Rainbow Construction

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Complaint: [redacted] January 29th, Better Business Bureau Metropolitan Washington DC and Eastern Pennsylvania K Street NW, 10th Floor Washington, DC 20005- RE: Complaint ID [redacted] Attn: [redacted] Dear Ms [redacted] , In response to the written reply by Rainbow Construction to our initial Revdex.com complaint, ID [redacted] ; please accept the following as our response to their position that they have gone above and beyond their contractual obligations We feel it is important to address the fact that, despite our Revdex.com complaint focusing solely on concerns with the craftsmanship and the finishing of the our drywall; in their written response, Rainbow Construction addresses our contacting them for other defects and shortcomings that have arisen in our home Rainbow Construction points to our contacting them for a gap which formed in our exterior siding, a methane odor emitting from the pipe in our basement and in our backyard, an incorrectly installed hose bib pipe which subsequently burst, and the repeated issues with our HVAC unitRainbow Construction makes reference that we, as the homeowners, damaged these items and that they have repaired them; thus demonstrating that they have continued to be responsive to our complaints We feel that stating these things in such a manner is completely misleading and simply untrue As Rainbow Construction has elected to bring these incidents up in such a manner, we feel it is important to explain their actions After moving in, we located a piece of trim board on top of our kitchen cabinets, and noticed that this same trim was missing from several areas of our home where it should have been installed, as it was installed in other areas Regarding this, we simply asked Rainbow Construction to complete the work that should have already been preformed prior to our modate Regarding the hose bib and pipe; this same hose bib and shut off valve pipe had been replaced once by Rainbow Construction prior to our moving in, as it was extremely loose As this is as a freezeless pipe (Woodford Freezeless Model 17), the only way in which it can freeze is improper installation It must be installed at a downward pitchAs we took all necessary winter precautions, and the pipe is not at a downward pitch (the correct manner), it subsequently froze and burst When we went to check the installation of the rear hose bib shut off valve to ensure that it was installed in the correct manner, we were unable to do so, as Rainbow Construction had dry-walled over any and all access to it Regarding the gap in the siding, to suggest that we would damage our own siding is ridiculousThis was covered in the one-year warranty and we simply asked to have someone check as to why it spread apart and correct it so that we would not have water damage We contacted Rainbow Construction regarding a strong odor of sewage in our basement Rainbow Construction did send out a plumber at our urging after first sending out their construction supervisor, who is by trade a carpenterThis was our second contact to Rainbow regarding the smell It was discovered that a cap was not sealed properly and methane gas was escaping into our finished basement, which is our child’s playroom Regarding our repeated HVAC issues that Rainbow was contacted for; after nearly a year of searching for an answer, it turned out that we had a hole in coil of our HVAC that was causing numerous issues We felt it was necessary to explain the above, as while we did contact Rainbow Construction for the aforementioned concerns and problems, these items were within our year, Homebuyer's 2-warranty period, or were otherwise items which we had to directly contact the builder about in order to receive the proper contact information to get resolvedWe are appreciative for their responses and their assistance in getting these items resolved; however, referencing them at this time serves no purpose in relation to the complaint we have filed which focuses solely on the condition of our drywall and only serves as an attempt to cloud the facts in our complaint In their response to our Revdex.com complaint, Rainbow Construction refers to the contractual agreement when we purchased the home We signed an agreement with Rainbow Construction stating that there would be no workmanship warranty on the top two floors from Rainbow ConstructionHowever, the home also was purchased with a Homebuyer’s 2-WarrantyThis warranty provided a year workmanship / craftsmanship coverage for all areas of the homeWe spoke to representatives from the Homebuyer’s 2-Warranty and it was clearly expressed to us that Rainbow Construction could not choose which levels of the home this warranty coverage would apply toThe warranty applied to our entire home - to include the top two floors, as well as the basementRainbow Construction is responsible for the drywall issues in the home through the 2-Homebuyer’s Warranty for the first year As mentioned above and with regard to the contract excluding the workmanship warranty coverage on the top two levels; we have strong concerns that Rainbow Construction employed deceitful business tactics in this practice Since we have been going through this process, we have been made aware that there are a total of three homes on our street that have experienced very similar drywall issuesDuring construction, Rainbow utilized the same drywall contractor, [redacted] Contracting, for the installation of the drywall in these three homesWhen speaking to the owner of [redacted] Contracting, [redacted] , he expressed that only these three homes in our neighborhood, and in his business history, have experienced this type of issueThe contractor further relayed that he had completed repair work in the other two homes ( [redacted] and [redacted] ***) He stated that he had been made aware of the issues we were experiencing; however, he has never been brought to our home to view the condition or make any repairs As we purchased the "spec" home, we strongly feel that Rainbow Construction, having been fully aware of issues that our two neighbors had experienced with the drywall in their homes, and that Rainbow Construction had worked through the repair process with; had a reasonable belief that our home would also experience the same drywall issuesWe believe that this is why we were asked to forego having a workmanship warranty on the top two levels of our home, as Rainbow Construction had reasonable knowledge of what drywall issues would experience, and that they would be expected to cover the same extent of repairs With regards to Rainbow Construction’s reply to the drywall tests which were performed on our home; this test was performed by Rainbow Construction's project manager, Donnie G***, and construction site supervisor, Paul F* In their response, Rainbow states, “during this visit, the cracks were not readily visible, requiring the use of a flood light and step ladder by the homeowners to locate the cracked seams.” This, again, is a fabricationTo make such a bold statement undermines this entire process My husband and I were both present for these tests There was absolutely no “flood light” within our home The step ladder being referred to was only utilized in a manner so that MrF [redacted] could step up to access the seam/crack in the living room ceiling and one in the upstairs hallway ceiling; otherwise he would be unable to reach in order to perform the “tests” The seams in the ceilings and the cracks within the walls were readily apparent, as both men had been in our home and assessed this damage on multiple occasionsThis section of Rainbow’s reply goes on to state, “in spite of that repairs were made to these areas.” Repairs were made to these areas, as the tests required a cutting into the walls Repairs were made only to what damage was made at that timePlease refer to the attached picture for the quality of Rainbow Construction’s repair work to their “test” areas This is indicative of the quality of the other repairs, which is the basis of our complaint Additionally, please also refer to the enclosed CD’s for pictures of the seams and cracks to which Rainbow Construction is referring to With regards to Rainbow Construction’s reply that “despite all our efforts the homeowners are not satisfied and have indicated to us that they do not want any further repairs made until Rainbow Construction can guarantee that they will not experience any future drywall cracks” Again, this is an untrue statement by Rainbow Construction We have expressed to Rainbow Construction on numerous occasions that we believe it would be beneficial to get to the root cause of the drywall issues that we are experiencing rather than to repeatedly repair and re-repair, thus causing more and more damage to our walls (refer to email attachments) We completely understand that drywall is not a perfect art and fully expect there to be some settlement cracking; however, as you see by the enclosed pictures, what we are experiencing goes beyond normal, as Donnie G [redacted] himself has stated several times during his visits to our home that he has “never” seen anything like what is occurring in our homeWe, as homeowners, have reached out to numerous specialists and companies to render their opinions and feedback (refer to attached emails) Additionally, we have offered solutions and suggestions of products to lessen the damage to our home For example, at the time of the repairs, we offered to contribute to the cost of the supply with Rainbow in order to use Sheetrock Tuff-Hide (as suggested by John P***, a Rainbow contractor), as an effort to minimize the damage to the drywall finishThis suggestion was not accepted due to the labor costs and that this was a “Level finish”, which we had not paid for in the construction of our home We have suggested other brands that promise similar results such as [redacted] ***’s Super Spec, and again, at that time, we offered to contribute to the costs To say that we do not want our home repaired is falseWe have repeatedly stated that we want our issues resolved, and wish to have the damage that Rainbow Construction, [redacted] Contracting, John P [redacted] (Rainbow), Paul F [redacted] (Rainbow), and [redacted] Drywall have done to the surfaces and drywall of our home repaired That being said, we do not want the aforementioned companies or individuals to complete the repairs We feel as though they have been given ample opportunity to demonstrate their craftsmanship and they have clearly demonstrated that they cannot meet minimum, acceptable standards (Please refer to the enclosed CD’s pictures.) As stated within our initial complaint and throughout this response to Rainbow Construction’s reply to our complaint; our issue is with the finishing of our drywall, to include the unsatisfactory attempts at repairs that had been done thus causing damage to our home We do believe that Rainbow Construction was aware that there was, or would be, an issue with our drywall based on the history of [redacted] Contacting within the other two other homes on our street When an issue did arise, Rainbow assumed responsibility for this issue; however, they did not handle our issues with a minimum level, or standard of, craftsmanship The improper repairs that they have done, or have supervised their contractors doing, have caused damage in areas of our home, and the repairs that they have done have completely failed in other areas of our home We have had several drywall contractors come to our home to provide us with an assessment, and estimate to repair, our situation Each of the contractors who have offered us their professional opinion has the same sentiment; our home has poor quality drywall work, and poor drywall repair work The craftsmanship is poor They raised concerns that there is no mudding compound behind the drywall tape, as well as concerns regarding if proper skim coating and sanding was done(Please refer to CD for pictures) Rainbow states in their response that “despite all our efforts the homeowners are still not satisfied and have indicated to us that they do not want any further repairs made until Rainbow Construction can guarantee that they will not experience any future drywall cracks.” As mentioned above, this statement is simply not true We, as homeowners, have educated ourselves on drywall and construction We completely understand that drywall is not perfect and there will be deficiencies; however, for members of Rainbow Construction to walk though our home, our Rainbow home, and state “there are no drywall deficiencies” as mentioned in their response, is falseIt is very apparent that something is not right in our home, and it is the responsibility of the builder We too would like a fair resolution to this situation, and we are hoping that Rainbow Construction can be a part of that We very much enjoy our neighborhood and the friends and neighbors we have made; however, it is important to remember that we have also made a very expensive investment into Rainbow Construction and into our future in purchasing our home The issues we have been facing for a year and a half are not something that we take with a light heart; this is our home This has caused us stress, anxiety, and disappointment We would like resolution and to move forward We look forward to reaching a mutually agreeable resolution that both parties can be satisfied with Sincerely, [redacted] (***PLEASE NOTE THAT A PACKAGE CONTAINING THE REFERENCED MATERIALS - CD'S, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND EMAILS - HAS BEEN MAILED TO THE Revdex.com AS OF 1/29/VIA USPS CERTIFIED MAIL)

See Attachment

Attn: *** ***; complaint ID***Inboxx Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC12/29/(days ago)to me ---------- Forwarded message ----------From: *** *** Date: Fri, Dec 26,
at 5:PMSubject: Attn: *** ***; complaint ID***To: ***.org" Cc: *** *** Hi,In regards to my complaint submitted on 11/7/14, assigned ID ***; the online system showed that I accepted an offer of resolution from the business, however, I did notI have not heard from the businessI had checked the "I have not heard from the business" option and now the system states that have I accepted an offer of resolutionIt shows that the Revdex.com will be closing my complaint as resolved.Please do not close my complaint as resolved, as it is not resolvedAgain, I have not heard from Rainbow Construction regarding a resolution to this matter, nor have I accepted any offer of resolution from them.Thank you,*** ***

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
January 29th,
2015
RevDex.com
Metropolitan
Washington DC and Eastern Pennsylvania
1411 K Street
NW, 10th Floor
Washington, DC
20005-3404
RE: Complaint
ID [redacted]
Attn: [redacted]
Dear Ms.
[redacted],
In response to
the written reply by Rainbow Construction to our initial Revdex.com
complaint, ID [redacted]; please accept the following as our response to their position
that they have gone above and beyond their contractual obligations.
We feel it is important to address the fact that, despite our Revdex.com
complaint focusing solely on concerns with the craftsmanship and the finishing
of the our drywall; in their written response, Rainbow Construction addresses
our contacting them for other defects and shortcomings that have arisen in our
home.  Rainbow Construction points to our
contacting them for a gap which formed in our exterior siding, a methane odor
emitting from the pipe in our basement and in our backyard, an incorrectly
installed hose bib pipe which subsequently burst, and the repeated issues with
our HVAC unit. Rainbow Construction makes reference that we, as the homeowners,
damaged these items and that they have repaired them; thus demonstrating that
they have continued to be responsive to our complaints.  We feel that stating these things in such a
manner is completely misleading and simply untrue.  As Rainbow Construction has elected to bring these
incidents up in such a manner, we feel it is important to explain their actions. 
1.      After
moving in, we located a piece of trim board on top of our kitchen cabinets, and
noticed that this same trim was missing from several areas of our home where it
should have been installed, as it was installed in other areas.  Regarding this, we simply asked Rainbow
Construction to complete the work that should have already been preformed prior
to our move-in date. 
2.      Regarding
the hose bib and pipe; this same hose bib and shut off valve pipe had been
replaced once by Rainbow Construction prior to our moving in, as it was extremely
loose.  As this is as a freezeless pipe (Woodford
Freezeless Model 17), the only way in which it can freeze is improper
installation.  It must be installed at a
downward pitch. As we took all necessary winter precautions, and the pipe is
not at a downward pitch (the correct manner), it subsequently froze and
burst.  When we went to check the
installation of the rear hose bib shut off valve to ensure that it was installed
in the correct manner, we were unable to do so, as Rainbow Construction had dry-walled
over any and all access to it.
3.      Regarding
the gap in the siding, to suggest that we would damage our own siding is
ridiculous. This was covered in the one-year warranty and we simply asked to
have someone check as to why it spread apart and correct it so that we would
not have water damage.
4.      We
contacted Rainbow Construction regarding a strong odor of sewage in our
basement.  Rainbow Construction did send
out a plumber at our urging after first sending out their construction
supervisor, who is by trade a carpenter. This was our second contact to Rainbow
regarding the smell.  It was discovered that a cap was not sealed
properly and methane gas was escaping into our finished basement, which is our
child’s playroom. 
5.      Regarding
our repeated HVAC issues that Rainbow was contacted for; after nearly a year of
searching for an answer, it turned out that we had a hole in coil of our HVAC
that was causing numerous issues.
We felt it was
necessary to explain the above, as while we did contact Rainbow Construction
for the aforementioned concerns and problems, these items were within our 1
year, Homebuyer's 2-10 warranty period, or were otherwise items which we had to
directly contact the builder about in order to receive the proper contact
information to get resolved. We are appreciative for their responses and their
assistance in getting these items resolved; however, referencing them at this
time serves no purpose in relation to the complaint we have filed which focuses
solely on the condition of our drywall and only serves as an attempt to cloud
the facts in our complaint.
In their response to our Revdex.com complaint, Rainbow Construction
refers to the contractual agreement when we purchased the home.  We signed an agreement with Rainbow
Construction stating that there would be no workmanship warranty on the top two
floors from Rainbow Construction. However, the home also was purchased with a
Homebuyer’s 2-10 Warranty. This warranty provided a 1 year workmanship /
craftsmanship coverage for all areas
of the home. We spoke to representatives from the Homebuyer’s 2-10 Warranty and
it was clearly expressed to us that Rainbow Construction could not choose which
levels of the home this warranty coverage would apply to. The warranty applied to our entire
home - to include the top two floors, as well as the basement. Rainbow Construction is responsible for the
drywall issues in the home through the 2-10 Homebuyer’s Warranty for the first
year.
As mentioned above and with regard to the contract excluding the workmanship
warranty coverage on the top two levels; we have strong concerns that Rainbow
Construction employed deceitful business tactics in this practice.  Since
we have been going through this process, we have been made aware that there are
a total of three homes on our street that have experienced very similar drywall
issues. During construction, Rainbow utilized the same drywall contractor, [redacted]
Contracting, for the installation of the drywall in these three homes. When
speaking to the owner of [redacted] Contracting, [redacted], he expressed that only
these three homes in our neighborhood, and in his business history, have
experienced this type of issue. The contractor further relayed that he had
completed repair work in the other two homes ([redacted] and [redacted]).  He stated that he had been made
aware of the issues we were experiencing; however, he has never been brought to
our home to view the condition or make any repairs.   As we purchased the
"spec" home, we strongly feel that Rainbow Construction, having been
fully aware of issues that our two neighbors had experienced with the drywall
in their homes, and that Rainbow Construction had worked through the repair
process with; had a reasonable belief that our home would also experience the
same drywall issues. We believe that this is why we were asked to forego having
a workmanship warranty on the top two levels of our home, as Rainbow
Construction had reasonable knowledge of what drywall issues would experience,
and that they would be expected to cover the same extent of repairs.
With regards
to Rainbow Construction’s reply to the drywall tests which were performed on
our home; this test was performed by Rainbow Construction's project manager,
Donnie G[redacted], and construction site supervisor, Paul F[redacted].  In their response, Rainbow states, “during
this visit, the cracks were not readily visible, requiring the use of a flood
light and step ladder by the homeowners to locate the cracked seams.”  This, again, is a fabrication. To make such a
bold false statement undermines this entire process.  My husband and I were both present for these
tests.  There was absolutely no “flood
light” within our home.  The step ladder being
referred to was only utilized in a manner so that Mr. F[redacted] could step up to access
the seam/crack in the living room ceiling and one in the upstairs hallway
ceiling; otherwise he would be unable to reach in order to perform the “tests”.  The seams in the ceilings and the cracks
within the walls were readily apparent, as both men had been in our home and
assessed this damage on multiple occasions. This section of Rainbow’s reply
goes on to state, “in spite of that repairs were made to these areas.” Repairs
were made to these areas, as the tests required a cutting into the walls.  Repairs were made only to what damage was
made at that time. Please refer to the attached picture for the quality of
Rainbow Construction’s repair work to their “test” areas.  This is indicative of the quality of the
other repairs, which is the basis of our complaint.  Additionally, please also refer to the
enclosed CD’s for pictures of the seams and cracks to which Rainbow
Construction is referring to.
With regards
to Rainbow Construction’s reply that “despite all our efforts the homeowners
are not satisfied and have indicated to us that they do not want any further
repairs made until Rainbow Construction can guarantee that they will not
experience any future drywall cracks”. 
Again, this is an untrue statement by Rainbow Construction.  We have expressed to Rainbow Construction on
numerous occasions that we believe it would be beneficial to get to the root
cause of the drywall issues that we are experiencing rather than to repeatedly
repair and re-repair, thus causing more and more damage to our walls (refer to
email attachments).  We completely
understand that drywall is not a perfect art and fully expect there to be some
settlement cracking; however, as you see by the enclosed pictures, what we are
experiencing goes beyond normal, as Donnie G[redacted] himself has stated several
times during his visits to our home that he has “never” seen anything like what is occurring in our home. We, as homeowners, have reached out to
numerous specialists and companies to render their opinions and feedback (refer
to attached emails).  Additionally, we
have offered solutions and suggestions of products to lessen the damage to our
home.  For example, at the time of the
repairs, we offered to contribute to the cost of the supply with Rainbow in
order to use Sheetrock Tuff-Hide (as suggested by John P[redacted], a Rainbow
contractor), as an effort to minimize the damage to the drywall finish. This
suggestion was not accepted due to the labor costs and that this was a “Level 5
finish”, which we had not paid for in the construction of our home.  We have suggested other brands that promise
similar results such as [redacted]’s Super Spec, and again, at that time,
we offered to contribute to the costs. 
To say that we do not want our home repaired is false. We have repeatedly stated that we want our
issues resolved, and wish to have the damage that Rainbow Construction, [redacted]
Contracting, John P[redacted] (Rainbow), Paul F[redacted] (Rainbow), and [redacted] Drywall
have done to the surfaces and drywall of our home repaired.  That being said, we do not want the
aforementioned companies or individuals to complete the repairs.  We feel as though they have been given ample
opportunity to demonstrate their craftsmanship and they have clearly
demonstrated that they cannot meet minimum, acceptable standards.  (Please refer to the enclosed CD’s pictures.)
As stated
within our initial complaint and throughout this response to Rainbow
Construction’s reply to our complaint; our issue is with the finishing of our
drywall, to include the unsatisfactory attempts at repairs that had been done
thus causing damage to our home.  We do
believe that Rainbow Construction was aware that there was, or would be, an
issue with our drywall based on the history of [redacted] Contacting within the other two
other homes on our street.  When an issue
did arise, Rainbow assumed responsibility for this issue; however, they did not
handle our issues with a minimum level, or standard of, craftsmanship.  The improper repairs that they have done, or
have supervised their contractors doing, have caused damage in areas of our
home, and the repairs that they have done have completely failed in other areas
of our home.  We have had several drywall
contractors come to our home to provide us with an assessment, and estimate to
repair, our situation.  Each of the
contractors who have offered us their professional opinion has the same
sentiment; our home has poor quality drywall work, and poor drywall repair work.  The craftsmanship is poor.  They raised concerns that there is no mudding
compound behind the drywall tape, as well as concerns regarding if proper skim
coating and sanding was done. (Please refer to CD for pictures).  Rainbow states in their response that
“despite all our efforts the homeowners are still not satisfied and have
indicated to us that they do not want any further repairs made until Rainbow
Construction can guarantee that they will not experience any future drywall
cracks.”  As mentioned above, this
statement is simply not true.  We, as
homeowners, have educated ourselves on drywall and construction.  We completely understand that drywall is not
perfect and there will be deficiencies; however, for members of Rainbow
Construction to walk though our home, our
Rainbow home, and state “there are no drywall deficiencies” as mentioned in
their response, is false. It is very apparent that something is not right in
our home, and it is the responsibility of the builder.
We too would
like a fair resolution to this situation, and we are hoping that Rainbow Construction
can be a part of that.  We very much
enjoy our neighborhood and the friends and neighbors we have made; however, it
is important to remember that we have also made a very expensive investment
into Rainbow Construction and into our future in purchasing our home.  The issues we have been facing for a year and
a half are not something that we take with a light heart; this is our
home.  This has caused us stress,
anxiety, and disappointment.  We would
like resolution and to move forward.
We look
forward to reaching a mutually agreeable resolution that both parties can be
satisfied with.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
([redacted]PLEASE NOTE THAT A PACKAGE CONTAINING THE REFERENCED MATERIALS - CD'S, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND EMAILS - HAS BEEN MAILED TO THE Revdex.com AS OF 1/29/15 VIA USPS CERTIFIED MAIL)