AMERICAN WATERPROOFING

Terrible experience; owner Mike Strugats told us that the job would take a day or two, insisted that we return a dehumidifier we had just bought and to have them install the EZ Breathe after the mold was removed. He said his 'team' would know what to do, that his foreman was experienced. We were anxious to get the problem fixed and did not shop the job around the way we should have. His team was supposed to show up between 8:00 &10:00am on a Saturday, did not show up until 2:15PM despite my calls at 10 and 12:30. They started at 2:30 and stopped at 4:30pm The 'team' was a group of guys that could not speak English; the foreman could barely speak English and walked through the basement with me with a handwritten note of some of what was to be done, not the contract; we had to communicate to him some of the other items Mike had discussed with us . Sunday they were supposed to be back between 9:00am & 10:00am; they showed up at 11:30, ate lunch first and started work at 12:15pm. I found one guy using our porch door screen to filter the compound they were using. I think there was one respirator between all of them (about 7 workers); they left plastic over my boiler one night and the EZBreathe unit on before leaving for the day at 5pm. Needless to say, the work was not complete--they had to come back again the following weekend, again late. Rushed to finish Saturday & Sunday. While the foreman was polite and they all seemed to work hard (once work started) I never felt confident that job was being done correctly, as they seemed to be sloppy and rushing since arriving late every day. Because he needed them for a job next day, he offered to take $500 off the balance just so we could consider them done and they could leave. Mike never came by to check to see that the job was done properly. When the waterproof coating started to crack and peel 6 weeks later we requested repairs. They did not show up as scheduled on the first OR the 2nd rescheduled date despite my having confirmed them both and despite being told that they would be there in an hour or two when I called the office asking where they were. We ended up getting someone else to do the repairs. PS--last summer we ended up buying and using a dehumidifier anyway as the EZBreathe does not seem to be able to do enough moisture removal in our attached house.

We are the landlord of the house concerned and have had an excellent reputation with the tenants. We had a mold problem in the basement of the house. Rep scheduled the appraisal for the next day but canceled and said he could only come today. I went there. Rep, Andrew Arnzen spoke to the tenants prior to speaking with me. Rep gave a scare tactic presentation to me and tenants. Amplified possible dangers, recited list of diseases, showed photos of children with sores in a loose leaf book presentation. Gave outrageous estimates that ranged from $12000 to $20000 depending on work to be done. Other companies gave honest presentations, no scare tactics, said most molds are harmless and suggested ways to keep costs down. Both the tenants and myself felt the rep was arrogant and manipulative. Not hired. Got the job done by a great company for $7100.

THEY SHOWED UP EXACTLY ON TIME. THE WORK WAS DONE SURPRISINGLY QUICK. IT TOOK THEM A WHILE TO GET HERE, BUT THAT'S OK, BECAUSE THERE WERE OTHER WATER EMERGENCIES AND MINE WASN'T AN EMERGENCY.