ComplaintsforG.R.K. Masonry Co

• Initial Complaint

  05/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This is a job the ***** knew better than to perform, according to an estimator for ********************. The estimator said the amount of stamped concrete was about an inch, if that, and it should have been 4 inches. Paid **** Knapp (aka GKK Masonry) $9,250 on 8/6/20 & $9,000 on 9/28/20 to lay stamped concrete on my lanai and pool area. Knapp promised to pour a "special" layer of sealant that would enter the existing cracks and protect against a reappearance. For the 12 months following job completion, **** promised a 1 year warranty. He returned Sept.10, 2020 to repair cracks, again Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 19, Oct. 20th to fix spa feed hole, delayed a week, then Nov. 20th, 12/22/20, Jan. 14, 2021, Feb 24, 2021, May 13, 2021, June 18, 2021, then he repainted the deck. Beginning Nov. 15, 2021, began sealing the cracks myself. Feb and April 2022 fixed more cracks myself. In April 2022, asked **** for a refund since continuing to fix cracks and watching the lanai crack again in the same spots is insanity. Knapp also said he would run a laser beam to pour the concrete so water would drain away from the house. That never happened. As a result, the lanai floods in heavy rains. Finally, I paid another company $10,000 to install drain tile. Without the proper slope, it isn't completely rerouting rainwater. Three separate contractors said that concrete should be 4 inches deep (not less than one inch), left to cure longer, it needed more expansion joints and it never should have been poured over the badly cracked existing structure. All procedures a man with decades of experience in the business should know. Knapp took advantage of an old retired woman. Now I have to tear up the entire lanai and pour all new concrete to fix this problem, which will cost me in excess of $30,000. I expect my money back from **** Knapp. I am attaching photos with dates. 11 photos, #**** to #**** are not labeled and are today's (5/10/22) existing cracks.

  

  Business response

  07/08/2022

  The client ********************** was in the beginning given two options. A. Tear the deck completely out and start new or B. Overlay stamp and color. She chose B saying total tear out was way to expensive. . After said work was completed she brought in another contractor to saw cut and chip out a drain which compromised the integrety of our work. we tried all we could do to please this client all to no avail. there is no compromise at this time Mahalo **** Knapp 
  

  
  

  Customer response

  07/11/2022

   
  Complaint: 17188699
  
  I am rejecting this response because it is a lie and false. Mr. ********************** gave me no choices or other solutions to my lanai other than stamped concrete, and he did not even give me a choice of the stamping surface. In retrospect, he was a ********, painting a picture of a perfect deck that required zero maintenance and would give me years of enjoyment in my retirement home. Instead, I received a product he knew better than to install. Every contractor I spoke to after this disaster happened assured me that Mr. ********************** had extensive knowledge of concrete and absolutely knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the deck would completely fail. He failed to disclose to me that he laid down less than an inch of concrete when the minimum amount is 4 inches. He also mislead me into believing he had graded my lanai when he had done nothing of the kind. I had asked him at inception whether I should have drain tile and was told no, I didn't need it because he would use a red laser to help guide the grading. But that did not happen. Therefore, I had to spend an additional $10,000 to hire another contractor after the fact to install the drain tile, who most certainly did not compromise the integrity of the lanai. Further, the deck failed miserably months before I installed the drain tile.

   

  The fact remains Mr. ********************** should never have installed stamped concrete on my lanai because there was not enough space to properly lay enough concrete to keep it from cracking. In addition, he did not properly prepare the cracking concrete prior to dumping an inch of concrete on top, thereby ensuring existing cracking in the substrate would continue to crack through the stamped concrete. He accepted my money in bad faith.

   

  There has been presented another solution to me other than tearing out all of the concrete. It will cost around $35,000 to $45,000 to lay porcelain tile, and the installers will lay a membrane, including a product like Hydroban to stop the cracking, and tile installers do this procedure all the time with excellent results. I will also have to pay a separate contractor to remove the stamped concrete. At this point, not only do I expect to receive all the money back that I paid to Mr. **********************, but I would also expect him to restore my deck to its original condition by removing the failing concrete. This would be enough to make me whole and ready to forget about his maliciousness and deception.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************************

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