On this cloudy Chicago morning, I sit at my desk with the Century Tile paperwork at my side, ready…read morefor the file. Today, thank heaven, the sun is not spotlighting my failed floor, which is noticeably higher than the adjacent living room floor, like somebody screwed up, and has a bubble about six inches in, as well as a slightly sunken and irregular area, both just at the threshold where the sun relentlessly reveals the defects every bright morning. And all day long, for that matter, but I try not to look.
God knows I tried. After saving the money for a new floor for ages, I was resolved to practice every due diligence. I therefore examined well the proposal the salesman from the Rand Road Century Tile presented to me, which clearly stated that the existing floor would be removed and disposed of by the company, as we had discussed.
That was important to me for practical, not cosmetic, reasons. My Chicago garden apartment has everything low, including the counter-top over my dishwasher. There was precious little clearance, and I was very, very, very concerned the dishwasher would come out easily in case of need, as it had twice before when the below-ground outside wall had been breached by rats and the exterminator needed access to that wall. I had told the salesman this, as well as their installation expert, Mike, who had assured me on his subsequent visit that there would be no reason to worry on that score. He had also assured me, with a look of professional horror, that the floor once laid would absolutely, certainly be 'rolled.' (I'd done a little homework on the tricky installation of sheet vinyl and found that rolling was essential.)
But the installers didn't remove the existing flooring as specified by the proposal, and simply laid the vinyl over the top of the old tile, and they didn't use a roller but instead brushed a two-by-four with a glued piece of carpeting over the top. I had protested at the time, but they politely but firmly ignored me, saying Mike had given them their instructions. They were happily done in less than three hours and on their way.
And so for my beautiful new floor I was left instead with the bubble and sunken area at the threshold, glowing in every sunrise, and a nagging worry about the dishwasher removal in case of need, all in violation of the proposal I'd been given, or, in the case of the rolling, the verbal assurance Mike had given me.
I protested after the fact, of course, since the work came with a'no-questions lifetime guarantee,' and I am writing here to tell you, don't believe it, or rather, be prepared to pony up for legal representation to enforce it. A proposal from Century Tile is worthless. Mike and subsequently other office personnel informed me that the work order following the proposal is what actually rules the agreement (although this is contrary to every other professional proposal you will ever receive), and my work order had clearly said they would 'skim' the floor, as if the client would surely know that contradicted the formal proposal that said the existing flooring would be removed. Which I hadn't realized. And how would I? What, after all, is 'skim'?
And now removing the spoiled floor was out of the question, apparently. Mike eventually came out (an hour late and on his phone), pried up the vinyl at the threshold, did some scraping of the rough sunken area, laid down more glue, ignored the bubble further into the room, took a picture, and left. And I was glad. We elderly must cut our losses.The very sight of him provoked chest pain.
So I am posting this review of Century Tile in Mount Prospect to say to the unwary senior citizen or single woman, don't go there, or if you do, make sure the work order you receive is in word-for-word compliance with the original proposal, because if they are not, you will pay the same money but you will be up the creek, and Mike will tell you so with a sneer.
Go somewhere else. These folks have the shiest down to an art form.