Fitzgeralds Hardwood Floors

Fitzgerald Hardwood flooring refinished our living room and family room floors. Floor were refinished last summer, Jim confirmed that there was a standing issue and we observed swirls on the new floor. He commented that there was dust or dirt on the pad which caused the scratches. He would have to redo the floors. I expressed my concerns as well as my concerns over the color was significantly lighter than the can. He proceeded to state they the can format was changed, round vs square was change, the manufacture confirms that there was not change in formulation. After many attempts of trying to reach Jim and no response am posting today in hopes of him contacting me. If we do not hear back I will post picture of his workmanship. Very disappointed.

We contacted Jim to redo our ballroom dance floor in October 2020 . It was previously refinished using Junkers HP, the floor manufacturers sealer and finish, by another contractor that failed to complete the job because the finish clumped and hardened upon mixing. The manufacturer was clearly at Fault here but we parted ways to seek a more experienced refinisher. Jim seemed very approachable and willing to help us at first to find an appropriate solution to our finish problems and even tested several finishes on different boards we supplied to see if it would provide the friction and glide we needed for ballroom dancing and one that matched the original factory floor finish. It took several months between trying different finishes and scheduling. We were Reassured by Jim that his application was going to match the example he refinished. Once we found the best finish we agreed to pay Jim a sum that was well above the rate of the nearest competitor because of his reviews and his additional work to find the right finish. This was our first mistake. Any contractor would be willing to do this . Jim and his helper sanded the flooring using a method that did not match his example he gave us and we noticed noticed streaking when the finish dried which seemed indicative of not spreading the finish evenly. We mentioned that the floor was not as smooth as we wanted and that this streaking was various areas so we wanted the entire floor refinished to get the consistency we paid him for. We tried reaching Jim after the job and we got a brief reply saying he hadn’t forgotten us but not a commitment from him to return . When I texted him late one night after 10 days to make it clear that we were upset that he wasn’t committing to a time . This is when things changed. He got extremely upset. He also demanded that we not show him videos from the finish manufacturer showing the latest technique that results in even spreading of the product despite him showing us old video that showed his technique! He insisted his T bar method was sufficient and that if we did not permit him to work without our supervision he would not return to redo the job. He agreed to refinish the entire floor but he was very resistant and reluctant to do so. We felt that he seemed offended so I let him work unattended to respect his wishes and his expertise. This was our second mistake. Jim took video after the first time he refinished to document his work and let us know he was leaving . Well this time he just left without telling us . Upon inspection we noticed that he left dirt and debris in puddles of finish at the entrances and exits. There were hairs in the finish that we had to pull out using a razor and drip spots randomly in certain areas from his T bar method. We could see that this was not just an oversight. He had not done such sloppy work like this in the first finish. The length of time it had taken us to get the job completed was over a year from our first contact to when he completed the work. This was extensive even with the pandemic and his location, which was almost 90 minutes from our ballroom . It was a challenging job but certainly attainable and it should have been started sooner but he committed to other jobs. During this time we had endured a few complications including my foot and ankle surgery that kept me off my feet and having to manage our friends business in the same building because he is recovering from a stroke due to COVID . I could hardly walk so my Wife had to let him in and clean the space so that it was fit for refinishing. This was an extraordinary task . We are extremely disappointed with Jim‘a lack of professionalism and follow through especially after telling us that if we had issues with the job he would do whatever he could to make sure it was done right. We feel deceived and taken advantage of. The puddles on the floor cannot be removed at this point. We spent $6000 over the next closest estimate next to his get the job done correctly because we know how difficult it was to find someone skilled to do the work. We should have looked at refinishers in New York City for this price. They would have come. Beware of the contractor with perfect reviews and do not pay them until you see what the job looks like AFTER the finish dries! He clearly felt he had no incentive to return once he had his money and he was not willing to stay committed to completion of the job .

unknown

Excellent! We couldn't have asked for a better job or more punctual, polite service. After removing the original carpeting, we ran into a couple of unanticipated problems, and Jim took everything in stride and came up with solutions. They were here every morning exactly when they said they would be and could not have been more conscientious with their work. We would definitely call them for any additional work we want done and would recommend them highly to anyone looking for hardwood floor work.

unknown

I give him top stars. He did a great job. He was here when he said. He cleaned up and there was no mess when he left. He was on Angie's list. There wasn't anything that I didn't like. He came when he said he is going to come and he worked really efficiently and he had one helper. We had opted for a pre finished floor and just wanted to get it done as we had a short window where we had to get the work done. He did a perfect job. He was efficient.

I would rate the work done as Excellent. Very happy with job.

Timeline; As for this company; the job took 4 days. The crew [which ranged from 1 to 3 depending on the specific place in the job] hustled the entire time. There was never evidence of just hanging about. Jim Sr. was clearly in charge and kept things moving. He also had the energy to keep things moving. Furniture: while this was not included in our price, my wife and daughter moved most of our stuff out to our garage. there were 3-6 heavy items we couldn't move that Jim and crew did for us without complaint. At the end of the job, we were exhausted so I asked the guys to start bring the stuff in. I expected to pay but Jim was resistant. Ultimately I prevailed because we had a lot of stuff and they took about 90 minutes to get it in and placed for my wife. Lest you think me a bum, it's hard to move a couch in a wheelchair. Capability: This contractor had all the right tools for the job and employed them effectively. I should note, I had considered using my handyman with rented equipment and doing the job myself. In hindsight, this clearly would have been penny-smart and pound-foolish. While having the knowledge to use the equipment, understanding the process and keeping the job moving is 90% of the job. I know the job would have take 3-4 times as long because of mistakes I know we would have made which have impacted the timeline and probably the quality. The process: seemed straight-forward. Course sanding, edge sanding, and fine sanding with intense vacuuming between each step. They hung plastic everywhere to prevent dust from going to the other areas of the house. Thing included an upstairs area with large open ceilings. The dust factor was truly kept to a minimum. Attention to detail; Between each of the 3 coats of poly, sanded with fine-grit paper, vacuumed, then applied the respective coats. The floors gleamed. We were very pleased with the work and the ethic of the crew. They were very polite and responsive. Summary; First, this is a relatively straight forward job that could become complicated if not done orderly. Secondly, for the are of the home visually impacted, the square foot cost is so small [$2 - 4$ per square foot] that it is nearly impossible to do this job yourself and save money. Finally, the contractor. After closely observing the process and the techniques, this type of job is usually simple but precise. Contractor experience is an essential ingredient. Do your homework. This job could have gone wrong had I picked the one applicant who I later found out actually worked for another company and did my size job as their own side-job. A note about our Bruce Hardwood Floors: As i mentioned, they were installed nearly 25 years ago. The were solid 3/4and quot; oak, tongue and groove; they had the deep 'v' groove seem [which I hated because of the dirt collection as well as the clickety-clack of things like wheel on the vacuum rolling over]. My hope was to have them sanded down enough to eliminate the 'v'v groove. This is not possible because the remaining would above the groove would create instability in the floor. HOWEVER, just the standard sanding took the floor down enough to give the floor the antique look of a feel-kept floor in an older home. It had a pleasing effect. Fitzgerald: Ultimately, our experience was very good.I highly recommend Jim and his crew for your hardwood floor refinishing. Their price is right, but more importantly, the know their work and are good at it.

THEY TOOK PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID CREATING A MESS CAUSED BY SANDING THE WOOD. THEIR PRICE WAS VERY REASONABLE.