Shirk Pole Buildings LLC

June 12, 2015Here is our response to the above complaint: The complaint about the roof trusses: The roof trusses in this building are made exactly the same, and look the same as the roof trusses in any other average wood framed garage, have passed final inspection, and meet the manufacturers engineering standards for checks and cracksThe cracks would not be called major cracks by any structural engineerWhat this customer cannot seem to understand is that all dimensional wood used in construction always will have some minor drying splits lengthwise with the grain of the woodThe Complaint about the concrete floor: Our company’s original “Quote”, and signed “Contract” that the Customer agreed to and signed was to supply and build a garage and concrete floor onlyBoth of these documents stated that site work was not includedThe “Quote” specifically states “stone base and site work not included”The signed “Contract” specifically states “Purchaser(s) is responsible for any leveling, grading, or filing of building site.” and “Purchaser(s) assumes responsibility for damages and consequences which result from inadequate soil bearing.” The issues with the concrete floor are a result of inadequate soil bearing and improper site gradingOur contract did not include any grading, backfilling, Stone base, landscaping, or site work for this building, we were not in charge of this work and we did not perform any of this work, which appears to have been done incorrectlyIBC building code (SECTION 1804.3) that Baltimore county used at the time of construction and applies to this project requires that the exterior grade out around the building drops 6” in the first 10°This was not done either, and now rain water does not adequately drain away from the building.In the customers own words the company he hired to do the site work was “a guy I found on [redacted] , an unlicensed contractor, there is no possible way of finding this guy after years.”This customer tried to save money on the site work by hiring an unnamed, unlicensed contractor, and since he cannot find him he wants us hold us responsible for the unlicensed contractor’s mistakesIn the customers own words this is the work the site guy (unlicensed contractor) did “he brought in dump trucks full of fill dirt and compacted it with a large track skid loader.” A track loader is the worst machine to use to compact fill materials for a building site, as a “track machine” they are specifically designed for low compactionThis is clearly not an approved method of compacting base materialsI have pictures that clearly show that the concrete apron in front of the garage to the far right has settled 1/2” or moreThe concrete apron at the front of the doors to the right of center is clearly offset and lifted 1/8” to 3/16” at a crack These two conditions come from incorrectly installed base material, topsoil or organic materials below the stone base, and poor water drainage because of inadequate grade and slope away from the building which leads to freezing and lifting of the concrete apronThe reason that the apron froze up in the middle and sank at the right is probably because the site guy (unlicensed contractor) didn’t remove all the topsoil in the front, just covered it up with stoneConcrete will not sink unless the base is inadequate, and it has clearly settled at least / " which made it crackA track loader skid loader will definitely not compact fill to the level needed for a concrete baseRemoval of organic material, installing nonorganic fill or base material in 8” lifts and going over with a vibratory roller between lifts is the method to prepare a siteConcrete will not be raised and offset at a crack unless it freezes up because water is trapped underneath, a concrete pad will not freeze up if the site has adequate drainageAlso, the apron on the left front of the garage has clearly been chipped with a sharp, hard objectNo concrete warranty covers chipping by the owner's equipmentThe customer says we should have notified him of the issues with the site when we were working thereWe did notify him that he needs to get a site contractor to prepare and level the site, which he then got done by the unlicensed contractorThe compaction level of fill needs to be tested to determine if it meets the pounds per square foot requirement for a base for a concrete floor, it is not going to be evident by just looking at it, or walking and driving on itAnd once organic material is buried it is hard to tell that someone has cut corners to save time and money without a compaction testThis customer clearly made a bad choice with his unlicensed site contractor and he is looking for someone to pay for itWe have been in contact with him about these issues, but he refuses to listen to anything we have to sayWe have offered to refund the original price of the apron to try and get this settled be he refused that alsoHe also keeps threatening to destroy our reputation by any means possible Submitted, Allen SManaging Member

June 12, 2015Here is our response to the above complaint:The complaint about the roof trusses: The roof trusses in this building are made exactly the same, and look the same as the roof trusses in any other average wood framed garage, have passed final inspection, and meet the manufacturers engineering standards for checks and cracksThe cracks would not be called major cracks by any structural engineerWhat this customer cannot seem to understand is that all dimensional wood used in construction always will have some minor drying splits lengthwise with the grain of the woodThe Complaint about the concrete floor: Our company’s original “Quote”, and signed “Contract” that the Customer agreed to and signed was to supply and build a garage and concrete floor onlyBoth of these documents stated that site work was not includedThe “Quote” specifically states “stone base and site work not included”The signed “Contract” specifically states “Purchaser(s) is responsible for any leveling, grading, or filing of building site.” and “Purchaser(s) assumes responsibility for damages and consequences which result from inadequate soil bearing.” The issues with the concrete floor are a result of inadequate soil bearing and improper site gradingOur contract did not include any grading, backfilling, Stone base, landscaping, or site work for this building, we were not in charge of this work and we did not perform any of this work, which appears to have been done incorrectlyIBC building code (SECTION 1804.3) that Baltimore county used at the time of construction and applies to this project requires that the exterior grade out around the building drops 6” in the first 10°This was not done either, and now rain water does not adequately drain away from the building.In the customers own words the company he hired to do the site work was “a guy I found on [redacted] , an unlicensed contractor, there is no possible way of finding this guy after years.”This customer tried to save money on the site work by hiring an unnamed, unlicensed contractor, and since he cannot find him he wants us hold us responsible for the unlicensed contractor’s mistakesIn the customers own words this is the work the site guy (unlicensed contractor) did “he brought in dump trucks full of fill dirt and compacted it with a large track skid loader.” A track loader is the worst machine to use to compact fill materials for a building site, as a “track machine” they are specifically designed for low compactionThis is clearly not an approved method of compacting base materials.I have pictures that clearly show that the concrete apron in front of the garage to the far right has settled 1/2” or moreThe concrete apron at the front of the doors to the right of center is clearly offset and lifted 1/8” to 3/16” at a crack These two conditions come from incorrectly installed base material, topsoil or organic materials below the stone base, and poor water drainage because of inadequate grade and slope away from the building which leads to freezing and lifting of the concrete apronThe reason that the apron froze up in the middle and sank at the right is probably because the site guy (unlicensed contractor) didn’t remove all the topsoil in the front, just covered it up with stoneConcrete will not sink unless the base is inadequate, and it has clearly settled at least / " which made it crackA track loader skid loader will definitely not compact fill to the level needed for a concrete baseRemoval of organic material, installing nonorganic fill or base material in 8” lifts and going over with a vibratory roller between lifts is the method to prepare a siteConcrete will not be raised and offset at a crack unless it freezes up because water is trapped underneath, a concrete pad will not freeze up if the site has adequate drainageAlso, the apron on the left front of the garage has clearly been chipped with a sharp, hard objectNo concrete warranty covers chipping by the owner's equipment.The customer says we should have notified him of the issues with the site when we were working thereWe did notify him that he needs to get a site contractor to prepare and level the site, which he then got done by the unlicensed contractorThe compaction level of fill needs to be tested to determine if it meets the pounds per square foot requirement for a base for a concrete floor, it is not going to be evident by just looking at it, or walking and driving on itAnd once organic material is buried it is hard to tell that someone has cut corners to save time and money without a compaction testThis customer clearly made a bad choice with his unlicensed site contractor and he is looking for someone to pay for itWe have been in contact with him about these issues, but he refuses to listen to anything we have to sayWe have offered to refund the original price of the apron to try and get this settled be he refused that alsoHe also keeps threatening to destroy our reputation by any means possibleSubmitted, Allen S.Managing Member

From: Revdex.com of Metro Washington DCDate: Thu, Jun 18, at 10:AMSubject: Fwd: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #***.To: *** *** ---------- Forwarded message ----------From: *** Date: Wed, Jun 17, at 10:PMSubject: Re: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #***.To: [email protected] Pole Buildings failed to tell you that when we signed the documents they were going to do the grading, once they saw that the site needed far more than they figured they threw it in my lapAs I said before with the tight time frame I was forced to find the fastest resolution which was to find an ad on ***They say the site was inproperly compactedIf that is the case then why would the front of the garage settle and crack when it was solid ground requiring no build upThat being said, the back of the garage was filled to about 24" above the sites groundif the fill was not compacted correctly then the back of the garage would have settled a lot more than the front of the buildingI did meet with allen shirk today and he sold me on the idea that water is the culpritI am going to get a second opinionhe did say they would be responsible for the delaminatingI told him I may just get blacktop sealer and go over the concrete apron and the first 10' of the drivewayThis will prevent water from getting under and causing dropping or raising as Allen says has happenedI am going to look thru my PC as I remember taking pictures of the site as they started which will show how much of the area was back filled and will also show that where he says the drop from the building is not 6" for first 10', I guarantee there is more than a 6" drop in the first 5' around the whole garage

Nothing new has been presented in the rejectionOur initial response to the complaint is still correct

June 12, 2015Here is our response to the above complaint:The complaint about the roof trusses: The roof trusses in this building are made exactly the same, and look the same as the roof trusses in any other average wood framed garage, have passed final inspection, and meet the manufacturers...

engineering standards for checks and cracks. The cracks would not be called major cracks by any structural engineer. What this customer cannot seem to understand is that all dimensional wood used in construction always will have some minor drying splits lengthwise with the grain of the wood. The Complaint about the concrete floor: Our company’s original “Quote”, and signed “Contract” that the Customer agreed to and signed was to supply and build a garage and concrete floor only. Both of these documents stated that site work was not included. The “Quote” specifically states “stone base and site work not included”The signed “Contract” specifically states “Purchaser(s) is responsible for any leveling, grading, or filing of building site.” and “Purchaser(s) assumes responsibility for damages and consequences which result from inadequate soil bearing.” The issues with the concrete floor are a result of inadequate soil bearing and improper site grading. Our contract did not include any grading, backfilling, Stone base, landscaping, or site work for this building, we were not in charge of this work and we did not perform any of this work, which appears to have been done incorrectly. 2009 IBC building code (SECTION 1804.3) that Baltimore county used at the time of construction and applies to this project requires that the exterior grade out around the building drops 6” in the first 10°. This was not done either, and now rain water does not adequately drain away from the building.In the customers own words the company he hired to do the site work was “a guy I found on [redacted], an unlicensed contractor, there is no possible way of finding this guy after 4 years.”This customer tried to save money on the site work by hiring an unnamed, unlicensed contractor, and since he cannot find him he wants us hold us responsible for the unlicensed contractor’s mistakes. In the customers own words this is the work the site guy (unlicensed contractor) did “he brought in 12 dump trucks full of fill dirt and compacted it with a large track skid loader.” A track loader is the worst machine to use to compact fill materials for a building site, as a “track machine” they are specifically designed for low compaction. This is clearly not an approved method of compacting base materials.I have pictures that clearly show that the concrete apron in front of the garage to the far right has settled 1/2” or more. The concrete apron at the front of the doors to the right of center is clearly offset and lifted 1/8” to 3/16” at a crack These two conditions come from incorrectly installed base material, topsoil or organic materials below the stone base, and poor water drainage because of inadequate grade and slope away from the building which leads to freezing and lifting of the concrete apron. The reason that the apron froze up in the middle and sank at the right is probably because the site guy (unlicensed contractor) didn’t remove all the topsoil in the front, just covered it up with stone. Concrete will not sink unless the base is inadequate, and it has clearly settled at least / " which made it crack. A track loader skid loader will definitely not compact fill to the level needed for a concrete base. Removal of organic material, installing nonorganic fill or base material in 8” lifts and going over with a vibratory roller between lifts is the normal method to prepare a site. Concrete will not be raised and offset at a crack unless it freezes up because water is trapped underneath, a concrete pad will not freeze up if the site has adequate drainage. Also, the apron on the left front of the garage has clearly been chipped with a sharp, hard object. No concrete warranty covers chipping by the owner's equipment.The customer says we should have notified him of the issues with the site when we were working there. We did notify him that he needs to get a site contractor to prepare and level the site, which he then got done by the unlicensed contractor. The compaction level of fill needs to be tested to determine if it meets the pounds per square foot requirement for a base for a concrete floor, it is not going to be evident by just looking at it, or walking and driving on it. And once organic material is buried it is hard to tell that someone has cut corners to save time and money without a compaction test. This customer clearly made a bad choice with his unlicensed site contractor and he is looking for someone to pay for it. We have been in contact with him about these issues, but he refuses to listen to anything we have to say. We have offered to refund the original price of the apron to try and get this settled be he refused that also. He also keeps threatening to destroy our reputation by any means possibleSubmitted, Allen S.Managing Member

From: Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC<[email protected]>Date: Thu, Jun 18, 2015 at 10:20 AMSubject: Fwd: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #[redacted].To: [redacted] <[redacted]@myRevdex.com.org>
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: [redacted] <[redacted]>Date: Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 10:22 PMSubject: Re: You have a new message from the Revdex.com of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #[redacted].To: [email protected] Pole Buildings failed to tell you that when we signed the documents they were going to do the grading, once they saw that the site needed far more than they figured they threw it in my lap. As I said before with the tight time frame I was forced to find the fastest resolution which was to find an ad on [redacted]. They say the site was inproperly compacted. If that is the case then why would the front of the garage settle and crack when it was solid ground requiring no build up. That being said, the back of the garage was filled to about 24" above the sites ground. if the fill was not compacted correctly then the back of the garage would have settled a lot more than the front of the building. I did meet with allen shirk today and he sold me on the idea that water is the culprit. I am going to get a second opinion. he did say they would be responsible for the delaminating. I told him I may just get blacktop sealer and go over the concrete apron and the first 10' of the driveway. This will prevent water from getting under and causing dropping or raising as Allen says has happened. I am going to look thru my PC as I remember taking pictures of the site as they started which will show how much of the area was back filled and will also show that where he says the drop from the building is not 6" for first 10', I guarantee there is more than a 6" drop in the first 5' around the whole garage.

June 12, 2015Here is our response to the above complaint:
The complaint about the roof trusses:
The roof trusses in this building are made exactly the same, and look the same as the roof trusses in any other average wood framed garage, have passed final inspection, and...

meet the manufacturers engineering standards for checks and cracks. The cracks would not be called major cracks by any structural engineer. What this customer cannot seem to understand is that all dimensional wood used in construction always will have some minor drying splits lengthwise with the grain of the wood. The Complaint about the concrete floor: Our company’s original “Quote”, and signed “Contract” that the Customer agreed to and signed was to supply and build a garage and concrete floor only. Both of these documents stated that site work was not included. The “Quote” specifically states “stone base and site work not included”The signed “Contract” specifically states “Purchaser(s) is responsible for any leveling, grading, or filing of building site.” and “Purchaser(s) assumes responsibility for damages and consequences which result from inadequate soil bearing.” The issues with the concrete floor are a result of inadequate soil bearing and improper site grading. Our contract did not include any grading, backfilling, Stone base, landscaping, or site work for this building, we were not in charge of this work and we did not perform any of this work, which appears to have been done incorrectly. 2009 IBC building code (SECTION 1804.3) that Baltimore county used at the time of construction and applies to this project requires that the exterior grade out around the building drops 6” in the first 10°. This was not done either, and now rain water does not adequately drain away from the building.In the customers own words the company he hired to do the site work was “a guy I found on [redacted], an unlicensed contractor, there is no possible way of finding this guy after 4 years.”This customer tried to save money on the site work by hiring an unnamed, unlicensed contractor, and since he cannot find him he wants us hold us responsible for the unlicensed contractor’s mistakes. In the customers own words this is the work the site guy (unlicensed contractor) did “he brought in 12 dump trucks full of fill dirt and compacted it with a large track skid loader.” A track loader is the worst machine to use to compact fill materials for a building site, as a “track machine” they are specifically designed for low compaction. This is clearly not an approved method of compacting base materials.
I have pictures that clearly show that the concrete apron in front of the garage to the far right has settled 1/2” or more. The concrete apron at the front of the doors to the right of center is clearly offset and lifted 1/8” to 3/16” at a crack These two conditions come from incorrectly installed base material, topsoil or organic materials below the stone base, and poor water drainage because of inadequate grade and slope away from the building which leads to freezing and lifting of the concrete apron. The reason that the apron froze up in the middle and sank at the right is probably because the site guy (unlicensed contractor) didn’t remove all the topsoil in the front, just covered it up with stone. Concrete will not sink unless the base is inadequate, and it has clearly settled at least / " which made it crack. A track loader skid loader will definitely not compact fill to the level needed for a concrete base. Removal of organic material, installing nonorganic fill or base material in 8” lifts and going over with a vibratory roller between lifts is the normal method to prepare a site. Concrete will not be raised and offset at a crack unless it freezes up because water is trapped underneath, a concrete pad will not freeze up if the site has adequate drainage. Also, the apron on the left front of the garage has clearly been chipped with a sharp, hard object. No concrete warranty covers chipping by the owner's equipment.
The customer says we should have notified him of the issues with the site when we were working there. We did notify him that he needs to get a site contractor to prepare and level the site, which he then got done by the unlicensed contractor. The compaction level of fill needs to be tested to determine if it meets the pounds per square foot requirement for a base for a concrete floor, it is not going to be evident by just looking at it, or walking and driving on it. And once organic material is buried it is hard to tell that someone has cut corners to save time and money without a compaction test. This customer clearly made a bad choice with his unlicensed site contractor and he is looking for someone to pay for it. We have been in contact with him about these issues, but he refuses to listen to anything we have to say. We have offered to refund the original price of the apron to try and get this settled be he refused that also. He also keeps threatening to destroy our reputation by any means possible
Submitted,
Allen S.
Managing Member