I bought my first apartment in Dec, and wanted to have the floors redone. I did a bunch of research online, then went California Carpets and Cal-Wood to look at samples. I found the staff at Cal-Wood knowledgeable and not too pushy/salesy, and they gave me very good advice on what wood and finish to buy considering the effect I wanted (e.g., advised Cumaru over Tiete Chestnut for a similar effect at lower cost; advised solid unfinished planks no wider than 3" for this particular wood; advised a tung oil finish that would be non-toxic, durable, and long-lasting with minimum maintenance, while still allowing touch-ups). They also recommended several flooring installation contractors, one of whom I used and who did an excellent job. Lastly, the quality of the wood itself was excellent. I can't comment too much on the price I got - I didn't haggle (perhaps foolishly), but it seemed fair compared to what I had seen elsewhere and online.
Despite all this, the process was very frustrating for the following reasons:
1) I requested delivery of the wood on a specific date, and was told I would get a call a couple days before giving me a delivery timeframe so that I could be sure to be there to let them in. I didn't get a call, so the day before, I called them. The person I spoke to didn't seem to know anything about my order, so I gave him all the details again, and then asked when it would be delivered. He asked when I would like it to be delivered. I expressed surprise that it was up to me (someone earlier had referred to a delivery schedule that's written up every weekend), but said morning (9-11am) would be nice. I took the morning off work and waited at the apartment with the painters, who I'd asked to help me carry the wood in. When 11 came and went and the wood wasn't there, I called again. This person (someone else) said they didn't know why I was every told it would be there in the morning, that I was scheduled for delivery between 2 and 3pm. I gave up and went to work leaving my boyfriend in charge, and the wood did eventually come on schedule, but I had to spend a precious half-day of vacation for nothing and didn't even get to be there to see the wood when it came.
2) The guy who delivered the wood was surly and rude, even though my boyfriend helped him unload all the wood into the garage (they're not legally allowed to do more than unload it based on their insurance, hence the extra $200 to have the painters carry it in for me).
3) The soundproofing they recommended didn't work as well as I hoped. I can't confirm this, but others commented that there are better products out there, but Cal-Wood doesn't carry them so they don't tell you about them.
4) I asked how I could pay for the wood, and if there was a discount for paying in cash (there isn't). I was told that if I was paying by credit card I had to come in in person. No problem, I needed to go in to choose baseboards anyway. I arrive at 1:50pm, only to be told that I can't pay in person with a credit card (?), I have to print out, sign, and fax in a form. Secondly, I can't choose baseboards anymore because their baseboard selection is in the warehouse, which closes at 2pm on Saturday (even though the showroom is open till 5pm). So, that was 2 bus trips in each direction and several hours wasted, only to have to get a City CarShare car and go back the following weekend.
5) I ordered the baseboards and paid for them in person (I think they can only process credit cards in person in the warehouse, which closes at 2 on Saturdays and tends to close early anyway?). Again, I requested delivery on a certain day. Again, I was supposed to get a call with a delivery timeframe, and didn't. Again, I called them when I hadn't heard, and was told they could no longer deliver on the day I needed, but that I could have my contractor pick up the wood. They asked who I was working with, and when I told them, they said no problem - they'd call him directly to arrange for him to pick up the wood. They never called him. I had to have the guy who was sanding the floors go by at 8am to pick them on the day they were to be installed.
The finished product of my floors is fantastic and I found Robert and Jason to always be polite and knowledgeable, but even they failed to leave out important details like the difference between the showroom and the warehouse, the tasks to be completed at each, and the hours for them. At every step of the process, I felt like things would have fallen apart if I weren't constantly following up, and even with all my following up, things still didn't go as planned. Given that I was spending a lot of money and trying to coordinate painters and flooring installation and finishing, Cal-Wood's poor logistical management made the entire process way more time-consuming and stressful than it needed to be. Maybe if you had a bigger construction project with a dedicated project manager, it would be less painful...? read more