MAL ELFMAN'S FLOORING

Mal Elfman's Flooring has sold and installed carpet, hardwood, tile and rugs out of Waltham for what the company's own site describes as more than a century — founded in 1907, it says, and family-owned ever since, serving Greater Boston-area homes and businesses. A few sources tell a slightly different origin story: one marketing write-up puts the start at 1915 and calls it fourth-generation, while the current corporate entity behind the storefront, Mal Elfman's of Waltham, Inc., shows up on BBB's records as incorporated in 1996 and run by president Dave Ryan — so exactly how continuous the family ownership has been across that stretch isn't spelled out anywhere in what's available. What is consistent is the praise. Houzz reviews, spanning 2019 to 2024, read like they come mostly from designers and other trade professionals who use the store repeatedly for client work rather than one-off homeowners — and the picture across five reviews is uniform: an installer who finished a 2024 job on time working non-stop, a "tricky" stairway and hall carpet install one designer called wonderfully done, and multiple mentions of a knowledgeable sales team, competitive pricing, and an install crew that's careful with the property. One 2019 reviewer called it their "go-to store for carpet"; another said they'd used the company several times over the years for various projects. The Better Business Bureau lists the business as A+ rated, though not an accredited BBB member, and the company holds an Authorized Shaw Flooring Dealer designation and a past Angie's List Super Service Award (2009–2016). There's nothing negative in what's on record. For a flooring purchase and install — especially something more involved, like a custom stair or hall job — Mal Elfman's has a specific, repeat-customer reputation behind it; it's still worth asking who's currently running your particular installation crew, since the reviews describing individual installers span several years.