Unsatisfied with concrete countertop (countertops, lawyer, house)

[rmoss35732]

I found someone to put in a concrete countertop for me...they had a beautiful web site and rave reviews from several business in my town.
We went over colors and exactily what I wanted in the countertop as far as accents and I was presented with a sample piece...we tweeked it a little and I was very happy. When they came and installed the counter there was a large stone aprox 3in by 2 inches placed on a corner of the counter which didnt match anything used on the rest of the counter and it was not on the sample and was never discussed...when I asked about it I was told that they used their " artistic liberty" and added it to the counter...there was also a side splash that they forgot to make...I was not happy.
I told them right away I was not happy at all with the stone accent they added...I told them it looked like a mistake and they told me there was nothing they could do about it. It was a done deal. They came back by and installed the forgotten side splash but the color was off and their measureing was off by an inch! I asked about it and they told me it turned out just they way they liked it...I was not happy....there is also a cement blob on the inside of the edge of the sink....and 2 of the seams are off by a couple mm's ...all put together and I am not happy...I paid them 1000.00 down and still owe 1800.00 which was to be paid apon completion...the costumer service I have recieved is non existant...what should I do???

[hgnmx]

I think you did the right thing by not paying them the full amount for a service that you did not request. What business/group was this? Can you try contacting their boss?

[Mandy612]

try to contact their boss and explain the situation. although they were using their artistic liberty, the bottom line is, u didnt like it and importantly, it wasnt included in the plans nor rough drafts of what the counter would look like.

when you contact the companys manager, u tell them that there are uneven spots, off colors, and measurements are off and quite noticeable. you tell them at this point, u wont even seek for them to redo considering what a terrible job they did. make sure u write a review expressing what happened to potential customers and maybe u should contact the better business bureau and/or take them to small claims court if they dont give u back the $1000.00

definitly do NOT pay the remaining balance of $1800.00 thats just absurd because u told them u didnt like it while they were doing it and they kept on. next time that happens, just throw them out of your house and call up the owner/manager and tell them y. no payin customer should have to go thru this nor pay for something that wasnt done correctly, not to your liking, not discussed beforehand etc...

art is a beautiful thing but art is also very personal. what they find as acceptable and artful may not be the same for youand vice versa. the adjustments and add-ons they considered as artistic liberty wasnt discussed at all or included in teh rough draft or options when ordering and designing so i really think that a judge would see all this and the judgement would be in your favor.

good luck.

[Elementconcrete]

I own a Decorative Concrete company in Maui. I specialize in concrete countertops. My experience is that there are always 2 sides to every story, with that said... When I go through the design phase with the customer I inform them that the sample is a close example of the finished product and some very slight variance might occur, i.e slight color difference and so on.

However if you did not discuss the aggregate in the corner of the countertop then that is not a "artistic liberty". If it was my company then the counter would be removed and done right. Well.... actually if it was my company it would have been done right the first time! I keep all my customer's info and mix designs on file so I can make the exact same counter again if needed.

Don't pay them until it looks the way that the both of you agreed in the beginning. The seams should not even be seen and as for the backsplash..... Well it just isn't that hard to do.

I am so sick of "Concrete Guys" making my life so much harder! I do Perfect work or nothing at all, and hate hacks making a bad name for Concrete Countertops! They are amazing counters, if done right!

[todd00]

What do you have in writing in regards to the aggregate and their use of artistic liberty? Since the above poster is a concrete guy, why not take some good photos to show the finished job. He might be able to give you a bit of a critique of the job from the photos. It might give you more ammunition to use when you talk to them again. Did you talk to the owner about the problems? If they don't want to fix the problems and you try to get your money back you will have to pick apart all they have done wrong. I'd do some reading, maybe the poster above can help ya out there. The BBB won't do much good accept it will show they have a complaint on file. It might save some one else a hassle at least. Sometimes all ya need is a letter from a lawyer and they become more interested in making it right than fighting about it. I don't know if there is anyone in your area that actually teaches how to work with concrete and install it, maybe at a college in the area? An opinion of the job by a professional would be helpful if they won't make it right and you have to fight to get your money back.

One thing I read reference seams and how they can show is they grout the joints between them to ensure a seamless surface but as the grout dries over a couple of days, it begins to shrink and sink below surface level and the seam lines show. They say that can happen when they grout the joints before, rather than after, joining the sections together. I wonder how they did it on your job?

It's really hard to find people that live up to their word and do quality work. I could write a book about some of them I've had the misfortune of dealing with. I hope things work out ok for you.

How to Avoid Mistakes When Installing Concrete Countertops - The Concrete Network