McDowell's Hardwood Floors caused a fire that destroyed our home, damaged my vehicle, displaced my entire family, and nearly killed my husband, our children, our dog, and me because of the careless way Steven McDowell disposed of combustible work materials.
We hired McDowell's Hardwood Floors to sand and stain the hardwood floors in two bedrooms. On the first day, I personally handed Steven McDowell the correct can of stain and clearly instructed him to use that color so the floors would match the existing hardwood throughout our home. He disregarded those instructions, purchased a different brand and color of stain, and applied it without our approval. The floors did not match, so I required him to return, re-sand them, and apply the correct stain, which was the work he should have completed properly the first time.
The fire occurred after he returned to correct his mistake. Without our knowledge or permission, he used our outdoor trash can to dispose of his work materials, including stain-soaked rags, sanding dust, used sandpaper, and a can of stain. We never gave him permission to use our trash can, and we had no idea he had placed these dangerous materials inside it.
In the middle of the night, the materials combusted and started a fire that spread to our house and vehicle while our entire family was sleeping. I woke up to the sound and smell of the fire, and we barely escaped before our home became engulfed in flames. Our home and belongings were destroyed, our vehicle was damaged, and our family was left displaced and traumatized.
McDowell's Hardwood Floors states on its website that it has been in business for more than 20 years. Someone with more than two decades of experience in the flooring industry should be fully aware that stain-soaked rags and related materials can spontaneously combust and must be handled, stored, and disposed of safely. There is no acceptable excuse for placing these dangerous materials in a customer's trash can without the homeowner's knowledge or permission.
Had we known those materials were in our trash can, we would never have allowed them to remain there.
This was not a minor mistake, poor customer service, or simply an issue with the quality of the flooring. It was a devastating and preventable act of negligence that destroyed our home and put every member of our family at risk of being killed.
I would never recommend McDowell's Hardwood Floors. I am sharing what happened so other families understand the seriousness of trusting this company inside their homes.
Blocking me from your business page, Steven McDowell does not mean I am going to stay silent. You burned my house and car and almost killed my family and me. On top of that, you have shown no remorse for your negligence. Your only concerns have been the sander left inside my burned, smoke-damaged, and water-damaged home and telling the fire investigator that we had not paid you the second half of the money.
You did not finish the job. You did not complete the work we hired you to perform, and your actions destroyed our entire home. You had the nerve to worry about the remaining payment after your negligence cost us nearly everything.
Before you attempt to deny what happened, we have video showing you discarding the materials, and fire investigators found those materials inside our trash can. You ruined my whole damn house, nearly killed my family, and have shown absolutely no remorse for any of it. read more
