A & R CONCRETE INC

The den of our tri-level house sits on a concrete slab and we wanted to replace the original asbestos tile. When we found a coupon for K. & R. Concrete Finishing & Construction L.L.C., we decided to start getting prices from various companies. However, when Mr. Kangas came out to talk with us, he was so personable and knowledgeable that we decided to hire his company and looked no further. (We did not belong to Angie's list until later.) We made it quite clear that the floor had to be safe because my then 96-year-old mother lived with us. We took off the asbestos tile ourselves to save expense, which actually turned out to be a minor savings given that, later, when we started running into problems, we called to consult our nephew who builds houses in Kansas and he said the job was way over-priced. When Mr. Kangas's crew arrived, the grinding of the floor went like clockwork. However, at some point in the grinding down phase, the workers put a deep scratch in two of my cabinets. When it came time for the staining, it came to light that what Mr. Kangas had been calling stain was actually paint with the speckles which businesses often use on floors or homeowners use in garages and basements. I did not want paint; I wanted stain that would give a marbled look. Since Mr. Kangas did not seem to know what I was talking about, I went to Sherman Williams to choose the product and then Mr. Kangas picked it up. After the first application, I knew we were in trouble; the product was not drying and it made puddles over the floor. When I questioned Mr. Kangas, he said it always looks that way in the beginning, but when it dried, it would be nice. He also said he needed to buy more product. Again they applied it with similar results. When my husband talked with Mr. Kangas, he admitted that most of the work they did was outdoors and he had done only a few interiors. After a final application, Mr. Kangas acknowledged that he was out of his comfort zone and asked if we would be satisfied if he put down ceramic tile for us instead. We were as pleased as we could be, but were worried that the cost would go up. However, Mr. Kangas assured us that there would be no additional cost, that he would take the expense of the tile out of his profit. When we picked out the tile, we bought the cheapest that we could, because we wanted Mr. Kangas to have as much profit as possible under the circumstances. After all, he was a very nice man and was definitely trying to make it right. He subcontracted to another very nice man, who appeared to have done a great job. We were so happy when it was finished and we gave Mr. Kangas the balance due on the floor. However, as the days passed and we moved furniture back in and cleaned, we started noticing flaws. On the south side of the room there was a half inch drop between two tiles along the wall, but we decided not to worry about it, since the furniture would cover it up. Later when I cleaned again, I noticed three tiles that had been chipped on the edge and one with a hairline crack, which surprised me because we had lots of tiles left over that he could have used instead. Next, I saw two places, one by a wall, the other in front of the bathroom sink cabinet where, instead of cutting a small piece of tile for along the edge, he used an inch of grout to fill the spot in one place and an inch and a quarter in the other place. Since we had made it quite clear when we contracted with Mr. Kangas, that whatever we put down had to be safe for my mother, we were very disappointed. Though Mr. Kangas seemed sensitive to this need, because he himself had an elderly mother who was quite sick, I cannot say that the floor is safe, because, rather than being relatively smooth like most tile floors, the tiles are higher in some places than in others, and it appears that the sub-contractor didn't use spacers, because in some areas the tiles are 1/4 inch apart, others are 5/16, and others are a full 1/2 to 9/16 inches apart on one end and a different space apart on the other end. At some point I tried to contact Mr. Kangas, possibly through Angie's List, but he did not reply. As I type this, I am researching another company to come in to clean and seal the grout, because, apparently, it was not sealed and thus my beautiful white tile now has ugly gray grout in high-traffic areas. Thus, though Mr. Kangas was a very nice and sincere man, I cannot recommend him for interior jobs.

Great company, very professional. Even though we haven't (yet) used their services, when we are ready they will be the one we cal. I highly recommend A & R.

We are extremely happy with A&R's services. They were very prompt, and responsive. We were very happy that they stayed within their quoted price. We would highly recommend them, and use them again in a heart beat.