Robi Decking Reviews (%countItem)
Robi Decking Rating
Address: 1005 Rundell St, Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States, 27105-6540
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We found Robi Decking online and were excited about the idea of black locust as a more eco-friendly alternative to tropical hardwood for decking. Unfortunately, that excitement lasted less than a year as there has been marked deterioration of the wood after just one winter in MN. Our contractor followed all the finishing (utilizing Robi blend oil) and installation guidelines. In the spring, the finish was significantly deteriorated, but more importantly, multiple boards are cracking or splintering. While touted as being of the "highest" durability and "lowest" maintenance, black locust decking has been neither.
When contacted about the issue (including pictures), a few things happened:
-First, when under the assumption that the error was our contractor's fault, Robi decking joked about how this issue was the 2nd worst result seen with their product. This shows the extent of the problem.
-Second, when it was clarified that it was actually their own product used to finish the deck, the blame quickly shifted to poor maintenance. I admit we did not shovel the snow from the deck, but there is mixed info on the internet regarding this issue. FWIW, I never shoveled our old cedar deck and it never showed anything even close to issue we have with the black locust. Also, I don't know anyone in MN who shovels the snow from their deck.
-Robi did send some replacement boards, oil, and refinishing product for repair, but it falls on my contractor and us to cover the significant time and labor for the immediate repair and that still leaves future costs and maintenance.
Going forward, we'll replace the many boards that need replacing, re-finish the deck, and then plan on shoveling the snow from the deck going forward, but at that point, we're well beyond "low maintenance." It's hard for me to think the decking will last the 30+ years touted on their website after seeing how it fared in less than a year. Personally, I feel like Robi is over-hyping their black locust product when the reality is much different. I would caution against using black locust wood in an area with significant snow fall unless you are prepared for the maintenance. At that point though, why not just use sustainably sourced cedar for a cheaper price?
Hello, first off we have never sold Mr. anything. We sold to someone else who then sold to Mr., if that person or entity has an issue with our products then that person should be communicating with us. We have sold to thousands of customers who have never had this issue and we think the issues come down to an improper installation and specifically an improper application of the finish. We have clear guidelines on installation and maintenance on our Web site and those were not followed.
https://robidecking.com/resources/maintenance/
A key line item was not followed "We suggest no matter how you finish the deck that you keep the deck clear of dirt, debris, snow, standing water, and leaves. This common cleaning will keep the deck looking nice."
We felt bad for the customer due to the poor install and with no charge to the customer sent up our cleaning product, our finish, and even some sample boards, with shipping nearly $1,000 of free material.
We appreciate the customer wanted to buy our product, but we don't think they were fully aware of the installation and maintenance of a hardwood decking product.
We don't think this should be posted as it will harm our business with non-truthful statement.
1. To separate a contractor from the end client is a matter of semantics. As the end user, I am the one currently dealing with the issue and it should make little difference who is the one raising the quality control issue.
2. The finish was applied properly. The boards were acclimated, sanded, and oiled on all sides as specified on the Robi Decking website. Of note, the website says these are optional steps.
3. It is true that the current version of the Robi website lists cleaning the deck of debris as part of the routine maintenance. This was not the case earlier this spring when I first raised the issue with them. I have emails documenting this. Robi has since changed their website. To suggest that those specific guidelines weren't followed is dishonest as they were not delineated at the time of purchase/install. Again, I can provide emails documenting that Robi has changed their website after the fact.
4. Robi did send 2 containers of cleaning product (listed at $12.99 on their website), 1 gallon of oil ($69.99) and 10 three foot boards (30 ft of 5/4 x 6" listed at $5.59 per lineal foot = $168). In total that is $264. Unless shipping is over $700, their claim of sending nearly $1000 is dishonest. While the material is appreciated, it doesn't cover the significant time and money in labor that will be required to fix the issue. Additionally, the level of ongoing maintenance going forward is different than was indicated at the time of purchase.
5. I was aware of the install and maintenance that were listed on their site at the time of purchase. Those steps were followed. Changing the recommended maintenance after the fact does not make the review non-truthful.
6. The review was written to provide information to other potential consumers. Robi advertises their product as being superior to traditional decking and specifically advertises that it requires the lowest maintenance. This is absolutely not the case if the only way they justify the quality of their product is through a maintenance routine at the level of traditional cedar decking (which they list as the "highest" level of maintenance). I believe the review to be valuable to potential customers as it provides truthful information and may benefit purchase decisions, especially those in climates that get heavy snowfall.
Zach Rike/Robi Decking was contacted early 2018. *** was requesting a quote for 3,725 sqft worth of Black Locust lumber. Construction documents were provided to Robi Decking as outlining the necessary material needed for the Lenexa Library project. Zach Rike/Robi Decking stated the order had to be paid in full before shipping. The construction documents stated the Black Locust lumber to be hand select/clear, free of planer skip, machine burn, torn or chipped grain, and free of surfaces and edges that would impair finish appearance, including decay, honeycomb, knot holes, shake, torn grain, and wane. Once the payment/company check was received by Zach Rike/Robi Decking the material was shipped to our job site. When the material arrived to our job site 8/2018, it was very much not hand select and clear of the above stated blemishes, as outlined in the construction documents *** provided to Zach Rike prior to receiving the original quote. Zach has been notified and informed numerous times of his incorrect delivery of the material. Zach continues to do nothing to fix the dishonest transaction he made with ***. Zach has lied on many counts stating that his Black Locust is the best that is possible, that the material supplied is select grade lumber, and that he provided what was requested. This experience with Zach Rike and Robi Decking has been a nightmare. I am out $42,500 dollars due to the individual being dishonest and supplying me with material that will not work for the job due to not meeting the specifications. I have numerous photos, samples, and emails to back my stance. I am needing help to resolve and hope to not have any others do business with this corrupt individual.
we received your letter dated November 26, 2018 from the customer.
The customer has mislead you throughout the letter with no support. We believe the customer is trying to cover up its own faults trying to blame us, the supplier. I will take each point here:
Customer paid for material 1/2 prior to material shipping and 1/2 after the material was shipped and inspected. Please see attached emails. Material was received on August 6 and Check was sent nearly a month later for the 2nd half of the payment.
Customer was sent our terms and conditions and invoice, clearly stating the grade of the material to be delivered. We require 5 days for the customer to review the material because with wood we are not sure how the customer will store the wood. We only got an email with an issue on some of pieces of wood nearly 5 months after delivery.
Customer ordered and received exactly what was specified. We have contacted the GC who told us she was having extreme issues with the sub-contractor and the person that wrote the email to you. Said client was happy and that the only thing that was communicated to the sub contractor was to make sure there to trim out any pieces of the wood with minor imperfections. Customer ordered 15% overage and we sent over 500 extra LF to ensure a quality project.
Customer also has not stored the wood properly, in most recent pictures storing the wood in the snow, and has had to contact us repeatedly for install instructions. We simply provide the wood and knew there were issues with the contractor when it started asking basic questions that were covered in our install guidelines on our Web site. Based on improper storage the customer is
Bottom line is the contractor has misled you throughout the letter in an effort to cover its own ineptitude, i.e. storing kiln wood in snow. Please see all the attached emails and pictures and also please feel free to contact me at anytime.
*See Attached