We selected Ace floor care based off of yelp reviews, therefore I feel obligated to share my own non five star experience. I called to get an estimate done to repair and refinish our bamboo hardwood floooring. We were planning on selling our home and didn't want to fork out the cash for all new flooring but wanted our current flooring to look move in ready. We have 2 large dogs who have done quite a number on the floors with their nails over the past 8 years that we have lived here. We also had a few areas where water had leaked and warped the boards before we could fix it and wanted those replaced with some spare boards we had in the garage. And some gaps where the boards had slid apart slightly. So I went on yelp and found Ace. Brian was quick to return my message and scheduled a prompt visit for an estimate. He came and looked at the floors, decided it would be better to glue down and putty the warped boards instead of replacing them due to concern of the new boards matching the worn floor. He would also putty the gaps to make them less noticeable. In his opinion it was not necessary to refinish the floors and that with a good buff and polish they would look easily still useable. He explained that the really deep scratches would still be there but the surface ones would be less noticeable. He also pointed out some trim pieces we were missing which was a great suggestion. Everything sounded good to go. We scheduled for a 2 weeks out with an expected time frame of 4-6 hours for the job. Brian knew we were trying to get the house on the market so when he had an early opening he called and offered it to us. (Even though I'm only giving him 2 stars I will say his communication was very good throughout this process.)
Here is where the job went south. First, It should have been a red flag when he called to ask me if I was gonna get the trim pieces or if he should do it. (I'm a working mother of a toddler and a newborn, so no I don't have time or energy to go hunt down a peice of trim to match our floors. I also don't know anything about flooring, that's why we hired you). He shows up day one 10am and glues down the water damaged peice and measures for trim. He then goes to home depot (2 miles away) for 2 hours. Comes back and glues the trim in and then leaves to his other job at 3. confirming he will be back on the original date to do the gaps and buffing. So a week later he arrives at 10, spends until 12 rubbing some putty into the gaps and talking on his phone nonstop and realizes he is only a 16th of the way done and it's a much bigger job than expected so he calls in help and takes another long lunch break. (Apparently he is on island time doing 2 hours work, 2 hour lunch, 2 more hours work) as I was leaving for work his helpers show up.
My husband calls me and says "I guess they are done, he will be by after his other job to pick up his equipment and he asked me to drive his workers to the trolley." How unprofessional! I understand you have another job but when you want to own a successful business, you have to make that your priority. And you can not ask your clients to do you favors. And no you can't come by my house late at night to get your equipment when I have 2 protective dogs and 2 sleeping babies. Not professional!
Day 3 of the 4-6 hour job, he comes and gets his stuff. I have him come see the finished product and he seems very happy with it... other than being clean our floor looks the exact same, thrashed. It looks just like it does when we mop it ourselves. I explain that it's not what I was expecting and he assures me that it is still in desireable condition. I pay him, only because I'm completely over it at this point, we are on different planets.
A week as passed and the floors actually look worse than when he came, the putty filled gaps draw even more attention then they did and the patched spot looks HORRIBLE! He should have just replaced it with peices like we oroginally wanted. Maybe this guy is great at original hardwood repairs but he went all wrong with our bamboo. Normally I would offer him the chance to come fix it before posting a bad review, but we just don't have the patience or time for that. I really wanted to be able to add to his 5 star reviews because he truly is a very nice guy, but between the lack of professionalism, poor judgment calls and island time work ethic he loses 3 stars. He get 1 star for good communication, and 1 star for recommending and installing the trim. I on the other hand just wasted $400. read more