Elegant Flooring

Review: [redacted] of Elegant Flooring was contracted to install 1500 sq. feet of stone tile in the amount of $5,250, which included the tile, crack membrane, grout and stone sealer installation but I agreed to pay for the sealer, which was approximately $80. Shortly after the completion of the work and paying Mr. [redacted] in full, I noted two very large scrapes across the tile flooring underneath and around the only furniture in the room and concluded the scrapes were caused by Mr. [redacted]'s employees when they moved the furniture to install the sealer. Upon emailing Mr. [redacted] on August 24, 2014 to inform him of the damage, I provided photos to illustrate said damage and asked that he make the repair. Instead of setting up a repair date, Mr. [redacted] emailed me instructions so that I could make the repair. When I responded that such was not acceptable, Mr. [redacted] agreed to make the repair on Saturday, August 30, but gave me a list of favors he had done, which were a part of the scope of the work and not a favor. He also complained that I was being unreasonable to ask that he complete the repair as soon as possible, as the floor had to be repaired quickly because I was returning to work in **, where I live, and wouldn't be back for several weeks. On the day Mr. [redacted] was scheduled to make the repair, he cancelled claiming he was sick, which resulted in words between us because I believed this was yet another excuse to avoid rectifying the problem. On Monday, September 22, I emailed Mr. [redacted] again requesting that he fix the scratches. Since then, he has not responded nor do I believe he intends to. I have since he has both a Class C Contractor's license [redacted] and is a registered business in [redacted]. I should also mention that, having served as a general contractor for my home, I had experienced both good and bad contractors and had contracted Mr. [redacted] because assured me that he was an accredited Revdex.com business. I have since learned this is untrue.Desired Settlement: I would like Mr. [redacted] to fix the scrapes and re-apply the sealer to the areas damaged. If that is not agreeable, I request that he compensate me for any cost incurred to have a tile professional repair the damage he caused.

Business

Response:

I [redacted] of Elegant Flooring was contracted to install 1500 sq ft of stone tile in the amount of 5,250.00. I agreed to do the sealer as a gesture of good faith, I even moved all 1500sq ft of her tile 2 days prior to the install date so she could get her driveway paved. We also had to move at least 5 pieces of furniture that we were not contracted to do, but did it as there was no other way to do our job. We told her after the sealing is done, she is welcome to hire a moving company or someone else as I do not want any liability to move her stuff.

[redacted] called me a week and 2 days after the job was completed and complained of a scratch. At this point she still has no paid me for our completed work. As another gesture of good faith I came repaired the scratch that was about 3 ft long and was just surface streak from the sealer. I applied some stripper and resealed the area fixing it. After doing a full walk through of the entire floor and we saw no scratches she wrote the check on the spot. She made it out to Elegant Tile so I had to drive back out to her house and get her fix and initial the check to get it cashed. She then moves back the rest of her furniture that we did not agree to move nor wanted to be liable for any damages to her antique furniture that was very fragile and very heavy.

A week following payment and the check clearing only because I managed to make it to the bank on Friday afternoon before she tried to put a stop payment on it. She called and complained about another scratch. I took photos of the entire floor when I was there to fix the first scratch as I had a feeling this was going to be an ongoing problem. I explained how to fix the scratches and her house is a 1hour and a half drive from our shop location. I told her we will be in the area in another 20 days and can fix it if she can wait that long as our schedule was very tight and we had no time to do another repair and I told her if at all possible I will try to make it out there before then.

The Labor Day weekend I was going to go back out and take a look at her scratch once move. After thoroughly reviewing my photos I realized this was a new scratch that we did not do. At this point we made an attempt to repair it once, tried to schedule another repair even though we did not do it. She was unsatisfied that we could not make time before then. She called me the Friday before Labor Day weekend and asked when I was coming. I told her I was not feeling well as I had what my kids gave me a really nasty stomach bug and a 30min drive was out of the question. At this point she threatens to call the Revdex.com on me, if I did not come today. That was only a possibility and told her how easy it is to fix a surface streak if she was unwilling to wait this long.

Even after she called the Revdex.com, I called her 20 days later around mid Sept and offered to come fix the scratch as we are in the area for the next 3 days. At this point she said she was out of town and was not a possibility. She did not respond well and began to threaten me with the Revdex.com again. At this point I severed ties as I was not going to be talked down to or threatened every time I try to help someone who is obviously abusing our good faith. I have a copy of the full contract, and full photos to show every sq inch of her floor after we finished proving my statement and a list of my employees you are willing to talk to as well.

In my experience in 6+ years I have satisfied the most detailed customers. We go above and beyond even if we don’t get paid for it just to do a good job and have a happy customer. At this point we are done with [redacted] as our obligated contracted was completed.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Mr. [redacted]'s account is false and the facts are not presented in a honest manner. Yes, Mr. [redacted] came to my home to repair a problem with the sealer, but it was not to repair a scratch. Rather, it was to repair a very uneven look of the sealer, which was made visible by the way the lighting reflected on the flooring. I did not pay Mr. [redacted] at the time of completing the tile installation because the sealer was wet and I could not go to the basement area to inspect the finished product. Insofar as Mr. [redacted] completed the work on Friday and I had company for the weekend, he did not come to pick up the check until on or about that following Tuesday, 4 days after completion. As a result of said company, I did not have the opportunity to really inspect the floor and had not noted the scratches caused by Mr. [redacted]'s employees when the moved the furniture so that they may complete the sealer below the area where the furniture was located. Upon bringing these scratches to Mr. [redacted]'s attention, he admitted that his employees said they scratched the floor. However, at the same time, he sent me instructions on how to fist the scratches, which was unacceptable. Upon stating such to Mr. [redacted], he agreed to make the repairs. For the record, it should be noted that at no time was I told they could not move the furniture to install the sealer or was I advised to hire a mover. There was no mention of such in the contract either, therefore the moving of furniture was not brought up until after the scratches occurred. Mr. [redacted] attempts to make his case by stating that he did me a favor by moving tile on the driveway, but neglects to mention that I gave him several hundred dollars worth of hand-picked stone tile as a thank you. Upon bringing this fact to his attention, he minimized the amount of stone given to him as yet another illustration of his arrogance.

It should be also noted that Mr. [redacted] agreed to return to fix the scratches and, as he has admitted, he was ill that day and called to say he could not make it. However, Mr. [redacted] had the entire week prior to make the repair and was made fully aware that I was returning to [redacted], where I live on the Monday which was to occur two days after his cancelled repair date. For him to telephone and say he could not be there two days before I was leaving was a situation that could have been avoided had he made making the repair a priority. During my conversation with Mr. [redacted] on the day he cancelled, we had words solely because he wants to complete the repair of the scratches when he is in town, which does not work for me because I live in [redacted] ten months out of the year. After we had words, he refused to return and do the work. And, while I contacted him just days before making the complaint to the Revdex.com, he did not respond which prompted my filing of the complaint. When he did contact me via text, it was after the Revdex.com had sent him the complaint. In that text message he told me, once again, he would make the repair when he was in my area when I was in town, which is not workable because I am rarely in town between September and June. To avoid further conflict with Mr. [redacted], I responded to his text and told him that I would prefer to resolve this through the Revdex.com. His response text was a repeat of the last, whereby he refused to return to do the work once again. I should mention that I am a school teacher and base my visits around that schedule, which are typically holidays and difficult to coordinate around someone who will only perform the work when they are in town. Mr. [redacted] lives in [redacted] and I on [redacted], which is further evidence of how Mr. [redacted] is not representing the truth, because it is less than a hours drive and not 1.5 hours away.

I want to make it clear that Mr. [redacted] caused these scratches. They occurred in a basement area not used where there is limited furniture and limited traffic. It appears that Mr. [redacted] wants to cast the blame on me for the scratches, when he admitted that his employees caused the scratches as a means to absolve himself from fixing the damage he caused.

From the onset, my problem with Mr. [redacted]'s approach to resolve the issue is because he wants to do the repair on his timetable and at his convenience, making my ability to get the scratches repair nearly impossible and on a reasonable time table given the limited time I am in town. And, upon contacting Mr. [redacted] in advance to ask him to make the repair in early October (as evidenced by the below emails) he did not respond to that request, further supporting how difficult he has been. It would be a simple and professional gesture to work with me, ask me when I would be returning to town and make an appointment to make the repair at that time. Instead, Mr. [redacted] appears to have a temper tantrum and resort to lying to avoid fixing a problem that could have been resolved weeks ago. It is for these collective reasons that I do not find Mr. [redacted]'s response reasonable nor is it in compliance with the one year warranty, which is required under the provisions of his licensing. While I could have gone to the licensing board and made a claim, I tried to handle this without causing him penalty. By Mr. [redacted]'s handling of the complaint, he was not worth of such a courtesy and I will be forced to contact the Virginia licensing board whom will have greater jurisdiction over his warranty and will take action against him for the manner in which he has handled this complaint.

To support the handling of the problem, I have included a cut and paste of my email correspondence with Mr. [redacted] to validate the difficulty I have experienced with respect to resolving this claim. Please review so that you can further understand why I do not accept Mr. [redacted]'s response and know this will not reflect favorably on the Revdex.com report that will be accessible from the internet when future customers consider doing business with his operation should they research his ability or inability to resolve a claim. I can also provide the very arrogant text message I received in response to my request to handle the fixing of the floor through the Revdex.com if so requested.

Thank you for your time, attention and efforts.

Regards,

As per my text on Saturday, August 23, there are two large scrapes across the threshold and into the game room floor, which must have occurred as a result of someone dragging the armoire across the flooring without any guards on the feet of the unit. If you will note in the below photo, the scrapes are clearly visible and appear to be the same distance apart as that of the depth of the armoire. Why someone was so careless not to use the guards I had on the wall of the basement is beyond me. Please advise as to how we can remedy this asap, as I leave at the end of the week.

Thanks,

Have you cleaned it since we left? Here is a website I found with steps how to remove etched calcium tile such as traverntine, marble, etc . 0 Can be done with the sealer, very quick fix.

207

What You'll Need

Polishing Powder (for travertine)

Etch Removal Product

Rag

Buff Cloth

Mop

Warm Water

Broom

Spray Bottle

It is not a very hard task to repair travertine floor etching. This can be done using a polishing powder or a sealer. Travertine, contrary to popular belief, is quite dense and can withstand heavy traffic. However, it is still susceptible to etching, stains and other types of damage if it is not properly protected. Like limestone, granite or marble, the material needs to be cleaned, polished and repaired in times of need. This is especially true when it is used as a flooring material. In order to repair travertine floor etching, follow the steps below.

Step 1 – Clean the Travertine Floor

Before removing the etching using a trusted product, make sure to clean the floor first. Sweep it with a broom or a vacuum cleaner to remove dust and debris. Soak a mop in warm water, squeeze the excess water and mop the entire floor. Allow the floor to dry completely.

Step 2 – Use a Polishing Powder

A polishing powder designed for travertine can easily remove the etch marks from the floor easily. Apply the recommended amount of powder on the etched areas. Spray water on top of the powder to make it moist, but do not spray too much water. Just a small amount will do. Rub the moist powder with a rag in a circular motion until the etching is concealed. Do not rub with too much pressure in order not to damage the floor surface. When the floor is dry and free from etching marks, buff the floor with a soft cloth.

Step 3 – Use an Alternative Etch Removal Product

Shop around for etch removal products in brick and mortar stores or online stores. Make sure to read product descriptions and reviews to get as much information and come up with the best product in the market. Ask friends, relatives, or online forums for recommendations. Some products come in a spray form that can provide ease of use. Simply spray the product, rub it a bit and buff afterward. Some products may have different instructions so make sure to read the product instructions carefully before application.

Step 4 – Seal the Floor

Sealers are important because they provide the floor with extra protection for years. Since the floor usually receives a lot of traffic, do make sure to reapply the sealer after two years at least. If the floor has not been previously sealed, then determine first if it can be sealed or not. When it comes to sealing, the floor can be categorized into two groups – honed and polished. Polished travertine should not be sealed. Instead, regularly polish it with polishing products to repair etching and other damages. If the travertine is honed, then it can be sealed to protect it from stains and damage. In order to avoid having to repair travertine often, seal the floor yourself or hire a professional to do the job.

IT IS NOT ETCHED CALCIUM, THESE ARE SCRAP MARKS THAT YOU CAN SEE WAS CAUSED BY FURNITURE DRAGGING ACROSS THE FLOOR WHEN YOUR MEN MOVED THE FURNITURE BACK!! I have not cleaned the floor nor have I moved a thing in any of the rooms. Have been busy with company and have not even gone down there. Please stop the pass the buck and come and fix it, as I find this upsetting more than the carelessness that caused the scrape marks.

If you read what I sent you it’s for repairs of etched or scratches, as etched is another term of scratch. It can be done using the sealer you have on hand. I have pictures on my phone of each area and see no scratches. I will take your word they are there, and will make 1 final attempt to fix it for you at both our convience. I do know in 2 ½ weeks we will be out in that area and will gladly swing by to see what we can do to repair this area for you. I will be using the recipe provided in the previous email to fix it. What room is this area in and near what wall?

We gave you a discount unprecedented on travertine in a French pattern. Seeing as how we did the sealer for free, moved your stuff for free, and the crack isolation for free, and made a day to move stuff outta your driveway days prior to the start. Your ability to not work with our schedule at all is very discouraging as I can’t stop doing what I am doing and leave a customer’s bathroom tore up and run out a hour away to fix a scratch. I am playing catch up now where I had to fit your job in and is the reason I am pressed for time and deadlines. If I have anytime in the next 2 weeks that opens up I will let you know. I imagine a half day out there stripping and resealing that area to remove any scratches I will let you know.

[redacted],

I leave on Sunday…I don't have 2.5 weeks. There is one in the rec room where the piece was that you put the contract on and on near the armoire where the pool table stuff was. I sent a text prior to reading this email and apologize for that. My internet was acting up and I couldn't get into emails.

[redacted],

I know the last we spoke fixing the scratches did not end on a good note. I am writing to tell you I will likely be in town the first week of October, 4 and 5, more specifically. Can you plan on coming out to fix the scratches in the floor on that Saturday, which is the 4th?

Thank you.

Let it be noted that Mr. [redacted] did not respond to this email or make any effort to repair the scratches and resulted in my filing of the complaint with the Revdex.com.