The Design Expo - Flooring Center of Bowie

Visited Design Expo store in Bowie, MD to discuss options for hardwood flooring to replace carpet in my home. Gene visited my house and took all the measurements. He arrived within the time we had agreed. After hearing my thoughts, we discussed various options and I made my decision on the type of flooring. I did comparison shopping and the estimate Gene gave me was very reasonable compared to other vendors. We agreed on a date for installation as well as a date and time a few days before that when they would deliver the wood for acclimation. Here is the only problem I encountered with them. They did not deliver the wood in the time that we had agreed. I was working that day and a friend was at my home awaiting the delivery. He had to call Design Expo a few times before we got this straightened out and had the wood delivered later that same day. On the day of installation, the installers arrived right on time. There were 2 of them and they never stopped working. When one took a lunch break, the other one kept going. They were quiet, polite and did an excellent job taking out the carpet and putting in the wood. They even helped me put felt pads on all my furniture before putting it back into place. I was very impressed with the job they did. The wood floors look beautiful. I would highly recommend Design Expo for any flooring work.

This job was phased to work in conjunction with getting the interior of my house painted so each room would only need to be taken apart once. This job went much more smoothly than expected. The flooring guys were responsive to schedule and responded very well to my issues during the installation. Any concern I had was taken care of during the process. I am very happy with my new floors and would definitely recommend this group to anyone else wanting hardwood floors both restored or installed. The only issue I had was the installers would want to stay working beyond 7pm to get the job done.

Scott Weaver's courteous, helpful and professional performance could be surpassed. Other providers came measured and promised next day email estimates which typically arrived several days latter and never itemized. Scott came, measured , and left an itemized estimate. The 'old school' approach was refreshing and much appreciated. At the store, Scott was exceedingly helpful and patient with our tile selection. The next day he drove 80 miles round-trip to pick up the tiles for timely installation. The subcontractor worked himself and his crew overtime to accomodate a prompt installation. We were very pleased with the overall outcome of our kitchen floor upgrade and service provided. We appologize for not having made this review back in March, 2012 when the project was completed.

Scott Weaver came out to see us and originally we planned to just do the kitchen and dining area. Scott offered to give us a quote on the whole job, which we had priced before through other vendors. He not only beat their prices but offered up suggestions which were both cost effective and design conscious. He was very friendly and put no pressure on us to decide right away. Once we decided to go with him, we went by the store to look at more laminate samples. Scott was great to deal with in that he had floor samples along with a cabinet door that matched ours. It made it easy to see the final results. The installation was very good and efficient, they took 2 days to finish the original job and were very careful not to damage anything in the house. They were also very thorough at cleaning up after themselves, they even swept up the sawdust in my driveway and hauled it away. After a few days of inspection we had a minor punch list for them to touch up (missed one section of quarter round, a few splinters in the flooring and railing not installed on top of the laminate). Scott had them return and in a few hours finished all the items on the list to our complete satisfaction. Great follow up and customer service. We are delighted with the craftsmanship and product quality and will definitely recommend Design Expo to all our friends and family.

Scott Weaver at Design Expo assured me off the bat that he "takes care of his Angie's List customers" and gave me no reason to doubt it thereafter. First, I was just looking at carpet. He helped me choose a style that fit my budget, and even basically told one of his supplier reps to stop bothering me once I had made a decision. I appreciated that. Next I discussed the options for wood/wood style flooring, and he helped me identify his best product for my needs. Frankly, I wasn't thrilled with it (or the price) but that was purely due to my personal taste and expectations. Regardless, he gave me a good quick education on my options with no pressure to make a decision or purchase. Again, I appreciated that. Being a typical price-conscious Angie's List shopper, I then checked a discount flooring vendor and found a high-quality wood laminate product that I liked better and was selling for nearly half the cost of what Scott had shown me. So, I took a sample of the product to Scott and told him that I thought I would be buying the laminate from the other vendor unless he could help me find another comparable option. Well, not only did he accept the challenge, but he found the exact same product and gave me an *installed* price that was almost identical to that of the other vendor. I was very pleased, because at that point I had concluded that I preferred to do my business with Design Expo. After the carpet was installed, and looked great, I went back to Design Expo and again Scott helped me select a perfect tile for my kitchen floor (which I later decided to install in the laundry/pantry area as well) and a corresponding tile for the kitchen counter backsplash. And the above is just the "shopping" experience! The installation process was nothing short of awesome. I didn't have a chance to meet the carpet installers, because they came and finished while I was at work one day (all 5 rooms) and the carpet looks and feels great underfoot. Time will prove the durability of the installation, but so far it seems outstanding. I can't say enough positive things about Yung (I hope I'm spelling that correcty) - the gentleman who installed all of the laminate flooring and tile. He came and did the installation in phases, as my schedule permitted, which was a HUGE help. The quality of his work was the best of any contractor I worked with during this renovation, and I would request him by name for any future installation work. CLOSING COMMENT: You might save a small percentage on the total bill by using other vendors (or not) but there is no doubt that you will be happy with any installation by The Design Expo. If nothing else, visit the storefront and at least see what they have to offer. And ask for Scott - he'll take care of you.

Scott came to my home to provide the estimate right on the spot. He measured, we discussed samples and he provided the cost estimate and broke down the details. This was extremely helpful to make a decision on where we could cut costs if needed. Scott didn't put pressure on us to sign a contract or make a decision right on the spot and I appreciated that. Once I made the decision, scheduling the date of the install was easy-breezy. Scott came out one more time, this time with the installer, to look at my floor after we had did the demo ourselves. I had some concerns with an unleveled floor and Scott recommended they take another look at the floor before installation. That meeting was on a Tuesday evening and I called the next day to make my appt. for the installation. He was able to schedule me for the following Monday. The day before my install I received a call from Scott and Francisco, the installer, to confirm the installation for the next morning starting between 8 a.m. - 9 a.m. At 8 a.m. exactly Francisco and his crew were at my door and they got to work immediately. They worked all day with a very short lunch break. By 6 pm they were finished and cleaning up their mess. They left me with a few parting words on how to take care of my new floor and that was it. This was the easiest home renovation project I've experienced to date. Overall, Design Expo was attentive and responsive. Every call was answered and returned promptly. Questions were answered with enough detail. I got 3 quotes and The Design Expo's was $500-$700 cheaper than the others. They definitely didn't skimp on quality -- my floors look great!

Mr. Scott Weaver broke all records with regards to having the fastest response/turn-around time. I called him in the morning of June 6 and he was able to come out in the afternoon same day to do the estimate AND schedule installation the next day June 7! I appreciate the way he broke down the estimate and showed me exactly what I was paying for. The installers, Mr. Young and company, were on time, very, very efficient and did a great job with the installation. We Thank you very much for a job well done.

They started on a Monday morning and were done on Saturday. Since it involved ripping out all the flooring in our split foyer (carpet in four bedrooms removed, plus a living room, basement family room, dining room, large office/eat-in kitchen; tile in the kitchen and the entry), and replacing all of it with a mixture of hardwood, tile and carpet, it was a time-consuming job. But we never moved a piece of furniture -- they did it all. And we never had to stay anywhere else during the experience. It was a mess, but that was unavoidable. They were extremely careful with our things -- including china and glassware. And it took exactly the length of time they estimated. Plus they were great about going back and forth with us on the costs, clearly explaining the different qualities of their products. Would highly recommend them for large and small jobs.

Initially, it didn't go over too well. The white moulding in the closet was great. But when I looked at the moulding closely in the bedroom after they left, I noticed holes and gaps between the moulding and the floor. I mentioned it to the manager. He came back to look at it and determined that it wasn't professionally done. With the holidays, it was corrected about three months later. I didn't mind waiting. I knew he had to work it in the schedule. He didn't charge me for the extra materials or labor. He went above and beyond and I appreciated that.

We have dealt with them for carpeting before and we were pretty happy with them then. We are happy with the new hardwood flooring as well. It's like a two person company run by Scott and Jean; we usually deal with Scott, but they both seem to be good.

WOW!! One of the best experiences I have had regarding update to my home. They were communitive, professional and had the work complete in a quick time frame. Not only will I recommend them to friends and family I will have them sand and finish the first floor hardwood and install slate bathroom tiles in my two upstairs bathrooms. I dealt with Scott Weaver and felt very comfortable and not pressured at all. I wish he could replace windows!!

Scott Weaver was the only person to provide a quote that showed the cost breakdown components and explained them. The two other quotes we had, the person would come in measure and write a number on the back of a business card. The quoted price was competitive to the other three and Scott followed up within the time frame we gave him since I was having some wiring moved and other items that had to occur before we'd do the floor. He was the only one to call back. Their installer arrived on time and the installation went very well. They had to work around two stairs that were probablamatic because of the way they were originally constructed. They also did a good job of cleaning up. I asked them to come back and tweak some items on the stairs, which they did in a timely manner. Highly recommend them. A professional group.

The first day installers arrived 30 minutes late, but once work was done I was happy with service. Installers had to come back an extra day (Monday) because formica flooring for kitchen was not defective from the company. Work was swift, accurate and well done. Would use again. Scott was very honest and upfront about the work and business. Work was done professionally and completed as promised.

First off, we found this store through Angie's List recommendations. It is further from us than perhaps 20 other flooring stores, including the Home Depot. the sales process with Gene and Scott was low pressure, easy to understand, and accommodating. When the proposal came in approx. $400 over our budget, they were able to find ways to bring the price down in creative ways. Additionally, the sales process was an education in flooring materials that was enlightening, yet sometimes overwhelming. Installation went smoothly and their installer, Mr. Young, was courteous but a little too quiet. They did a fine job on taking away the old flooring, installing the new, and cleaning up afterwards. However, about a week after the install, we noticed a slight buckling in the hallway area. I called Gene and after a single reminder call, we had Mr. Young back to look at the problem. It was not the install as there was plenty of room for floor expansion. It turns out that the box of flooring materials used in the hallway may have been warped, causing it to bow upwards. When discussing this with Gene, he decided that the store would reinstall the entire hallway and deal with the manufacturer later. He did not want us to be further inconvenienced and wait for the manufacturer to okay the re-install. We are currently awaiting this action and will update this review when completed.

Their prices are competitive. We have been very happy with them.

Make sure you get Scott to help you out he came to our home gave us a written estimate and went out of his way to take care of us. They were a pleasure to deal with and the installers did an excellent job of a very demanding project! We are very happy with the results and will hire them again in the future.

We dealt with Gene from the beginning. He was very professional throughout with consultation, guidance and follow up. We never felt pressured or hurried and we took a lot of samples home. The scheduling was carried out on time with a great installation. The installers were courteous, careful and completed the job on time. It was a very pleasant experience and we would not hesitate to use The Design Expo for our future needs.

The Design Expo helped us choose bamboo flooring that they then installed in our kitchen over existing sub-flooring, after removing the old linoleum and baseboards. They also sanded and refinished the oak flooring in our dining room and living room, recommending a type of oil that gives a finish consistent with the style of our house, but giving us the option of choosing the finish we wanted. (We took their recommendation and are very happy with the result.) Both jobs were well done and continue to look outstanding more than a year later. The salesmen and workmen were professional in their interactions with us. Cleanup was very carefully and completely done, also. We're very satisfied with the job.

Salesman Gene was pleasant and seemed to know their products. We received an e-mail with their information. But it was not formatted in a way to easily figure out the various charges. I was able to reformat and total the information in order to compare with other vendors. We decided to go with another company primarily on price.

I would give them the highest grade on everything and I would absolutely use them again.

This was a good experience for me. I did not have a huge budget to work with and Design Expo had some nice choices in my price range. Gene did not try to "up-sell" me to more expensive carpeting than I could afford and there was no high-pressure selling. The carpet installers arrived exactly on time and did a great job on the installation. The installation (including steps) is flawless. My dad was in the floor covering busines many many years ago, so I have high expectations from the installers. I plan to use this company again and I recommend them without reservation for carpeting sales and installation.

What a nightmare. The “contractor” showed up with a “helper” that was, I believe was a landscaper. Gene was a no show. The contractor went on to complain that there was furniture that needed to be moved…and many tiles need to be removed and replaced before he could get started. He went to the hardware store and came back in about an hour. He removed the asbestos tiles and put new ones in the vacant places. He started rushing in and out of the house putting in the luan sub floor and laying the linoleum. The next day he began work on the stairs. He now had a new helper. There was a very strong smell of alcohol – which later proved to be the contractor. The molding cuts were ridiculous. No 45’s in the corners and large gaps in the long straight cuts were pieces needed to be joined. Once he began on the stairs he needed to use my plastic drop clothes and my painters tape to cover the downstairs door openings to keep dust from spreading everywhere. Then he needed a sander - we had to go rent one for him. After sanding the stairs, he had to use my paint brush to stain the treads and another of my paint brush to slap the paint on the risers – he left for the day. After many days and my canceled vacation the promised work is nowhere near to being finished. I called Gene and stated that I didn’t want this contractor back in my home that the work wasn’t going to be competed in a manner or standard that would make anyone happy and that he needed to find someone qualified to finish the stairs and the rest of the job. The next day around 1:30 unannounced the dismissed contractor shows up at my door! This was an extremely awkward and potentially dangerous situation to put me in. I couldn’t believe it. Gene showed up about 30 minutes later to review the situation. Feeling extremely pressured and urged by Gene the same contractor was to return to re-finish the stairs. Another day he showed up around 11:30 with 2 other guys and started working. The mess continued and stairs needed to be scraped and the young Hispanic guy that the contractor brought was working hard and seemed to know what he was doing. Meanwhile the contractor and one helper went to another job and left this guy to work alone. He worked and was carefully timing the application of the stain and sealers. Later in the day and another paint brush later at approximately 3:30 the contractor returned in the usual panic mode and rushed the guy working on the stairs telling him to hurry and finish because they all had to drive back over to Silver Spring to another job. The painting of the risers and base moldings obviously weren’t going to be completed in a satisfactory professional manor so I hired another contractor and paid him to do a great job – he was finished in a 1 ½ days. I deducted his payment from the original contract, and provided an explanation and various photos to Gene and as I have done thru this process. I have made an additional payment of $2000.00 to show good will as I was trying to work toward a solution with Design Center Expo. This is just a few of the details of this nightmare – and the nightmare continues. Major damage has been done to my walls, doors, doorknobs, storm door, etc. Stain, scraps, gouges and pencil marks all over the walls. Glue on the door knobs, broken molding on the doors etc, etc. The trim at the top of the stairs was a joke. Part of it was so bad I took it out myself as the handrail wouldn’t have been able to fit over the trim. The next attempt was simply unbelievable - they laid the bull nose tread OVER the base of the hand rail leaving a high ridge that could have easily been tripped on resulting in a header down the stairs. Another attempt was completed (getting closer) BUT now there is silly lazy looking fix on one side of the top step then a ½ of a caulk tube full of caulk blobbed in to try to cover up the mess on the other side. I have now contacted someone else to come in a fix this mess. Gene had been fairly responsive leaving messages and I have done the same including sending him photos of the shotty work. (I haven’t heard from him recently although I did tell him I was involved in a massive project at work thru the 16th) Gene likes to state in many instances that the poor workmanship is “reasonable” I didn’t contract over $6500.00 of my hard earned money for “reasonable” – I paid for a promised 2 days of quality work and professionalism. I’ve lost count of the number of days we have had to take off of work to get this job nearly completed. Now I have flooring that isn’t properly “matched” at the seams, that feels spongy, and creaks when it is walked on -noisier that before - with an luan underlayment that probably voids the warranty, stairs that are foggy and a top step that is……..”rigged” I should have just found a “guy”

From the estimate to the work done, they were extremely professional and prompt. Scott, the owner, came and gave me an estimate of work to be done, which was lower then 2 other estimates I had received. They came and first did the carpeting, which they did on a Saturday. The installers were professional and did a great job in laying the carpet. They were neat, and cleaned up after themselves. The next week the installers came and did the hardwood floors. Again, they were on time, did a great job in putting down the hardwood floors and cleaned up everything. I was extremely satisfied with all the work performed and would certainly use them again.

The installers showed up at 8 a.m. and immediately began removing the carpet. Within an hour they were installing the hardwood flooring in the bedroom and two other installers were removing the carpet from the stairs and began installing hardwood stairs. The job was completed by 7 p.m and everything was broom clean and the debris was removed. It was efficient and well done.

Everything went well from beginning to end. First off Scott was very knowledgeable and helpful in steering me in the direction I needed to go without overloading me with too many options. He steered me towards good quality mid-price products that were exactly what I was looking for. I even went with his first color choices. He was my first estimate. I got 2 more. He matched the lowest estimate. The installers were punctual, friendly, and did nice work. They were fairly neat, leaving only a few marks on the walls. Francisco helped us make several decisions about how to place the wood and moldings. He really knew his stuff. When we found a couple of small problems after installation, they resolved them right away. I would definitely recommend them!