ATHENA MARBLE INC

SouthmontVery good!!!

Athena's installer, Nick, came out to measure the space we had for a shower. He suggested removing a small wall that housed a cavity for the plumbing for my old shower so that we could fit a 60" shower in the space. We agreed that was the best thing to do, and we proceeded. Nick had us order a standard 60" shower base for the install. We also decided to purchase a corner seat and a recessed soap dish. A few days later, Nick arrived with two helpers and installed the shower. I was home, in another room watching TV. When Nick completed the install, he called me to the bathroom to see his work. I was amazed to see what looked like a 'double' wall on the left side (see the pictures).
Nick stated that he had to do this because the area that the shower was installed in was too wide. He is the one that came out and measured and told us what size shower we needed! He also could have taken a few steps around to the other room where I was watching TV when he realized there was an issue to let me know and discuss options. He did not. Nick wanted to make and add a 3/4" trim piece on the left side to cover the strange look of the wall. I told him before he left that I was willing to see what the trim piece looked like.
After Nick left, I took a closer look at what he did to that wall. There was a huge (~1/2') gap between the marble and the sheet rock on the top line of that wall. I could put my fingers in that gap and feel the pieces of sheet rock that he used to shim that wall out. I also then noticed that there was a large amount of caulking at the bottom of the front of that wall near the base. I decided that I would not accept a trim piece covering these issues, and that I wanted that wall removed and fixed correctly. I could not see paying the $2158 for this shower until these issues were fixed correctly.
I called the office at Athena the next morning. The woman there said that Nick would call me that day (Friday). He did not. I called again Monday morning and talked to Leigh Ann. I got her email address and sent her pictures of the issues with the wall, and clearly stated that I would not accept a trim piece to cover the problems up, and that I would only accept them removing that wall and repairing it correctly. I never heard back from Leigh Ann so I emailed again the next day. She got back to me a few hours later and said Nick was coming out to the house the next day (Wednesday).
Nick came out around 3:30 WITH THE TRIM PIECE! I immediately said that I would not be satisfied with that, and Nick said that they would just remove the shower then, that he was 'not going to argue about it'. I told him if they wouldn't fix it correctly, to take it out. They did. About an hour later he pulled out with the shower back in his truck. He never even let me know when he was done, he just pulled off. I have some minor drywall damage from the removal, I guess I'll have to eat that cost along with the amount of time I wasted with this company.
There are plenty of other businesses that sell marble and granite. I strongly suggest staying away from Athena Marble, Inc.

THIS IS IN AN UPSTAIRS BATH CREATED FROM AN OLD BATH AND AN ADJOINING STORAGE ROOM. STANDARD CORNER AND NEO-ANGLE SHOWER UNITS WOULD NOT WORK IN THIS LOCATION. ATHENA'S DESIGN UTILIZED ALL OF THE AVAILABLE SPACE AND THEIR INSTALLATION WAS TERRIFIC! THEY WERE GREAT ABOUT CALLING AHEAD OF TIME, BEFORE COMING OUT. THEY MADE A COUPLE OF MISTAKES BETWEEN MEASUREMENTS AND ACTUAL FABRICATION, BUT ALWAYS TOOK THE PIECES BACK TO THE SHOP TO CORRECT OR RE-FABRICATE WITHOUT ANY HASSLES WHATSOEVER. THEIR PRICE WAS HIGHER THAN A COMPETITOR, BUT THE COMPETITOR DID NOT TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN TO OUR IDEAS, OR TO FULLY CONSIDER THE OBSTACLES THAT MIGHT BE ENCOUNTERED IN THIS PROJECT.