Wood-Revivers

I was not happy with this service provider. He came out and did a quote. I just needed some sanding and painting done and he quoted me over $1000. I had him come out and do the job and had to have him come back and re-do it because the job wasn't done properly. Now, a year later the paint is scraping off. I would not recommend him to anyone! I sent an email to him and he never replied. I finally just decided I'm better off not dealing with him.

He did do some nice work for us.  I was a little upset I had to pay additional costs to work on my fence and I did not get a clear reason on why. He was punctual for the appointment and scheduling was just fine.

Bob is a very personable and professional person.  He came out to my home and gave me a quote on washing and staining my double deck.  The bottom deck required only washing and some sanding of the rails.  The top deck along with the stairs required washing and staining and rail sanding.  The project took two days.  He got us in a very timely manner and was punctual.  He worked efficiently and consulted me on areas of concern (i.e. dark rings found on the wood, the look of the stain, etc.) as the job went along.  He was also addressed any areas of concern I had (i.e. moss growth and removal).  I appreciated the effort and work that was done.  I will be calling on him in the future to maintain my deck.

Wood-Revivers preformed very poorly and unfortunately I can now no longer recommend them or will ever use them again. I had used Wood-Revivers twice before, the first time being in 2009 and then again in 2011. The first time we had excellent experience and I wrote a review strongly recommending Wood-Revivers. The second time, the stain/seal failed within a year, with all over whitish fading. Concerned, I communicated this to Robert of Wood-Revivers. I wanted his opinion on why the stain/seal failed after preforming so well before.
 Meanwhile I also called Timber Pro to see if they could explain why their product had failed.Timber Pro representatives were very helpful and courteous.  Based on a very detailed conversation, I learned that it was pertinent that their product be applied early in the day (72 degrees Fahrenheit ideal temperature at the time of application) when the deck is still cool. This ensures good penetration/absorption. Application on a hot day/afternoon dries the product on the surface with no absorption. Wood-Revivers had applied Timber Pro on a very hot afternoon in 2011, and the deck was dry as soon as their crew was done. This improper application was the reason for stain/seal failure and I asked Robert to make sure he was utmost careful in application this time. Plus, this time around, prepping and due diligence was even more important, because the cedar (tight knot) decking was new.
Robert worked alone, with Daniel (part of a two man crew that had previously worked on the deck) helping only when he was actually applying Timber Pro. Robert struggled with a rented sander when sanding the deck. As a result, the deck did not get sanded properly. This and the fact that he decided to use a double tint stain of Cafe plus his negligence in following Timber Pro application directions set a chain of failures.
1. The stain resisted even penetration, because the deck wasn't sanded properly.
2. The flaws magnified even more because Robert decided (later denied) to use double tint stain. Besides, a splotchy deck, we had a deck that was too dark and now did not match the pickets, which had regular Cafe stain!
3. The stain did not dry for almost a week and even than it was tacky, because Robert had applied a thick second coat with a roller without back brushing. Applying Timber Pro by roller is explicitly not recommended by Timber Pro application spec sheet, also available online.
4. Robert applied the second coat without allowing the first coat to dry as recommended by Timber Pro.
5. There were many missed areas, drips and splotches magnified because of the double pigment stain.
 The only reason I did not give Wood-Revivers an F is because Robert had the decency to come back and redo the deck. He did not redo the stairs. Initially he was not too keen to redo the deck, suggesting once my planters and deck furniture was placed back on the deck, the flaws would be less noticeable!
The deck redo involved stripping, sanding and re staining (this time regular Cafe stain). I wish I could report he was very professional doing this. He was not! He was argumentative and annoyed that I had taken the time to talk to Timber Pro management. He was not able to entirely take the previous stain off. He used a weak stripper and then never used any product to restore the pH balance of the wood as recommended. He neglected to clean up after stripping (or tape up before stripping)  as a result the house siding had peeled stain stuck to it all over. He cut many corners and it shows. The finished deck is now looking decent but not great. I had to put many hours cleaning the siding and touching up with paint. Robert had attempted to clean up some areas and missing a lot more when I asked him to clean up the stripping residue.
Timber Pro is a great product if applied correctly. Correct directions for application can be found on Timber Pro website. Unfortunately, improper application can lead to its premature failure.

Knowledgeable and hard-working

Just fine!

You keep sending me this reminder and I completed this review over a year ago and submitted it to Angie's list.  Received a
confirmation from you (over a year ago) and have since erased that memo from my computer.  Yes the work was done, yes
it met and exceeded my expectation, yes I would recommend this vendor (have already).
It is not necessary for me to search my files to provide the information you are requesting when I have already complied with
your request.... over a year ago.

I called Wood Revivers to get a quote to replace a few boards, clean, paint, and seal two decks that I would guess haven't been maintained in many years. I also needed a small set of stairs built for one of the decks. Robert did not want to schedule a set appointment time, but would call when he was in my area to provide a quote. To my surprise this worked out well and he came to give us an estimate on a Saturday afternoon. He wrote his bid right then and there, and I found him to be very knowledgeable and professional. We got a couple other bids and found his to be very reasonable, and decided to offer him the job. Within the week he came by to clean the decks, and it only took him a couple days to do all the work. He was good about communicating when he would be coming out to do the work, and would call at the end of the day to provide an update. Overall, we were very pleased with his work and his work ethic. We were at first unsure what colors to paint the deck and Robert made some great recommendations. Both decks look so much better now! We would not hesitate to use Robert again in the future.

Initial bid was high so I lessened the scope of the job.  They ended up doing more than I asked and did a great job.

I called Wood-Revivers at the end of September 2012, Robert Ems and I set up an appointment for an estimate of the deck work needed to be done. He arrived on 9/28/2012 and provided a quote to power wash and seal my wood deck and 3 steps. The quote was supposed to be an Angie's List Big Deal  and I thought this would save some money but when I looked over my files at quotes for the same work done in years past the price was the same. His bid of $417 was high compared to work done last year by another company for $325. Subtracting the $200 Big Deal the price was $217, but considering I had paid $99 for the deal my total price was $316. No real deal there, only $9 in savings compared to last year's work.
Robert was to look over his schedule and call me with dates he had open to do the work. But when I didn't hear from him I called October 8th- he said he had forgotten, but had time on his schedule that day and would arrive at 12:00. He didn't arrive until around 2:00 pm, then found his mini sprayer would not start- he was out of gas! Then he found he had left his gas can at home and asked to borrow mine! I don't have a gas can, so he had to go back home, get the gas and return. He power washed the wood deck and said he would return in two days to apply the color sealant, at about 9:00 am. October 10th Robert Ems finally arrived in the afternoon, around 3 pm and started to apply the color sealant without asking me about color choice. Previous companies I had hired to do this deck always asked me about my preferences for sealant color- clear coat, light red finish, etc. There was no discussion, he simply entered thru the back gate and began work. I felt that this was not polite, a contractor should knock on the front door to alert the homeowner of their presence.
The quality of the work was fine, no better or worse than previous work done on the deck by other contractors.

They made recommendations based on the current deck condition, then drew up the bid.  After acceptance, work proceeded exactly as expected.  The completed work looked good, and they did a very nice cleanup afterwards.

Temporary support of fence/post until more permanent repair can take place.

This $99 "Angie's List Deal" was for two man-hours of work for fencing repair.  We thought this would meet our need to have a handful of boards secured on the back fence, as well as the gate adjusted so that it would properly latch.  They promptly scheduled an appointment to accommodate our schedule (even though they were extremely busy from all the 'deals' sold).  Upon arrival, I explained the work we needed done and was told that they would do what they could, but that they actually specialized in deck work.  This suprised me since the ad specifically stated fence repair.    Anyway, we agreed that it shouldn't be too difficult so they proceeded to work -- quickly nailing the loose fence boards back into place.  Next, they attempted to fix the gate.  They made a few adjustments, acknowledged it was a little better but not entirely fixed, said they'd return when they had more time to fix it correctly.  Three monthls later they still haven't returned.  I'm not too surprised.  I'm disappointed but I guess that's what you get for $99.

Very prompt, very courteous. Good work. Will use them again.

When Robert quoted the job, he described the procedure. On the first day he spent several hours pressure washing and cleaning the areas to be stained. This removed most of the ugly moss. He stained several small areas to give us an idea of what kind of a stain we wanted - clear, paint-like, etc. We chose the clearest possible, and seeing it now, we're very happy with what we chose.The second day (which was 2 days after the pressure washing, so that the wood was dried out sufficiently, and was done before the recent rains, thankfully), he spent most of the day applying the stain, mostly by brush, as the rails are quite thin, and spraying would have put stain on plants or could have blown onto objects which didn't require staining. He used various types of coverings to protect the deck from the stain. It's a tedious process, but because of his experience, I'm sure he had it all planned out. I was really glad it wasn't me doing it, because it required climbing ladders and a lot of "fussy work". After it was all finished, he went around and carefully inspected all areas stained, and touched up anything that needed it. He also left us with a can of stain so that we can touch up any other areas that we find needing it in the future, and explained what type of stain material it is and how to clean up after using it. He said the stain should last 3-4 years. It's imperative to get it done before the rain starts, so that the wood has a chance to dry out before the stain is applied. My only regret is that we didn't have it done when we had the decks built.  I think we were thinking we'd do it ourselves, and then never got around to figuring out what to use or how to do it. I don't think I'd ever tackle this project by myself. My husband and I are senior citizens, and ladders are for people younger than ourselves. Robert is very knowledgeable about his trade, answers questions patiently, and acts professionally.

Overall, the job went well.
However, the power washer was unable to remove the droplets of pine tar on part of the deck...so the sealant was put over it.

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Robert was responsible in that he came when he said he would come or called to reschedule. I like that in a contractor--keeping me informed.
However, when it came time to actually doing the work, he was less professional than I had expected. He relied upon me to point out the areas of the deck which needed attention rather than inspecting it to determine for himself which areas needed attention and then comparing notes with me. He also required me to choose between two areas in need of repair rather than recognizing that they both needed repair and negotiating a deal with me to repair both of them. In the end, the one area I didn't choose is still in need of repair. Robert didn't even offer to repair it. He made it obvious that the price to which we had agreed in advance didn't include both areas and he had brought along enough materials to repair only one, not both. No matter what.
Robert also hadn't noticed when he first evaluated the job that our decking was attached to the underlying joists with screws, not nails. When he arrived to do the job, he didn't have the needed screwdriver to remove the screws. He asked me if I had one. I did not. He "made do" with a saw, pliers, etc., hardly professional.
The final work product was quite satisfactory however, except for that one area still in need of repair.

This was a relatively small job consisting of a cedar stairway, railing, and landings from our sunroom.  It was perfect with the Angie's List Big Deal for $99.  Normally they would have charged more for the stain material, but was kind enough to include the material in my case because the job was so small.  Robert gave me good recommendations regarding upkeep, and was punctual.  He cleaned the decking one day, and was back the next to get it sealed. It looks very nice, and most importantly my wife was happy with it.  Very professional and pleasant to deal with, and would recommend them to friends.  Will use again in the future.

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Came out as contracted and cleaned my old worn-out deck - even hammered in the nails which were starting to float up.  The next day they were back and sealed it and the handrails.   
Very pleased with service and professionalism.  My old deck looks like new - I want to live out there now.  
Many thanks to Robert for his professional demeanor in coming back a second time to reseal my handrails as they were a bit rough.

An amazing finish, Robert and his team did an outstanding job repairing our deck. We just purchased this house and before Robert arrived the deck appeared to be over 30 years old, our house is only 12 years old.  Railing was just inches away from falling off.  Plants were growing around the railings, floor boards were popping up, and deck screws were coming out. It had two sets of stairs with no hand rails and the wood looked awful.  WOW! Today the railings are secure and the plants have been trimmed back as if a professional landscaper did it.  The floor boards are secure and the deck screws are tightly in place.  The stairs now have railings and it looks awesome.  The time that we spend outside just increased from zero to 100%.  My only regret is that I didn?t take before pictures to show off the amazing transformation.

Robert and his two workers did an excellent job on our backyard deck. Our deck is a fairly large size and was covered with a Behr product which really looked bad after two years. It had to be removed by electric pressure washing and sanding before they could seal and stain it. I have stripped and stained the deck myself before and vowed to never do it again! I am very pleased with their professional results. The deck looks fantastic and much better than anything I could have done. They moved all the heavy planters and furniture themselves which surprised and pleased me. Robert also did not try to sell us on additional services which were not necessary. He remarked that some parts of the deck looked fine and did not need maintenance this year. His estimate was not the lowest we found but it was in the middle. I was shocked by how good the deck looked after they were done. It looks brand new. I will hire them again. 

we saw an add in ANGIE'S LIST monthly newsletter saying they gave 10% off to Angie List members, so we called for an estimate.   Robert showed up on time and gave us a written estimate.  It was more than we had wanted to pay -- and we spent a couple weeks talking over the pros and cons of having it done.  At last we decided to go ahead. We called Robert--he was totally cooperative in scheduling the project.  His employee was a polite young man who did a fine job. I am not really thrilled with the color --it seems the color he showed us was less-red than it turned out but it is ok.  The deck looks fine and we feel it was worth doing and we accomplished our goal of having it sealed to extend its life.