Allow me to preface this story by saying that my contract was with Restoration 911. With about 2 months left in my project, the company switched and became Canada Restoration.
This company is competent and capable in Mold remediation and I would Recommend them for such service. But that's where it should end with this company.
Do NOT use this company to re-build your home.
Every single job that was done in my house was messed up and required multiple visits to correct, here's a rundown of said jobs...
Hardwood Flooring: Had the wrong one selected and where ready to install... fortunately, we noticed they had the wrong one, we got a very specific sample from the hardwood store, and the proper one was finally installed. Of course 1 of my visits out during this installation process found numerous empty beer bottles on the job site...
Tiles: Purchased and installed the wrong ones. Again, fortunately, they where our 2nd choice, and ultimately, we liked the look, so we never kicked up a fuss about it, but it doesn't diminish the fact that once again, the wrong product was purchased, and this time, actually installed.
Vanities X 2: When time came to install these, the sub contractors that where dispatched out, ended up cutting the hole for our sink (even though there was specific measurements to adhere too) too big. I had to go and purchase 2 new sinks, as well as 2 new faucets to be able to get the job done properly. Secondary to that even to this day, the handles on the main cupboards are not even. I've attempted to get this fixed multiple times already... but to no avail
Granite counter top: The contractor never made the final payment to the counter top company, so on the day of install, I get a phone call from the place saying how they aren't coming out unless I pay the final payment. They also let me know that our contractor never purchased a faucet either, so I need to go down right then and there to the showroom to purchase one, or it too, will not be installed. Of course it's a Saturday so I can't get a hold of the contractor. My hands where tied
Carpeting: Giant seam spanning the size of a quarter in thickness running right down the center of the room. And 1 stair that was installed opposite of all the other ones.
Bay Window: Required no less than 4 visits to attempt to finish off the siding. My window kept leaking every time it rained. After the 3rd time, I asked the contractor not to send out this same sub contractor he'd been sending (Same guy who messed up my carpet). He assures me on multiple occasions that he won't... It's going to be his siding guy... and lo and behold on the 4th time, it's the same guy who's messed it up 3 times already. Needless to say he messed it up a 4th time as well. Somehow, these guys don't grasp the concept that the ledge on the outside of the window, needs to be angled AWAY from the window so that water does not sit right up against the framing and subsequently find it's way inside.
Despite being told on several occasions that the Window installers would be "The window guys, cuz that way, the warranty will still be intact" it was infact the same general contractor who had already messed up every job he was apart of... "But the warranty is still in tact" says the contractor... well good thing seeing as after they "fixed it" for the 4th time, it was not only still messed up, but even worse than before. I ended up paying $600 out of pocket to get this thing done properly. Upon ripping it open, the wood framing underneath the window was still wet, and the insulation was also wet and ruined. All they did was use indoor caulking (yes this is on the outside) and re-caulked the whole ledge, and then put another ledge over top of the old one and used the same indoor caulking on that. They still had it angled back against the window so water would still sit against the framing and still get inside... This after being assured it was either going to be ripped apart and re-built from scratch, or it was going to be 1 giant, custom made piece, made to fit perfectly... Great Job!
Door: no less than 3 days (And I'm talking full days) to install a door handle... This was the same guy who did our bay window.
Deck: Absolutely no spacing between the boards. When it rains, water just sits on my deck as it has nowhere to go. Cracking has already commenced not even 1 year in..
Fireplace: In spite of e-mails with links and pictures right at the job site, these guys could not figure out what we wanted when I said a "fireplace mantle" you know, a single solid nice piece of finished wood? They ended up building a mantle out of plywood that looks okay... but again, this is only after multiple visits and lots of complaining... why they couldn't grasp a single solitary nice piece of wood is beyond me.
Along with every job being messed up, it ALWAYS took weeks on end to get anything done. I was initially told 20 working days until my home would be completed. It was no less than a full 9 months later. That's 8 months over the deadline!!!!
I could hardly ever get a hold of the contractor... his voice mail was constantly full, and even if it wasn't, he seldom answers and never calls you back. The guy is a master of telling you what you want to hear, but they never follow through. 2-3 hours late minimum, if they even show up at all. Most times, it was 2-3 hours late, and then I finally get a hold of the guy after calling constantly all day long, only to find out an emergency had happened somewhere else and they needed to go there, and nobody would be coming to my place... that excuse wouldn't have been a problem if they actually, I dunno, let me know so I wasn't sitting around waiting, wasting my time everyday, but they never did. No different with e-mails. I sent hundreds of e-mails with no responses ever.
It's a constant cycle of, We'll be there later this afternoon... Sorry couldn't make it, how about first thing tomorrow morning... tomorrow morning comes, wait for hours on end, finally get a hold of him... whoa sorry, got tied up doing this, how about later today etc etc etc. This goes on for weeks on end, and when they do finally show up, as I mentioned above, every single job was done improperly and took incessant amounts of time to complete (see 3 days for my door handle)
It took me hounding them to even receive a final invoice. The unprofessionalism displayed by this company is mind blowing. There's still a few things left in my house that I could have kept arguing and fighting over, but I just reached the point of not caring anymore. I'd rather just pay out of pocket, so that it get's done properly, and in a timely manor then wait for these guys to eventually make it out, mess it up 3 times, and take a month to finally finish it.
I would still recommend them for mold remediation but for the love of god, do not let them do the re-build. Worst experience of my entire life, and it's not even close!
As an update to this story. I told Mr. Gradus (CEO) that I had written a review that wasn't terribly kind to his company (See above), and he told me he wanted to take some time, and talk to me and after we talked he told me in his words "He wanted to do something for me, in light of our bad experience". Commendable at the time...
Well a full MONTH has passed since this conversation, and what do ya know? I haven't heard anything? My suggestion was for them to come and finish up all the little jobs that were never finished... not even asking for some money or anything of the sorts, but I guess I should have known that like always, I'd be pushed to the back burner, as nobody cared.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Mr. Gradus told me that he could get the owner of homestars to remove my review because my contract is with Resoration 911 and not with Canada Restoration. He followed that up with saying that my review for Restoration 911 would not really hurt his company moving forward as there no longer affiliated with them... In light of this, I'm going to be posting this review on both companies profiles here on homestars, as well as anywhere else I can. I'm going to attempt to register a complaint with the better buisness bureau and basically, I'm going to go out of my way to ensure that I do hurt this company. Something I would have never considerd doing, but I am just so frustrated with the unprofessionalism displayed throughout this company.
I hope anyone considering using this company, takes the time to read this review, and thinks again.
