Patrick Schutt dba : Schutt Log Homes and Flooring AKA: oakcabins.com Hardwood flooring nightmare Kingville Missouri

In the time since my initial complaint on this site I have been contacted regularly by Mr. Schutt. We have discussed the best ways to resolve this situation, and reached a satisfactory agreement.

Schutt Log Homes and Millworks will be replacing the entire order of flooring. The new order will be milled to narrower width in order to better control shrinkage, additionally Mr. Schutt has agreed to give the new flooring additional time drying in the kiln and to have his best man operating the shaping equipment.

I believe that these steps will produce a product we can both be proud of.

The pictures he has sent of the flooring he is making for me looks to be a much superior product with tongues and grooves that fit together well and without the large number of flaws that I found objectionable in the initial order.

I will be covering the cost of delivery of this new shipping. In addition, we discussed things I can do to ensure that it maintains dimensional stability before and after it is installed. Due to weather conditions this time of year here being more amenable to maintaining humidity levels than they were in December, and running a humidifier in the house, I expect that this will be sufficient to  allow the wood to acclimate indoors and still maintain its dimensions without the warpage and cupping that were such a problem initially.

As things stand now I consider this situation resolved to my satisfaction and am eager to put this matter to rest. I still believe in supporting the small businessman, and Mr. Schutt has shown that he cares about his reputation and the products he produces. I think this situation was caused by a number of factors, mine and his both, and I believe that open and honest communication about the issues has led to a better understanding of expectations from each of us.

We were unaware of Mr. Filibecks concerns with our Hickory flooring. We would have been more than happy to address his concerns personally had Mr. Filibeck notified the mill of his concerns. We have contacted Mr. Filibeck and believe we have resolved the concerns Mr. Filibeck has cited.

 This company stands behind our products 100%. We strive to produce and ship only the best products to ensure our customers complete satisfaction. We will be happy to warranty any and all defective products shipped to Mr. Filibeck as stated in our contract. It is our company policy to require all defective products be returned to our mill. In this case we will not require Mr. Filibeck to return any damaged product to our facility, we understand his job site is a quite a distance from us and this would cause an unnecessary burden to Mr. Filibeck. 

 The photos shown by Mr. Filibeck are typical of how our Hickory flooring is shipped. Our flooring is kiln dried which causes cracking on the ends of the boards. We send extra material to compensate for this. It is not recommended with hardwood flooring to use pieces longer than 36”.  We send 8-10’ boards assuming the installer will cut around any blemishes and still get at least 2 good 36” flooring pieces from each board. Our product is less expensive than major retailers because it is left up to our customer to trim and finish the product.

 When Mr. Filibecks Hickory flooring left our facility it was properly tarped and prepared for shipping. It was Mr. Filibecks responsibility to notify the mill upon receipt of the product if there was any damage or concerns with the product. Though we have no way of knowing how the product was stored or cared for while in his possession we are still willing to work with Mr. Filibeck to ensure he is a satisfied customer.

 In an attempt to be sure the terms of our contract are clear, each paragraph is titled and the customer’s initials are required at the end of each paragraph ensuring the contract is read in full and understood.

I am attaching a copy of Mr. Filibecks initialed and signed contract.

 We understand Mr. Filibecks frustration and we take full responsibility for his shipment of Hickory flooring arriving past the stated deadline. We are a small specialty company and as such many outside factors affect our production and shipping schedule.

We always strive to meet our deadlines but unfortunately circumstances arise which drastically slows our production. We could give several reasons why the shipment was delayed but that is beside the point.

 Mr. Filibeck stated in his complaint he needs an additional 850 sf of Hickory Flooring to complete his project. We have agreed to replace 100% of Mr. Filibecks Hickory flooring at no expense to Mr. Filibeck. It has always been the policy of this company that our customers are responsible for their own freight. We do not fund shipping as it is indicated on Mr. Filibecks invoice and contract. We will assist Mr. Filibeck with finding quality shipping for his Hickory flooring which should be available for pick up in a reasonable amount of time. As a valued customer our goal is to ensure Mr. Filibeck is completely satisfied with his flooring and has a finished project he can be proud of.

We thank you for the opportunity to address this complaint and for the opportunity to satisfy our valued customer. It is the goal of our company to maintain a good relationship with our customers and we are willing to go out of our way to ensure each of our customers are completely happy with their purchase.