Apex Waterproofing

I used Apex to fix a situation where water would leak into my basement through the electrical panel during a long, heavy downpour. It was a particularly unique and difficult problem to solve which involved excavating under part of a flagstone patio, determining the source(s) of the leak and sealing. Their final solution was very thorough and attacked the problem from multiple directions. I was impressed with their dedication to doing the job right. The clean-up was also thorough (the patio looked better after they left than before they started!) The crew was great! They worked hard and knew what they were doing. Since it was such a tricky problem, Lou, the manager, was on-site for most of the day. They also have an excellent electrician on the team which was a definite plus for this project. I used Apex a couple of years ago to renovate the basement and was very pleased with the result of that project as well. They’ve been in the business for many years and are deservedly proud of their reputation for quality work. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.

Apex was responsive to our need for a quick turnaround on the project. They worked quickly and efficiently and delivered the project at a reasonable price.

Things were fine until the end. Painters were not very professional. Left trash around my front yard and the painting was not finished in some areas. Main guy handling the job treated me like I was my job was a nuisance. He was too busy to really pay attention. I spent a lot of money, even went over my budget. I felt disrespected and taken advantage of. Not a great experience at all. Too bad. I had friends and family who were interested in getting work done.

Lou is personable and professional. Overall, it was as a good experience (in the context of experiences that I never wished to have). Here are some areas for improvement: - cleanliness: the crew covered furniture and used drop-cloths, but it was spotty and the use degraded over time. Basement shower was left with lots of junk that stained it. - attention to detail: the crew installed the black wall covering system in a sloppy manner instead of a tight fit. They also installed the sump hole covers with too tight a fit. - poor prep for put-together crew: the waterproofing crew cut erratic and uneven interior trenches instead of taking the time and using the tools to leave the concrete flush with a straight line of tile. This added $750 in extra cost to put the basement back together. Note that the crew brings in day labor to haul buckets of waste out of the house.

Very well. Everything was done to standard, and on time.

It was great. Lou and the guys were very respectful and helpful in answering any questions I came up with during the process.

Basement (approximately 1200 sq ft) was completed in year (2015). Finished basement comprised of 3 rooms and bathroom. We continue to have plumbing problems until this year. Initially a whistling noise in the pipes was said to be air in the pipes. After being told that the problem was air in the pipes and how to fix it, we tried to no avail to clear the problem. ABHI's plumber came out to observe and he informed us that a piece needed to be installed. Javier, the owner, told us that to repair the problem, we would have to pay more money but that he would split the cost with us. We contacted WSSC. They came out and adjusted something on the piping-free of charge. We contacted ABHI again with another plumbing issue at the installed commode which bubbled and made noises and gave off nauseous gassy fumes at the commode and bath tub when the washing machine was running. When speaking with Javier, we were told that the plumbing was inspected and passed and therefore the additional problems that we are experiencing would be an additional charge to repair. This hardly sounds like it should be the case when none of these problems existed prior to ABHI's plumber finishing the bathroom. Finally, Javier sent a plumber to our home to correct the problem this year and once the work was complete told the plumber to bill us for the work. This despite the fact that these problems only existed from the time ABHI completed the work. This is very unprofessional that Javier would approve work to be done on our home, without notifying us that the expense would be ours. Again, we only found out at the completion of the work what the cost was and that we were going to be asked to pay for it. The plumber still has not been paid in full. Additionally, communication was a continuous problem throughout the project which lasted approximately 5-6 months as opposed to the 2-3 months originally projected. The electrical, framing, drywall, and flooring were completed satisfactorily. Also, when we purchased items for the project (eg. bathroom vanity), Javier was willing to reduce our price by the budgeted allotment for the items since he did not have to make the purchases. All prospective clients: Be very cautious about this company because all fees may not be included in your given price if you experience similar problems after you have made final payment.

Excellent to deal with.

I noticed a crack in our foundation in my yearly walk-around of the house that we'd just purchased last year. I'd also noticed some sticking doors and cracked edges around the window frames. These things combined made me concerned we had an issue with our foundation. I called Apex and they set up an appointment within 2 days. They called the day before to confirm and gave me a call the day of to let me know Lou, the general manager was on his way. In my college days I did some basic contracting work for a few years and I've worked under a number of different types of contracting professionals. In my experience I can say without hesitation that Lou is the real deal. 3rd generation, super excited about his business, honest, knowledgeable about all aspects of support structures, waterproofing and construction. He toured my townhouse with me for a little under an hour explaining what I was seeing. The crack was a minor concern but something I could repair myself. He told me to keep an eye on the crack after repairing it. He walked around in our basement and took his time explaining how the home was constructed and what was causing the issues I was seeing. He also took his time explaining that if we did have a foundation issue what he and his team would do to repair it. . Essentially the problem was poor installation during renovation and that there weren't any issues that would warrant him coming out. I offered to pay him to for coming out but he refused saying he was happy to come out and that an honest review of his inspection would be enough. If I did need Lou's services for anything related to construction, waterproofing, or structural repair, I'd hire him without any reservations. Jesse Riley

Apex was great from start to finish. I had a window for the original estimate and Lou was done his previous location early he called to see if he could come early. Lou was professional and I had my actual quote the next day. The guys that performed the estimate were prompt, polite, and all around wonderful. They cleaned up the mess they made, let me know what was going on along the way. I was truly happy with the work they performed.

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Overall, the project went really well. One of the two sliding glass sections of our shower door doesn't slide smoothly, it stops about half way. That's mainly because our walls are level and the guys tried to do what they could to fix it, but the door that matters slides fine. This is why I said I'd go through his glass guy if I had to do this again -- they come with something that can adjust to walls like our's. Other than that, they were great to work with, I highly recommend them and will definitely keep them in mind for future work.

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Lou came and gave us a quote. He was quick to point out the "best/long term" solution for the job. Crew did a good job on installation. There was an issue (cut our power line) but they resolved it quickly. We were happy with the final work and the price.

He didi an excellent jobs. Was on time and has a wealth of knowledge. Very honest and told me that they were cosmetic repairs. Provided a timely written report with the cost of making repairs. Reasonable his fee to visit and assess the findings of an inspector.

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We were real pleased with them at first but then we wanted them to come back and then redo something and we had a little problem with them. Its suppose to be a lifetime guarantee. I think the biggest thing was, at first we knew he wanted to put in a, upgrade the pump and all of that and at first he said he would do it and I think he got busy and it was hard to get him on the phone and he kept telling us well that job is too small that job is too small, I'm too busy and so you know that was frustrating. So we eventually had to find someone else to do it, if he had said that up front we would have gone to get this done instead of him stringing us along and you know not returning calls promptly and keep telling us you know that's too small, not worth my time and like I said eventually we found someone else that we are very satisfied with.

overall we were satisfied with the work performed.  Though on two days the team just didn't show up.  The remainder of the job and work went well.

Lou, the owner of the company was initially very good communicating with me.  I had contacted him with concerns that my house could be in "water damage" mode after the last large storm.  He immediately put me on the schedule to give me an estimate and a plan.   He clearly explained the process of installing the water removal system, the warranty and the arrangement for the county inspector.  I had given him a "to be done by" date and he was respectful to adhere to that.  I was impressed with how professional the arrangements were and felt that my house would be properly taken care of.   The first crew arrived at the agreed upon date.  Jaimie's crew was very professional and respectful.  They were hard workers and it appeared that they did a good installation job.  However, after they left, I noticed later that they had not "put back" the wooden pilings that were previously installed on the back wall of the unfinished portion of the basement.  The warped and broken wood remnants were still laying on the basement floor.   There was also approximately 8' of broken baseboards that had to be replaced, that had not been.  Lou, the owner, had told me his men were going to reuse my old baseboards, since they were so old, that they were not made anymore.  Imagine my surprise when replacement baseboards were purchased and installed and looked like the same ones!   The next crew that came were the painters and Je Sus was very good.  They also were respectful and had a good work ethic.  When Je Sus told me that he was done, I asked him about putting back the wooden pilings on the back wall and he said that was not his job.  
I then contact the business office and spoke with Ashley and she said she would contact Lou and get back to me.  To date, I have not heard back from anyone from the company.  My phone calls and messages have not been addressed or returned.  I still do not have the work completed, according to the owner's agreement.     And I am still waiting for the county inspector to be scheduled to give the final inspection.  It is a shame that what started as an impressive job, has diminished to this.  I just want to properly finish the job for which I had contracted.

We were very happy with the work and with the people who did the work.  We have since recommended this company to a neighbor.
Workers were polite, clean, knowledgeable - tidied up after the work.  They worked diligently and were punctual.

Although I have not made a decision to take the approach recommended, the service described above provided by Apex's Lou Peyton was excellent. He arrived on time and his description of the problems and outlining of possible solutions were professional and concise. Within just hours of his visit he provided written proposals for interior waterproofing along a front foundation wall in a utility room and exterior waterproofing seal of a front entranceway that were clear and comprehensive. Given its extent, the total cost of the work he was proposing ($6980) was reasonable.

I am more than impressed with the work from Apex.  Lou is a true professional and the workers are wonderful.  If the workers or Lou found anything else wrong, they just immediately fixed it without adding on the cost.  They did this for several items, for example, the medal for my window wells were very worn, so they just made new replacements, the area around my dryer vent was open so they calked that all up, the area under the siding could have water splashed up into it, so they also fixed that problem.  They went beyond my expectations!!
It was Lou's idea to install white insulation back down in the basement to make it look nicer.  It looks wonderful and I cannot express my thanks and appreciation for an excellent job.
Thank you Lou!

Although we had never had water in the basement, we did have crack extending most of the length of the wall, and the wall was bulging inward by as much as 2 inches at the worst point. Before calling anyone for estimates, we hired an independent engineer to provide an opinion. His analysis was that the wall was bulging, probably due to water pressure outside, and required attention, either support with a series of steel I-beams inside the house, or with replacement.

We checked with three firms.  One only wanted to do the I-beam solution, which we didn't like because of its visibility, the space required, and the fact it would only brace the wall and prevent further bulging, but would not really fix it.   Another firm was willing to do either solution, but their estimate for the replacement wall, based on forecasting a worst-case scenario that there might be more serious damage than was visible from outside, was nearly twice that of Apex.

APEX Chief Inspector Sam Weisgal - a fount of information and advice on all aspects of foundation problems by the way -- recommended only replacement.  Apex General Manager Lou Peyton also stopped by later to assess the issue personally, and based on his long years in the construction/foundation fields in our area, and the age/type of our house, surmised that the underlying footer, etc., would have been built solidly, even overbuilt by today's standards, and would most likely not produce major unforeseen surprises.  We found that persuasive.

Work started August 10.  Lou and Sam arrived at 8:00 with a full crew and machinery and equipment and within the hour were at work on the excavation and the temporary inside support.  Throughout the work that ensued for the next five weeks (by my count, 29 working days - I was surprised that the crew worked most Saturdays, and even on Labor Day), work proceeded steadily and very competently. The only slight snag  was the unexpected discovery under the front porch of a huge mass of reinforced concrete, removal of which  caused about a day of extra work in the excavation phase. (Apex did not bill additional for this.) 

Throughout, it was evident that the entire crew involved had a good deal of experience in this sort of project and knew what they were doing.  The operator of the rather large Caterpillar shovel, for example, manipulated it expertly in a space hemmed in by trees. Carlos, the foreman who spent a lot of time at the site, was knowledgeable, helpful, and our chief source of information about any problems that arose, or the scheduling.  The actual reconstruction of the wall went quickly, delayed only the necessary stops to wait for a country inspector at each phase.  The only place we would suggest improvement (we've indicated it under "responsiveness") would be better communication  - keeping us informed as to what would be happening next, and being realistic about timing.  

While there is no way to do such a project without pretty significant disruption, we felt it had been minimized - the work moved right along without delays or stoppage (and luckily mostly with good weather).  We had preparatory and follow-up work to do ourselves (move stuff away from the wall in the basement and put it back; remove plants that we hoped to save, and replant them; get the lawn sprinkler system and outdoor lighting out of the way and replace afterwards; and cleanup -- but by and large the process was as trouble-free as a project this large could be. 

This is a job that we would hope never to have to do again, but we certainly recommend Apex Waterproofing to others who may have foundation or waterproofing problems.