Failed Refinishing of Hardwood Floors
Note: After our "One Star" refinishing job I looked closely for information in the public domain regarding Tri Point:
1.It appears all of the "0ne Star" Google Reviews are omitted from the collection of Google Reviews found at Tri Point's website. I feel mislead as this info would have influenced my decision to hire Tri Point.
2. BBB rating of B- for apparently failing to respond to a 2022 complaint. I think the complaint alleges Tri Point's refusal to honor its one year warranty. You'll have to reach your own conclusion.
The "One Star" Rating
Such a poor score and detailed explanation could confuse readers of this review so I'll begin by simplifying with 3 bullet points: 1) the attached photos tell the story, 2) in his response to my review Owner admits "The floor did not reflect our usual quality of work" and 3) in order that our floors be brought up to industry standards we must go through the entire process again of packing up our entire first floor belongings and moving them and furniture into storage, disconnecting washer/dryer, moving out of our home for a week, thoroughly cleaning all the dust when the job is done and moving back in.
Failure to Properly Refinish Hardwood Floors
A day after the job was "completed" we observed uneven staining in every room. Owner visited and acknowledged this problem and speculated it was due to using a "contaminated" applicator. He said the entire floor would need resurfacing and application of sealer. We had to move back in to our home so couldn't vacate for a 2nd consecutive week. The 1st refinishing required everything to be moved out of the first floor and us to leave for a week. Upon return we spent hours cleaning up fine dust throughout our 1st and 2nd floors. We were told refinishing would take no more than 4 days and now it would end up taking two weeks. We weren't led to believe that the irregular staining compromised the floor's performance in any way. But then a couple days later we noticed an entirely different and more troubling problem; peeling of the new surface. Now it seemed there was a greater sense of urgency to do something. So I brought this problem to Tri Point's attention and asked to see a copy of the warranty (their website says what the warranty doesn't cover but it doesn't say what is covered or how repairs are made) and requested Owner to come and thoroughly inspect the floor to identify problems that were covered under the one year warranty that is purportedly provided with our contract. Owner responded to this by stating, "We were terminated ...We have no further obligations to you. Your warranty is void. No further communication is needed." A warranty is one's best protection against negligent performance and outcomes that fall short of industry standards.
Problems with Installation of Baseboard
Rather than using wood filler to cover nails holes they smeared caulk to only partially cover the holes while making a mess on the baseboard. Before the new baseboard can be painted we will first have to remove all this caulk and properly cover nails with wood filler.
Communication
Very poor. For example, we were not told that when the old shoe molding (aka 1/4 round) was replaced with new molding there would be a visible unpainted gap along the baseboard. We spent days taking care of this prior to commencement of refinishing.
Owner's Response
Following the posting of my review Owner sent me an e-mail in which he has has asked me to "...remove all online reviews" in exchange for "giv[ing] [me] detailed warranty info, ...". It's not right that I should barter in order to learn what the warranty covers and how repairs under the warranty are handled. I paid for this warranty and can't understand why Owner won't freely share the information I've requested.
Owner may have violated Google regulations by posting my name in his review. Google states it is a violation to post the "...[full/last name] of another...". If in violation is Owner trying to harass & threaten my safety so I'll remove my review? Why else would he have posted my name?
Reply from Tripointflooring
Hi Dave Bruckenstein,
We took ownership of the lap marks on the floor and offered to go above and beyond to fix this very rare issue. We offered an Airbnb, paint, cleaning crew and the whole nine yards. Nothing was acceptable to you. We are human and mistakes happen. However, we never shy away from taking responsibility for our mistakes. Dave, you talked down to me and disrespected me several times with your attitude.
Warranties only apply to completed or paid in full jobs not people who fire and still expect full warranty on a floor they never paid for.
Given the way we were disrespected and talked down to we will not be able to help you in the future.
To any future potential clients reading this, I’m truly sorry. I was raised to respect others even when you disagree. This has been the WORST homeowner experience in my 19 years of service to the triangle area.
I would like to warn everyone not to do business with Dave as he will tirelessly smear you online if you don’t give in to his demands.