Handy Allen Home Repair Services

"This customer contacted me to perform the following: 1- Minor repair to deck surface and railing 2- Power wash deck surface and railing (Remove mildew & dirt) 3- Stain and seal deck surface and railing 4- Power wash house exterior The customer indicated that her deck/railing had been originally been treated with a semi-transparent stain/sealer and that she wanted me to apply a semi-transparent stain/sealer after repairing and power washing her deck and railing. After closely examining the work site, I offered my professional assessment of the condition of her deck/railing (fair) and discussed my process for cleaning, staining, and sealing wooden decks like hers. Finally, I provided the customer with a brochure (Behr Premium Exterior Wood Stains & Finishes) to review PRIOR to me commencing work. Several days later, I provided the customer with a detailed proposal for the work discussed and she accepted. I began by thoroughly applying a chemical wash to the customer's home exterior, deck, and railing. The shaded sections of the deck required a high-pressure rinse to remove the mildew. The customer was very pleased with this phase of the project. After letting the deck/railing dry completely, I then began the process of staining and sealing the deck. After applying (2) two coats of semi-transparent stain/sealer, the customer expressed her dissatisfaction with the resulting "uneven" tone of the deck. I explained that the chosen SEMI-TRANSPARENT stain/sealer was designed to let the natural coloration of the underlying wood grain show through. I went on to explain that perhaps the "uniform look" that she wanted would be better achieved by using a SOLID FINISH instead. She insisted that I apply more additional SEMI-TRANSPARENT stain/sealer to achieve the look that she was after. I tried several times to explain to my customer the futility of applying additional coats of SEMI-TRANSPARENT stain/sealer because it would NOT achieve the customer's objective (a more "uniform" look). She refused to heed my advice and concluded our conversation by threatening to give me a "bad review" if I didn't stain/seal (with SEMI-TRANSPARENT) her deck again (at no additional charge). I respectfully refused to proceed any further."