We just had a new installation of Mullican Red Oak, the floor looks great,,,, until you get close. Several of the boards are damaged, both on the edges where the boards meet and the ends where the boards meet. The boards look like they are splitting in the edges, down the middle and the ends. I am not an expert but it looks like on the edges the installer hit it with a hammer, because all of the damaged boards are on the edge where the install nails, and the damaged end look like they are from a dull saw. I have contacted the installation company that I purchased the wood from/installer same. The owner said;"he will contact the Mullican representative and then contact me for an appointment the have a look". The owner convinced me of his company and installers to me, and I looked at some of his installs, to me they looked good. Yet I thought something was wrong when the installer arrived and started asking me for allen wrenches to remove his saw blade which appeared dull (it seems when I am good to installers buy drinks, provide lunch they seem to take advantage)..

I guess I am a little pissed off about this issue, having to follup with company and not recieve follow up calls.. I will give them until next week to address this issue... Do we have any recourse!!? I would like to hear from some installers, owners, people with experience.. Customer service and pridfe in your work can go along way to future business, and longevity in a business.

All follups are appreciated

Can you post some pictures? Normally there should not be any cuts out in the field. Cuts and rips are around the perimeter and covered by baseboard or a quarter round or base shoe molding.

The owner of the floor company should have been out that same day to look at the problem. Then bring in a rep. if one is needed. Big red flag there. Have you paid him yet?

Jerry,

Thank you for your reply, unbfortunatley I do not have a digital camera. I didn't notice the problem until I cleaned the floor, and that was after the installers left the following day, and yes I paid them already and the checke cleared.

Do consumers take all of the risk during installations and floor purchases?

It could be a bit early for me to draw a conclusion on this guy, yet his web site indicates;"All xxxxx xxxxxx Hardwood Floors installation is backed by a lifetime warrantee (original homeowner only)" I spent time with this guy looking at some of his installers installs, and he kept selling toi me that his installer is the best!

If he elects to ignore this problem and walks away, do I have any recource? People spend alot of moey for wood floors and expect resonable satisfaction.. When I do the upstairs next time, I will atemot to do it myself.

You can find an independent Certified Wood Inspector in your area. There was a guy from Chi-town in Howard Brickman's, NWFA inspectors class, I took. Can't remember his name for the life of me.

I travel Nationwide, if the job is big enough( $$$$$ wise ) to justify my travel expenses.

Floorguy,

Most of us are small fish I own a town house and in the lower level we ended up laying 550 sq ft. I want to do the upper level next year.. Certainly not enough for your travels.. However if you want to see Chicago and need a place to stay.. and want to install a floor... oh and the deer hunting is pretty good in southern Illinois.. Is that enough incentive??? But seriously we appreciate your input.

Things to watch out for from a installer:

- "Oak prices are on the rise and perhaps you would like to buy now and we will hold the product until you are ready for the install"

- You determine this is false after you receive the deliver statement and determine the purchase date

- They do not keep in touch with you prior to installation, poor project management

- The delivery is sent to the incorrect address and the company wants you to believe that you are cause of the result

- The installers arrive with dull blades and then ask you for tools to remove the blades

- The installers leave with your tools from your garage (I called and they brought them back)

- The installers help themselves to coke in the garage, after I purchased them water, gatorade and lunch. Not a big issue, but an eye raiser

- The owners do not follow up after the install ( I called them)

- After installation you mention your concerns and he says: "&!#@!# and this will go south real quick"


Well there you have it... Here is my suggestion, come to this board and ask questions, lots of questions, look for recommendations, the 'Floorguy'
alias knows his stuff ( I am sure many others do too) ask, ask and ask.


Please add to the suggestion or watch list.. I am told the company owner will call me Monday and schedule an appointment with the Mullican representative.. We will see..

Too soon to get yourself all worked up. Give the owner a reasonable deadline to personally inspect these problems and what his solution would be.

You have obviously got problems and it is either in the milling, in which case it should not have been installed, or the installer did the damage.
Neither of which should be your problem.

If I were forced to speculate I would be leaning toward a faulty installation. Pictures would tell the story. I would advise you to take pictures anyway (with the dates) just in case you need them later.

Are these cut areas on the perimeter or out in the main part of the floor?

That's pretty scary!



Even scarrier!



Wow, real class



It's all about scheduling. His best could have been available when the contract was signed, but things change fast in this business when suddenly somebody calls and insists the job be started ASAP! Some people are reasonable and others are not.

I always heard about the bad attitudes of Chi town tradesmen and now this confirms it. There was another post about a job gone bad in Chi town a few months back. Wonder if the contractor is one and the same? All I can say is References, references, references! Look, anyone can get a license, go into business, join an association, promote themselves, etc. The consumers best guide is to ask their friends and families. 90% of my work comes from references because of the good impression I left with the customer. This is worth more than any full page ad in some magazine or newspaper. Most of the real good installers who post here are all independant, work for themselves (may subcontract occasionally) and rely mostly on references to provide them with future employment. This is the best kind of installer for the consumer to contract with, IMO. Not some "shop".

Jerry, Kdfisher, and Gary,

Thanks for your input, hopefully the owner and Mullican flooring will take care of this issue. I have also found some boards with splits down the center of boards, some as long as 6-7 inches.

I called the company owner, all I get is;"I don't know, we havn't spoken to the mullican representative" Now I am beginning to get a bit pissed off! They had a week to do something and has done nothing. As a consumer I have little I can do aboutt this! But I certainly try effect thier business legally. Should I call Mullican, or give this guy to the end of the week?

This sounds like the typical "not my job" or "not my problem" situation. Unfortunately, retailers know the cost of litigation is more than the cost of the floor;;; so they say "I dare you to sue me". You live in Chicago? That State is a Contractors License state.. file a complaint with the contractors license board? File complaint with BBB.
The desicription given leads me to think you have an installation problem, not a manufacturing problem. A manufacturer could send an inspector to verify the Area of Responsibility, but the dealer already knows who is responsible.......... don't expect that inspection to be helpful, should the manufacturer send an inspector..
Your problems are obvious and visible damage, meaning you don't need an inspector; you need a camera to take lots of photos for use/display at Small Claims Court.
Ray

Hi Ray,

it's becoming frustrating, the owners wife answers the phone and he won't call me back! I have anothr issue with this business; when I was having my townhome built I was looking to have a wood floor installed, the owner of this company convinced me that Mullican Red Oak was to have a price increase in January, and they said;"Buy now and we will purchase the wood immediatley and it will remain in the warehouse until the project is ready" I followed up with 'The Bahr Company' from Romeoville, Illinois after I reviewed the purchse reciept, it appered that the Mullican Hardwood wasn't ordered until Marech 30, 2005 and paid for upon delivery. I verified this with The Bahr Company (the material provider). I asked the salesmen from the The Bahr Company is they had a price increase for Mullican Prefinished Oak, and he said;"no, not for over a year".. The owner told me the Mullican Red oak went up in price 15%..

If they booked my dollars as income on thier 2004 Taxes, is this illegal?? I understand for public traded companies this is considered cooking the books, but for private businesses?

I just want these boards fixed.. I am so fed up with bad service and iresponsible installers.. Thanks for all of your input.

Thanks, Signed:
Fedup with bad service in Chicago

Good Lord ....... am I straight on this, no one from this place has came out to look at the job except for the installer? Even after all the phone calls. This is what gets me.

The owner knows the complaints are his problem. If he really thought it was the mfg. at fault he would come there himself (by himself) to inspect it and verify it and then call in the mfg.s rep.

Take pictures now and file a complaint with your states Board of Contractors now. If it were me I would be calling the mfg. myself also and see what response you get. I am sure they do not want their reputation to be damaged on a public forum like this.

Did you pay by credit card?

Hi Jerry,

No the installer, owner or manufacturer did not come out yet. in fact they were to call me Monday and have not done so yet. I called them and they informed me they would get back with me this week. I am real tired of the this situation, we all pay alot of money for wood floors.

They would not take credit card only checks.. Here is another fine note; The company was to install the quarter round too, the installed said, just give me a $100 bucks and I will take care of i, I said what about Rich (company owner) the installer says; don't worry about it, we do this all of the time..

I will call them again today. If I don't get a response I will start looking at the state boards of contractors, take pictures and write down a timeline. As well maybe speak with an attorney and contact a tax attorney and ask him/her about the upfromt money issue too. That wasn't really smart of me to do that!

It does happen that wholesalers while have "specials" where they will temporarily reduce the cost of certain products and it is smart business to try to take advantage of these reduced costs. This maybe what happened. I know that I have done this exact thing for customers myself but there was actually a savings for THEM and the sale was temporary. But if your contractor was just taking your payment early to use your money to operate his business, I'm not sure this is illegal in your state. In CA, one cannot get more than $1,000.00 or 10% (whichever is less) upon signing. There are ways around this if specials come along; like paying the wholesaler directly or making a material payment upon delivery of the materials. Anyway, it does sound like your getting the run around. No point in continuing to call the business; you've done that. If you go the license board route, it's gonna take months to resolve. File suit in small claims and have an attorney notify the contractor that is what you're doing. Perhaps that will light a fire under his butt.