MT OLIVE HARDWARE INC

I was looking for a top quality garden shed to use as an extended living area outdoors: office space, kid space, something I could insulate and wire up and enjoy. I appreciated the quality and construction of the Amish sheds at this establishment and so went to shop for one. When I arrived on site to shop for sheds I was greeted at the door, given a set of keys and told to have a look around and come back with any questions. They were very busy at the time so I think normally they may provide more attentive service, but I liked having some time to browse. When I was ready to order the person was very helpful, answered all my questions, and overall the buying experience was very good. I ordered a "kit" shed since my back yard is not accessible by truck for delivery of a full shed. I was told it would be 4-6 weeks for delivery and was pleasantly surprised when it was less than 4 weeks when I received a call they would like to come build the shed. I was only given 3 days notice, but luckily, I was planning to be in town and able to approve the date. I was told on the phone during the call to expect them between 10-11 am on the assigned date. I had an afternoon appointment I could not change but I was not worried, since the experience so far had been positive. At 12:30, after waiting around I called and left a message asking for an ETA. I did not receive a call back. The shed was finally delivered at 1:30, only 15 minutes before I had to leave. The crew to put the shed together did not arrive with the shed. I left, hoping they could figure out where the shed was supposed to go (a large gravel pad in the back yard). I returned just after 4 pm and construction was almost complete. The walls and floor were complete, roof had been put on, the door was being attached. The shed was indeed in the right place. When they called me out to check it over, right away I noticed that the extra window I had ordered was on the wrong side of the shed from the drawing I had submitted at purchase. I asked the gentleman who assembled the shed if he realized it was on the wrong side. We reviewed the drawing and confirmed it was. He offered to take the shed apart and flip the walls around. This was not going to be a simple or quick fix and it was not really so much a big deal in the end so I let it go. He then asked if I could write a check for the balance of payment, but I opted to call the store and give them my credit card number over the phone. I called the store immediately - before the crew was even out of my driveway - and gave my credit card for balance payment to a gentleman who answered the phone. Two days later I received a call at home from the store asking for my credit card number to pay the balance. When I informed the woman who called that I had indeed already called with that information, she seemed surprised and said she would follow up and get back to me. I did not receive a call back so I assume this was only a paperwork misplacement, but I would have liked to have heard back from the store that everything was OK and my card number was not floating around being used by some random person. In hindsight, next time I will stop by the store and pay in person. After they left I went out to look more closely at the shed. I discovered black dirty boot prints in three places on the outer side walls and on the inside boards of the roof. The paint and even the wood over and around the door frame was chipped in several places. When I say the wood is chipped i mean there are chunks of wood dug out of the white painted trim and now the bare wood exposed. They left large pieces of cardboard and the plastic wrap the shed came in, blatantly lying in my driveway for me to find a way to dispose of. I discovered on recycling day that they had shoved a bunch of leftover shingles and empty nail boxes into my recycling can. And I found not one, not two, but eleven nails and screws in the grass of my yard over the course of the next few days. From an 8 x 10 shed. As comparison, I had my entire roof of my house replaced this spring and the roofer only left behind two nails that I could find. The quality of the building itself and the materials is top notch. This is no flimsy prefab building and is very well constructed. The flexibility and extras I were able to order allowed me to get exactly what I wanted and I am quite pleased with the structure itself. My complaint is with the tidiness of the job and the cleanup (or lack of) after. I tried to wash off the black boot tread prints, big feet marks right on the outside front wall and side wall, but it looks like they are there to stay until I decide to paint them over. Overall I would rate the buying experience an "A" . The store itself (even with the credit card fumble) was easy and pleasant to deal with. But the building experience, it's fair to say I wish I'd been able to have the shed delivered pre-built instead. A week later I had a smaller, less expensive, lower quality materials, storage-only shed (for lawnmower, bike etc) delivered and built on the other corner of my yard by a different company, and they showed up exactly on time, walked me through everything, left the state of my yard better than they had found it, and the shed itself immaculate - no boot prints, no scuffs, no chunks dug out of the wood. So by comparison I have to give the construction experience a B minus. I would deal with this business again with pleasure, but be wary of the people who come to build.