Paulson's Floor Coverings

The experience of working with Troy and Ron in the Vancouver store was very good. We have no issues whatsoever with the sales experience. Both were polite, helpful, and professional in every way. The installation is a different story. The installation of the flooring was fine, no issues. We reported a gouge in our hardwood floor which appeared to have occurred during installation and never heard back from Paulson's whether it was of concern at their end. We're can't prove the installers did it, but we hadn't noticed it prior to their being in our home. We also noticed another gouge by our front door and we're going to group it with the other one as far as not knowing for sure if the installers did it. Of more serious concern is a leak by the toilet in our downstairs bathroom which was reported by the installer. We were aware of no leak prior to the installer being in our home and realized that the leak may have been caused by the installer, as it was at the toilet water feed valve and the installer had removed the toilet as part of the flooring installation. There is no way we can directly link the leak to the installer and this will end up being like the gouges: cause unclear. What we know for sure is we're going to have to pay to remove and replace some of the flooring in the bathroom because there is water underneath and we can't leave it there. All in all, what happened during the installation has left a very bad taste for us. Again, we can't point a finger with certainty but also can't say we feel good about how things went down. Folks need to be aware that these sorts of things can happen when services are performed and try to take steps to avoid them. The last thing we want to say here is we let Paulson's know up front that we were going to post reviews as above. We never heard back from them and so are left with the impression that they either discounted our concerns or didn't care one way or the other. This only further reinforces our disappointment with Paulson's.

We hired Paulson's Floors of Tigard to put in a laminate floor for us. We chose the floor we wanted, got a bid which we felt was competitive, scheduled installation. They were responsive to all of these and were right on time. The installation period was actually shorter than they had told us, which pleased us. What didn't please us --- Reinstallation of the baseboards, which I felt were reinstalled in a haphazard manner (I had to repaint all of them). I wish they had told me this might be the case. Some of the baseboards were plastic, which couldn't be reinstalled (not their fault), and I wish they had told us about this ahead of time. Now I have to get new baseboards in one room. The bathroom door did not close after the new floor was installed, and when I pointed this out to them the next day, they said that the contract we had signed specifically said they did not shave off the bottoms of doors when they install floors. This was true. I wish they had told me the door wouldn't close before they left as I was really surprised to find it out the next day! Also they never followed up after the installation, as I have come to expect in other contractors/subcontractors I have hired. - .

We purchased new carpet for a small TV room that was tiled. We really wanted a more "cozy" feel and so went with a carpet. A Paulson's salesperson (Guy) was helpful with our purchase and arranged for the labor for tile removal and installing the new carpet. The tile removal was done by two subcontractors who were "tile professionals." However, when they arrived they were asking my husband for supplies (painters tape, scissors, etc.) and were constantly running to HomeDepot for additional items. They left the place in SHAMBLES, and when I got home I hit the roof. I immediately called Guy and told him these subs did not clean after themselves and left almost 1/8 to 1/4 inch of tile dust all over the TV room, adjacent kitchen, and even into the front room. Guy told me that I shouldn't expect "burly men" to clean up after themselves. That's when I really got mad. Every contractor that comes to the house has cleaned up at the end of the day, and I expected the same with the subs sent by Paulson's. I got transferred to the Paulson installation department and they agreed to send a cleaning crew before the carpet installation occurred. I took time off work the next day to confront the "tile professionals" and told them they had to prep the area before they began work so that the dust didn't go all over the house, and they replied that they had done so (not!). I spent the remainder of the day cleaning kitchen counter tops, wiping kitchen cabinets, ceilings, floors, and vacuuming duct work while the "tile professionals" finished their part. At the end of the day they took a broom and, like in a Kukla-Fran-and-Olie puppet show, hopped around and mockingly "swept" the area in which they were working. The cleaning crew came the next day and were really great. When I relayed my store that the "tile professionals" told me they didn't have money for drop clothes and plastic barriers, my cleaning people said "How can they be in business?" That was my sentiments exactly. The carpet install went relatively smooth, but they didn't put the baseboards back on, so I had to wait another 2-3 days to get another Paulson subcontractor out to finish with the baseboards. I do like the carpet, but some of the laborers used by Paulson are bottom-of-the-barrel. Its too bad, given what nice products they sell. You would think they would want to keep their customers happy after spending the money on good quality carpeting.

They were great! I already plan to use them again. The salesperson that I worked with was extremely helpful, because there are so many options out there that I needed someone to help me narrow it down. So. That was great! He, himself came out and measured it. We did have a slight problem with a little bit of tile work done, they have no problem with that and they fixed it with no problem. Everything was done really quickly. 

The laminate floor guys, absolutely the best in the world! They had different crews, but the laminate crew was amazing. The owners used to live next door to me, but that was many years ago. 

The installation went fine. No problems. Installers were efficient with the installation. We would have like to go with a better quality carpet but was cost prohibitive.

unknown

Despite multiple advance requests via the sales and installer rep at Paulsons to have the installers use standard industry procedures to install the carpet (seal seams, use pole power stretcher), the installers were not briefed on my request. My request was simple, to follow CRI installation standards as outlined here:
http://www.carpet-rug.org/Industry-Resources/CRI-Installation-Standards.aspx
This document specifically states that a pole stretcher is required to place carpet, and that all seams must be sealed. It also expressly states that the use of a "stinger" on the head of a stretcher is forbidden, as the stinger punches a hole through the backing of the carpet and into the underlayment (floor) to fix its position. The result is damaged carpet backing, damaged underlayment, and improper stretch. Refer to this section of the CRI Installation Standards:
http://cri105.info/cri105-power-stretching.html
The installers that came to do my carpet used a "stinger" in the first room, and then when I challenged them on the tools and procedures, they began to argue that everything was fine and the visible tufts of carpet pile that were protruding up from the stinger holes "just needed to be vacuumed" and that this method was fine. So I had to have an argument in my living room with the installers over the proper tools and procedures to be used to install the carpet without damage.
Ultimately, Paulson's sent their inspector back to my house to review the carpet and he agreed that it was damaged (I showed him the holes in the backing of the carpet) and he recommended to Paulsons that the carpet needed replacement. Eventually Paulson's sent the same install crew back to the house with a new carpet to replace the old, and even the new carpet was damaged during the install, although much less than the first, so I accepted it. No apology for the inconvenience or time lost from either the installers or from Paulson's, and no follow up from the store to see how the replacement went.
Now, before you think that I am just being picky about the install, keep in mind that all of the carpet mill warranties expressly state that the carpet must be installed according to CRI standard. So if it is not (and any inspector will be able to tell) then the carpet warranty is voided. Our carpet was from Karastan and page 1 of their general warranty states:
"3. Have your carpet installed by a professional installer trained in installation methods outlined by the Carpet and Rug Institute. The Carpet and Rug Institute Carpet Installation Standards must be followed in order to qualify for Karastan carpet warranties..."
http://www.karastan.com/pdf/warranties/carpet/GeneralWarranty.pdf

unknown

From start to finish everyone was helpful and professional.  Dave Shelton worked with me on measuring  and ordering the carpet.  The scheduling for installation was as expected, and the installers were top notch.  The installers arrived exactly on time, were courteous and professional.   I would recommend Dave and his installers any day.  This is the 2nd time we have used Paulson's over the years. 

We used Paulson's for a couple orders: 1) We ordered a bunch of tile for installation in our bathroom. We hired an installer separately for this. We purchased over $1000 worth of tile. We used Guy Miller at the Tigard store and he gave us an unbeatable price on Emser tiles. In fact, they got a couple bullnose tiles incorrect (not sure if it was Paulson's or Emser) and we had to re-order/return. Guy was out so I dealt with another salesperson who wasn't as good at providing pricing or getting back to me. Tip - see if you can use Guy as his pricing is probably better than others sales people there.
Back to the story. We had Armstrong LVT Alterna 16x16 tile installed in our Hallway bathroom. We didn't use regular tile as our sub-floor can't handle this due to post and beam construction of our house (4and quot;x8and quot; at 4' on center) and flexing which will likely contribute to flexing. We prepared the floor with ACX 19/32and quot; sanded FIR plywood screwed to the subfloor. What Paulsons had to do was cover the screws and cracks. Make sure floor was smooth then put down adhesive then tiles then grout. This takes anywhere from 2-4 hours. Paulson's sent a crew of two and finished it off in only a few hours. The floor size they covered is about 5x7. All materials and labor were $531.76. This was a better price than another company we used AND we didn't have any call backs due to GROUT cracking like on the last company.
Great floor and we like the material. I also really like the GROUT as it looks like a REAL title but isn't cold at all. Next time we need carpeting or wood or anything we'll be back to Paulson's to get a bid for materials and installation.

Of all the work we had done on our home, I was most excited about the flooring arriving from Paulson's. Our experience at the showroom with Dan Jaffe was very positive. He seemed very knowledgable, trustworthy, and used to install flooring himself. As soon as the process started with the installation, things became very disappointing. We live in Washington, which created some trouble with getting licensed Marmoleum installers across the state line (note: third and final installer was marvelous!). Trouble began when we were told *after our kitchen cabinets were installed* that we needed a new subfloor before the Marmoleum couid be installed. We went through 3 different installers for the marmoleum in the kitchen and bathrooms because of the shoddy installation. To Dan Jaffe's and Paulson's credit, he did drive to our home for inspection on his lunch breaks to address some of the installation problems. And everyone at Paulson's was sympathetic to our cause and were very polite each time we called - but we called frequently to report issues. The first set of installers left the kitchen unfinished, with glue, handprints and scuff marks on our new white cabinets. The second set of the installers messed up a bathtub refinishing job, which ended up extending our remodel at least a week. We paid our contractor to clean up the messes left behind and hoped Paulson's would credit us for the hassle - which they did in good faith. We were more than thrilled with the carpet installer, who was far more competent than previous installers, and again to Dan Jaffe's credit, there was incorrect measurement with the carpet length, but he brought enough material so the job could get done on time. For the most part, Paulson's addressed our concerns. Provided they have WA Marmoleum installers worked out, we would not expect this to happen to anyone else. We are happy with the products we chose from Paulson's.

The old shower had to be completely broken out; the tiles, walls & flooring.  Daniel had many heavy pieces of broken concrete to carry out but did not make any marks on any of the walls along his path.  He covered all the flooring from the entrance of our house to the shower & kept the debris cleaned up.  He set up his work station on the patio & cleaned it up before leaving each day.  When he retiled the shower he did something I hadn't thought of; he turned the tiles to make a random pattern across the walls.  A small detail that made a big difference.  He built two niches in the back wall for our soap & shampoo & matched all the grout lines.  He also installed a fold down seat at the center of the back wall which makes showering much easier.  Grab bars were also installed exactly where we wanted them & while the studs were exposed, he built reinforcement for the bars & seat.  You couldn't ask for a better craftsman to work with.  He checked with me often to make sure we were both on the same page & he happily answered all my questions.

We visited the showroom and liked the service and selection. Once we hired them, the installers were professional, competent, friendly and completed the work on time. There was one glitch because we had bought the wrong trim and they were flexible about working around that. After the job was completed, they followed up with us to make sure we were happy. We would definitely use them again.

We had a really great experience while working with Paulson's. We had our entire house carpeted and they did a fabulous job! Hawaiian Brian was the sales person we worked with. He was very knowledgeable, professional, and provided great customer service! The carpet installers were fantastic! Lance and Justin were very meticulous, and showed tremendous pride in their work. Our carpet looks amazing, thanks to their attention to detail and fine craftsmanship! I would definitely go back to Paulson's again for any flooring needs in our future. We had a wonderful experience, and love the finished product.

Tom H.

It ended up looking very nice. The price including some repair work on the floor as well. They have a really good selection of flooring to choose from.