Proscapes Landscape & Design, Inc.

Review: Proscapes poured the concrete for a backyard patio. After the concrete had cured, a dark discoloration/blemish remained down the length of the patio.

During the week of October 28, 2012, ProScapes poured the concrete for my new patio. A large irregular area of dark blemishes were clearly visible throughout the patio. ProScapes told me to wait a couple months after the rainy season for the concrete to cure properly.

One neighbor said if the concrete was poured when the temperature was below 50 degrees it would not cure properly. I researched this information online and found this to be true. I also checked the temperatures for Sacramento during the week the concrete was poured. The temperature had dropped below 50 degrees the week they poured the concrete. Proscapes replied that their criteria for pouring concrete was no lower than 40 degrees.

By May there was no change in the appearance of the concrete. In June they recommended sealing the concrete to make the blemishes less visible at no extra charge. It did not work.

One of the workman accidentally scraped the cement and left a 12 inch mark at the entrance of the patio. This damage was never addressed.

The dark blemishes extend almost the entire length of the 38 foot patio. The width of the discoloration varies from 2 feet to 8 feet wide. It is quite noticeable to family and friends.

The payment amount of the entire project was $27,940. I made the following payments by check as requested.

Deposit/Plan Deliver $2,794

Start of the project $4,470

At Underground $4,470

At concrete forms $4,470

At concrete Pour $4,471

At water Feature $4,471

Completion of project $2,794

The owner of the company came out October 3, 2013 and said he was going to research the problem to find a solution. That was three weeks ago. It has been a year since the project was started.Desired Settlement: The manager of the project gave me a signed handwritten statement proclaiming the following:

"Concrete blemish and color was discussed at job completion on 11/12/12. If patched area is not satisfactory after concrete is fully cured (1-2 months) then we will address issue and resolve the problem. If sealing the concrete will make blemish blend we will seal patio and sidewalk at no charge."

The problem has not been resolved. Therefore, I am requesting a refund of $4,471 for the concrete pour and $2,794 for completion of the project. Total: $7,265.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

In Response to the above claim. There were normal blemishes in the concrete. The blemishes that were viable were normal standards in concrete. In my opinion the blemishes having nothing to do with the temperature. As a contractor we try to go above and beyond to make our customers happy. As stated above the customer was not happy with the blemishes so we did do as we promised and sealed the concrete at no cost to the client. after we sealed the concrete the client was still not happy. I met with the client again to evaluate the concrete. I told her I would get back to her with another option. I emailed an option that I thought would solve her issue. The option I sent her was if she would pay for the material ($240.00) I would supply the labor. She says she never received the email. Our offer still stands to try and solve the issue. I will send the the letter the Revdex.com for your review.

Consumer Response

As I stated in my original complaint, the owner came out and said he would research the problem, as he had "heard" of a new product that could possibly solve the problem. At that time I also decided to research what options were available. I actually found a company that does concrete resurfacing. They came to my home to assess the condition of the patio concrete. Their evaluation of the concrete is a follows: 1. The concrete should NOT have been sealed until the discoloration had been addressed or repaired. 2. Their recommendation to correct the problem is to remove the seal with an application of an acid solution to the entire patio. Only then, can the discoloration be addressed and corrected. 3. The company gave me a cost estimate to repair the damage. It would cost about the same amount that I paid originally to have the concrete poured.

On November 14, I received in the mail a proposal from the owner to reseal the patio. This proposal does NOT address the underlying problem. Furthermore, he stated he has used this product before, which is contradictory to what he originally said that he was going to research a new product that he had heard about.

I do not accept the proposal from the company that I received on November 14, 2013.

Final Business Response

Part of the process of my last proposal does included removing the current seal. We would then add color to the new seal application. We have used this product in the past and it has been successful.

If this is not acceptable then I propose we remove the seal and then stain the concrete. The product we would use would be New look. It can be seen www.getnewlook.com This would give a more uniform color to the concrete. We have been very successful using the product in the past. I am very confident we can resolve this issue if giving the opportunity.

Consumer

Response:

Proscapes response is not acceptable and prompts the following questions:

1. When you sealed my patio, you said that sealing it was the only option there was to disguise the discoloration. Now you are saying you have used a product in the past, which has been very successful. Why was this product not mentioned to me before you sealed my patio?

2. If you remove the seal, how do you plan to address the blotches and discoloration of the concrete?

I have reviewed the product "New Look" on the Internet that you recommended I do. The product is a water-based translucent stain that changes the color of the patio. How can this product hide the patio discoloration if it is translucent? The article also states the stain becomes darker on the indentations of the concrete because it tends to pool in those areas. The stain also needs to be reapplied occasionally depending upon the amount of wear the patio receives. "New Look" also advertises you can even change the color from black to red. That does not sound like a stain. Furthermore, the patio would no longer match the sidewalk to the patio and the driveway.

After viewing the product demonstrations, I am NOT convinced it will resolve the problem. In three or four years (depending on the wear of the patio) I would have to address this problem again.

In all honesty I have lost confidence in your workmanship on the entire project. As you will recall the pump for waterfall burnt out the first month and you had to replace it. Then two months ago I personally had to hire a handyman to repair the gate you constructed. It could not close because the hinges did not support the weight of the gate. I also had to pay a handyman to relocate a couple of the sprinkler heads to cover the areas that were not getting watered.