Now, the really, really annoying thing--the thing that really pisses me off the most--is that when we were sold this fancy new floor covering, we were told that the installers use all-new tack strips and hardware. "Other companies re-use that stuff, but we don't!"
The first two teams that came out refused to do the job because of the asbestos tile, because when they pulled up the old carpeting the tile would come out, too. That made some sense to me, because if you're replacing old tack strips with new ones, you have to pull out the old ones (disturbing the tile) and install new ones (disturbing the tile more).
So, we went to the trouble and expense of having the asbestos tile removed; and just to make sure there would be NO FUTURE PROBLEMS (and because it was a mere $300 more) I had them remove the tile from the dining room, too, even though it was slate tile, because it might have been put down with asbestos-containing mastic and because someone would end up insisting that the slate tile contained asbestos and refuse to put in new carpet on that basis. When the minimum charge for a job is $1,500, you make sure you're getting everything done, damn it, because I did not want to have to go through asbestos abatement again, particularly not at that cost.
And so! Today I watched the men do the work, and when it came to the areas with existing tack strips, they were all set simply to re-use them. Oh, they put in new ones where they'd been removed by the asbestos people, but they were going to leave the remainder in place, because they were in good condition despite their age.
...and if that was what they were going to do anyway, why the everlasting fuck did I need asbestos abatement? Reusing the old strips wouldn't disturb the asbestos! Why did I have to pay $1800 to remove asbestos when they're not planning to do anything that would disturb the tile?
So you can bet I insisted that they install new tack strips, and when the crew basically refused, I contacted Luna about it. I was certain that what would end up happening would be that I'd have to complain to Luna again after the installation was done, and then go through this shit all over again when people came out to replace the tack strips. At some point after that, though, one of their phones started making noise.
Result: new tack strips all around.
So I am still going to write Luna a letter about all this, because it's been just about the worst experience I could think of as a customer. We've locked in a fairly decent discount rate for carpeting, which is good for a year, but I'm not entirely certain I want to deal with them again.
On the plus side, I'm well pleased with the quality of the install as completed. I can't tell where the seams are; the whole thing is neat and trim and perfect. It's soft and pleasant to walk on in bare feet. It looks gorgeous, and the new carpeting matches the drapes perfectly. It's made these rooms feel new, and with that, the first stage of bunker rehab is completed.
Mrs. Fungus wants me to start work on the dining and living rooms. They're connected, and with the dining room floor stripped to the plywood, it needs something, and we want to get the rooms painted before getting new carpet.
I start my new job Tuesday, so we'll see what my week looks like, but I can expect to be doing a couple of hours of paint prep every day for a little while, until I can paint in there. On the plus side, those rooms see the least use, so their renovation ought to be easier--less wear and tear on the walls. And because Mom didn't sit in there for hours on end, smoking, the paint isn't as badly yellowed as it was in these rooms, so hopefully that'll help.
Onward.