Flooring Drama, that is.
So, on the 24th of July, I selected my flooring option - the Allure vinyl plank flooring recommended by the store manager at Home Depot. I wrote the Big Check, and went on my way, and waited to hear from the installers who would do the job, so we could discuss timing and any other issues. No call.
Yesterday, my very nice kitchen designer Kim called me, and she was upset. Apparently the would-be installers had put notes in my file, saying that the job was impossible, and cited something about the subfloors, and OMG they can't remove the old tile and God knows what else. WTF? They've never called me and have not been out to check the subflooring! I don't even know the name of the company doing the work! Or, in this case, NOT doing it.
I told Kim I'd never even heard from them and no idea what the hell they were talking about - how did they know they'd have all these issues when they never even saw the job? She and I had discussed having them come out to check the subfloor, and I said I didn't care if they pulled back the old carpet to check as much as they wanted, because the old carpet is leaving next month come hell or high water, but they never even bothered to call! She was baffled and annoyed, and is going to have the expediter call them this morning and have them call me.
After I got off the phone with her, I thought about it further - these condos are over 25 years old. The majority of them have been at least partially remodeled and have had new flooring installed in the last decade. I know there are other second floor units that have hardwood floors, laminate, or tile. There is one on the market right now that has laminate flooring throughout. Nearly everyone has changed the dreadful builder white kitchen tile by now, I'm one of the last holdouts with the original flooring. So I KNOW nothing is "impossible" and I have no reason to think that there are any hidden major issues here - and how they could diagnose these problems without ever seeing the job?
I basically told Kim that if I didn't speak to the installers today, I was coming in this evening to cancel the order, and I was NOT paying any damn "restocking fees" or anything else - these are Home Depot's subs, and I chose to buy my flooring there because I wanted Home Depot to stand behind the job. Coordination of the subs was a big reason for going through one company, and so far, I've been very pleased with the kitchen installers and the electrician. The flooring people have been crap from day one, from dragging their feet to do the measure in the first place through this inexplicable bullshit. I really don't want them to do the job anymore, and if they don't make it up to me today, I'm canceling that part of the work and going elsewhere for flooring. It'll mean living with the place torn up longer than I really wanted, but so be it.
Drama. I HATE drama.
8 comments:
So, canceling the floor or the whole thing? Do you do the floor first, or last?
I feel for Kim, but you're right - somebody has to get on the flooring guys' case, and it isn't your job.
k
Oh, just the floor! The rest of it is fine, and the flooring was supposed to be the last piece anyway.
It sounds as if it's not impossible, it is just more effort than this company is willing to expend. Be careful. Even if they do end up with the job, it may be done half-assedly.
I was thinking that they may have DONE a flooring project in that complex and run into so much trouble the vowed to never do it again. But then why would they just not turn it down if they didn't want the job? Crazy!
But I can't understand why they would have run into problems - this place is built like a concrete bunker, and nearly everyone has already replaced their flooring! I have no idea if they just don't like working with this vinyl plank product, or what, and they haven't given me the courtesy of speaking with me directly. Supposedly the HD managers are getting involved, but you know, I am over it. I didn't have time (I'm really too busy for this crap) to deal with them yesterday so this will drag through into the weekend, but it will get resolved.
Who knows? It may have nothing to do with your home---the guy may just be a flake. I had my house sided last summer, and because I couldn't afford to replace them, I had my windows painted. I asked the guy that did my siding if he knew any painters, and he said to me, "If you find a reliable painter, you let me know---every one I've ever dealt with has been a drunk." I did eventually find someone and he did a good job, but after having several painters come out to give me estimates, I would say the siding guy was dead-on. I would imagine HD runs into this all the time---can't they find someone else for you that really WANTS the work and can do it? Or maybe the guy does have a legitimate excuse and extremely poor communication skills.
This guy is from a big company that has been doing business for 25 years. Home Depot doesn't use flakes because they do stand behind the work, which is why I use them. I'm truly baffled that they have a flooring sub who wets his pants at removing tile from gypcrete, but there you have it. Or maybe they just have so many easier jobs, mine was just too much work for the money.
There's always one, isn't there. When we built the new library it was the HVAC people. GAWD spare us from lazy good-for-nothing, timid goof-offs.
Hope you find a new floor company soon. grrrr
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