Beach Hardwood Flooring

It is a year almost to the day this installation took place- it has taken that time to ensure my feedback is balanced, accurate and corroborated by professionals (5 in total). The floor installation took place on top of new T&G 3/4 inch plywood substrate making it much earlier than over 90 year old boards or old hardwood flooring. All materials except brads were owner supplied and delivered and located in actual workspace. Most furniture was removed. Baseshoe had not been installed and the five door entries had new jambs left long by the trim carpenter for the floor installer to undercut for precision. No other trades were present, the work site is an older Beach home, heated and parking was provided. The tradesman offered a list of people who offered to recommend him but he was recommend to me by a salesperson at the reputable mill-work business on Gerrard.

The job: The expensive bull nose was grossly damaged when cut (1st piece installed), installed incorrectly by being cantilevered too much. 4 entry doors in the hall with the new long jambs left long were NOT under-cut (!?). Instead, inaccurately angled hardwood fails to meet the jam leaving unsightly gaps. Two closet doors were treated similarly but with greater gaps. In the rear sun room an area needing to be shimmed (very simple) and was not. That area dips visibly and attracts the eye’s attention because the baseboard emphasizes the discrepancy. Now too, there is squeaking at the threshold to the room due to poor installation. There are literally countless top-nailed holes throughout left unfilled (there should be many fewer and all filled.

Five ‘expert’ assessments have been made as to what can be done (installers and the president of a large flooring business with 50 years service). One 'expert' was the very salesperson who personally endorsed Peter and had a hard time understanding what happened. All were left unable to make a recommendation beyond covering with carpet which defeats the purpose of hardwood, or tearing out the job- a possible $5000+ cost including replacement materials. Peter was advised of my displeasure (by the referee) and called and left a message saying he would return the call. That never occurred. In a 3 year renovation this will be just one of many stories, but read this carefully before hiring.

I have tried my best not make this review personal- I usually have pleasure extending very personal praise about great trades (read other reviews). In the end, I found out this tradesman has no apprenticed or ticketed carpentry skills (coming to the business from an unrelated occupation) and has few of the tools specific to his chosen trade (used a Skillsaw to cut a plinth block- a real no-no). I cannot explain the “10” reviews, nor can I really say how I failed to react more vigorously- dismissal for instance- after the first piece of wood was cross-cut so amateurishly (upside down). Legal claims have been explored but not ruled out.