Consumer Homes.

Question:

Hi, we just bought a new house that needed some repairs. One of the things that we liked about the house was that almost all the floors were hardwood, although they needed refinishing. We had three different floor guys come out and all of them said the floors were in good shape and would refinish beautifully. So we hired one of them and he said "don’t pay me til I’ve completed the job" even though we offered him a deposit up front. Anyway, the day he does the last coat, he suddenly gets real antsy to get paid. We said we’re happy to pay you tomorrow after the floors have dried and we can look at them and make sure the job has been completed but we won’t pay him the full amount until we can confirm that the job is completed. He says the floors are fine, just pay me now, and wouldn’t leave us alone til we offered to give him 50% which he grumbled about but took, stipulating that we had to pay him the balance the following day. Well we looked at the floors as soon as he told us it was okay to walk on them and we found that in three of the bedrooms prominent long black lines running about 2" from several of the baseboards and in the closets. When we asked him about them he said they were from when someone put carpet in the house they had cut the carpet and that the lines were cut marks. He said they were too deep to get out of the boards. Now he never mentioned this at any point during the refinishing process which upsets us (also we are now suspicious of him as we feel he tried to grab the money and run before we saw these marks) Anyway, my question is, is this common to find these marks in older hardwood floors? How can we repair them? (they are *very* visible) Shouldn’t he have been able to sand them out? Shouldn’t he have prepared us by warning us that he couldn’t get the marks out? Also on a completely other note, we had to put some drywall in another room and had to do this today (the 3rd coat on the floors went on on Weds). The hardwood floor person told us to make sure the drywall guy didn’t tape to the floors or get dust on the floors until they’d cured a week. We told this to the drywall guy who said he’d make sure that didn’t happen. Well we went in there tonight and a) he’d taped the rosin paper to the floors (using blue painters tape tho) and he’d left some dust (plaster dust?) on the new floors. So will they be okay? I am at my wits end because we’ve never had to do this type of thing before and I feel like no one is listening to us…

Response:

: Hi, we just bought a new house that needed some repairs. One of the : things that we liked about the house was that almost all the floors : were hardwood, although they needed refinishing. We had three : different floor guys come out and all of them said the floors were in : good shape and would refinish beautifully. So we hired one of them and : he said "don’t pay me til I’ve completed the job" even though we : offered him a deposit up front. Anyway, the day he does the last coat, : he suddenly gets real antsy to get paid. We said we’re happy to pay : you tomorrow after the floors have dried and we can look at them and : make sure the job has been completed but we won’t pay him the full : amount until we can confirm that the job is completed. He says the : floors are fine, just pay me now, and wouldn’t leave us alone til we : offered to give him 50% which he grumbled about but took, stipulating : that we had to pay him the balance the following day. : : Well we looked at the floors as soon as he told us it was okay to walk : on them and we found that in three of the bedrooms prominent long : black lines running about 2" from several of the baseboards and in the : closets. When we asked him about them he said they were from when : someone put carpet in the house they had cut the carpet and that the : lines were cut marks. He said they were too deep to get out of the : boards. Now he never mentioned this at any point during the : refinishing process which upsets us (also we are now suspicious of him : as we feel he tried to grab the money and run before we saw these : marks) Anyway, my question is, is this common to find these marks in : older hardwood floors? How can we repair them? (they are *very* : visible) Shouldn’t he have been able to sand them out? Shouldn’t he : have prepared us by warning us that he couldn’t get the marks out? I know several people in refinishing, i know not all marks can be sanded out, it depends how many times the floors have been refinished b/4, and also on how deep the grooves are… you have to understand, even being solid wood floors, your floors are no doubt tongue & groove, which means the T&G area becomes thin after sanding several times, or if the grooves from someone cutting the carpet are at the critical depth in reference to the T&G… should he have warned you? maybe/possibly, he may have tried to get the marks out, and if you look around, there may be a tell tale sign that he did, then realized he would have to sand past the point of where he shouldnt… only someone that has experience and can visually inspect your floors will be able to tell you if the floors could be taken down further… : : Also on a completely other note, we had to put some drywall in another : room and had to do this today (the 3rd coat on the floors went on on : Weds). The hardwood floor person told us to make sure the drywall guy : didn’t tape to the floors or get dust on the floors until they’d cured : a week. We told this to the drywall guy who said he’d make sure that : didn’t happen. Well we went in there tonight and a) he’d taped the : rosin paper to the floors (using blue painters tape tho) and he’d left : some dust (plaster dust?) on the new floors. So will they be okay? I : am at my wits end because we’ve never had to do this type of thing : before and I feel like no one is listening to us… The flooring contractor warned you about this…so who isnt listening? You should have listened, its your home, and im sure the drywall person didnt do a B&E to complete their job… shame on you for not waiting

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