A West Redding couple said a brand name deck stain didn’t live up to its promise.
Mike and Margaret Ammirata have spent much of their summer scraping Behr’s DeckOver stain off their deck.
The couple said it’s hard work and something they never imagined when they applied eight gallons of DeckOver in September 2015.
The label claims the product, "Brings Life to Old Wood," which is exactly what the Ammiratas wanted for their deck, but Mike Ammirata said the finished product was "bland."
They said they followed the directions step-by-step.
"We purchased their recommended stripper. Everything they recommended," Ammirata said.
It went on easily enough and at first, the couple was happy with the way it looked. Then in the spring, they noticed the paint was peeling.
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"Coming off in big pieces and little pieces. Pieces the size of your hand and pieces the size of your thumbnail. And sometimes, two-foot long strips would come off," Ammirata said.
The Ammiratas brought their complaint to Home Depot, which is the exclusive retailer of DeckOver and the company referred them to Behr.
Ammirata said a customer service representative told him there was nothing Behr could do.
He went online, posting pictures of the deck on his Facebook page. Family members, friends and even strangers commented. Some shared similar experiences.
"Based on our recommendations, three or four or five of our relatives put it down. Same problem. And they live in different parts of New York and Connecticut," Ammirata said.
Similar complaints prompted five consumers in Illinois to bring a class action lawsuit against Behr and Home Depot in June. The suit claims the product is defective, deteriorates quickly and causes damage. Two more class action lawsuits have been filed in California.
In response, attorneys for both companies denied that DeckOver does not perform as advertised. They argue many consumers have not experienced problems with the product and said any issues may be a result of improper preparation, application and maintenance.
NBC Connecticut Responds contacted Behr on behalf of Mike and Margaret Ammirata.
The company offered to send the couple eight more gallons of DeckOver or refund their money, but the Ammiratas declined both offers.
Ammirata said he wants Behr to pay for someone to remove the paint.
"I’m 75 and it’s not easy," he said.
In a statement to NBC Connecticut, a spokesperson for Behr said, “We’re disappointed to learn of Mr. Ammirata’s experience cland have been in contact with him consistently since learning of his claim in an effort to address his concerns.”
The two parties are still working on a satisfactory resolution.
