We installed new cabinets in the kitchen, had a soapstone countertop installed, then it was time to refinish the oak floor. I started calling contractors but with the good economy they're pretty busy to the point that most didn't return calls. Then my wife said, "I found a guy to do the floor for $500." A few people she knows recommended him. She said he'd do two coats of oil based polyurethane. I've always done at least 3 coats and just about everyone I talked to also did three coats. Anyways, we had a pretty good battle over it and I finally said, "Go ahead, hire him."
They did a pretty decent job sanding. They put a 1st coat on and said it had to set for 3 days. 3 days later the boss showed up, speaking some English. He scruffed up the finish and applied the 2nd coat with a roller, while talking on the phone and giving prices to customers. He was done in 20 minutes, and he left.
I know that after you roll polyurethane on, you have to brush out the bubbles. Well, he didn't and sure enough it bubbled, everywhere. I was very pissed. I waited a day and called him. He explained about humidity and other ****, and he'd put another coat on...for a price.
Anyways, I used my orbital sander, on my hands and knees, and removed the bubbles, then applied two more coats with a brush. Now it looks great, but my back is proportionally worse.
I checked the guy out online (as I should have before hiring him) and he went by two different names - his "American" name and his Cambodian name. Under his American name he had great reviews, but judging by the sentence structure and wording of the reviews, I think they were written by the same person. Under his Cambodian name, he had terrible reviews - really bad.
I'm still thinking about small claims court.
Reminds me of that commercial:
Cost to refinish floor - $500
Cost to re-refinish floor due to bad contractor - $50 plus a lot of pain.
Being able to say to wife, "I told you so"...PRICELESS.