Custom Edge

Why you don?t want to hire The Custom Edge Anyone wishing to have quality concrete work done that is considering The Custom Edge owned by Shawn and Jamie Braddy should continue looking. The Custom Edge lacks experience, professionalism, attention to detail and customer service to provide anyone with a top-notch finished product. Since it would appear Shawn and Jamie are posting beneficial comments for themselves or paying others to do so I want to make this complaint quite clear. You can see the pictures and judge for yourself at www.myspace.com/unprofessional_edge Feel free to post comments or request further information. Let me start by explaining the project. I contracted The Custom Edge to (1) build a stamped concrete pad in my back yard. It was actually two round pads joined by a sidewalk. One pad was for a gazebo and the other for a fire pit, (2) refinish the concrete surrounding my pool to match the stamped concrete, (3) remove an existing sidewalk at the front of the house that would flood anytime it rained and replace it with the same colored and stamped concrete used in the back. (4) About 175 feet of curbing. All of which was painted on the ground with white spray paint. I even repainted it twice as it started to fade because I wasn?t going to be here when they did the forms and I didn?t want any mistakes. My wife and I sat on our back porch and walked around our yard with Jamie Braddy to explain the project and obtain an estimate. Jamie walked around our yard with a measuring wheel, paper and pencil in order to calculate her measurements. At this point, we started looking at color and pattern samples. The pool surface could not be stamped like the newly poured concrete, but it could be refinished to match the stamped concrete. We chose the colors for both. Jamie explained to us that the colors would match exactly and the only difference between the stamped concrete and the refinished concrete would be the texture and the spacing. Since they have to use stencils, the lines in between will be a little bit larger. I was good with that. Jamie explained the process to my wife and me when she gave us the estimate. The crew will show up the day prior and build the forms. Shawn will stop by that day or the next and check their work. They will pour the pads in the rear and the front sidewalk on the same day. Then they will move to the pool. The pool will take 14 days until it can be used. They will put down plastic over the pool to protect the coping and keep unwanted material out of the pool. She demanded that we wouldn?t even know that anyone had been there when they were finished. The edging is the last thing they will do. I also inquired as to how they would get the concrete into my back yard as I didn?t want the concrete truck in my driveway. I was assured that they would use a Georgia buggy to transport the concrete from the road and there was no issue. We went to their business site on Owen Drive to see samples of their curbing and stamped concrete. We were convinced and wrote a check for more than 50% of the project that day (21 May 09). I made a few changes to the plan, Jamie returned to our home and measured again and updated the estimate about 2 weeks prior to their arrival. Now, let?s move to game day: It all started on day one. Let me explain: A few of their workers showed up the week prior and build the forms. I was away on business but when I returned, I immediately noticed that the forms were anywhere from 1 to 3 inches above the ground. Having some knowledge of concrete forms and being blessed with common sense I found this somewhat odd. On the day the concrete truck was scheduled to arrive at 8am (22July09) the owner, Shawn Braddy and his crew arrived at 7:30am. This was the first meeting for Shawn and I, and Shawn?s first meeting with the job site. After introductions were completed, I immediately asked him why the forms were so far of the ground. And yes, it was all the way around, not on the ground in places and high in others to create drainage. Shawn immediately grabbed a level and started adjusting the forms. The circle for the fire pit wasn?t even built yet. Since they didn?t bring appropriate form material, they ended up using JOINTING MATERIAL as part of the form for the fire pit. When Shawn brought me a paper to sign that they form was correct is when I started wondering if I had hired the right company. Then they miscalculated how much concrete they needed and had to order another truck to finish pouring our pad. After nearly two hours waiting for the additional truck to arrive, the concrete had started to cure. They added the color, roughed up the edge of the curing concrete and added the additional concrete needed, approximately 1.5 to 2 cubic yards I might add. When I questioned the owner about how this was going to work out and look upon completion, I was told that ?it would be fine and was nothing to worry about?. Well, you can look at the pictures and judge for yourself. But I can tell you that the line where they seemed the concrete together is very noticeable. Oh, and to top it all off, Jamie now wants to blame ME, the customer, for her inability to calculate the proper amount of concrete. Since they made me sign a waiver stating they weren?t responsible for any damages I had no recourse when they drove their Georgia buggy over part of my fence and a dog septic tank. Just fixing/replacing these two items will cost me around 100 bucks. When the truck arrived they had put plastic down in my driveway and I felt pretty good that they were going to be as neat as possible. Well, when they were finished I walked around front to find that they had moved the trucks location and there was no plastic. There was a 10? by 10? spot in my front yard now covered with red concrete. I was assured ?it will bounce; it?s nothing to worry about?. So, he had one of his workers rake and power wash my grass on 4 different occasions. Guess what, I?m still waiting for it to bounce. Even after I expressed my distaste of this, they did it again when they poured the sidewalk in the front. They even washed out and rinsed their Georgia buggy in my front yard. Unfortunately I was away on business again, but was told yet again, it will bounce??still waiting for that to happen. Then, the owner walks me around and shows me a crack, the full width and depth of the sidewalk. He did offer to cut that portion out and redo it. However, ?if we do that, there is no guarantee I can match the color?.as a matter of fact, I can almost guarantee you that I won?t be able to match the color and you will notice it.? Geez, what a decision to make?.have a section of your sidewalk that is noticeable a different color, or live with the crack?. I decided to live with the crack. There was some concrete left over, but not enough to do the entire sidewalk in the front. They could have ordered another truck to finish the front sidewalk, except they didn?t have enough color. So, since they miscalculated in the back and used all of the color in the second truck to finish the back, they cut themselves short on color to complete the sidewalk in the front. They didn?t return to do the sidewalk until 5AUG09, some 14 days later, but I?ll get to the sidewalk in a little bit?. What about the sections of concrete that had no stamp at all and a ?mock stamp? was engraved using a grinder? How professional is that. Look at picture labeled ?grinded concrete?. They showed up the next day, 23 July and power washed the concrete around my pool and used a blower to blow off the pads in the back. They were gone by 10am. They didn?t show up again until the 28th of July. At this point, they started grinding the pad?.normal stuff. Shawn complained that there were a few paw prints on the concrete around the pool. I apologized for that and explained that we?d done our best to keep them off of it. I washed the deck myself to remove the paw prints. No matter, they wouldn?t start the pool for another 2+ weeks. Did they honestly expect us to be able to keep our dogs off of the pool surface for 2-3 weeks? Now, it appears as though they?ve taken on another job.