Custom Painting

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I hired Custom Painting/Dino Hall (it's a dba, he's not incorporated and he's not a member of the BBB) mostly because I was in a rush to move into my new house and he was the only one who got back to me relatively quickly with a bid. Plus, I like to help out people who look like they could use the money. How hard is painting, right? WRONG!

It turned into a nightmare. He'd say he'd come and work all day, how hard of a worker he is, how much experience he has, how he is better than any other painter, etc.; but, then, he'd work half days and do a poor job.

For example, Dino's answer to any problem is mud. If there is a bump (even if caused by him not catching his drips or from him leaving the paint open to dry out overnight and then mixing it in to the rest of the paint), his response is to not sand (actually, never to sand), but to mud. He hits it with the back of his trowel to make an impression and then fills it in with mud. Of course, you then end up with obvious mudded sections all over your walls and ceiling. (It's not pretty; it really, really isn't.)

That would be bad enough, but what is worse is that he doesn't adequately sand down his mud job. Instead of sanding back the mud to cover just the hole or indention he created, he just hand sands a little around the edges of the big mud spot he made. Thus, the mud is really, really obvious. In fact, many times, there was a rough line where the mud stopped and Dino just painted over it. When I complained, his response, "It was already there. You can't do nothing about it. It's not my fault." I knew that it wasn't true. I know he put the mud there. I saw it when he did it! So, I scrape off the mud with my fingernail, which he had already painted over (with the expensive high-quality paint I bought), to reveal the old wall paint underneath (which was a completely different color than what was being painted by Dino). I did it over and over again to show him.

I paid the guy $2,000 on a $1,000 paint job because, after starting the job and getting the down payment, he ignores the written contract and demands more money to work on the job. Of course, then he has your money, which you are not going to get back. In addition, he does a terrible job. Absolutely terrible. He puts mud everywhere, doesn't sand it correctly, paints too thin in places, misses spots, and leaves runs and drips everywhere. He really, really did a terrible job. Then, after I pay him $2,000 on a $1,000 contract, he calls and threatens to put a lien on my house and sue unless I give him $1,000 more! When I say "no," he threatens my person and my property! Wow! (Notice how he doesn't give out his address - I wonder why?)

You don't have to trust me. This is my version of events and my opinion as to Dino's work. Nevertheless, as the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words..."

For pics of Dino's workmanship, email me at [email protected]. They totally speak for themselves. Please don't let him cheat you like he did me. In my opinion, it's just not worth dealing with him.