Bald Eagle Construction

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 12, 2014/11/19) */ 11/19/ Bald Eagle Construction did in fact view the area of the patio referred to in the complaint The difficult truth about concrete is that it will crackConcrete must crack due to the fact that concrete contracts (shrinks) during the hydration process (drying, curing, hardening) and the bond between the cement paste and the aggregates is not strong enough to withstand the stressAll we can do as contractors, is to help control where this cracking will occur We perform our concrete work according to local codes, as well as common concrete pouring standardsPart of that process is to use control joints across the poured concrete areasThe purpose of the control joints is to create a weakness in a specific area of the concreteThe goal of this weakness is to induce the inevitable cracking (that must occur) to run along the control joint (and thereby be less visible) Cracking may also result if the ground area below the grade-level concrete work area moves (heaving or settling) subsequent to the work being done We are not aware of any concrete contractor who will guarantee, that the concrete they pour, will not crackIn fact, any contractor who makes that lofty promise might be one to avoidBald Eagle Construction does not (and never has) guaranteed any customer that the concrete we pour will not crackWe know that it will crackBecause we know concrete will crack, we include a clause in all of our contracts (as the homeowner mentions in the complaint), stating that Bald Eagle Construction is not responsible for random crackingThe homeowner was able to review the proposed contract for days prior to contracting with Bald Eagle Construction It is unfortunate when concrete cracks, but it is not possible to preventAs much as we would like to alter its curing dynamics, we are incapable of tinkering with the physics of concrete Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 14, 2014/11/25) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The contractor expects the customer to concede to a notion that we agreed to purchase & be satisfied with a product,they guarantee,will crack! Really??? we believed we were consulting with a purveyor of concrete,not fine china.Control joints are not the only means of prevention,but careful preparation of the foundation is one alsoThere employees did botchy workNow,everytime I go outside,I hear my wifes criticism for choosing Bald Eagle and wonder if it was too much to ask from them for a small project Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 17, 2014/12/16) */ [redacted] > [redacted] > President [redacted] IL XXXXX Office: [redacted] Cell: [redacted] (Quoted text hidden)

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 13, 2014/08/22) */ 8/21/ In August I (owner of Bald Eagle)went to inspect the sidewalkI took a number of pictures Three years ago we replaced a portion of her walkwaysThe portion of the walkway we replaced looks much better and newer than the adjacent walkways which we did not replaceThe homeowner asserts in the complaint that the sidewalk is falling apartThis is a gross exaggerationI would ask that the homeowner to have a reputable Revdex.com approved concrete contractor visit her sidewalk to give their assessmentBald Eagle will pay $to that contractor for their time and opinion The owner has some pop-outs and (1) crack in her sidewalkPop-outs are inevitable and are due to light weight chert (found in the aggregate of concrete)separating from the surrounding concrete due to moisture which freezes and then expands during the winterThere are many freeze/thaw cycles during the winter and last winter saw the most freeze/thaw cycles ever recorded in the Chicago area The difficult truth about concrete is that it will crackIt has to crack because it contracts (shrinks) during the hydration process (drying, curing, hardening) and the bond between the cement paste and the aggregates is not strong enough to withstand the stressAll we can do as contractors is to help control where the cracking occurs As per code and common concrete pouring standards, we used control joints across the width of the walkway at regular intervalsThe purpose of the control joints is to induce the inevitable cracking to run along the control joint (and thereby be less visible)We have never guaranteed anyone that the concrete we pour will not crackWe know that it will crackIt is unfortunate when concrete does crack, but it is not possible to preventWe are not aware of any concrete contractor who will guarantee that the concrete they pour will not crackIn fact, any contractor who makes that lofty promise might be one to avoidAs much as we would like to alter its curing dynamics, we are incapable of tinkering with the physics of concrete This project was poured to codeAfter removing the original concrete, we installed compactable gravel, and then vibrated (compacted) the gravel with a machineUpon the gravel we poured 4000# compression, bag mix concreteANYTHING that happens below the prepped area (8" total depth) is completely out of the contractor's handsIf the earth heaves or settles in the future, the concrete will move with it, and this can definitely cause it to crack Bald Eagle Construction looks forward to speaking with any reputable Revdex.com approved concrete contractor whom the homeowner chooses to get a professional 3rd opinion Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 15, 2014/08/22) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) There is one part of the sidewalk towards the backyard, that was not replaced by this companyIt was poured by the company that redid our back patioIt has not cracked, does not have any pitting, and no "pop-outs"Also I disagree with the statement that the sidewalk area that they replaced looks newer and better than the areas that they did not replace, I agree that the old sidewalk does not look as bright as the new one but there is minimal pitting, no cracking, no pop-outs and has lasted for at least yearsAlso, all of the cracking and problems with the sidewalk happened prior to this past winter, with a new crack forming on one of the slabs by the backdoor over the last couple of weeks

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/05/13) */ As I explained to the homeowner, I have been unavailable to communicate, I have been working on a project that has kept me away from the officeI have had a few Email's back and forth with the homeownerOur emails have always been returned within a few daysThe repair the homeowner needs completed is 'not' a warranty issue (porch remodel was completed in 2008, and implied warranty is for one year from completion)Any local handyman can help out with this situation, I have also just forwarded an email to the homeowner offering to provide names of a local handymanI feel the homeowner has been unreasonable with this complaint Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 11, 2015/05/28) */ ***corresponding documents attached Attention [redacted] : Case number [redacted] Hi [redacted] , I am extremely upset with ***'s response! I have attached all emails to [redacted] and from ***As you will see in the documentation, [redacted] said he will be availafter Memorial DayHe also told me what his fee isHe was aware of all this after contacting Revdex.comSo now, this morning I get an email saying he won't come down because I contacted Revdex.comIn my opinion, this kind of behavior is unprofessionalI know this company is Revdex.com accredited and for this I'm surprised by his response! Please help!! Thanks so much [redacted] ! Also, I am offering my phone numbers and hoping you will do a follow up callAgain, thank you!! [redacted] ***copied and pasted