If a friend were considering MAC for a home project, I would strongly discourage them…read more
We hired MAC to replace our downstairs floors after a positive showroom experience. Tanner showed us Bjelin flooring that was gorgeous, exactly what we wanted. It was a relatively new product, but he spoke confidently about its durability. When he came to measure, I specifically showed our 15-year-old kitchen tile, which had become badly dinged over time, and asked if the new flooring would eventually look the same. I emphasized that durability was #1 to us. He assured me this flooring was exceptionally durable and would not end up looking like that.
We received another quote about $2k less, but chose MAC because we expected a smoother project with them if anything went wrong. Sadly, that was not our experience.
The product we were sold is not right for our family, and there were also problems with installation, communication, workmanship, and care of our home.
Before the project began, I asked about protecting our cabinets and window shutters from construction dust. I was told by email and by project manager Matt that I didn't need to do anything because the crew would handle it. They did not. Only the kitchen cabinets were covered. When we returned home, dust was everywhere inside built-ins and bathroom cabinets and all over the shutters. I spent significant time cleaning and had our housecleaners help at an additional cost.
Matt said a lockbox would be used for our key. Instead, I found our key sitting outside next to a planter. He also said he would meet me on the first morning to walk through everything. I waited, but no one came or even contacted me.
They also showed little care for our property. They left large chunks of wood and sawdust throughout our yard and poured leftover concrete along the side of our house, onto our stepping-stone walkway and around plants where our children play.
And then there was the workmanship. When we returned home, we found:
* Multiple noticeable scratches on our new flooring
* A dishwasher that could not open because the toe kick was too tall
* A big hole in the drywall from demo
* A large gap in another section of toe kick
* The kitchen toe kick painted the wrong color
* Missing hearth trim because they had ordered the wrong length
* Finishing trim that took multiple visits to complete
* Drain stopper of our newly installed bathroom faucet was broken and hidden
* Our couch feet reinstalled incorrectly with stripped screws, requiring us to pay the couch company to repair them
It took 6 days after I reported the dishwasher issue before they came back to remove the toe kick, meaning I couldn't use my dishwasher for nearly a week. The plumber they sent also hooked the dryer up incorrectly, so it was venting humidity back into our house. We were charged literally $900 for this work.
When I brought up the broken drain stopper with Matt, he said his crew hadn't done it, but would cover the replacement. We had to contact the manufacturer, learn the stopper couldn't be purchased separately, and replace it ourselves.
The lack of accountability was a recurring theme. When Kristin walked through the problems, she acknowledged some poor workmanship, but there was no recognition of the inconvenience this project had caused.
And the flooring itself has been the biggest disappointment. We don't wear shoes in our house, put area rugs throughout the downstairs, every piece of furniture has thick felt pads, and we are extremely careful not to drag anything across the floor. Yet I discover new scratches daily. My children cannot even play normally with ANY toys on the floor without scratching it.
The installation was supposed to take one week. Instead, the crew returned at least six additional times for repairs, mistakes, unfinished work, and corrections. It was summer and each time they came back was a morning I couldn't take my kids out to do something fun.
The last few visits were particularly telling. MAC sent a guy who was already leaving the company to repaint the kitchen toe kick. He determined it needed primer, but instead told me to prime and paint it myself. I followed his instructions, but paint and primer leaked under the tape because it wasn't properly sealed. I then spent HOURS cleaning paint off our brand-new floors--something I never should have been responsible for.
We expected a high level of care and professionalism for an $18,000+ project. Instead, we felt our home, time, and concerns were repeatedly treated as inconveniences. We trusted MAC to recommend a product that would work for our family after I specifically raised durability as a concern. We now have an expensive floor that requires constant babying and continues to scratch despite our care.
