We moved to a new house and wanted to refinish our stairs. They had what looked like a legitimate website and were very professional in their approach.
Unfortunately, everything after that was horrible. The owner hires laborers that have no experience.
At first it seemed like they knew what they were doing and acting very knowledgeable. Once they completed their work, we were all in for a surprise. They painted over the staircase. They did not install the pickets properly. There were screws missing. It looked terrible and corners were cut at every opportunity. It was extremely messy as well and we had to a lot of cleanup from all the dirt they left. Upon discovering this, the owner disappeared on a family emergency. Once I threatened with legal action, he reappeared and said he would redo everything, this time sanding.
I gave them another shot. The sent the unqualified laborer to sand down the stairs. He sanded everything, and I even helped out. Once he started putting down the stain, it was clear that he didn't do anything right.
I lost $3000 to this contractor and learned a valuable lesson that I should never trust contractors. I have since rehired another contractor after lots of research and referrals. He himself was shocked at what was done to the staircase. Luckily he has began repairing it slowly and it looks fantastic.
Stay away from the Sanding Squad and Marlu Homeservices. Do your research and due diligence. Check all qualifications. Make sure they have trusted references you can verify.