FLOORS OF DISTINCTION

In mid-February, 2012 we visited Floors of Distinction as one of the places in the Twin Cities which carried Marmoleum flooring, which we were interested in. Over the next month or so we worked with Christina, the designer, to come up with a design for our kitchen. Christina came out and measured, discussed what we were looking for, and designed five or six possibilities on paper, which were tweaked until we agreed on a design. The owner of the store, Bruce, also came to see if we had the correct underlayment, and to the best of his ability and from what he could determine at that time, we did. The flooring was ordered. A couple of weeks later we heard from Christina that the yellow color we had ordered was unavailable (discontinued), and another yellow had been substituted. We were upset that we had not been notified earlier that one of our colors might not be available. As a result, we asked for and were granted removal of a couple of fees totaling about $150 from our invoice. The warehouse had told Christina that the amount of our original yellow was so small that they were sure they could find a piece for us... but they were not able to. The yellow which had been substituted was the closest to what the warehouse had to our original color. We were satisfied with the resolution of this problem. The installer was a busy man, so we had to wait several weeks after the flooring was received for him to install it. When he pulled up our old vinyl, he discovered that the underlayment that we thought was there, was not. He spent a day driving to get the materials he needed and installing them. After that he started installing the Marmoleum, but partway through the job we discovered that prior to the design process one measurement had not been taken (our kitchen is not square), and the design would have to be altered. In a hastily-called consultation at our house with the designer, the owner, and the installer, an alteration in the design was arrived at. After that, the floor went together well. The installer suggested not heat-welding the seams together because a residential application does not really need to be heat welded and our design was small enough to make it difficult to do properly. However, heat welding had been included in our proposal, so we told him to go ahead. Unfortunately, the heat welding ruined the crisp, clean edges of the design, and it looked messy and uneven. (The design consists mostly of squares). Christina, the designer came over a few days later, and also was not happy with the result. It was determined that a large portion of the floor would have to be torn out and redone. The materials were ordered, the installer was scheduled, the floor was redone, and in the end, it looks like it should and we are very satisfied. $850 of the original invoice for welding rods was removed from our final invoice, which is reflected in the total above.

We went to Floors of Distinction for advice on flooring for a renovation of a family room on the lower level of our walk-out rambler. Bruce Beaudoin explained the features and benefits of the available options -- carpet, ceramic tile, wood, vinyl and cork. It became apparent that a cork floor would not only be ideal for our application, but would be beautiful (and it is!). We took several samples home, and, with Bruce's counsel and advice, decided on a product that fit the style of our renovation perfectly. This was for a large family room (about 22' x 38') with access to a patio and hot tub outdoors. The functionality of the product is outstanding. The cork panel we chose is very durable, yet retains a supple feel with a little bit of "give" underfoot. The product has handled roller blades, skateboards, basketball and football games, a large dog, and heels of all kinds without any permanent marring or damage. Scuff marks are easily removed with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Cork does not absorb much heat or cold (unlike ceramic tile, for example), so the floor remains comfortable with bare feet in all seasons. With a very small space heater in one corner, we have had 8 kids sleeping directly on the floor with sleeping bags or blankets in the middle of winter with no complaints. Moreover, with all of the traffic back and forth from the hot tub, we have proven that cork flooring is very moisture friendly. The floor has seen a lot of wet feet and dripping bodies, with no impact on the floor whatsoever. Cork repels moisture (think cork in a wine bottle). The brown/gold/tan color mix adds a warm feel to the actual warmth of the product, and the styling of the panel we chose fits our more modern design elements exactly. Bruce Beaudoin is extremely knowledgeable about flooring. Cork is not as popular as one would think, given all of its advantages, and it really was not on our radar (price probably is a factor, but the product is well worth it to our view). Without Bruce's advice, we probably would not have considered cork flooring as an option. Floors of Distinction has a large collection of samples and exhibits of cork products. They can show you pictures of cork trees and how the cork is harvested. (Did I mention that cork is a "green" renewable product, as well). Bruce came to our home and took precise measurements. He went over every element of the work in detail (surface preparation, underlayment, dealing with heat registers and sewer clean out, etc.). The work was completed in two days, to perfection, no problems, which stood in contrast to the work being done by the other contractors. Turn key, worry free. We can recommend Floors of Distinction without any hesitation whatsoever.

They did the work that I had originally hired them to do. They did the work in a professional manner. I have used them many times over the years and they are very good. I spent about $6,500 on the job. I keep using them because of their personal service. I like the quality of their work. I guess they use subcontractors. They use first-grade craftsmen. I will use them again in the future.

They have good samples and everything but the price is quite a bit higher. They were very professional. It is just that their carpet was much higher because they probably may have had some better grades too. Their responsiveness was very good twenty years ago. This time we went to their store and just looked. They were very helpful. We had someone that came right away and showed us different samples and things. As far as coming out for the estimate, we haven’t had them do that yet. We would use them again in the future if we would get the right pricing.

It went very well, and I would recommend Ray as an installer to anyone. We have used the Floors of Distinction before, and we appreciate the care they gave us.

The entire process involved 5 visits to the store, several phone calls to/from salesperson and also several email exchanges. I want to specifically mention Heather, the salesperson with whom I worked. She was very patient in answering all my questions and explained in detail the different carpet choices, manufacturers, materials and specifications. She also came to my home and made suggestions as to color and carpet type. In fact, as soon as she walked in the house, a certain carpet style and color came to her mind and in the end (and after several weeks of shopping around) that is the carpet I selected! She was right on from the start! I shopped at two other carpet stores and got quotes on various products (some the same, others different). Floors of Distinction can be a little pricey, however, they were willing to negotiate. In the end, we arrived at a mutually agreeable deal and I will be having the carpet installed later this year. At that time, I will report on how the installation went, but I have no doubt FOD will do a superb job! I have used Floors of Distinction on three other occasions: once for the purchase and installation of a Canadian maple hardwood floor, another time for the purchase and installation of a tile surround for my fireplace and most recently for the purchase and installation of a luxury vinyl tile floor in my laundry room and downstairs bath. On all occasions, the experience was completely satisfactory. In particular, I want to highlight the expertise of the craftsmen they use for installations. They are top notch. I recommend anyone with flooring needs to visit Floors of Distinction. You might have to spend a little more but your project will be worry free.

Went well. Stopped at the showroom and was given many good choices. They had larger samples sent to the house which was nice to have as comparisons. Got an estimate and scheduled the installation. They were a little outside of the window they gave for showing up that day, but once the installers got to work they got the job done in the time I was told it would take.

I had used them years ago. I didn't go with them because they are expensive and they are more of an installation company; I am more like a I'll do it myself type of guy. Everything about their service is first class. They are an excellent company. I purchased hardwood floor from them about 5-7 years ago.

The end product looks great. This was our second experience with FOD and each time they did not disappoint.

Everything went well. I was satisfied with the tile that they provided.

Very professional and detailed. The installer had to move the stove and refrigerator and did an excellent job of installation. We provided the stained quarter round to install but the installer removed the baseboards and re-installed them when he was finished with the floor. He finished in approximately 8 hours. It looks wonderful.

They were great to talk with and I liked them. The flooring samples they had in the showroom were beautiful However they only offered prefinished flooring and I ended up choosing a different company for my new hardwood floors.

They were very attentive when we were at their store shopping for the right carpet. They special ordered samples for us, and were not pushy in trying to get the carpet back. We didn't like the first samples so they special order others that closely matched what we were looking for. They gave us advice on the carpet based on where we were looking to install it. A designer came out to provide input. They were upfront about how long it would take to get the carpet. When it arrived, they let us know very specifically when the installers would arrive and confirmed that it worked with our time schedule. The installation was done very professionally. Removal of the old carpet and scraps from the new carpet.

We had bids from 3 different stores found on Angie's List and got some good ideas from each estimator on what we should do with our floor. We liked the people at Floors of Distinction and they were happy to make some changes to their bid to do what we wanted with our floor. They were very pleasant and helpful. Our kitchen wasn't easy for the installer, but he was great! One of our walls is at an 80 degree angle so there were a lot of angled cuts. The kitchen floor abuts our dining room floor which is actually exposed aggregate concrete which everyone wanted to use a T-molding transition on, which we just couldn't see how it could lay flat. We talked with the folks at the store and they said a bull-nosed transition could work, and it's perfect. The flooring, the molding, everything is just right, and we're picky. But here's the best part. We have a built-in phone center / meal-planning desk that had carpet running up one side. When the installer pealed off the carpet, there was an ugly piece of metal sort of holding the whole thing up. The whole floor was done, but he took the measurements home and cut a piece of wood that he stained to match the color of the phone center (not the same color as our new floor) and brought it back two days later and installed when he did some final touch up to the moldings. Wow! And was there a charge for this "change order"? Nope. The installer showed us how to care for our floor, cleaned up his mess in the garage where he did his cutting and vacuumed anywhere inside that there was dust or shavings. When we made our final payment, they insisted we let them know if we had any problems or questions at any time in the future. We kind of got the feeling they wanted our business again. They will.

We wanted to replace carpet with hardwood on a portion of our main level. We worked with Christina Burns at Floors of Distinction to pick up the material and understand what exactly we want to accomplish. Christina was very inviting and great to work with. She took time to understand our preferences and gave great advice that worked well for all our family. Thank you, Christina! The installation process took a really long time to complete. First, the installers removed our existing floors and installed a new subfloor. Then we had work done by other companies replacing our wood fireplace with a gas unit. Then Floors of Distinction were back to install the new floors. Richard Hawthorne (our installer) did an amazing job. Everything looks great. We love our floors and are very happy with the project results.

It went fine. They helped with the selection, and it was good help. Sent an obviously experienced gentleman to measure and quote, and he gave good advice about choices. Then the installers came by on schedule and got it in. And it's very well done. We had some specific ideas of what we wanted and we'd had a hard time getting it all done, and this helped. The price was in line and it was done well with no drama.

The level of experience and professionalism at Floors of Distinction is outstanding. Christina was wonderful, and the installation crew was enthusiastic, responsive and attentive to every detail-- and I am a perfectionist. The whole production (which I had dreaded for a year before finding these people) turned out to be far less work and worry than I had anticipated. They made it as easy as it could be.

The process of resolution was frustrating and it it took Angie's List and my own floor inspector to get the matter resolved. However, once F of D had my 3rd party inspection report, they aggressively worked to resolve the problem and were very good about keeping me updated in their efforts. Floors of Distinction ultimately took responsibility for a product defect that was not their fault, and they likely incurred considerable cost in replacing the defective floors. The replacement floor (SCANDIAN BRAZILIAN TEAK) material was inspected prior to installation, and it had the same problem as the original batch. I strongly recommend staying away from SCANDIAN wood floor products. Floors of Distinction let us choose a different brand and type of flooring for the reinstall. We ended up with Red Oak from a company in Canada and it looks great. Floors of Distinction has redeemed themselves in my mind and I can again give them high scores.

Job 1: Excellent. Job 2: Outstanding.

Christina was our saleswoman, we told her what we were doing, she was helpful in showing us choices. The sunroom was done first, the installer came out as promised. He finished the job and vacuumed the carpet before he left. Christina called later that day to see if we were satisfied with the job. Then we received a Thank you note from her. The hardwood floors were installed 2 days apart to give us a place to put furniture. The wood was delivered 2 days prior in order to acclimate to the house temp. The installer was right on time, after getting set up he discovered not all the supplies were delivered so he called the store to get the pad and transition pieces delivered. Unfortunately, this took a little over an hour. He finished the job and swept up the garage floor, where the cutting was done. The master bedroom was done last, the installers were on time and also cleaned up after themselves. Christina made sure we were satisfied with the job, and sent a Thank you.

They were great to work with. We worked with Heather as our sales person, and she was very knowledgeable about her products. The guy who did the install did good work and was respectful. Kinda played his music loud though! But that was fine.

This is a follow up to my 12/30/2005 positive review. Just after installation, the floor looked great, but by April '06 my floors developed large gaps between the boards. The gaps are well over the width of a dime - the industry standard - & are a huge cleaning nightmare. I called the company and they said it was due to low humidity in the winter. By July 2006 the floor gaps had not shrunk and I called again. I finally got Bruce, the owner, to come out in late August 2006. He looked at the floors and said the gaps were unnatural and that his installers had told him there were product problems. He said he would talk to the Scandian (the manufacturer) as the floor has a life-time structural warranty. I never heard back and wrote Scandian (and Bruce)with my concerns on 1/05/07. Bruce called and implied my original discount for pre-existing surface scratches should have covered the wood shrinkage. There has been no resolution and I will likely have to go to small claims court. Grrr.

The sales reps we talked to in the store seemed knowledgeable about a wide array of their products. We definitely weren't steered toward the more expensive products because they wouldn't have been right for our particular remodeling need. Installers came as promised, the only delay was waiting on additional tile. They handled our unusual situation well.

When I finally dealt with the owner, it was fine. The molding that the installer put in was done poorly. The repair person acted like he was doing me a favor by coming out fixing my moldings. The salesperson basically told me that it was my fault that my walls were uneven and charged me. I complained and they took the charge off. The repair person was supposed to come at 2, and I was stuck in traffic and contacted the office said that I would be 10 minutes late. The repair guy came during the 10 min period and left, didn't get my message. The owner said it was faulty wood and said the installer put it in wrong. Dealing with owner is when things got done. The installer and repair person were rude and not helpful at all.

Never mind that the owner of Floors of Distinction is my next door neighbor. Or that others in our townhouse association also have used Floors of Distinction. I worked with Richard and crew. This was two rooms plus a hallway in our walk-out basement. We already had Pergo on 1/2 the floor. Floors of Distinction worked with me to discover a complementary match. Visited the store. Huge showroom and product line. Staff is pure professionals who can offer--if you ask--great advice. I ended up with something completely different from what I thought I wanted. That's because their designers worked with me.