I had a very disappointing experience with Carl and his team during an upstairs flooring renovation that began in late November 2024 and was ultimately abandoned, unfinished, in May 2025. 208 days to be exact.
At first, things seemed promising—Carl and his crew were friendly and accommodating. However, the quality of their workmanship quickly became an issue. There were noticeable mistakes in the installation, including misaligned boards, visible gaps near the trim, and damaged planks that needed replacement. While they initially addressed these issues, it became clear they were not experienced with engineered hardwood, which is what we had chosen.
The first delay occurred when we ran out of flooring due to Carl miscalculating the amount we needed. Once that was resolved, the next hurdle was the stairs. We were given two options with no real guidance, and when they attempted installation, the nosings were bowed. A claim was filed with the manufacturer, which delayed the project further. When the replacements finally arrived, the color, sheen, and grain pattern were completely inconsistent with the rest of the flooring.
Despite this obvious mismatch, the team installed most of the stairs anyway. Rather than stopping the work or warning us about the poor match, they tried to convince us that the first few stairs “were fine” and we just needed to see the rest. When we finally saw the full installation, it was clear the stairs looked completely wrong—different in color, finish, and overall appearance.
After months of delays and declining communication, Carl made his working team ask us for final payment—even though the job was clearly not complete. The contract states payment is due upon completion unless otherwise agreed, which was not the case here. I made it clear I was happy to pay once the job was finished properly, but Carl refused to accept that and stopped responding entirely. Since May, we’ve heard nothing, and our upstairs flooring and stairs remain incomplete.
Since being left with unfinished work, I’ve contacted three other flooring companies for quotes to complete the job. Every one of them commented that the stair installation was done very poorly and unprofessionally, and they were surprised the installer ever proceeded with it at all in that condition.
To make matters worse, Carl’s crew was careless in our home—scuffed walls, damaged flooring, rough material handling, and poor cleanup were common throughout the process. Still, we remained patient, trusting Carl’s repeated assurances that everything would be done right.
Unfortunately, that trust was misplaced. I would not recommend this company for engineered hardwood flooring. Based on their own statements, their experience appears to be primarily with vinyl installations, and that might be a better fit for their skillset. As for anything beyond that, I would suggest looking elsewhere.