July 15, 2024
If you are looking for a business where the…read morecustomer is not right, the owner has no patience and no interest in your feedback, and quality is not a concern, Custom Concrete & Masonry is the business for you. We know this is wordy, but worth the read and will save you some money, we promise.
On June 7th and 8th, we hired Custom Concrete & Masonry to replace our stamped concrete sidewalk which was 26 years old and had started to crack. We reviewed photos on the Facebook page, looked at photos the owner Julio sent, and after receiving several quotes, hired him.
Demo went as expected. The forms for the new sidewalk were placed and approved by us. The concrete truck was several hours late. As the sidewalk was poured, we noticed that there were very noticeable lines being placed through the concrete. We asked Julio about the lines, and he explained they were expansion joints and were necessary. On three separate occasions that day, and even during the stamping process (where the design is put into the concrete), we voiced concern that these giant lines detracted from the look of the sidewalk and design. Julio assured us that once he was finished, we would barely notice them. When they left our home 12 hours later, we sat on our porch and stared at our new $4,000 sidewalk agreeing that we hated it. We called Julio and for the 4th time, explained we were not happy. He said once he placed the seal on it, we would not notice the lines as much. He said the expansion joints were necessary and he could do nothing about the lines. Even when I had asked earlier if there was a way to incorporate the expansion joints in a less visible manner, he said no in a very condescending manner. He kept saying that we didn't understand the need for expansion joints. Which we assured him we did. It is worth mentioning at this point that my husband is an engineer. He understands structure and stability.
The following morning, the crew showed up to finalize cleaning and to seal. This did not include removal of cigarette butts from our yard and driveway. We attempted to have another discussion with Julio in a very adult, mature fashion. All he kept saying was that he had no patience for this and wanted his money so he could leave. After trying to have a proactive conversation for 10 minutes, we gave up. We paid this man for something we hated. Our concerns fell on deaf ears. It goes without saying that the seal did not enhance the look. We have a lot of foot traffic at our home. Many people were shocked by how ugly the sidewalk was and the 4" drop left on the edge was hazardous to say the least. Your sidewalk is one of the first impressions people have of your home and reflects on you and your home.
My husband and I mutually agreed this was not something we could live with for another 20 plus years. We started looking for a company who would do the sidewalk in a way we would love. Since we are not concrete experts, our first question was about these lines that had been placed throughout the stamped design. Yes, we understand the need for expansion joints. But do they need to interfere with the beauty of the sidewalk? Enter Castaneda Concrete. We were told immediately by Axel that the expansion joints should have been incorporated into the design. And that the drop that was left would not be something he would consider acceptable. A leap of faith. We paid the money again to receive a product we love, receive compliments on, and we felt heard and important. We think you will agree when you view the photos that the first job was not anywhere close to the quality of the second job. Save yourselves a couple of thousand dollars and hire the right company (we recommend Castaneda Concrete unequivocally). It is not Custom Concrete & Masonry. And Julio, as I told you, maybe give up owning a business. It is no place for a man without patience. Or a man who does not care what his customers wishes are.
