HARDWOOD SPECIALISTS

Great. We had oak engineered wood floors installed over terrazzo 25 years ago in most of the house, and it's taken a beating over the years. We had a damaged section to be replaced, another room to install new wood, and a refinish of the whole project. Terry and Eric came out and took the measurements, found matching wood to install, and then made a reasonable, competitive bid. It took more than one team to do the work, since it was a repair in part, new installation in part, and a refinish. New baseboard to match with staining. Big job for us. But the teams they brought out clearly knew their jobs, did great work, and the result if great. Altogether the work went over three weeks, with a few days of no work. For us it wasn't a problem. But if you're doing your own residence while you stay in the house, be prepared for a major project. Results are great. We're very pleased.

Did not go well. I called Hardwood Specialists back in March and asked them if they could send someone out to see if the transition would be fixed. Spoke to Tony, who said he had no record of my 2012 job in their computer. Luckily I had all the paperwork including the contract which I emailed to him. He also asked me to email him pictures of the transition and the door entryway, which I did. Tony told me he had to talk first to Terry, the owner, who wasn't in. Two weeks passed and I called back because I had not heard from Tony. After finally reaching Tony, he told me the job could be done for $150.00 and that a new transition would be ordered, which would take 5-7 days. Another week went by and no Tony. I called the company back and this time I spoke to Bill, who said he would look into it. Bill called back and said he had no record in their computer that the transition was ordered and that Terry did not want to do the job because it was too small. I was not asking that they fix it for free and was willing to pay for them to send someone out. On top of that, I was told Tony had been fired because he was doing jobs "on the side." Needless to say, I was very frustrated but asked Bill if another transition could be ordered. I even volunteered to bring the old transition into their showroom so they could match it,. He said I could and that anyone in the office would be able to help me if he wasn't in. A few days later, I drove down to St. Petersburg from Safety Harbor, and dropped off the transition. Unfortunately, Bill was not in so I left it with Stephanie, the Office Manager, who also asked me to email her pictures of the entryway where the transition was supposed to go, which I did. I asked to speak to Terry to see if he would reconsider or at least give me the name of someone who could do the job but he was "busy." I left the transition there and called the next day and spoke to Bill, who told me that they could not order a new transition and as far as a reference goes, Terry told him any flooring company could do the job (but apparently not Hardwood Specialists). I had to go back down to St. Pete to pick up the transition because I had to hire another company (Check Handyman) to fix the problem. I was told that the transition was a T mold which was flawed because a strip of wood on the underside was missing. Also, I was told that a reducer should have been used rather than a T mold.. The problem was finally fixed by Check Handyman because the transition was screwed down properly with four brass screws, which were anchored into the concrete slab, as well as glued. Hardwood Specialists has virtually no concept of customer service. Once they have your money, you're on your own. If you hire this company you better pray nothing goes wrong because they do not stand behind their work.

These guys are the wood experts for St. Petersburg from my prospective. We had them refinish floors and replace boards, and they did a great job. I will also be using them for a future job that I have set up. These guys really know what they are doing.

The estimate was provided quickly,. Once I rationalize the value and deposit arranged the work started very soon. The prep work was through and the finished job excellent. So very pleased with the renovation of the beautiful wooden floors and moreover feel that the results are due to my choosing Hardwood Specialist!

They did the screen & recoat and the scratches are maybe 20-30% better, not 80-90% better. And they replaced about 5 boards even though we requested more they said they didn't have time. We should have been told that up front. The boards that were replaced popped up and did not lay flat. We called and told them we were not happy with the results for $900 spent, and they sent someone back out to fix the boards that were popped up. They still aren't perfect but they are better. Nothing was done to make the rest of the floor look better and then we were told we'd just have to replace it. If that were the case we should have been told that at the initial inspection, not that it could be fixed pretty well for $900. Overall I am not thrilled with the promises made and what we got for the money.

We could not be happier with our choice to work with Ken and his crew at Hardwood Specialists. Ken arrived promptly with a professional and friendly attitude, gave us a quote which beat a secondary quote by close to 1/2, and worked with our schedule to get our floors finished before our move in day. But money isn't everything. We also need to know that the work that will be provided will be of great quality, and that I will feel comfortable having them in my home. And we did. Ken educated us on how to keep our floors looking great, what products to use, how to care for them, and even what mystery wood our floors were made from- we had no idea when we purchased the home. Along the way, we decided to also refinish the porch that had the same wood and some nasty stains. The porch looks amazing, and now we actually sit on our chairs and enjoy a glass of wine in the evenings- something we never would have wanted to do with its previous condition. We have since had to go back to them for guidance about how to fix scratches our dog has made since the refinishing process was completed, and they are always willing to go above and beyond for us with a smile. Bottom line- stop searching, and hire this company.

I thought Hardwood Specialists did a great job. A bit pricey, but the floors look great - better than I thought they would - and they did a very precise and professional job. They were easy to work with and I'd certainly recommend them.

Six months after installation, floor was turning green due to mold. Company did not do a moisture test on the slab & did not put in a needed moisture barrier prior to installation. At first, owner denied responsibility for the problem. I had to hire an attorney at considerable expense to get them to take out the moldy floor. Owner fought me every step of the way- "We can't get this wood up", "We can't get this glue up", "We can't level a floor", etc. Each time, they would stop work, & I had to call my attorney (which meant more legal fees & time delay). They knocked holes in walls, poured paint thinner on floors which made it harder to get up, etc., etc. It was a nightmare. I then had to move out for 2 months & rent a place (not paid for by them) while another company put in new floors. An awful, awful experience.

LIED ABOUT THE PRICE (COST THOUSANDS EXTRA), THE DATE OF COMPLETION (SEVERAL WEEKS OVER AGREED-UPON DATE), THE ACTUAL WOOD THAT WOULD GO IN (LOOKS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LIKE SAMPLE). WOULDN'T RETURN PHONE CALLS. ARGUED ABOUT EVEN THE SMALLEST THING. BRUSHED OFF QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. CUSTOMER SERVICE? FORGET ABOUT IT. LEFT WORK UNDONE UNTIL I CALLED. CHARGED EXTRA FOR THINGS AGREED UPON UP FRONT. AND THE FLOOR ITSELF IS NOT WHAT I SAW IN THE SHOWROOM. VERY, VERY DISAPPOINTING. THE ONLY REASON I GAVE A D AND NOT AN F FOR ''QUALITY OF THEIR WORK'' IS THAT THE INSTALLATION ITSELF SEEMS TO BE FINE, ALTHOUGH THE FLOOR ISN'T LEVEL. BUT THIS WAS ONE OF THE WORST EXPERIENCES I'VE EVER HAD.