It’s unfortunate that I am writing such a review about Mike especially after a long work relationship that we have had for several years. But I guess one never knows until you actually experience the quality of the service/ product provided over time. My intention is to share my experience regarding his ethics as well as warn against the acclaimed knowledge as a builder/building inspection provider.
Mike built the back deck of my house 2 years ago in Apr 2018.
I have contracted & compensated Mike approximately $20,000 to build a water proof deck as well as the front porch of my house. Mike has provided a 1 year warranty for his work from date of completion.
The deck was completed end of Spring and after the first rainy winter, I have noticed that the deck is leaking in Apr 2019.
I have contacted Mike immediately and he assured me that he will take care of it. And hence I have waited patiently trusting that he would. He would promise me a date to show up and I would move all my heavy plant pots and furniture inside my house and wait for him to come by but he won’t show up. I would contact him time and time again and he would come up with excuses of why he couldn’t make it that day and reschedule for another. Meanwhile we could not use our deck and were crowded with furniture inside our house. This went on for 2 years for which he came by a couple of times after many text messages and every time he would come by, he would say that he repaired it. I believed him but the deck leaks again. I proposed that he could hire a specialist or I could hire one too (if he covers the costs) and he seemed to agree to that suggestion but changed his mind about it and decided to give it a go again himself and again it didn’t work and the leak is never repaired.
Finally, he is now claiming that the pre existing wall of the deck is what is causing the leak and he has warned me about that wall before building the deck and that I insisted to keep it; inspite of the fact that he has actually admitted to finding holes in the waterproof member he installed last he was here in Jun 2020 caused by screws that he has used to secure the top flooring and claimed to have sealed it. I have no recollection of that warning and wouldn't it have made sense that he gives me something in Writing to that effect to clear his responsibility towards something I " insisted" on him doing that may have such major negative effects?In addition, he did charge me for a Waterproof deck so he charged me for a service that was not delivered, not only that, according to him, was doubtful all along that it will cause problems down the road but still went ahead and built it.
I wonder if Mike would pass a deck like the one he built in an inspection!
Mike is clearly backing out of his responsibility completely towards repairing the deck, claiming that the 1 year warranty has expired and pre existing structure has caused the leak . Even though the defect was reported to him within the 1 year of warranty and he was never able to repair it. In other words he never delivered a waterproof deck that he was contracted to build and received full payment for.
I have saved all dated text messages and correspondence to prove all information I provided above. And currently went through the process of suing him to discover that he has put a Name of Company & Business Number on the Invoice that has dissolved in 2017 before he was even contracted to build my deck ( 2018).
I would not work with Mike or any company he represent again nor recommend him after showing such poor business practice and lack of knowledge when it comes to building construction, an area he claims expertise in.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $20,000.00