Lewis Painting

I hired Lewis Painting based primarily on the only Angie's List report on Lewis Panting, at the time. I was a bit skeptical relying on only one report but, it gave such high praise that I thought Lewis Painting must be good. That was a big mistake. I have no idea how that previous paint job described in the other report, which was an interior paint job, actually looked but, I have no doubt that the owner was accurate in her description and satisfied with the results. My job, however, was an exterior job and, beside painting, it involved lots of fairly simple carpentry and an additional small plumbing job. The owner of Lewis Paint told me that he took pride in his work. After all, he said, it's his name connected with the results. I don't know how he feel about his name but, I wouldn't want my name attached to work like this. They all seemed to be likable guys but, as painters they are sloppy, as carpenters they?re incompetent and as workers they are unprofessional. One of them told me that that he didn't think two coats of paint would cover any better than one coat of paint. They are more like boys using hammers and brushes and calling themselves Professionals. They left the job with bare wood exposed in some places. New wood was supposed to have a primer coat and two coats of color paint. That means that they missed some spots all three times. There were splatters and splotches of paint on all sides of the house and the porch, too numerous to count. They left the new still tacky paint scraped off the window panes at the bottom of the sills. Now it's stuck there and needs to be scraped and repainted. Some of the glaze was so poorly applied that when I opened the window, it rolled up and fell off and wasn't even painted. Their putty applications to fill gaps and cover large mars are sometimes more noticeable than what they were trying to hide. The most grievous thing they did and the most dangerous could have potentially been grounds for a law suit. There was an outside light fixture with a cover over it. They removed the cover and never replaced it. They left an empty light socket uncovered and facing upward. When I looked at it, it was full of water. I don't know what would have happened if I flipped on that switch to the light socket containing water, before I checked their work. I think it's lucky for Lewis Painting that I did not. They included the plumbing job because they said it would only take about an hour. The job was to cut and relocate some of the hot water heat pipes. I told the "plumber" of the group that he would have to bleed the pipes (remove any air pockets) when all was reconnected. He said no problem, he knew what to do. The one hour job took him a day and a half. That really didn't bother me but, a few days later when it got cold at night, the heating system that Lewis Painting worked on, was not working. Luckily I had two electric heaters so, I was all right that night. However, I had to call a real plumber who bled the system properly. Now my heat works as it should. The last thing they worked on was the front porch supports and railings. After two days, they only had one post in place. They were having trouble with the other two because the posts were twisted. I showed them how to untwist the columns. It took us about an hour. Than I left them to place the railings and finish the job. When I looked at the completed job, the only thing that was correct were the two posts that I showed them how to do. All the railings were off. Some as much as 3/4" over a distance of less than two feet. That particular railing was left unfinished as was the trim near it. They, also, left unfinished a drain pipe and they were to install and an extension of the septic vent above the roof line was likewise not completed. Neither task was even begun, for that matter. I was willing to pay them and not have them finish the work because I saw that they were not skilled enough to do any better. The quality of their craftsmanship is just not what one would expect from professionals. I like them personally. They seem like very nice guys. They're just not as expertise in their craft as they think they are or would like to be. And, at that point, I was as anxious to have them leave as they were to go. I didn't even give the job a final inspection. Later, however, before I began this report, I figured I should take a close look at what I was reporting about. What I found, in addition to the previously mentioned, was a yard that was only superficially cleaned. There were literally hundreds of chips of wood and other debris, hundreds of cigarette butts (that they promised numerous times to remove) and dozens of rusted nails and screws strewn about the yard. I wanted to give Lewis Painting him an opportunity to come back to clean the yard properly and to correct , at least some of these flaws before I submitted this report. I contacted Lewis Painting and Lewis did actually came back looked at the points of my concern. He agreed that they are unacceptable and that they should properly be redone. Lewis told me they would be back to redo them. A week and a half later, I call Lewis because nothing had been done. He said he would work it in around his other jobs. It was a Thursday of the next week when I called again because still nothing was done. I said I was tired of this waiting and I wanted the job done by the next Wednesday or I'm reporting on Angie's list regardless. Lewis told me they would be there Mon. Tue. and Wed. evening and make sure it's done right. Monday evening, two of the workers showed up and said Lewis couldn't make it. Than they left. They didn't do anything. Not even clean up some of the mess and debris spread about the yard. That was the last I heard from Lewis Painting. I made a mistake in having Lewis Painting work on my house. Don't you make the same mistake.

They came on time for the estimate appointment and I was impressed when they came with swatches for the inside and the deck. They had done their homework and come by the get a look at the color of the deck. They already had samples similar to what we had on the deck. They showed me pictures of work they had done on complex rooms with two colors and lots of woodwork so I could be assured that they would not ruin our woodwork. I had two other estimates and they were all very similar - so I believe the price was right on target. They came when they said they would come. They moved the furniture, took down all the wall hangings, etc. We did not have to prepare anything. When it was done they replaced the furniture and wall hangings - and everything was in its correct place! They were very neat and professional. The work was terrific. Every corner and wall where it met the woodwork was perfect. The ceiling had been all yellowed stucco - they made it look like new. We did a different color on one of the walls in the Great Room and it looks great. The lines are perfect. When they did the deck it poured rain the next day. It was one of those deluges of rain and washed away some of the paint making spots throughout the deck. I didn't even have to call. Todd called me to see if it was OK and when I told him it was not he said not to worry - they would redo it. They definitely go above and beyond. One time when they were at the house, my husband noticed some holes from a woodpecker on a corner of the house. He was talking to me saying he needed to fix it. Todd overheard and said his Team would do it when they came back to redo the deck. And they did. These guys are pleasant, professional and very fair. I plan to use them again for other rooms we need painted.