SIERRA BUILDING PRODUCTS

My complaint in this review is that Sierra?s deceptive advertising of the Belgard Authorized Contractor program caused me to hire an unqualified contractor, Good Earth Landscape Co., to install Belgard pavers on my backyard patio at a total contract price of $18,965. The 2013 Sierra catalog advertises that Belgard Authorized Contractors ?are trained and educated in the latest techniques, methods, and standards established by the Interlocking Concrete Pavers Institute (ICPI)? and ?will ensure that your outdoor living project will not only look good but will last for decades to come.? The catalog also says that Belgard?s paver warranty ?is only valid if the material is installed under the guidelines of the ICPI.? Belgard web sites state that Belgard Authorized Contractors must provide documentation for at least one ICPI certified staff member; must verify ICPI installation guidelines in a project under construction; must understand that status will be reviewed every 12 months, and must annually attend a minimum of one continuing education program offered by Belgard. Unfortunately, Good Earth Landscape Co. did not use the ICPI?s published installation procedures advertised in the Sierra Building Products catalog and Belgard web sites. This caused the pavers to be misaligned relative to those pictured in Sierra Building Products advertisements and displayed at local building material suppliers. Photo 1 shows the non-uniform triangular shadows cast by the morning sun at many of the paver joints where the top surface of one paver is higher than that of a neighboring paver by as much as 1/8 inch. (See my Yelp review if I am unable to get this photo uploaded to the Angie?s List site.) The ICPI calls excessive misalignment like this ?fish scale? because the installed pavers look like the scales of a rotting fish. After Good Earth finished its work, I called the Belgard national office to complain and was referred to Sierra Building Products sales representatives. One visited the job site, and his email report said: ?3-5 pieces with minor issues do not create a job failure. I even intentionally tried to catch the toe of my shoe across the top of pavers in several areas, and never caught an edge?Belgard would consider your install worthy of our catalog.? Sierra did not care about the ugly fish scale appearance or that Good Earth had failed to follow the ICPI procedures advertised in its catalog and designed to eliminate non-uniform shadows. Sierra?s position was that the paver alignment did not have to be as good as shown in the catalog and displayed at local building material suppliers. It only had to be good enough for people to walk on it without tripping. I withheld $1000 from the total contract price of $18,965 and promised to pay the rest when the alignment was fixed. Good Earth refused to fix the alignment, and I had to pay another contractor $9500 to remove and re-install all the pavers. This new contractor followed the ICPI procedures recommended by Sierra Building Products and achieved the excellent alignment shown in Photo 2 with no ?fish scale? shadows. This alignment is what Belgard catalogs and web sites advertise and what local building material suppliers display. When I accused Sierra Building Products of falsely advertising the qualifications of the contractor it recommended to me, Sierra disclosed its parent company?s legal disclaimer which is not included in its catalog or on any Belgard web page viewable by customers: ?The Belgard Authorized Contractor Program represents a highly qualified group of installation professionals. A Belgard Authorized Contractor must meet strict initial and yearly qualification standards to be included in the program. While Oldcastle Architectural, Inc. works to maintain these standards to ultimately create a better experience for the end user, Oldcastle Architectural, Inc. does not warrant the performance or quality of work of any Belgard Authorized Contractor.? From all this, I have learned that Belgard Authorized Contractors are no different from other contractors. Most care about meeting the advertised standards of their industry and get referrals from satisfied customers. Others take shortcuts to maximize profit and find other sources for referrals. Good Earth Landscape Co. is still a Belgard Authorized Contractor long after I proved to Sierra Building Products that it did not follow their advertised ICPI procedures. I conclude that the Belgard Authorized Contractor program is a sham designed to convince customers that if they buy Belgard pavers, then the pavers will be installed properly. Had the above disclaimer appeared in any of Belgard?s advertisements, I would have chosen a contractor more carefully and would have learned the important ICPI procedures and written them into the contract I signed. uc