Arkansas Decks and More

DO NOT EVER HIRE ERIC MATTHEWS with ARKANSAS DECKS and MORE. He has LIED to us. HE STOLE OUR MONEY and DID NOT DO ANY WORK AT OUR HOUSE!!!!! Here are the details: My husband and I decided to use Eric Matthews with Arkansas Decks & More to complete a backyard project. This project included removing a deck, pouring a concrete patio, building a pavilion, drain work and flattening a portion of our backyard. At first, Mr. Matthews was very quick to respond to us and was able to come to our house to discuss the project. He gave us a detailed estimate in a matter of days. Mr. Matthews picked up a check for our deposit on July 1. He told us he would start work on our project the beginning of August. The end of July rolled around and from that point on, any communication was started by me. Over the next 6 weeks I would text and ask when he would begin work. Mr. Matthews continued to say “next week”, “soon”, “I’m getting closer”, he told me TWICE he would be here “next week”. After weeks and weeks of not hearing from him (and 7 weeks after our project was supposed to start) we decided on September 17 to cancel with him. We sent an email to Mr. Matthews telling him we are cancelling our project with him and need our deposit in FULL returned to us. No response. Then I called him. I was sent to voice mail after 2 rings, so No answer. He got back to me via text on the evening of the 18th saying he had his concrete guy lined up for next week and apologized for taking so long. I responded telling him I understood but that we had decided to go a different direction and AGAIN, we are cancelling your job and expect our deposit back. I kept texting each day. He finally responded on Sept. 21, saying he was out of town and would get back to me next week (even though the week before he told me he was starting our project, but now he’s out of town??hmmm, doesn’t add up!) Since September 21 We have asked for our money back EVERY DAY. Mr. Matthews has not responded and has not returned our money!!! DO NOT EVER HIRE ERIC MATTHEWS with ARKANSAS DECKS AND MORE. He has LIED to us and he has STOLEN our money.

Worst experience of my life in dealing with this company and the owner, Eric Matthews. We contracted for a pavilion next to our swimming pool. Started 3 weeks late b/c he got “sideways” with a sub-contractor. Sent new sub, Lazaro Benitez, to do work. Tongue and groove vaulted ceiling completed by sub and ceiling fan hung. About 10-14 days after work completed and Matthews paid in full, the ceiling board to which fan attached started sagging and purlins away from ceiling. Matthews contacted and took several days to come out. Said he couldn’t get Benitez to respond, so sent another sub who said ceiling was done completely wrong and needed to be redone from scratch, removing all boards. Matthews did not want to do this and tried to get sub to do a cosmetic job with wood filler. Said it was not as bad as first thought. He wanted to reuse the ceiling boards, which were all damaged when removed. Benitez came by once to see the ceiling, said he would be back the next day and never returned. The next two months were spent trying to get Matthews to respond. He finally sent out more boards but they were different than ones originally used and they would not interlock. Ultimately, Matthews sent a carpenter who knew what he was doing. Matthews expected guy two guys to do the work with ladders to reach a vaulted 16 foot ceiling. Fed up, I rented scaffolding, bought boards needed to finish the job, recruited my daughter’s boyfriend to help, and worked a 14 hour day on scaffolding to nearly finish the ceiling. Then worked several more 14 hour days to stain ceiling, caulk, hang ceiling lights and fan. Matthews offered no help and took no responsibility. He had been paid in full for sub-standard work and offered no refund or compensation. Avoid Arkansas Decks and More and owner Eric Matthews!

The cost listed for this service is mostly labor. It only included materials for the plumbing lines and some sheetrock. I attempted to make our insurance claim stretch by purchasing the big items at a discount and finishing things, such as painting walls and installing the flooring trim myself. Before Ar Decks and More came out, we had water damage, from two water heaters. I hired someone else to come gut the bathroom, because I decided to reduce the bathroom size and make a closet for the bedroom. The first contractor removed all the fixtures, most of the sheetrock and replaced the subfloor in the bathroom, part of the hall and an area in the bedroom and then did not seem interested in completing the rest. When I hired Ar Decks and More to help me complete the remodel, he was really good to work with me on getting things done to a point that I could finish them myself. I was planning to install new laminate flooring in most of the house. However, the subfloor that had been replaced by the other contractor was not level with the old floor, in several places. Ar Decks and More gave me a price to install it for me, but he installed the laminate right over the un-level places and the flooring bows when you walk on it. I asked him if that would cause the tongue and groove to snap and he said no, but I'm concerned that it will. He sheetrocked the bathroom and closet walls and tiled the bathroom floor. I purchased a claw foot tub, with all the plumbing, which he installed. The silver supply lines were not used. Instead, I have water lines such as go to a toilet supplying my tub, and they are crossed. I assume the hot and cold pipes were reversed. The drain pipe under the tub has a drip, which I asked about. He told me the two parts came pre-assembled and he couldn't fix it. I called the tub company and they said those two parts can just be unscrewed and plumbers tape applied to the threads. But the tub is installed and weighs several hundred pounds. The hand shower was attached at the top of the shower pole, instead of the bottom, above the faucet. I never did find the adapter nut that was part of the kit for attaching it in the correct place, or the chrome supply lines. The new toilet tank wiggled, and the toilet didn't flush well, until I opened the tank and found the rubber band that the manufacturer had placed around the mechanism still in place. We had decided the bathroom door would have to be hung where it opened outward, because of the tub, but after installing the tub, he found that the door could still open inward, and hung it that way. But the tile floor was laid for the outward opening door, and extends beyond the door, when it is closed. It looks odd. I also had to mud the electrical box openings before I could mount the wall sconces, because they were too big to cover with the fixtures. I tried several different sconces. All in all, I am very happy with the tankless water heater and having a new closet. The tile floor in the bathroom looks very nice. But I'm very disappointed that my tub is not installed correctly and my floor bends underfoot.

Bid was done promptly and in writing Price was very competitive Work was well done They cleaned up site when they left