Don's Home Improvement

Description of Work: I originally called him for painting and tile work, pressure washing and staining of the deck and fence. Don is an slim and wirey, elderly Korean gentleman who is a licensed general contractor. At first, I thought he was a god-send to me, being new in hiring in the area. As long as we worked together and I told him what to do for each step, we were fine. Friday was a good day, as he tightened the outgoing valve for the outside water line that was leaking, found, cut and replaced the rotten bolts on the toilet tank, that was leaking in downstairs toilet area, replastered and taped the corners of the bathroom and kitchen walls that was buckling and coming loose, (great job), spackled all areas that had pictures hanging on the walls, and told me that the house did not need to be fully repainted, but just cleaned and touched up. ($7,900 quote for all from an other painter-presssure washer) On Saturday afternoon, I was working in the basement spraying water and bleach the walls and floors because of mold and dog urine on floor, and he was upstairs, replacing a towel rack that had been pulled from the wall, after two hours the towel rack was still not up, and we needed to plaster the walls to begin in another spot. On Monday, he met me at Home Depot to buy supplies (not a home-owner I inevitabley buy the wrong thing--is there a local hardware store that will advise me???) , and later I left him to work while doing some banking (he is honest and trustworthy), I came home to find him painting the outside and inside door house trim with white ceiling paint! (even on the metal) and the baseboard in the kitchen painted with the same. None of the touch-up painting in the five rooms where he had spackled (great job) on Saturday had been touched. All paints and supplies were available to him, and I had two large 5 gallon buckets of wall paint to work from prior to using the additional I had purchased. He opened and used the NEW ceiling paint. I did talk to him on the phone when I was picking up more supplies, told him where the paint rollers were, but he obviously did not find them. He did finally put up the towel rack, but it cost me 3 hours of work at $35 an hour to get it completed, a fifteen minute job in my book! He did remove the garbage disposal unit and replace the plumbing fixtures, after two runs to the Home Depot/Lowes one with me and one extra for me, and did add a vent to the basement duct work--done professionally. I bought replacement toilet tank mechanisms to save water when flushing. I had to show him how to install it, he had spent more than an hour with it and had the entire toilet tank off the toilet. It turns out the bolts were rusted and probably should have been replaced anyway, but that was not what needed to be done. This was probably a fifteen minute job. I did the other two tanks in less than a half hour and replaced the toilet seats. I am not sure he reads English (so I showed him the pictures and read him the directions--when asked, he told me he could read English and seemed insulted), or can remember directions. I left lists and notes taped to each of the walls and rooms so he knew what to do. He was supposed to calk the shower floor, and he did do a nice job in calking around the tub and floor in one bathroom, but did not calk the shower floor at all in the bathroom he was supposed to work in. I PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE PAID HIM FOR FOUR HOURS OF WORK that was wrong or incorrectly done. The work he does when instructed is of quality and professional. If you are willing to work with him and tell him each step, he is fine. I am torn about this, as he seems like a sweet man with great experience and comes with a truck full of supplies and tools. Since Mom has dementia and I am recently retired, I am sensitive to his issues, but my frustration level has reached the maximum.

Description of Work: REPLACED OLD GUTTERS WITH NEW COPPER GUTTERS AND DOUNSPOUTS.