Top Ten Building and Remodeling Inc

I would be the first to agree that we indeed had issues with the first installation of this customer’s tile flooring. I also fully acknowledge that redoing the first installation (full removal and replacement) has been a large inconvenience for the customer. However, I believe she has significantly embellished and even grossly misstated facts about the reinstallation of her kitchen flooring.

Here are my responses to her comments –

This project was not a simple tile installation; it was a small penny tile product in a confined space, with extensions off the main area for the stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, and the washing machine and dryer, so it was complicated.

I did not “raise my voice” or become defensive until after the customer was very rude to me and derogatory about my installation team.

Nor did she apply “much pressure” before we “agreed to replace the floor”; that is simply a false statement by her, as it was a possible solution I offered via email immediately after leaving her home. I am happy to provide a copy of that email (which also included an apology for my being short).

Yes, after much research and discussion with other professionals, the Scope of Work (“the plan”) I provided her and my installation team did change. I was advised that the epoxy grout I recommended was not appropriate and would be an issue with penny tiles, so we used the grout recommended by those professionals.

The customer has refused to allow me, or a Certified Tile Inspector (which I have offered to procure and cover the cost for), to inspect the second installation, so I cannot comment with knowledge about the holes and staining in the grout. She has sent over pictures, but I would require a personal inspection to comment on this and am unsure why she will not allow me to inspect the second installation. If she is uncomfortable with me personally, I even suggested that we could have a “chaperone” - her father, who was there after the first installation, or her neighbor for whom I have done other projects – could be present at the meeting, but she has flat out refused to allow me to inspect the second installation. Why would a customer refuse to allow a manager to inspect the work performed by their crew? I do not understand this.

And, just to alleviate any confusion, while she is correct that repairing grout issues in penny tiles is difficult, it is totally achievable; it just takes time. But again, if she will not allow us access to make the repairs. I am unsure how to proceed. We do warrant our workmanship for one year, and I would be happy to extend that to five years for her, but if she won’t let us in to fix it, that offer probably won't suffice.

The customer has also commented several times that the “holes” and discoloration in the grout are due to our not properly mixing the grout and using too much water. While we do not have any pictures or videos of the guys mixing the grout, I have attached the receipt for the measuring cups they specifically purchased for this project and utilized to properly measure the water, and I provided them copies of the grout manufacturer’s guidelines for mixing, so I am confident the grout was indeed mixed and applied as per the manufacturer's requirements (but I am sure she will dispute that as she has stated in several emails that the installation crew was “substandard”). I do note that it was a very humid day when the grout was applied, and even though the apartment is air-conditioned, the humidity could have been a factor. Again, all of this would not be an issue if we were allowed to return, remove the affected areas, and regrout. Moreover, as offered above, we are also willing to warrantee the grout issues for five years and return should it become an issue again in the future, but the customer has refused to allow us to do such.

The customer’s comments about the baseboard are also one hundred percent false. In an attempt to appease her, I quoted her in my response and used her words of the installers being “too lazy,” and my email to her specifically confirms this. All of my installers work very hard, are diligent about their jobs, and our customers and I would never call them lazy. Moreover, she provided me with photos of the “damaged” baseboard, which were taken before the installers were completed with the project. Another inaccurate fact from her. Her baseboards were fully cleaned, sanded, painted, and caulked after the installation of the quarter-round base molding. My team even painted her door (at no additional cost). I will also note that the “gap” under her baseboard, which she has complained about being wrong, is actually a typical and required space as defined in the Tile Council of North America’s Installation Specifications. I have attached the picture she sent me with her complaint and the one my installers provided – vastly different.

Before we started this project and again before we removed and reinstalled the tile, I explained to this customer in great detail that she had issues with her subflooring and her cabinets, which would cause a difficult installation for penny tiles. I offered solutions, including using a more forgiving tile and/or removing and properly reinstalling her cabinetry; I even gave her a very reasonable quote to replace her dilapidated cabinets, but that was not in her budget at this time. We did perform extensive repairs to her subflooring during the first installation. We installed two layers of liquid crack isolation membrane (at no additional cost to the customer) along with a different cement board underlayment with greater flexural and compression strength. Hence, we are confident that the tile and grout cracking she has experienced in the past (and after the first installation) should no longer be an issue.

Her old tile flooring had many issues and cracks, but I assumed these were due to it being improperly installed directly to her plywood subflooring, instead of on a proper tile flooring underlayment; maybe my assumption was incorrect, and she does actually have some other issue with her building that is creating the tile flooring (and backsplash) issues. Only time will tell if our second installation process has resolved those issues. And as proven by our willingness to remove the first installation and install new flooring (all at no cost to the customer; including our purchasing and providing all the new materials), we obviously stand behind our work and are willing to address any issues. We could have walked away, but that is not what a reputable company does.

Bottom Line: After more than 15 years in business, this is the first complaint we have ever received from a customer about a tile installation we performed. We have even earned a “Complaint Free Award” from the Better Business Bureau for every year we have been a member of the BBB. Based on the pictures I received from the customer, I agree there appears to be a grout issue we need to address. However, I am totally at a loss as to how we resolve this complaint, as this customer will not even allow me to inspect the installation services we provided. I am open to any suggestions you may have. Possibly a $500 refund to compensate others to perform the grout repairs will suffice, but a full refund, as requested, is not appropriate and is certainly not an option when the customer has refused to allow me even to inspect our work. Many of her pictures and facts have proven to be somewhat inaccurate, but again, I don’t really know as I have not been afforded the opportunity to inspect the work.

Again, I apologize for the issues with this customer's installation and the additional inconvenience she has experienced. We are happy to resolve them if given the opportunity.

Respectfully submitted,

Mark D. Norris
General Manager
Top Ten Building and Remodeling, Inc.