Driveway repair, St. Francis woman regrets door-to-door work
Driveway repair, St. Francis woman regrets door-to-door work
A St. Francis woman hired a business on her doorstep to take a crack at repairing her driveway. Instead, she wound up with an even bigger mess.
ST. FRANCIS, Wis. - A St. Francis woman hired a business on her doorstep to take a crack at repairing her driveway. Instead, she wound up with an even bigger mess.
Cracks and debris
The backstory:
Ellen Tucker's driveway is deteriorating. Every day, she steps outside onto cracks and debris.
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"I took another look, and it was getting worse and worse," said Tucker.
It's a frustration that the 85-year-old didn't foresee back in November when she hired someone on the spot for repairs.
Ellen Tucker
"They said, 'We just did a job nearby, and we have some product left over that's already mixed, and it won't last that long,'" said Tucker.
Tucker said the business applied one coat of the product and was supposed to come back a few days later for a second coat. Then, it rained and snowed.
"We can't do it now because it's winter," Tucker recalled being told. "We'll be back in May and we'll finish the job."
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Tucker wrote to FOX6 in June because she hadn't heard from the business.
What we know:
Not only is Tucker's driveway crumbling and cracking, but the product is kicking up dust. It gets on Tucker's clothes and is carried into her house on her shoes. A car in her garage is covered with the dust.
"It's like a flour or something," said Tucker.
The resolution
Why you should care:
Seven months after the repair, Contact 6 called the business on Ellen's behalf. The name on the business card was Pro Concrete, Wisconsin and Construction LLC.
Its owner told Contact 6 that she's caring for a sick relative out of state. Within a few hours, Tucker got a full refund of her $800 plus $300 to power wash the product away.
"(The owner) called someone here who was able to get ahold of the money," said Tucker.
Dust from driveway work at Ellen Tucker's home
What they're saying:
The Better Business Bureau issues regular warnings about unsolicited, doorstep offers from contractors, especially for asphalt or blacktop services.
"Oftentimes, the homeowner has no idea what's in the product, or what's contacted exactly in the product," said Lisa Schiller of the BBB Serving Wisconsin.
Schiller said in many cases, door-to-door contractors are from out of town and can be hard to track down if the workmanship is poor.
In this case, the business card listed a Milwaukee address. Contact 6 visited the house in a residential neighborhood and was told the person had moved.
‘Never intended for this’
Dig deeper:
Mark Pluer is the owner of Concrete Raising in New Berlin. He was recommended to Contact 6 by NARI Milwaukee. Contact 6 asked Pluer to look at Tucker's driveway and offer his opinion on the repair.
"The product was never intended for this," Pluer told Contact 6.
Pluer said there's nothing wrong with the product itself, but it's meant to fill gaps between pavers and bricks, not be a surface coat for cracked driveways. He said a second coat may have looked more uniform initially, but would have quickly failed, too, leaving behind an even bigger mess.
"It didn't stick. It didn't bond," said Pluer. "I don't know any other professionals that would attempt to do what they did. It just doesn't make sense."
Ellen Tucker's deteriorating driveway in St. Francis
Pluer said Tucker's driveway needs replacement, not a quick fix.
"She was just trying to make it look a little better for a few hundred bucks. Unfortunately, it made it worse," said Pluer.
What's next:
Tucker said she's pleased with how the business responded after hearing from Contact 6.
"I don't think they meant to scam me," said Tucker. "I think they meant to make some money that day."
Tucker said she hopes others learn from her mistake.
"Do your research," said Tucker.
Pro Concrete responds
The other side:
The operator of Pro Concrete said they tried to reach Tucker by phone but couldn't leave a message. Tucker acknowledges that her voicemail was full.
Contact 6 didn't find a history of complaints about the business. The business is not currently operating in Wisconsin.
The Source: Information for this report comes from Ellen Tucker, the BBB, Mark Pluer and Pro Concrete.