Quality Foam Solutions Cleburne Texas Customer Complaints

22 Sep Quality Foam Solutions Cleburne Texas Customer Complaints

There is a major threat to our health being over looked and even silenced in some cases and it all stems from spray foam insulation. It’s advertised as a green product, safe for humans and the environment. However, my personal experience with this product was the exact opposite. Being in the home service industry myself, I am very reluctant to place my trust into the hands of any contractor. However, considering I knew absolutely nothing about spray foam, i felt it would be best to find someone who specialized in this product. After purchasing an older home, we were experiencing hotter than normal temperatures inside the home during the hot summer months. After having the AC checked, with everything coming back normal, it was recommended that we look into insulation options inside the attic. My wife had mentioned our issues to her boss and he recommended that we look into spray foam. My experience with Mark Andersen began with a text we sent to a phone number we saw being advertised on a cargo trailer parked by highway 174 in Cleburne Texas. The trailer was labeled as “Quality Foam Solutions.” However, when calling the phone number on the trailer the voice greeting recording was “Mark with Andersen Air. Never the less, within minutes of sending the text we received a response asking about square footages and more details about the project. My wife and I were both impressed by the quick response. We were dealing with 90° temperatures inside our home with 100+ outside. As a roof installer, i spend each day in the heat from day light to dark. By the time i get home i am desperate for relief with a cool place to relax. The last thing I want is a 100° house. Mark quickly texted back a price and offered to come out the following day to inspect in person. We met the following day and had a nice conversation. He confirmed the price was good and said we were the perfect candidate for spray foam. He says it should make a huge difference in our home during the hot summer months. He seemed very genuine and honest and upfront. Considering I had contacted 2 to 3 other foam companies who were slow to respond i was just happy someone wanted the job. I told him that I had contacted a couple other companies and was waiting on their estimate. I believe it was later that same evening that I received the other estimates for comparison. Mark was the better price approx $500 cheaper than our lowest estimate. Being in the home service business, I am no stranger to not going with the cheapest price, however, it was marks willingness to immediately respond and immediately price the project that I felt comfortable with. I did a quick search of his reviews online and everything seemed to check out except for a few negative comments against him and his ac business. Looking back, I really should’ve paid more attention to the one star reviews and what those consumers where complaining about. Some of the things they were saying about Mark and Andersen Air would ultimately come to fruition throughout my project later. Regardless of his negative reviews, I contacted Mark and gave him the go ahead to start as soon as possible. Considering I wasn’t getting a new AC system and was just spraying in some foam, I didn’t feel i was taking that big of a risk. Approx a week later, we received a message from an installer saying that they would be arriving the following Monday between 7 and 9 AM. The morning of their estimated arrival however, no one showed up or sent a message so we decided to send them a message at approximately 9:45 AM to make sure they were still coming. There was no response. Around 11:30 AM the installer shows up. We asked the gentleman if there was anything that he needed from us or any of our guys. I actually had employees on site working on other projects. The installer explained that he did not need anything. He would be taking care of everything on his end. They were going to be covering and protecting everything inside the home and doing an excellent clean up. We would not even be able to tell they had even been there when they were done. We asked if we needed to stay out of the home for any amount of time after the spray foam was installed. The installer said “No. As soon as the chemicals off gas into the air during the installation, they are pretty much gone. That we should be able to re-enter the home immediately upon their completion.” However, after reading recommendations from the other foam installers, they recommended waiting at least 24 to 48 hours before re-entering the space. Right off the bat things just seemed a little off, but again, we trusted Mark and allowed the gentleman to do his job. It was a three day job total that started on a Monday. Wednesday afternoon they sent a text with photos stating they were done. Having read online that we should wait a couple of days before reentering we decided to wait until Saturday afternoon. We arrived that Saturday evening, and upon opening our front door we were immediately hit in the face with a very strong chemical smell. The smell had completely filled the entire interior of the home. We went into the back bedroom where the attic entry door was cut into the ceiling and noticed foam stains on our brand new hardwood floors. I looked at the window they had used and saw gouges and scratches completely torn into the bottom windowsill from their hoses being drug in and out. From there I looked up at the attic entry door, and it had been completely broken, scratched and trashed during the foam installation. As I removed the attic door and entered the attic space, I noticed foam droppings all over the attic floor, all over the AC ducts, the AC handler, all the electrical wiring, bathroom fans, can lights, vents, etc. Anything, and everything left inside the attic was completely covered with foam droppings. However, the biggest issue was the intense chemical smell coming from the attic that had completely filled the entire living space. I did a quick search online and saw that it mentioned the smell could hang around for a couple of days after installation, and most likely just needed more time to dissipate. Having absolutely no idea what this foam material was or the fact that we were potentially exposing ourselves to harmful chemicals, we decided to just deal with it, until the smell dissipated. Within this two-week time frame, both of our pets developed an ear infection, my wife had to go see the doctor because of congestion and sore throat issues and I myself begin to experience sore teeth and gums. Neither of us had put two and two together until a home inspector visited our home to inspect an unrelated project. Immediately upon entering our front door he points out that something is not right with the foam job and recommended that we vacate the home asap. WHAT?! Yes, he says. This smell is not good for you. Contact the installer asap. So, i immediately sent Mark Andersen a text message, asking him how confident he was in his installers. He immediately responds that every project is done exactly the same and out of hundreds of jobs he has never had even one issue. I explained that we have a very intense chemical smell coming from the foam. He says that the smell we are smelling is not harmful after 48 hours. We decided to contact other foam companies from the area for advice, all of whom immediately says that something is not right. There should be no smell within 24 to 48 hours after a spray foam is applied. If there is still a smell, it was either a defective or expired foam or a botched installation. Every foam company we spoke with also confirmed that we need to vacate the property immediately. Our lives just came to a screeching and terrifying halt. I reached back out to Mark Andersen to let him know what we were being told. Here is where the real Mark begins to show himself. He did not immediately offer to come to the home to inspect the work, or to confirm whether or not the chemicals were harmful. Instead he continued to defend his installation. At this point, we had no choice but to move out of our home into a barn we own a few miles away with no plumbing. We begin to research online and contact foam companies from around the country. All of which confirmed that it is fairly common to occasionally have to remove a portion or all of the foam and redo it in the event of this issue. Yet Mark Andersen continues to stand behind his statement that they have done hundreds of jobs and have never had one issue. I’m finding it very odd that he has not offered to come inspect his installers work. Being in the home service industry myself, the instant one of my customers had mentioned the possibility that my project was off gassing possible harmful fumes into their home, I would have immediately driven to these peoples homes to inspect for myself. If indeed there was any smell at all this long after the installation, I would’ve had the foam removed on the spot. “The true test of a man’s character is when things go wrong.” It was clear Mark Andersen was not this kind of person. He was not accepting any responsibility and was only looking to deflect everything off himself. After days of going back-and-forth, he finally agrees to send the installer back to inspect the work and pull a sample of the foam. I met the installer at the home, who immediately admits that he can smell the smell as soon as he enters the front door. He goes into the attic and cuts out a small square from the center of the ceiling. From there they are apparently mailing the sample to the manufacture. Two weeks later, we finally get a response back from Mark that says the following: “From 0-4 scent test from 8 people was .38.” Now, I’m no scientist, but this sounds fishy to me. You’re telling me the testing of a foam sample from the manufacture of the foam consists of eight people sniffing the sample? Never sends us any paper work or proof of any kind. It was becoming very clear that Mark had no compassion or sympathy for what we were going through. He knew we were living in a barn with no plumbing, and could care less. We contacted several foam manufacturers who admitted their testing procedures were much more extensive then Mark claimed. We also spoke with multiple foam installers from around the country, who also agreed that was not the way that you test for issues with foam. Everyone was pretty adamant that Mark was clearly attempting to delay the removal of the foam and deflecting responsibility. After several more weeks of going back-and-forth, he finally agrees to meet at the home himself in person. He shows up with two gentlemen I’ve never met. They are introduced to me as a managing partner and an air quality test person. We go inside and true to form Mark immediately says he cannot smell anything. I expressed my concern that I did not feel the house was safe or livable and did not want my wife or pets breathing the chemicals any longer. To which Mark makes a laughing remark as if I’m crazy insinuating the house was livable. Right then and there I knew this gentleman was not a man of his word and had absolutely no sympathy for my wife and I and absolutely no concern for our health and safety. I wanted to throw all of them out and just pay to have the foam removed myself.  But instead i allowed them to continue what ever they were doing. The air quality test person begins to test the air in my kitchen but refuses to test inside the attic where the foam is?? Mark and his managing partner began asking questions out loud to the air quality guy. It was clearly obvious these gentleman had met around the corner and rehearsed exactly what was going to be said, yet right in the middle of their little skit, I interrupted and asked the air quality test guy if he tested for several of the chemicals I had read about online…and he said “No.” Not only was he refusing to test the air inside the attic he was not even testing for the very chemicals we were smelling. It was obviously apparent that Mark Andersen was not there because he felt sympathy or wanted to take responsibility or do the right thing. He was there to gather information for his defense in the event that I sued him. My wife and i were literally desperate and so defeated at this point. We had been basically rough camping for weeks now and was willing to do anything to get our house back.  Considering that I was looking at the possibility of having to continue to live in a barn for months if not years while trying to sue this company, all the while the foam continuing to off gas fumes into my home, I decided to make Mark an offer that I felt was more than fair. Remove the foam and give me an estimate for installing new fiberglass insulation and a new 5 ton AC system with new ducts. Even though he was the reason I was having to replace my ducts in the first place. If that wasn’t good enough, just at least refund half of my money $6800 back so i can remove the foam myself. This should have been a deal that was impossible to refuse. He would have lost a little money for removing the defective foam, but then would more than make up for it by installing a new insulation and new AC system. He seemed to agree and like this idea. From here the two other gentleman that was with him left the house and it was just he and I. As soon as he and I were alone, he immediately changed into a different person and was laughing and relaxed, and seemed to be the guy who I met originally when hiring him. After taking the measurements for the new AC system we walked out the front door, where he begin to explain that his installers refuse to wear their safety masks. That he goes out to jobs occasionally and they are not wearing their mask or suits at all. That he has to get onto them about wearing the safety gear and how harmful the fumes are and how crazy they are for not wearing their protective suits. All of which was captured and recorded on my camera. So, let me recap and repeat this again in case you just missed this. All within a 30 minute period, he had walked into my home and said he did not smell anything, then changed his story and said that the smell is not harmful, then admits that his installers will not even wear their own safety gear for their own safety. If their installers are not concerned about their own safety, how much concern do you think they have about the occupants of the home? If they are not concerned about the harmful chemicals off-gassing during installation “for their own safety”, they definitely are not going to put in the extra effort to ventilate the space as instructed by the manufactures. At this point, having just heard this coming out of his mouth, I really wanted to lose my mind. But I just kept my mouth shut, and was almost in tears desperate and pleading for this gentleman to do the right thing and just get the foam out of our home so that we could get our house back. We shake hands and he leaves with us under the impression that we have a deal and this is all finally about to be over. But, weeks go by again, still living in a barn pleading with him to please do something. No response. My wife and i finally faced the facts and met with several attorneys. After watching videos and reading through all of the correspondence and messages between Mark and I, they assured us not only would we win a settlement but that it would be for a significant amount. However, the catch is that I would be required to sign a nondisclosure agreement, preventing me from telling my story. To everyone’s shock and amazement, I decided to take the loss and retain my right to share and post my experience with Mark and his businesses online for all to read. I’m in the process of paying to have the foam removed myself. It is a very expensive and time-consuming process. This is almost certainly the reason why he did not want to admit guilt or face doing the right thing himself. I guess he really needed that $6800 bad enough to risk his company reputation. There is a reason you cannot and will not find much negative information about the dangers and issues with spray foam. It is because nearly all of the people affected, reach a settlement and are all forced to sign a nondisclosure preventing them from telling their story. There is a serious problem with spray foam going mostly untold. The chemicals in these foams have been linked to certain cancers and other negative health issues. It’s going to take homeowners like myself willing to take the loss and warn others to prevent others from making the same mistakes. If there’s even a 1% chance that the spray foam you are about to install in your home could be potentially harmful to you or your loved ones, would you still risk installing it? Saving a few dollars off your energy bill is not worth it. Which brings me to my next point, the foam did not even do what it was advertised to do. The foam was suppose to solve all of my over heating problems. Although we did notice a slight difference, the temperatures inside the home still rose to 79-80 degrees during the hundred degree temperature heat waves. The point of this blog is to share the truth about Mark Andersen/Andersen Air, Inc/Quality Foam Solutions and how he handles adversity. This entire situation was extremely stressful for my wife and I and ultimately took a toll on our health. Having to move out of your home is not a small or easy thing to do. It affects all aspects of your life. “The true test of a man’s character is when things go wrong.” He never once felt sympathetic about our situation. Never once apologized. Did not immediately offer to come and check the work. It took weeks of back-and-forth arguing with him just to get him to come and inspect the job. Then when he did show up to inspect the work, he was not truly there because he cared about our well-being. He was there to gather fake test results in his defense in the event that we sued him. This is not the kind of person you want to give thousands of your dollars to or trust with your home and air conditioning system. If he was willing to burn us and turn his back on us for $6800, do you really think he’s going to do the right thing in the event that he’s facing $12,000, $20,000 or $30,000 for an AC system that burns out or starts to have problems?  You can find that answer in the other 1 star reviews he has clearly pointing out that he refuses to accept any responsibility with their failing AC systems. Their AC system was not installed correctly. They continue to have trouble with the system and Mark refuses to do the right thing. There are company owners who simply do not understand what the cost of doing business is. There are times when as a company owner you are going to have to accept responsibility and take a loss to do the right thing. Some company owners simply refuse to do that. They will never accept a loss. Once you give them your money, its gone. AC systems are far too expensive to trust with someone who refuses to do the right thing. With thousands of AC companies to choose from, why take the risk? As long as everything goes ok, you will probably ok as well. However, Mark has already proven multiple times that in the event things go wrong, he will not do the right thing. Mark Andersen has no problems lying to your face, using delay tactics, has no sympathy for what you’re going through, will look for any way out and do everything he can to deflect responsibility off himself. Sadly, he represents a large percentage of people calling themselves “company owners” in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Choose your contractors wisely. Read their reviews carefully. Choose your products wisely. You get what you pay for. If you are considering spray foam, don’t do it. Do not take the risk. If everything goes right, you’ll probably be OK. If anything goes wrong, you’ll for sure loose all the money and may even lose your home. Hopefully this message finds you well and prevents you from making the same mistakes that we made. If we can prevent even one person from making this mistake, or potentially facing what we just went through, then this blog will have done its job. Do your research. Stay safe and god bless.