Schaefer Concrete

Schaefer was contracted to pour a patio that would later have a decorate overlay put on it.  He failed to remove the grass under some of the patio and did not lay gravel under any of it.  He did not install rebar or wire mesh.  He cut 1/2 inch joints instead of the minimum 1 inch depth. The patio thickness varied from 2 inches to 4 inches.  The three steps to the house were different sizes.  Not surprisingly the patio cracked in four places during the first freeze following installation.  No overlay could be installed given the thickness of the cracks and the instability of the patio.  I asked Schaefer to repair the cracks, but he only offered cosmetic solutions.  I asked him to replace the patio as this was the only option given our desire to have an overlay placed on it (and given his violation of the contract that included installation of stabilizing items, like turf removal and wire mesh).  He cut off all communication with us and refused our request.  We paid another contractor $5000 to replace the patio.  This contactor stated Schaefer's work was "the worst job I've ever seen."  We had to hire a lawyer and take him to small claim court to recover our damages.  This case is pending and I will post an update when it is resolved.