HOME DEPOT

They did a beautiful job. The installers were fantastic and professional.

This review will turn into a formal complaint against The Home Depot and move on to the Departments of Consumer Affairs in Connecticut and Massachusetts, as well as the FTC, it is a strong cautionary tale in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and specifically to the members of Angie's List who may be looking frantically for repair options in the face of the storm recovery Before moving into the description of what happened I want to say that Angie's list is much stronger now than in the spring of 2009. We use it extensively. It is imperative to use it now. While no contractor can be perfect nor should you expect that, we knoW that when using contractors with high grades from AL we will get more than reasonable performance for a fair price. We do get that and more. More importantly, through Angie's List, we have learned how important it is to use local contractors that have a name to protect. . THD roofing has myriad complaints at www.consumeraffairs.com. Here on Angie's List, they would not have even been on our radar screen in 2011/12. There are too many stellar professionals. And until we were contacted by their insurer, we had no idea who the sub-contractor was nor how poor a consumer rating they had. Embarrassingly, we never even explored THDs reputation trusting advertising, size and work from years earlier - pre- Nardelli. This is not about taking my word as a disgruntled consumer. Look at the pictures, look at the contract, look at the spec sheet ( I have redacted our name and address on the PDF -that is all) and review THDs and GAFs promotional materials and videos on the Internet and in the store, and decide on your own. This by the way goes up to the head of all of THDs At Home Services. And keep in mind, they have the financial resources and best practice Internet resources to slant standings in reviews. They also have to avoid precedent if they can, and not admit fault. In this case I have a contract, spec sheet , scope of work, and published performance standards to support me. The Home Depot At Home Services replaced our roof in July of 2009 following examination by THD's sales consultant, Darin Nimer in May of 2009 and our signing of a contract and spec sheet on 5/23/2009. Mr. Nimer stated, following his roof-top examination, that a minor interior leak in our family room was caused by settling of our home separating the main house from the garage/family room structure and that a new roof with new flashing would insure the leak would be fixed and would also insure a mirror leak on the opposite side would not occur as the flashing along the vertical wall and the top-of-line, GAF products would insure a long, protected roof life. Indeed, most of his presentation focused on the financial difficulties of the time (2009) and the fact that many local contractors disappeared and that with The Home Depot, a homeowner was assured of the highest quality installation and iron-clad warranty that was supported by GAF in addition to THD. At that point in time, Angie's List was new in the area and had few contractors in greater Fairfield. We paid a significant premium for the top of line product AND what we believed would be The Home Depot's unwavering assurance of professional standards, quality, trust and support. I travel. During installation, late at night, I received a call from my wife that a known and forecast heavy storm had arrived and water was pouring into our house - in the bedroom, kitchen (through light fixtures as well), guest bathroom and family room, having torn off the tarp following the removal of the old two-layer roof. The tarp was not fastened correctly despite the knowledge a storm was coming. She called the project manager who sent out people to put a tarp back up, but they never repaired the interior damage and even months later, the project managers said to do repairs ourselves and send the bills. Knowing we were going to eventually renovate both the guest bathroom and family room, it was not worth the effort I had no reason to inspect the roof as I would not, at the time, know what to look for, nor assume that it was any less then THDs advertising and promotion materials stated we should expect. This past summer we renovated our family room and guest bathroom - long planned, but delayed till our last child graduated college . Our contractor, during demolition of the family room pulled out hardened, solidified and mold covered` insulation, before putting in new insulation, sheet rock and a new tongue and groove wood ceiling with all new lighting in the family room and all new sheet rock in the guest bathroom. This was the driest summer in recent history. In our first significant rain, my wife noticed water penetration in the new ceilings and along the new walls with some residual dark substances. It took numerous calls and a personal visit to The Home Depot in Fairfield speaking to Mike Hull who assured me that THD would fix everything. A field inspector was assigned - Chris Janco. From being first guaranteed by Mr. Hull and Mr. Janco that if it took a new roof that is what they would do, to being contacted by THDs third party insurance administrator - Sedgwick, who said the responsibility was the sub-contractor's. And this was the very first time I had heard their name. Two claim adjusters came out from THD and Sedgewick, pointing out extraordinarily poor work, work that was supposed to be done (all new flashing as the contract called for,and we paid for and wasn't. GAF/ELK specifies new flashing or at best reuse of almost new as well their own branded leak barrier,and neither was the case which is irrelevant as we paid for new flashing. However all one has to do is go to the Internet and GAF videos can be seen explaining the proper method of roof replacement for their system. Via Mr. Janco, The contractor said they never replace flashing and would put new flashing in at our cost. The Home Depot, in spite of a signed contract specifying new flashing, guaranteed work, and only the highest professional standards, which the pictures show were not lived up to, has stated they will not honor their warranty - which should be an FTC violation. GAF's position is still undetermined. Mr. Janco came out and put silicon on the cedar siding and that was it. They had delivered a large quantity of shingles and other materials half of which mysteriously is now missing and the balance remains in our driveway. On November 20th I received a letter from Mr. Samuel Morales stating they deny the claim determine it was a siding issue (no adjuster nor independent person supports that nor did they provide any documentation. Nor did they address the contractual issue as well as their marketing materials issues. Interestingly, their outside insurance administrator is still pursuing the issue and what is more was mislead by the sub contractor as to insurance as they told Sedgwick that Prime Insurance was covering them and Prime did not insure them at time of service on our home. UPDATE: 1. A FORMAL COMPLAINT WAS INITIATED WITH CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER PROTECTION. THEY, TO THEIR CREDIT, ARE FOLLOWING UP, ACTIVELY. 2. ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS (2) WERE LODGED WITH THE FTC UNDER TITLE 16 FOR FALSE AND MISLEADING ADVERTISING WITH RESPECT TO WARRANTIES AND GUARANTEES 3. After considerable dialogue, the situation escalated up to the C-suite level and was handled admirably by Mr. Ryan Bray who reports into the chairman. The Home Depot replaced the old flashing with new copper flashing, put down ice and water barriers and reinstalled roofing shingles. I contracted for the removal of 2 rows of cedar shakes, replacement and repainting as well as interior repainting towards which The Home Depot contributed a significant portion of the cost.

Home Depot started the work on my stucco/hollow tile house in March 2012. I signed my contract on February14/2012. My home is hollow tile/concrete stucco, with a main roof, with 2 small dormers, 2 sub-roofs (hip style roof...four sides meet at a ridge), and a hip roof over my front stucco stone porch. Then began my horror story?as of today October 24, 2012?it hasn?t been resolved. Here are some of the highlights: (too much to show, so I am uploading videos on YouTube...you'll be shocked!!) They merged my main roof with the hip roof on one side of the house, (which they never realized since they ripped off and worked very small sections and a time) and changed the whole pitch of the roof, making all kinds of uneven angles at the front of the roof. They left a big opening at the back of the house where you could see the sub roof on the inside. On another Hip roof, they cut off one of the sides of that roof, removed the beam, and concreted (sloppily) the hole where the beam was. The sides of the roof were bowing in considerably in one area, and bowing out in another area?they fixed on side but has not yet fixed the other. Due to changing the pitch of the roof on one side causing the soffetting below he roof to be wide (almost 3 feet) that, on a windy day, it creates a funnel type wind that blows boxes and metal objects around my 3rd floor (attic). Flashing missing in many areas, and they had multiple areas where the counter flashing was the wrong color and sloppy. Changed it again with wrong color, then ?spray painted? it with another color. Replaced a porch roof beam against the house and didn?t secure it. Another beam was cut too long?chiseled it in place too short and plugged the hole with an uneven chunk of wood. I had a builder acquaintance come to speak with them to tell what to do ?they didn?t have the right nails (masonry), didn?t understand, etc. Afterwards, they proceeded to nail wood to the back of the stucco house with the wrong nails, but the wood kept falling down. I agreed to go to buy the masonry nails, even though I am disabled with polio and have to use crutches so it is not very easy for me. To date, I haven't been reimbursed for the supplies. The first time it rained, the Porch Roof leaked like a Zen fountain. I took a video and sent it to them. At first, they tried to use all kinds of excuses, but after a water test and lots of discussion and photos of how bad, sloppily, and uneven counter flashing was, they agreed to fix it. They chain sawed into my concrete stucco house at the front to add counter flashing without measuring or drawing a plumb line (turns out to be the wrong way to flash a stucco house which I will address below). The cut is very uneven (3" higher on one side of the window), and in one spot they re-sawed the concrete stucco again, approx. an inch above the other cut?also unevenly. After removing the counter flashing, flashing was missing, and plywood was not secured to the beams?missing many beams by 1?. Many more problems? At first, they offered to rip off the whole roof and put it back the way it was. I was concerned that, if they couldn't follow the lines of the original roof, they may create even more problems. It was months into this roofing job, and, as a freelancer, I already lost a lot of work and money. I took a few days to think about it, and offered them other solutions to correct the problems. The project manager was happy and relieved and they agreed to do the following: 1. Re-do the type of flashing that is required on a stucco house since all flashed the Roof to Wall Intersections it were leaking. The proper flashing materials needed for a stucco concrete house would be used, and he was given copies correct flashing materials along with spec sheets showing how it should be done. I was told he would hire a stucco contractor to complete the work. 2. Fix and correct the slopping concrete work that was done when they cut off the side of the hip roof and removed the beam against the house 3. Reimburse me the original money charged for the sub-roof that they covered up. 4. Cover the big hole in the back of the roof caused by the melding of both roofs and I offered a solution to balance it out so the appearance of a beam extending in mid-air would be corrected. 5. Fix and add the correct amount and size of gutters (all the gutters were spilling over because there weren?t enough leaders or sizes) 6. Correct the front angles and protrusions due to the merging of the 2 roofs. 7. Fix all the bowing on both sides of the roof. 8. Insulate and diffuse the huge air-flow in the attic due to the very wide soffits because of the change of pitch of the roof. After being told they hired a stucco contractor to re-flash the roofs the correct way, he tried to double talk and was evasive about it. He hired someone just patch up the destroyed stucco, but was going to flash it the same manner. After repeating his promise to do it correctly, the ?stucco? contract he brought over, tried to intimidate me and my daughter with bullying tactics, e.g. yelling, pumping his chest out, coming close and yelling in my face. After the experience, and after I brought him to a stucco supply company, the project manager apologized and told me that Home epot will not do the stucco and that, as he mentioned numerous times before, Home Depot would give me back my money. Home Depot temporarily put back the counter flashing to stop the horrendous leaking. After thinking it over for a couple of days, I and my daughter confirmed with him again that Home Depot would give me back all of my money and he said yes, again. He told me it would take a couple of months to finish up the paperwork and probably would be completed in some time in the end of December. I decided to accept his offer on September 13th 2012 with the following conditions. I asked that he replaced the gutters that were removed (since I had gutters and leaders before they started the job), and close up some of the soffitting that was causing the wind tunnel in the 3rd floor since I would have to go the winter. He said he would. After many weeks of missed promised phone calls and cancellations, rain, etc. Home Depot finally scheduled the contractor replace the gutters and soffetting, October 23rd, 2012. I asked him about the paperwork, and he told me he was bringing it with his boss. He came first...I saw him in the truck...asked him if he had the paperwork...he said yes and was evasive. Soon after, his branch Installation Manager came with the workers. The Installation Manager (who seemed purposefully obnoxious), abruptly refused to discuss what happened in the past or what else needed to be corrected. He repeated 2 or 3 times that he was not interested in what happened in the past...wanted to know just what I wanted done...today I told him to re-install the gutters, fix the soffitting, and give me the paperwork to be reimbursed. He told me he wasn?t going to do that?and he never approved it. My daughter then interrupted and said that the project manager told us on separate times that we were getting our money back...all of it. He re-iterated that it wasn?t going to happen and again asked what did I want done TODAY I then told him to roof as the original which was promised to me in the summer, and flash the roofs the proper way or pay someone to do it. He said no. I then asked then to leave and get off of my property. I was so upset; I wound up in the hospital emergency room last night on the insistence of my family doctor. No one from Home Depot has tried to contact me. This horror has been going on since March of 2012. I signed the contracts in February and have been paying home depot since April 8th, 2012. Aside from all of this, they damaged my paver driveway with their dumpster and spilled hydraulic fluid on my driveway after yelling a few expletives at my neighbor (a woman) who asked him quietly to shut off his truck that was idling loudly in front of her house at 6:30 am, Home Depot workers asked to use my concrete root cellar to store their equipment and supplies so they wouldn?t have to carry them back and forth, I agreed but told them to be careful because the door and doorway were fairly new. They weren?t careful?they scraped and damaged the door I had to use Home Depot for my roof, even though they were the most expensive), because they installed my Kitchen Cabinets and Granite Countertops 9 years ago, and installed Hardwood floors in my living room and dining room 7 years ago. I was very satisfied with the work and recommended them. Many people warned me about Home Depot and that they are not the same as they have changed but, at that time, I didn?t pay attention. They were right?Home Depot is not the same. Their work is shoddy, and they are un-responsive to the customer. There are too many levels being paid, so the contractors are at the bottom. One of the ?contractors? they sent, was a full time fire fighter, and a part time Handyman!!! It even stated that on his truck. I paid TOP DOLLAR for them to pay a salesman, a sales manager, an executive sales manager, a project manager, a regional project manager, and a branch installation manger, a store manager, the store saleswomen, the scheduling people, etc. BEFORE they pay the ?contractor? or ?handyman?. Now I know?They DEFINITELY have changed!!! "Caveat Emptor"...let the buyer beware.

There were no problems. We liked them a lot.

I established a 2 lines of credit with them for these purchases. I ended up in the hospital and was turned over to 2 collections companies. Currently I am getting simultaneously billed by two credit companies.

It was a very disappointing experience. They came out and gave me an estimate and a good price. I even took out a Home Depot credit card to finance the job. But then their job foreman came out for an inspection, and told me they couldn't do the job because the previous owner had stuccoed under the eaves of the house, and so they couldn't nail the soffit covering straight into the eaves. I asked, Why couldn't they just screw in 1x2 strips that they could nail to instead? Because they didn't want to accept responsibility in case the stucco cracked. I had three people from Home Depot come out here and tell me how stucco should never have been applied under the eaves in the first place, and they couldn't help me, and they were backing out of the job. Thanks a lot, Home Depot. PS, I immediately went out and got three other bids from real roofing companies, who didn't hesitate to give me bids despite the stucco situation, and one of them came in for less money as well. So my advice is, don't use Home Depot for your roofing job unless you're CERTAIN you have a standard roofing job with no surprises. I wasted a lot of my time listening to them tell me how terrible my roof was, and how they couldn't help me, and why they needed to back out of the estimate they gave me.

I would never use this company again.

THEY DID NOT DELIVER WHAT THEY PROMISED ME. THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES TOLD ME THAT IF WE WANTED SATISFACTION THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THEM TO COURT. THEY ARE VERY UNPROFESSIONAL, THEY DIDN'T SHOW UP ON TIME AND THEY DIDN'T RESPECT MY PROPERTY.

THE EXPERIENCE WAS A VERY GOOD ONE. THE WORKERS WERE VERY PUNCTUAL AND SHOWED UP READY FOR WORK. THEY WERE VERY ATTENTIVE TO OUR NEEDS AS CUSTOMERS. THEY CAME BACK AND TRIMMED THE CARPET THAT WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE WATER HEATER.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THEM WAS VERY GOOD. THEY WERE ON TIME AND DID VERY NEAT WORK. THEY DID THE JOB QUICKLY AND PROFESSIONALLY AND WE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH ANYTHING.

THEY DID NOT TACK DOWN THE EDGE OF THE CARPET BY THE ENTRYWAY AND IT IS STARTING TO COME UP. I CALLED THEM AND THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. THEY SHOULD HAVE PUT DOWN A METAL END CAP.

THE JOB WAS FINE. THEY SHOWED UP ON TIME AND GOT THE JOB DONE QUICKLY THE PRICE WAS ALSO FAIR. THEY CLEANED UP ALL OF THE MESS. I WOULD DEFINITELY HIRE THEM AGAIN.

I HAVE ALREADY RECOMMENDED THIS COMPANY TO FRIENDS. THE WORK WAS DONE QUICKLY. THEY MET THE DEADLINE THAT WE SET. NO MESS WAS EVER LEFT FOR US TO CLEAN UP.

WE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THEIR WORK. THEY GAVE US AN ESTIMATE BEFORE THEY BEGAN WORKING AND STAYED WITHIN THAT ESTIMATE. WE WOULD RECOMMEND THEM TO ANYONE.

I THINK THAT THEY WERE FINE. THEIR WORK WASN'T PERFECT, BUT IT WAS GOOD. THEY DID WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO DO. THEY ARE THERE WHEN I NEED THEM. THEY ALSO PICK EVERYTHING UP WHEN THEY ARE DONE.