In April of 2008 we hired Decorating Connections Inc. from Whitby Ontario to install Engineered Hardwood flooring from Shnier, Gesco Limited Partnership. The project took weeks longer than promised. They sent 1 man for most of the work and he worked only 5 hours a day as it was.
After the work was complete, we noted the floor was lifting up and down when walked on. Decorating Connections, after conferring witht the supplier (Shnier) agreed to redo the floor blaming it on warped wood. The floor was partially removed and re-installed. We stopped the 2nd install when we noticed the boards did not match in scheen and color. And many boards were found to be badly warped. They came in cardboard boxes that showed signs of moisture inside.
The installed and the supplier agreed to supply another brand of hardwood (we found out later it was both cheaper and inferior quality). This time both us and the installer carefully checked each board for warpage and rejected dozens of boxes (some pieces would make good crossbows). Despite our objections the floor was finished for the 3rd time in September 2008 (or was it 4th?) and was still unacceptable. The floor still moves when walked on. After all the multiple installations we ended up with damaged walls, damaged furniture, damaged baseboards and mouldings. They lifted up a vanity in the bathroom and ruined the granite top. Their man hooked the hot and water taps backwards when he did it.
Shnier hired a flooring inspector to study the problem, but he did not show up until near end of November 2008. His report casts almost all blame on poor installation. As he never saw all the piles of warped and rejected wood, he keyed on improper floor leveling and improper expansion spaces left along walls. The install manual asks for 1/2' gaps and Decorating Connections only left 1/16", that being 7/16" too little. So the floor literally bounces up and down as humidity changes and folks walk on it.
Despite multiple promises to deal with thsi, Decorating Connections has not returned to fix anything and we have witheld holdback payment. Sadly it will cost them, more money than the holdback to fix the problems, so they are leaving us hanging and unhappy.
This is the worst customer service I have ever seen in my 52 years on earth, 31 of them in the construction business. This company should not be in business and should be forced to do us right!
Anonymous
whitby, Ontario
Canada
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