If you should make the mistake of hiring SOS Floors (Jim Berardi ), be prepared to send up an SOS for help. That's not a joke. That is exactly what happened in my dealings with his firm.
Mr. Berardi represents himself to the innocent consumer as a person who knows something about floors and who is thus involved in their installation. Don't believe that for a moment. I doubt if he knows how to turn on a sander or how to apply a stain. He is a subcontractor--a middleman who sells the services of laborers from a variety of third world countries; therefore, some of his workers have limited language skills, but the point is to have others do the hard labor for you. Jim's skill set lies in bringing his workers coffee, reving up his Corvette and texting on his phone outside your home. Don't expect him to be inside supervising and getting down and dirty with his men.
Jim is not concerned about your getting a quality product for the hard earned money you are putting out on his services. He is focused on picking up the retainer and the balance and doing nothing more than that in between payments. Because his workers have limited language skills, don't expect to get a wood delivery on time. The worker, who doesn't read much English, will deliver it to Mr. Berardi's home (as in our case). Another reason for a delay arises from Mr. Berardi not having his own truck, but instead using employee vehicles, which are often open air pick-up trucks. That he can't deliver wood when it rains or snows puts a kibosh on any claim to being a flooring professional since professionals have appropriate transportation at their disposal. Yet another reason for a delay will be family relationships. Expect to have a future father-in-law die a few times during the time in which you work with Mr. Berardi. As a former teacher, I can liken his excuses to the conventional, "The dog ate my homework" line.
Do expect enough problems to send up a flare for help.
Jim will also try to intimidate you and ask in the most hostile of manner.
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