This may be a long one, buckle up.
We were in a jam with a leak behind our shower and so we were pinched for a timely repair. We didn't have much time to shop around or to wait for a more affordable general contractor to be able to come out to do the work. We agreed to a contract with Yankee Home Improvment for $19K, and they said they could be here within a week to get started. Commericals rave about "ALWAYS DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME! NEVER CADDYWAMPUS!". Let me tell you the story how we now have a $19K shower that is still a bit Caddywampus after the not first, not 2nd, not 3rd.... but 6th time.
Pros:
-Quick
-(thats about it)
Cons:
-Leaked
-Smelled
-Caulk has separated from wall within less than 3 months and proper care/cleaning on our part
The day they came to do the shower install went good at first. They were moving at a great pace! There were 2 gentlemen working in the bathroom doing the demo/install and at some point a plumber stop in to do all of the plumbing work. He left before the bathroom shower/tub install was complete as his work was done.
He NEVER tested his work, so when the 2 gentlemen doing the install wrapped the project up at the end of the day (I must be in the wrong business if a $19K job is done in one day btw! lol), they turned the shower on and it leaked all over into our basement and all over our firewood. Not the end of the world - it dries. The 2 install gentlemen "fixed" the plumbers work and the next day it was leaking.
We called and they sent someone out timely - I believe this 2nd visit (3rd attempt at getting it done right) they re-leveled the plumbing/p-trap.
That gentleman left and after work I went in the basement to look at the work and it was leaking.
Here we are at 4th attempt, 3rd visit - no longer leaking but smells HORRID! (Turns out someone messed up the vent pipe and so septic gas was leaking into our house, stinking the whole place up.
Brings us to the 4th visit, 5th attempt to fix it - no idea exactly what he did but left and following few days still STINKS.
Call AGAIN and they tell me it has something to do with the washer and dryer. HUH?! the washer and dryer are across the basement, not in the bathroom or tied into the plumbing they worked on and never been an issue. That would be one HECK of a coincidence!
Here we are at 6th attempt to fix it, 5th visit, they have now FINALLY sent their "Master Plumber" - He says WTH did they say anything about the washer and dryer?! And laughs it off. (Honestly feel like at that point they were trying to blame something existing in our home vs. standing by their work and its issues).
After Master Plumber totally redoes the plumbing, admits it was the vent pipe and leaves (we are now a month and a half into our "new" $19K shower), we FINALLY have a shower that doesn't make our whole house smell like sh*t or leak. Phew!
Here we are not even 3 months into our new shower and I look down today and the caulk or whatever material is used to adhere the wall of the shower to the tub part, has complete peeled itself back and if coming off. I don't have it in me for one more phone call or one more visit to fix their shotty work.
Mind you, for all of this I did politely let them know I would be looking for some sort of monetary compensation for all of the hassle and smelling sh*t for a month in my house. You know what the BEST they could offer was on our $19,000 shower? A $200 Amazon Gift Card.
I tried hard to refrain from this review and gave plenty of chances but this wall separating was just the last straw. For what we paid we shouldn't have had these issues once, nevermind 6 now 7 issues in less than 3 months so I wanted to fairly share our experience. For some reason it won't let me leave photos showing the new issue. Who knows, maybe only the good reviews get to post pictures?!