Well, it started well and ended well, but everything in between was a mess.
Sandy Thimlar was the sales person who came out and she was great. She gave us great ideas of things we can do to maximize the space while minimizing the cost. I didn't feel like she was trying to upsell or convince us to get more expensive products. She did a great job drawing up the plan....but then it came time for Glayston, the owner, and his "crew" to come in...that's when it all went down hill.
#1: They were supposed to start on Tuesday, but it was the World Cup and Brazil was playing. They called to ask if they could start on Wednesday instead. Ok, I get it. We're a soccer family. I understand wanting to watch the game, so sure. BUT on Wednesday my mom was having a major surgery and I would be out of the house from 6 am to at least 10 pm. Is there any way we could start on Thursday? Nope. We have to start on Wednesday....so I have to be flexible for them but they aren't flexible for me.
They start on Wednesday. I'm gone, so I haven't met the workers or been introduced to the foreman. But they just did tear out and it was fine.
Day 2-more of the same.
#2: Day three (Friday), the pavers arrive at 8:00 am. YA!! But no workers. 9 am, no workers, 10 am no workers. By noon I realize there is an issue and call Glayston. He tells me that they don't know what time the pavers are delivered so they don't come on the day it's delivered. OK. That's fine I guess...but ,maybe you should tell me so I don't sit around waiting for your guys so I can finally meet them. I have a full time job, two young kids, and a mom in the hospital. He says his foreman says he told me....I haven't been home. No one told me anything.
#3: So they come on Saturday morning and start laying the pavers. I go out and try to introduce myself to the foreman, Arino. But they all say they aren't Arino. I call Glayston and he tells me Arino isn't there...but then when I called that evening because of what happened this day, he tells me Arino is the tall, skinny guy and was there all day...so Arino lied when I asked if he was Arino. Why? At this point I wasn't mad yet. In fact we even left on the Brazil 3rd place World Cup game when we left so that they could watch it while they worked.
#4: Before we leave on Saturday we have a whole conversation with the workers about where our sitting wall should start. They spoke Spanish and so does my husband so there was no language barrier. The plans showed where it should be, we just wanted to confirm. They put a stake in the ground right where we said it should end..no problem, right?
We leave and when we get back, they have built the wall on the complete other side of the patio!! Not even close to where we discussed. Why would they do that?? On top of that, the plans said that they would sleeve under the pavers for electricity in three spots, two large trees and for a new wall light on an outside wall of the housewhere there wasn't one before.
So we realize #1-The wall is in a TOTALLY different spot than in the plan and what we discussed, AND #2 they cut our DirecTV wire so we had no cable, which about made my husband lose his mind since the World Cup Finals were the next day AND #3 they cracked our existing concrete AND #4 didn't sleeve AT ALL for electricity.
Call Glayston, and he tells me that he decided not to sleeve...um why? And if you decide that, shouldn't you call the homeowner first? Wasn't this part of my contract? It says in the contract that we would sleeve for electricity so I can have lights in the backyard. This was Saturday afternoon when we got home and he does call me back at all until Monday. Now I get that the man should have one day of rest (Sunday) and normally I wouldn't expect a call back but considering they have messed a ton of things up AFTER no showing the day before, you'd think they'd call back!
When they come back on Monday and I look out my window and see them ripping up a part of the pavers and seem them adding a sleeve.. But they only did one sleeve to one location and used the smallest sleeve size possible so my electrician had to get creative with wiring throughout my yard. They were supposed to do at least three. But seeing them do one made it clear that they had not decided not to sleeve, they forgot and had I not called them out on it, they never would have sleeved at all.
They fixed the wall location and Glayston did some kind of hot wiring of the DirecTV wire and instead of apologizing, he treats me like I'm overreacting and keeps saying, "It's pavers. It can be fixed." Not, I am so sorry all of these things have happened. I will talk to my guys and make sure none of this happens again. Can we do something to make this right? Nothing
THEN THE REAL KICKER!
#5-The next day they work on my front porch and I come home and the porch has been laid crooked with crazy, uneven cuts all over it. It looked like I had done it myself with a book from Home Depot.It looks horrible! So again, I call and he acts like I'm making a big deal, because you know "pavers can be fixed easily".
In the end, they did fix all the things they said they would and it does look nice, but they did SO many things wrong You would think after messing up something as big as the placement of a 15 foot wall, and cutting your cable, you'd make sure your team does an extra good job. Never once did Glayston offer a sincere apology or money back for the hassle. He never ever admitted that his team messed up over and over again and caused unneeded stress.
Additionally, their "clean up" was horrible and I had to spend hours picking up bottles and gloves and cheeto bags as well as hose off the furniture and grill around the patio that Glayston promised would be cleaned up. Then to top it off,Glayston no-showed to our final walk through.
Oh, and If you do the financing make sure you don't sign the contract until you are 100% satisfied or you are S.O.L..
Not a great experience. Would not recommend them.