ComplaintsforHBP Painting Contractors

• Initial Complaint

  01/31/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On May 9, 2019 I signed a contract with HBP Painting Contractors to caulk and paint a gazebo ceiling in our front room. After about 6 months to a year the caulked areas were separating from the ceiling. I contacted my insurance adjuster who put me in contact with a company they used frequently called Reclaim. **** from Reclaim came out to inspect the ceiling and asked what kind of caulk was used by HBP. The office manager from HBP responded by email with the name of the caulk. **** replied via email that my problem was coming from the fact that a "buetyl" caulk was not used and the silicone caulk was coming loose. Under the three year "Iron Clad Warranty" I asked HBP to come back and redo just the caulked areas using buetyl caulk and that I would even pay for the better caulk. They said that due to the house settling (not sure how they arrived at that) they would not honor their warranty. Pictures, estimate, contract and emails attached.

  

  Business response

  02/24/2022

  Hello *****,
  When we initially met with you on May 1st of 2019 to look at your gazebo ceiling that was cracking, after 1-2 other companies failed to fix the cracking with their services, we expressed the solution to fill the gap between your boards and ceiling with caulk was not something we do often (as it was a unique situation) but that we felt it was good solution to help keep the boards in place and help hide the cracking. As standard practice, we always explain to our customers that cracks could reappear and that we do not guarantee our solution would fix them, in addition, the boards were not put up securely by another contractor which may have exacerbated the cracking even further. We met with you on 1/21/20 to explain it would not be a permanent fix and that the cracks may reappear from normal house settling and movement.  We again visited your home on 3/17/2021 to look at your gazebo ceiling. Our estimator spoke with you about the changing seasons and how houses shift and settle with them. We used the best caulk for the project that we had knowledge of, if there was a specific type of caulk to be used to our knowledge, we would have done so when we initially completed your project. Our three-year warranty does not cover drywall cracking as listed on the back of your contract. We truly wish you the best of luck on your ceiling and hope you can find the solution you are looking for.  

  Customer response

  02/26/2022

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  The truth of our first meeting is that the owner was shown the problem clearly demonstrated in the pictures and I was told that if I awarded the job to them that I would not have to touch the ceiling again.  They stated that with their 3 generations of painters in the family they could handle the job.  There was no cracking of drywall only the pulling away of the slats from the ceiling due to the caulk not holding properly.  I was assured that they knew what to do about my issue until they were called back to fix the caulk drying up and leaving gaps between the slats and the ceiling drywall.

  
  

  My research with my insurance company revealed that the painters should have used a "butyl" type caulk which would not dry up.  I offered to pay for the new caulk and the paint needed to touch up the new caulk but they wanted no part in trying to correct the issue.  

  
  

  I read another complaint on this site that included the paint company not wanting to stand behind their "Iron Clad Warranty", I wish I had read that prior to awarding the contract, perhaps this elderly person would not have been left to have to pay someone else to do the job right like the other complainant.

  
  

  I re-offer my original options of me paying for the caulk and paint and them doing the labor or have them refund me the money associated with the ceiling paint job.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

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