If only I knew about Denmac when I was building my house, I would have used them for everything!
Despite being 316 [marine grade] stainless steel, I had a gate that would rust profusely within a matter of weeks and require highly abrasive red Scotch pads and 45 minutes of my time to clean every 6-8 weeks. All the DIY clear coatings I tried wouldn't last more than a couple months.
Being oceanfront, tackling rust is something I'm used to and I am quite the expert at but clearly, this was made with low quality stainless loaded with contaminants. After dealing with this for 3 years, I concluded powder coat would be preferable over constant rusting.
Before contacting Denmac, I had pursued bids from several powder coaters in the South Bay and even one in OC. Most would not give me the time of day, since I was not some large commercial customer and this was a small job. My bid was easy too, since I had architectural drawings of the actual gate with all measurements, from when I had it made. Plus, I had already picked out the primer (Cardinal E396-GR1372) and paint (Cardinal Black Superdurable 20% Gloss) so it's not like there were unknowns for whomever was bidding. A straightforward bid, right?
Nope! A couple refused to bid because it was too small. One well known company in the OC who bid refused it unless I brought it on a pallet. I explained a pallet wouldn't fit in my SUV (I checked) but said I'd be happy to attach it to one when I dropped it off. They refused to provide a pallet and basically told me to get lost, in nicer words.
A well known beach cities powder coater never answered my calls for weeks. Told me to email him my info, which I did, but never heard back despite me following up once a week.
Multiple companies I spoke with refused to do the small parts. One said they were "too much of a hassle" to do.
As I widened my circumference from Manhattan Beach, I reached out to Denmac and the difference in service was night and day. The nice receptionist told me who was in charge of new customers and I asked if I could have their email address to send my info. I sent it along with photos and despite being 4 pm on Friday, Mark the president responded a short time later (5:30) with a well written, detailed email, and price quote. No games or BS. Exactly what I was looking for.
When I brought it in, the service I got on site was just as professional. The guy who helped me, I think his name was Nick, was super knowledgeable and attentive. When I showed him my small bolts and gate latch pieces, he didn't snub them like other powder coaters. He was happy to do them!
I got the gate back quickly and now have it installed. I am so happy to have found Denmac because I tell you, contractors in the beach cities have too many rich customers paying them so they just don't seem to put any effort in to get customers or treat small customers right.
You would think this VIP treatment was because Denmac had slow business, right? Not at all. They were busy and can be and each time I was there, I saw probably 20+ people working and the facility was jam packed with all kinds of things being painted. I was pleasantly surprised to see such a large, successful operation still treat me, the little guy, as being important too.
Not only will I use Denmac for everything in the future, but I seriously think I will still use them if I ever move to OC or San Diego. They are just so professional and worth the drive, wherever you may be. read more