The Artisan Preservation Co

We do not recommend this company. The workmanship is poor and several things will need to be redone after less than one year. We encountered significant communication issues and lack of follow though. We had to hire a different company to fix and complete the job.

Review: 03/02/2015

SERVICE & REPAIR ISSUE: Improper and destructive repair, negligence of sump pump/beaver system which resulted in additional damage.

CUSTOMER SERVICE ISSUE: Failed to respond to multiple calls over a long period of time (summer 2014) after last "repair" that summer.

GUARANTEE ISSUE: Failure to uphold guarantee of the beaver system for us (and my mother). Artisan Preservation Co. LLC ([redacted]) promised, in person and face to face, multiple times to us and to my mother that the system and work was guaranteed. $3096.00 worth of work paid in full that failed. The cost of current repairs having to be made to this system (currently) and the house come to $3000.00 and are directly because of Artisan Preservation’s actions and non-action regarding the installation.

SUMMARY: Improper installation & maintenance. Destructive follow through. And then total lack of communication, as well as not honoring a multiple time promised guarantee. Services were paid in full by check. We have documented receipt from the Artisan Preservation of the transaction and the check number we paid with.

PROFESSIONAL TESTIMONY: Current professional hired (as of 02/25/15) is willing to go on record and sign as the professional hired “to remedy the lack of craftsmanship and gross neglect” by Artisan Preservation Co, LLC. This local professional hired this Feb. 2015 explained to us that the beaver system, sump pump, landscaping, drainage were all done incorrectly. The system was not sealed properly. The sump pump basket was intentionally & destructively “fixed” in order to gloss over the pressing issues which caused further damage to the system and the floor and compromised the integrity of the East wall. This current contractor did much research to make sure this is the only possible explanation for what was done with the sump pump basket. The ¾ inch holes were put in at an angle all over the basket. It looked to the current professional who has and is repairing the system and related damages that the many holes put in the basket is at very least severe neglect and consciously destructive. That caused damage to the sump pump that had to be addressed and was labor intensive. The whole system was then completely clogged with sand and cement. And water flooded underneath the house and all around the East wall. He also found an incorrectly placed drain pipe at the East wall where there is no diversion for rainwater. This placement led to water pooling in the yard and down into the east wall as well, compromising it. The wall brackets are rusted out now and have to be replaced. Also the sump pump was installed at a higher placement than the drainage pipe, which was slanted down towards the pump. In addition, the sealing of the floor cracks was ineffectual and done incorrectly and the beaver system around the entire perimeter of the basement was not properly sealed. Everything has had to be remedied, from installation, to several attempts to completely wash out the sump pump that was filled with so much sand; then adding concrete and digging down so that the pump is at a lower level than the drain pipe, to clearing the completely clogged system and fixing the issues outside in the landscape, sealing/caulking the floor, repairing the East wall where the drain pipe was draining into and flooding the yard right by the East wall.

OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES: My mother currently lives at the residence of issue at hand, the residence where the beaver system was installed by [redacted] owner of Artisan Preservation Co, LLC in June of 2013. The system was installed in the summer of 2013 by [redacted] of Artisan Preservation Co. LLC for us and the system worked that summer, with the exception of cracks in the floor becoming moist and minor seepage. We lived in the house then and [redacted] knew we would be moving out August of 2013, and my mother would then have the house, and that it was, therefore, crucial the basement be completely fixed and resolved before then. He assured us that it would and guaranteed his work and beaver system to us and her. He also admitted it was the first time he had installed a beaver system himself.

The dates listed on this report for when we called [redacted] of Artisan Preservation (and he did not answer or return calls/messages) are general estimates and represent that we called consistently throughout the summer of 2014 when help was urgently needed because of total system failure and ongoing seepage.

It was the summer of 2014 and my mother who then (and now) lives in the house, called [redacted] (Artisan Preservation) for help when the system failed in the summer of 2014. The basement was under constant seepage after only one year since [redacted] had installed and guaranteed the beaver system in that basement. [redacted] mentioned to my mother last summer (2014) that the sump pump/system was still under warranty. He “fixed” the sump pump and then refused to answer any more of her calls throughout the end of July and August 2014. She called more than 5 and less than 10 times and left messages to try to get him to help her with the ongoing basement issue in the summer of 2014. I then called him that August and he did not reply to my call and message either.

Because [redacted] was no longer responsive or reliable, we made contact with a local mason/contractor this February 24th 2015, who is ready to testify, as needed, as to [redacted]’s destructive repair and gross negligence as well as resulting damages because of [redacted]’s actions and lack of action. This particular contractor works for the government and makes sure things are up to code. He works with resolving basement issues in the flood plain all the time. He was shocked and angry to see how [redacted] had not only improperly installed some of the system, but also repaired it in a destructive way that glossed over the issue and made it much worse. We were shocked and saddened and distressed to hear [redacted] had done this.

It really seemed like [redacted] was trying to help us when he first installed the system in 2013. We were desperate for the help and he seemed to be of integrity and kind. As time went on, his character seemed to change. We don't understand this, as it is such a betrayal of trust from someone who has a website address that says “trust starts here”.

My mother, who is [redacted] old this April, has had to deal with all these issues for the past year and a half and we have had to deal with the horrible feeling of my mother living in a deeply stressful situation.

The work done by this company, Artisan Preservation Co. LLC ([redacted]), has been revealed to us (as of last week 02-25-15) by a highly qualified local professional to have been improperly installed, grossly negligent and destructive. We ask now for [redacted] of Artisan Preservation to honor his guarantee and prove his integrity.Desired Settlement: The action needed to correct this situation is a full refund honoring the promised guarantee, of $6,096.00. That is $3,096 for the original fee of service that was paid in full, as well an additional $3000.00 for the current repairs and corrections that have been paid and were/are necessary because of [redacted]’s gross neglect and improper service.

Business

Response:

I'm completely surprised and beside myself by this complaint. Since installing the system, I have returned to the site for issues that were beyond the scope of the initial install. During the summer of 2014 I received two calls from [redacted] and [redacted]s mother. I returned to the site in the second week of July to find the sump pump unplugged, and the basement was obviously flooded. I informed the homeowner that the system would have to catch up with the fact that the system hasn't been operating. I returned 2 weeks later in the hopes that the basement would be dry enough to use an epoxy product designed for filling hairline cracks in concrete, unfortunately it wasn't. I stated that I would return when conditions were more favorable for repair. I was contacted by [redacted] in August to please contact her mother I did so and left a message that I would return prior to any heavy rains hence the products left by me to fix the floor cracks. It is now winter and I have been very busy have every intention of returning to do work that was certainly beyond any warranty work but I felt for the needs of the client prior to any flood conditions this spring. I consider this complaint a form of libel and would like to contest all elements of it.