BLOCK'S PERMANENT COATING

The proposal was written up and signed March 15, 2013. Half was paid up front for the painting portion of the job. There were some unavoidable delays due to extended periods of unusually cold weather. However, prep and painting of the house's exterior was completed for the most part by mid-April. As is common practice, most removal of old flaking paint was done using a pressure washer. Some broken and chipped asbestos tiles were replaced with the modern equivalent, though several that were cracked had their cracks caulked over rather than the tiles being replaced. We all know that good prep is critical to the quality of any paint job. There were areas that flaked off and had to be repainted before the job was finished. And today, September 13, 2013, there are areas that have paint flaking off. While the product might be of high enough quality to withstand the elements for a very long time, insufficient prep work is making the investment worth less than I paid. Also, the sample primer and paint that is offered up as "exhibit A" during the sales pitch is much thicker than the coat of primer and paint that are applied, though greater thickness would still do no good without better prep work. The painter appeared at my house unannounced to start work. I let both Tommy Block and his representative, Corey, know that I needed to know when the painter was coming to that I could provide access to electricity, and when necessary, confine my pets to keep them away from wet paint and painting equipment. The pattern of behavior of the painter and other workmen coming to do work or not coming to do work unannounced was a consistent pattern. There were days when they had no access to electricity, and my dogs were exposed to wet paint. Most of the work, such as enclosing the 10 x 10 shed, building the patio for the small screened in porch, and replacing the front door were done by carpenters out of Tom Sander's Building Mart in West Monroe. In the written proposal, the front porch was to have been built from composite decking. It was built from treated lumber. While it looked very nice initially, the boards shrank within a few weeks. There are significant gaps between the board, wide enough that I am trying to figure out how to keep "critters" out, as was the intention of having a screened in porch. The porch was screened in by Smith Blind and Awning. The materials are common: aluminum kick plates and framing used for inexpensive construction. They seem to have been well assembled. The new front door was framed and installed by carpenters from Tom Sander's Building Mart. It was stained and painted by the painter who painted the house. He did a reasonably good job staining a fiberglass door to make it look wood. The carpenters had a difficult time hanging the door in a non-standard opening; however, the door was cut and pre-framed to fit the opening. While the door generally looks nice, it has been difficult to lock the deadbolt since immediately after the door was installed. Tommy Block "fixed" it once in July, but has not followed up on succeeding requests to fix it. During a recent visit to town, my sister refused to use the front door because she found it too difficult to lock. In addition, the door sweep was damage during the door's installation. Tommy Block saw the damaged door sweep himself in July and said he would have it repaired. It has has not been repaired. During the reconfiguration of the front entrance, walls around doors had to be repainted. Tommy Block expressed dissatisfaction with the texture of the walls where old framing had been. He said the ridges left behind needed to be scraped and sanded to match the adjoining wall. There has been no follow up. The framing where an old door was removed has old hinges that need to be removed and old dead bolt holes that need to be filled in and painted over. Mr. Block insisted that needed to be done and that he would sent the carpenters. That was mid-July. It is mid-September. I have also repeatedly asked for a hard copy of the 'permanent paint" warranty. It, apparently, has been in Mr. Block's truck for many months. The employees working for Mr. Block were all extremely courteous. Mr. Block and Corey oozed conviction that everything was going to be done to my satisfaction. So, does the house look better than it did? Yes.Does the paint generally look good? Yes. Do I have the screened in patio and closed in shed that I wanted before all this began? Yes. Would I spend the money on "permanent" paint if I knew then what I know now? I seriously doubt it.