BOND TILE AND STONE

"This is an unfortunate situation that I have never had to deal with in the past. During my years in business, I have done hundreds of installations, and this is the first time I have experienced a negative comment on the quality of the work. Most surprisingly, this is the first time that this homeowner's issues were brought to my attention. This particular homeowner is not some random person that found me on Angie's List or through some other means of marketing. I have known this homeowner for years. He is the owner of a home improvement company that I have received a couple of bids from in the past for my own property. So, he was not a stranger. I have answered many tiling questions for him in the past when he has called me, and I have handed out his card to numerous clients of my own. I was actually a bit surprised when he contacted me about this job. Being a contractor himself, it seemed that he would be competent to do the work. However, it seemed like he wanted to have someone who specialized in tile. Thus, I gave him a bid on the job which included a friendly discount. I even helped him with the design and set him up with some assistance at a local showroom making several calls and visits myself. When the time came to do the actual installation, it seemed like the homeowner did not trust me from the very beginning. This seemed odd, since I believed that he had hired me for my expertise. His project was completed in the time line we discussed, and frankly, I thought the quality was excellent. In addressing his concerns from in his report, the residue from mixing mortar is a watery slurry. Although very liquid, it should not be poured down drains, because it could lead to clogged pipes. Since it is not a solid, it can't be thrown in the garbage. Hence, we have always dispersed it in the yard. In this case, I found a spot alongside a shed in the back yard. The slurry will discolor the snow, but it will not require any spring clean-up. As far as being in the dog's path, I certainly did not see evidence of a path there when I choose that spot. The pencil line for the backsplash was just a simple mark. When we discussed this, I expressed to him exactly where the tile would be put, and he agreed to that. He made no mention of needing to meet a door jamb that was not installed. Every contractor I have ever worked with would have had the jamb installed prior to tiling. Regarding the residue on the tile from grouting, all looked well when I left the job site. And the pictures that I have certainly attest to that. Sometimes a slight residue can occur, but this is easily removable with a dry cloth. A Dremel tool was certainly not necessary. If the homeowner had merely contacted me about this issue, I would have be more than happy to take care of the matter. As stated, the homeowner is a contractor himself. He has an overall A rating on Angie's List, but he does have a couple of B's, C's and even F's in his reports. I am sure than he understands the value of having his clients contact him with any problems prior reporting any disfavor. With that in mind, I am surprised that he did not contact me prior to posting his review. For anyone that is reading this, I would be more than happy to give you dozens of references if the quality of my tile installations is in question at all."