Before I start my review, let me state that I have absolutely no ill will against Jake and his company TJSD. We had used Jake before and were happy with the result, which led us to use him on our bathroom remodel. But with that said I am going to account my experience so others can make an informed decision when it comes to spending their hard earned money with any remodeling. Yelp won't allow enough room to go into every detail, I'll allow my photos to do a lot of talking for me.
The job required removing the old tub, a linen closet, refinishing the walls, installation of a new tub, rerouting some plumbing, tiling the floor and bathtub/shower. We ordered all the tile, grout, vanity, faucets, and brand new bathtub.
What should have been a straightforward remodel descended into days of Jake not showing up when he said he would, no phone calls or texts, and us as homeowners having absolutely no idea what was going on with our bathroom.
Various problems during project:
In the process of removing the old tub, some water in the drain pipe spilled and damaged a part of our kitchen ceiling that sat below the bathroom. He assured us he would fix it.
When asked what he was using to waterproof the shower/ tub, he said the tile itself was waterproof. I stated that tile and concrete backer board are porous and not waterproof, and that it needed a membrane such as Redgard to waterproof it.
He said he didn't think it was necessary but he would apply it if that was what I wanted. For peace of mind, I ended up buying the Redgard and applying it.
The vanity was never measured to see where the pipes that he already moved would meet with the double sinks. So when trying to fit it he realized that one pipe he moved was too low and the other pipe stuck out into a wooden support of the vanity. Why wouldn't you check this BEFORE you move the plumbing? Isn't that why you are moving the plumbing in the first place?
Then after tiling the bathtub once, he says in his professional opinion he doesn't think the tile in the bathtub/shower is going to really measure up to his usually high tile standards. So he states he wants to tear out everything and start it from scratch. He suggests we get rid of the Schluter trim, use smaller, less heavy tile, and don't Redgard it, because the acrylic adhesive he uses dries and creates a waterproof barrier. Really? (Side note- acrylic is Mastic and should never be used for a wet location. Upon getting wet it will revert to a gummy consistency and basically the tiles will fail.)
Two and a half MONTHS later after this project started, Jake finishes tiling the shower for the second time. Jake quietly slips out the front door without saying a word. That night we check it out. it is worse than the first time! There are various cracked tiles, multiple tiles don't line up, jut out, or sink in. The niche is pieced together with all the cut sides facing out. And for the second time he didn't cut out for the shower head! And he dropped something on our brand new tub chipping the edge!!! My wife and I stood in disbelief as every red flag, second guessing, and lame excuse made it crystal clear that we had made a terrible decision.
We had a friend, who is a general contractor, take a look at the shower. He said if he had to guess he would think this was his first tiling job. Looking at the job, even with no tile experience, it was obvious as he adhered tiles he either didn't care or perhaps didn't have the skill.
I liked Jake, took him at his word, but at the end of the day I am the one out $1100 deposit, $500 in tile, and 2 1/2 months of my time, and for what? I have a brand new damaged bathtub. I have a bathtub/ shower that needs to be ripped out and redone. I have plumbing pipes that need to be moved to fit a vanity. I have tile baseboards that still need to be installed. I have a kitchen ceiling that needs to be repaired. More than that though I am taking this as MYfailure- I was too trusting, did not look at the situation from all angles, and ignored warning signs even when they bothered me. So it did buy me some much needed experience.
So if you have seen an ad on Craigslist or Nextdoor advertising TJSD Remodeling, I would think twice before giving Jake a call.
Also, just an FYI- the first review for TJSD is from Chandra, his girlfriend. We've met her and she really is very sweet but hardly an unbiased review. read more