigerator can easily be replaced without disturbing the boards around it if they know what they are doing. It's harder with prefinished, but still doable.

As far as the contractor just walking in, everyone does not have good social skills. He walked onto a job site just like he does every day. As long as he was not rude or crude in front of you and your children, chalk it up to him just doing his job. He's probably used to running into a lot of unknown people every day and see's no reason to introduce himself to everyone he meets and let them know why he is there.

It sucks to pay for a crappy job, but in the real world today there are a lot of crappy contractors. In reality, once you move furniture in and live on those floors for a few months you will never notice any of these problems. Also most people that come to visit will love the beautiful new floors and never see the issues unless you point them out.

newenglander71 · March 2014

I haven't read all the responses, but I have 56 year old hardwoods and there are no nail holes and no nails were used. I don't understand why they would put nails in your floors. Definitely complain! I would be really upset too, if I were in your position.

LaurelBee · March 2014

Thank you guys so much for the responses and pics! Unfortunately we did pay in full. Rookie mistake. But we actually found these baboons through Costco, so I'm just really disappointed. The guy is coming back some time next week to install our vent covers, install the thresholds, and stain the shoe base to match around the cabinets. I'm going to have a come to Jesus talk with the installer about my expectations. I still haven't heard back from the supervisor...

LaurelBee · March 2014

Update: So the supervisor came today. (It was actually the same guy that was in my kitchen w/o me knowing it. Great.) He basically said that nails around the edges were acceptable bc they couldn't get their tools in to nail the boards into place, but they still needed to be puddied. He agreed to extract some of the boards with obvious damage, but most of them were "the natural characteristics" of the wood.

The trim that they damaged was also "part of the job" and is apparently not going to get fixed. I don't even know what to do at this point or if there is anything I can do since we've already paid. I just feel completely stuck with the crap that we got.

shadypines · March 2014

LaurelBee said:

Update: So the supervisor came today. (It was actually the same guy that was in my kitchen w/o me knowing it. Great.) He basically said that nails around the edges were acceptable bc they couldn't get their tools in to nail the boards into place, but they still needed to be puddied. He agreed to extract some of the boards with obvious damage, but most of them were "the natural characteristics" of the wood.

The trim that they damaged was also "part of the job" and is apparently not going to get fixed. I don't even know what to do at this point or if there is anything I can do since we've already paid. I just feel completely stuck with the crap that we got.

Send BBB a letter re the experience. GL I also have hardword and looks nothing like that.....

LaurelBee · March 2014

@chickenonsunday We paid about 80% cash and 20% credit...Our card has already been changed...

shadypines · March 2014

I would also try and contact Costco Corp office. I would be calling and document everything.

studyinpink · March 2014

I'm so upset for you @laurelbee. I would do as ShadyPines920 suggested and go to BBB & Costco corporate.

LaurelBee · March 2014

@shadypines920 Great minds, I just put a call in to Costco. The flooring rep will be calling me back on Tuesday. At this point, I doubt we will be getting anything done for us, but at least I can stop Costco from using these hobos and ruining someone else's floors. Thanks for caring

spotco2 · March 2014

You can still go after them for repairs in magistrate even if you paid everything already.

It's a simple process and they are usually more than happy to sit down with you and at least give you a little advise on what your options are.

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Anyone have hardwood floors?

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