I had my fence replaced about three years ago after weather related damage. Alon was good with his salesmanship although came across as a little too rushed to hear all that I had to say regarding the fence and what I wanted. Steve and the crew showed up on site and Steve began his survey, as I had some very specific requirements regarding property lines for my job. Steve seemed to do a thorough job, although they all seemed to be very rushed which concerned me at first, as I know a little about fencing and wanted to make sure that they did a proper job and did not cut corners, for example making sure the post holes are around 42 inches deep each for frost protection. They came up a little short on some of the holes and did not appreciate my observations. But they made them right with the exception of one that was barely 36 inches deep, but assured me that nothing would happen. And they had a 5 year guarantee on the post work so... The workers were kind and considerate, but were at times fighting with each other. One worker was terribly upset about having to mix the concrete and made it quite evident to everyone including the clients that he was pissed off to say the least, not good conduct, especially in front of the client, however things prevailed. The only major problem I had with the contruction of my fence was that the workers bringing in the concrete for the posts kept on pouring the concete on the sides of the posts rather than into the hole around the posts and Steve actually got upset about it but still had to keep on reminding them, it made a hell of a mess for ME to clean up after, not appreciated and made the bottom of the posts look like crap, not at all appealing to the eye. And Alon is very hard to get ahold of, but I understand what it's like to be swamped, however... The gentleman that came afterwards to do the planking/boarding-finishing of the fence was from the east coast and man oh man was he good at his job, He took the time to make sure that the spacing was what I wanted rather than just doing it. He did a fantastic job finishing the fence and making the gate. Although the gate hardware they provided was not the greatest. Over all I would recommend CAN DO. But would advise people to be very specific with your requirements and needs. I would highly suggest that people have hot dip galvnized nails used for the whole project including the planking/boarding part as well, much stronger by far than electroplated nails. The fence is beautiful and well done with good quality materials and has held up very well to date with minor to moderate post twisting and plank cracking. Regards PJ(Peter)Harris.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $4,000.00
- Company Response
Hello PJ,--Alon from CAN DO Fence & Deck
Thanks for your review and feedback...We have grown significantly over last few years and are now fully staffed both Construction and Administration. However I certainly understand how my being rushed could be perceived negatively and apologize for this.
Post setting methods have evolved and are done to the Highest standards(including using CONCRETE Trucks and 28MPA Concrete) for all projects and installing posts with a technique called 'floating' allowing concrete to reach close to the 48inch mark while bottom of hole is flaired and concrete / gravel mix below post to encase it and give it more durability) This is now standard practice
Clean ups are usually quite thorough now as fully staffed crews are equipped to do this, however normal wear and tear during construction (although fairly minor) is a reality of construction.
Of course Splitting / Warping / Twisting of lumber is natural wood behaviour and cannot be prevented, Posts staying in the ground and not Lifting is mainly what can be controlled and our 5 YEAR WARRANTY (Longest Written Warranty in the industry)protects our customers.
Our staffing has improved; we are careful to screen and make sure our Employees are professional and conduct themselves accordingly...Certainly no employee should lose their temper in front of customers and again my apologies that you experienced this.
All our nails are now Double Hot Dipped Galvanized to deal with the ACQ Copper based current treatment.
GATE Hardware we carry now is Heavy Duty Hinges and latches which can be opened from either side and do not require strings or modifications to open / close...Of course Gates are subject to use and wear and tear but the new hardware goes a long way!
*By the way if you want to call me directly (416)989-3934 I would be glad to take information and send someone to change the Gate hardware for you at no charge for your helpful review and feedback.Now that we are more fully staffed I am always available and if not answering phone if at meetings all messages returned within 48 hours...As well Head Office (905)642-3325 or 1(866)252-3325 available Mon--Fri 9AM--6PM or 24 hours a day at www.candofenceanddeck.com Click--> 'Contact Us' or at customerservice@cando.com
Thanks again for your honesty and detailed response and feedback and I am encouraged that many of these items have been addressed and improved greatly since your installation 3 years ago!
Sincerely & Respectfully,
Alon Zamdvaiz
Sales Manager
CAN DO Fence & Deck