She tried initially to argue that even at 7-10% I could lay the flooring, but the contract says anything 6% or higher should result in the flooring not being laid. I pointed that out to her and told her that given this, I couldn't let them do that because then they would try to come back later and void any warranty claim I would make because it was installed outside of their specifications.
Now I am just waiting for someone to come take a look at the floor and give me their opinion on where the leak is so that we can get it fixed. Crossing my fingers that end of things comes out well. **
In November the flooring I wanted went on sale. So I bought it and set up a delivery date. Then, the night before the delivery, Home Depot called to tell me my flooring was in and that they needed to set up a delivery date. I explained we were already on the books for tomorrow and they said, oh, yeah, sure...see you then.
The next morning, I sit and wait for 4 hours for my flooring to show up (had to take off work) and no dice. Then they call me that afternoon to tell me that oops, they couldn't get to me that day because the person who originally made the appointment forgot to confirm it with the delivery guy and he was all booked up. They couldn't notify me of this at 0800? So, they refunded the delivery charge and we set a new appointment for the next morning...another day off work. They don't show up until the afternoon. I ask when the install will happen...oh, not until the end of December (6 weeks from the delivery date). This answer comes only after first Senior Jefe called and asked nicely and then he called me and told me they wouldn't give him a date. So I call and the very rude woman answers and I explain that my husband just called and asked this question and did not get a satisfactory answer. She proceeds to tell me that Senior Jefe just doesn't understand that Home Depot will call and make an appointment when they're ready. She goes on to say how rude Senior Jefe was on the phone. Now, most of you haven't met him, but the man doesn't get angry. He doesn't behave rudely. If anything, he's too nice. So I tell her, I think you have this situation confused in your head. My husband, well, he's the nice one. I am the pit bull in this family. Home Depot told me that when the flooring was delivered they would have an install date for me that same day, so I am not hanging up the phone until I have that information. She proceeds to tell me that what I don't understand is that she won't do anything for me and that's the way it is. So, I asked to speak to her supervisor and shockingly, the install date magically appears. But, it's still 6 freaking weeks out.
Then, I am looking at the old flooring and it's buckled in a few places, so I call Home Depot and tell them, hey, I think this flooring needs to come up. We need to work that into the estimate for the install. They call the installer (who hasn't actually looked at the floor mind you) and he tells them I don't know what I am talking about. I insist to no avail and finally give up.
I fly home on the 28th to be there for the installer. My house has been tetrised for the install since before I left (so before finals week). The installer comes on the 29th and tells me, hey the flooring is buckled and needs to come up. I explain that I told them that. He says that he was going off the measurer's notes, which don't mention the buckling. I explain I called. Doesn't matter.
I'm over a barrel here, so up comes the floor. It's wet...really wet under the linoleum. The linoleum comes up like butter (it's not supposed to be that easy). We have two options...my slab is either naturally wet (which is unlikely given the drainage around the house) or I have a leak. The installers leave me to figure it out.
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| The wet adhesive under the linoleum is smearable (foreground). This is actually one of the drier spots. |
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| Kitchen floor is somewhat more dry, but all the counters are covered with stuff to keep it off the floor. |
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| The living room is dry, but the carpet is gone and all the bookcases, TV, etc have been relocated. Hallway and laundry room are in a similar state. |
I spend Friday at work, so I can't investigate until Saturday. Sure enough...there's a leak. It's not associated with any of the fixtures. It's not between the house and the water meter. It appears to be inside the house. I call a Roto-Rooter and tell them I need leak detection done. They send someone out this morning to do leak detection. Only, after he arrives he asks me what the problem is. He explains he doesn't have time to do leak detection today...no time until Tuesday. He was just there to establish what the problem was. WTF? I am pretty sure I am not speech impaired. Why do people assume I am an idiot when it comes to home repairs?
Now I am mad. So I call Senior Jefe, because my Dad and my Mom to varying degrees are both hoarders and having my house in chaos makes me feel scared. I could deal with the leak if every room in the house weren't a freaking disaster area.But I don't have anywhere to go for refuge, because if it isn't wet (or torn up with flooring to be replaced later), it's tetrised to some degree. I am so freaking angry.
The good news, if you can call it that is that my realtor was the one who put me on the right track to finding the problem and Senior Jefe found a former Seabee to come check my work and then find the leak for me...gratis. He's coming tomorrow and he works with USAA, so I won't have problems with them hopefully. Although when I called them and told them yesterday all that I had done to chase down the leak, they told me they were impressed and that based on my description of the situation they authorized me to go ahead and get the work done. Since we won't be able to do that until Tuesday (at the earliest), I will probably check in with them again and make sure everyone is 100% in the loop through the process.
In the meantime, I can't go to the lab because the experiment I need to run requires me to be available at a specific time each day for sampling. I cannot deviate from it one iota. Since I don't know how much I am going to be tied up by this house issue I can't start the experiment yet. So I feel pretty all around useless and helpless. Neither of which I particularly like. I fear that the rest of the floors will have to come up as well. I fear this won't be resolved before school starts. I wonder if I even want to continue dealing with Home Depot because I believe I would be a lot further through this process, maybe even done with it by now, if I had had one experienced contractor who was with me through the whole process from start to finish, instead of having random people popping into and out of the process at different points. I am trying to decide if it's worth the 15% fee to break the contract or if I just chalk it up to a lesson learned.
One thing I know for sure. I won't make this mistake again. Home Depot can kiss my business goodbye.
1 comment:
Ugh. I would be SO ANGRY and I'm the financial idiot that would break a contract just to show them.
Actually, they would cancel it fee-free by the time I got down with them.
Love you!
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