COMPLETE HOME IMPROVEMENT

The work was good, but he didn't clean up well. He had previously hung a picture for me and it was lovely. Regarding the gazebo, I wanted it lightly sanded, spray washed and then stained and sealed. I gave him the color that he needed to get. That went well, but he dripped on the concrete. He said that when he came back to do the deck, he would clean up the concrete. He came back to do the deck and never cleaned up the concrete. The deck took months and months and months because when he first got the boards, it was a composite and he didn't lay them out like you are supposed to. After he was done, I went out there and said what happened. He said that he noticed that they were all different colors. I went online and he wasn't very demonstrated. I had to call the company in Maine and give them all the information. It was a horrible experience after that. It wasn't that the deck wasn't level, but he didn't follow the procedures that they have online to lay the boards out first before you cut anything and if there are any discolorations, you take them back to where you bought them. It was a first generation product and they quit using it in December and they had a new product out in January. I gave him a pattern if he was going to use the mixed-up boards and he didn't follow it. I told him that he had to at least make it look like he met to rotate them. That wasn't so good and then he would call and say that he was going to come and he wouldn't come. Then one of the boards was coming up and he said he would definitely be there and I had to call him again and again. Another month goes by and I'm getting ticked off because I am tripping over the board on the deck and then he said he was always blocked on my phone, which was true because I had his conversations recorded on my answering machine. I think he thought he underestimated the amount of work, but that was his problem. He did the same thing with the gazebo and I gave him extra money because I felt sorry that he had underestimated the amount of stain it would take. I already knew how much it was going to take and I was quoted 15 gallons. He came with a gallon, so he had to get more. It wasn't that he wasn't nice and they did a beautiful job and it was perfectly level, but the boards were different colors. The place he bought them from wouldn't take them back because he had already cut them. He made the railing out of treated lumber and I told him I wished he had covered it with composite decking and he said that would make it all wavy, so I told him to put another board underneath it and he said that would be a day's labor for me. I also had to have him close the steps. The project had already been going on since February and it was now August. I don't know if I should try to putty all the holes and sand and paint it myself. It was not a pleasant experience. When they tore down the other one, they were very neat and clean. The deck would have been done, had he only paid attention to the color. I have a light gray composite and the whole idea was to never have to paint it. I had taken pictures and measurements and he lost those. It was just one thing after another. I think he is fine for minor jobs, but I would never use him again for anything major. He also had to rebuild the fence.

Sem was scheduled to arrive around 2:30 PM and called at 2:10 PM to confirm. He arrived with staff and only took about 1/2 hour to hang a picture about 11-12 feet above the dining room. The first 8' is an open space, which makes hanging the picture difficult. He and staff immediately removed their shoes upon entering my home. It was pouring on this day. He brought tarps so as not to have any marks from the two ladders on the carpeting, and blanketed the areas he might walk on. He also brought cloths so that there would be no marks on the wall from the ladders. He came prepared with two tall ladders, level, drill, and appropriate fixtures for hanging a 20 lb picture. He and staff willingly tried various heights for the picture, and also leveling the picture many times as three women looked on.

Owner was unable to make any of three scheduled appointments to provide an estimate and never called to reschedule, so I gave up.

We set a time and date for contractor "Sam" to show up. When he did not appear, we called him and he said he'd forgotten. He was at a job in Palo Alto, but would come by afterward (within an hour). He never showed up so we left a message for him to contact us. He did not.

It took about 3 weeks. He did a quality job. Fantastic job in kitchen cabinets, flooring and texturing. I've used him once before for a small laminate job. He did a great job there also.