A.C.E. Home Services, Inc.

Revdex.com:
We have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID .***, and find that Mediation is necessaryWe have attached additional pictures for documentation of the cement issuesPlease let us know what other information you need us to submit and have a great day!
Regards,
*** * *** ***

I am rejecting this response because:These "small imperfections" as Chris would refer to, are instead the well majority of the driveway. The open areas of cement alone almost take up an entire slab of feet by feetThis large area will be an issue come winter due to ice and salt getting into the open areas and expanding, not to mention it just looksplain hideousThe major variations in cement, rutted areas, excessively large cut panels, whole in cement by foundation and massive brush strokes (which Chris said would fade with curing and have not) go across several slabs. The edging is substandard and the lack of quality craftsmanship is clearly unacceptable, by every single person who has viewed are drivewayEven from a distance, you can clearly see the poor finish and other issues of the driveway. We have tried to be fair by asking for advise on how to fix on a cement forum as well as had separate cement contractors outEvery single person has come back with the same conclusion, this job is extremely unprofessional and unsightlyThe only solution is a complete tear out and reinstallWhen we contacted Chris via email, he responded that his original intent was to contract out the cement portion, but instead he took the job on himself with his crew. Apparently Chris was not comfortable to take on the driveway cement job initially, and then changed his mind and attempted it himself. He is correct that this was part of a larger project, in which an addition was builtAlthough not part of the complaint, the cement in the garage was an issue as wellWe would like to mention this as it gives validity, towards the poor cement quality overallChris installed the garage floor when it was about to rain which resulted in areas under water when the cement was curingThis caused open areas in the cement as well as a low spot that continues to hold water in the garageWhen we brought the issue up to Chris, he decided at the end of the job to patch the open cement spots. Although we were not happy with the patched appearance, we let it go and epoxied over itWe still have the low spot to contend with, which pools water in the first section of the garageTo say that "This Customer demands a level of perfection that is not always realistic" is erroneousIf this was the case, we would not have flexed on the cement floor patching or other issues along the way. We have attached the max allowed to show some of the poor craftsmanship. None of the pictures, nor the ones we sent initially to Chris were when the cement was "wet"We also have several additional pictures if needed for review When we choose A.C.E. to take on what is a large project for us, we did so because Chris talked often about his qualityWe did not contract for a substandard job, we contracted for a quality nice looking finished jobThis is clearly not what we paid for or what we received

The concrete work in question was one piece of a much larger project, a 14' X 35' garage additionEvery single contractural obligation was met, every inspection passed, and final payment from customer received. The type of cosmetic imperfections that the customer refers to will not in my
opinion cause any issues with the overall integrity of the drivewayMany of these imperfections are small and virtually unnoticeableThey have taken close up pictures of the concrete when it is wet, with unnatural lighting, and awkward camera anglesThese pictures do not accurately represent the overall jobI could take pictures like this of virtually any concrete driveway and get the same resultAs for the opinion of other contractors with regards to the spacing of cutsNot all contractors do things the same wayThe cuts were divided up evenly for the best overall appearanceGiven the base material used on this project I was completely comfortable with the 11' spacingIf you call a competing contractor to look at the work of another and ask him to scrutinize it, he will and you can almost always find imperfection in anything, especially when asked to look for itCan that contractor actually produce a better product? MaybeThis customer demands a level of perfection that is not always realistic in an industry of imperfect materials and weather conditions. As for the warranty, if the driveway or any other part of the project fails during the first year due to poor workmanship we gladly address the issueThe one year warranty starts the day of the final building inspection. With regard to the customers request for A.C.E Home Services Incto pay the cost of driveway replacementWe will notThe driveway was completed in accordance with contracts, and building code Our company has an outstanding reputation for delivering quality craftsmanship that goes above and beyond industry standardsI'm sorry that this customer is not satisfied with her drivewayWe feel that she has received exactly what she paid for