So after getting 3 bids we went with the company that made us feel the most omfortable, also was the highest bid. This company prides itself on the fact they're 100% in house and sub contract nothing. Also, their employees are all tradesmen and do not cross work. Meaning tile guys are tile guys and not electricians.
Our pool was in really bad shape and had been painted a few years back. All 3 companies added a $500 upcharge to their demo and prep because they said it's more work to remove the paint. Which now I hear conflicting stories. Either way, this is the least of my worries.
Demo day and prep go fairly smooth although I found a spot that wasn't painted with the bond coat and had blue showing through (pool paint), about the size of a .50 coin. I voiced concerns about this as they made it seem like it was crucial all the paint come off. They explain that you're not going to get 100% of it and ensure me it's fine. My worry is how big of an area of paint is still there under the bond coat. And if something happens a year from now and my water chemistry is off they blame me instead of their prep work and void my warranty.
They demoed quite a bit off the steps and I was told that it would get built back up and they'll be good to go. There was still some loose chunks and I was told the plaster crew would take care of it.
Next up, tile. They install our waterline tile and when I got home from work I immediately see problems. Right at the begining where they start at the skimmer the tile is all cocked. And there's dips throught the job all the way around. Ok so they messed up. They come back the following week and repair it. The initial tile by the skimmer looked good but there were still 2 spots that have very bad dips in them. So they come a 3rd time to repair those and when they're done you can still see the dips, although better, they're very much there.
You can imagine at this point I have very little faith and trust left in this company. They've taken the enjoyment out of this project and now we hate it. We paid to have a job done and be stress free but instead I'm here being the quality control guy and project manager.
They decide at this point they need to start over, which I 100% agree with but now they hired a sub to do the install, which came out fantastic the first time. So that took 4 attempts to get tile good to go.
Today they plastered with mini Pebble. My steps are horrible. The come out about 12" from front to back and have a 4" downslope in them. I text the superintendent and he was immediately defensive telling me I just voided my warranty because I was in my pool 6 hours after the plaster was laid. No one told me I needed to wait a certain amount of time and the plaster felt hard to the touch prior to me entering it. I told him that with everything bad that has happened you can't expect me not to inspect each step of the process and that's what I did. He told me himself go look and point out issues. He's telling me the slope is within industry standard, which is BS, and that there has to be a slope for drainage. I said ok, why do you need a slope for drainage when a pool is supposed to be full of water. But let's say there is supposed to be one, it's sure not supposed to be a 4" drop per foot. That's insane, someone is gonna slip and fall getting into the pool.
He says they're coming back tomorrow to acid wash and fill and if we don't have payment in full ($3300 left out of $12,300) than he will put a lien on our home. This company is a joke. I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice for me. I have taken pictures and videos every step of the way. What can I do???
Our pool was in really bad shape and had been painted a few years back. All 3 companies added a $500 upcharge to their demo and prep because they said it's more work to remove the paint. Which now I hear conflicting stories. Either way, this is the least of my worries.
Demo day and prep go fairly smooth although I found a spot that wasn't painted with the bond coat and had blue showing through (pool paint), about the size of a .50 coin. I voiced concerns about this as they made it seem like it was crucial all the paint come off. They explain that you're not going to get 100% of it and ensure me it's fine. My worry is how big of an area of paint is still there under the bond coat. And if something happens a year from now and my water chemistry is off they blame me instead of their prep work and void my warranty.
They demoed quite a bit off the steps and I was told that it would get built back up and they'll be good to go. There was still some loose chunks and I was told the plaster crew would take care of it.
Next up, tile. They install our waterline tile and when I got home from work I immediately see problems. Right at the begining where they start at the skimmer the tile is all cocked. And there's dips throught the job all the way around. Ok so they messed up. They come back the following week and repair it. The initial tile by the skimmer looked good but there were still 2 spots that have very bad dips in them. So they come a 3rd time to repair those and when they're done you can still see the dips, although better, they're very much there.
You can imagine at this point I have very little faith and trust left in this company. They've taken the enjoyment out of this project and now we hate it. We paid to have a job done and be stress free but instead I'm here being the quality control guy and project manager.
They decide at this point they need to start over, which I 100% agree with but now they hired a sub to do the install, which came out fantastic the first time. So that took 4 attempts to get tile good to go.
Today they plastered with mini Pebble. My steps are horrible. The come out about 12" from front to back and have a 4" downslope in them. I text the superintendent and he was immediately defensive telling me I just voided my warranty because I was in my pool 6 hours after the plaster was laid. No one told me I needed to wait a certain amount of time and the plaster felt hard to the touch prior to me entering it. I told him that with everything bad that has happened you can't expect me not to inspect each step of the process and that's what I did. He told me himself go look and point out issues. He's telling me the slope is within industry standard, which is BS, and that there has to be a slope for drainage. I said ok, why do you need a slope for drainage when a pool is supposed to be full of water. But let's say there is supposed to be one, it's sure not supposed to be a 4" drop per foot. That's insane, someone is gonna slip and fall getting into the pool.
He says they're coming back tomorrow to acid wash and fill and if we don't have payment in full ($3300 left out of $12,300) than he will put a lien on our home. This company is a joke. I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice for me. I have taken pictures and videos every step of the way. What can I do???
