Consumers across Connecticut are turning to NBC Connecticut Responds for help with a premium product they say fell short of its promises.
After NBC Connecticut Responds first reported on Behr DeckOver in August, 17 additional homeowners reached out to us to share their experiences with the product.
Behr advertises its DeckOver can bring new life to aging decks and will resist cracking and peeling.
East Hartford resident Santo Murana said it had the opposite effect on his deck.
“It started to peel in February 2016 during the winter,” he said.
That was about five months after he applied it.
NBC Connecticut Responds heard similar stories from homeowners all over the state.
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“Right after the winter. When the winter was over is when it started (to peel),” said Dennis Rose of Watertown.
West Hartford resident Mary Smeallie said her deck started peeling in the spring when the snow started to melt.
The complaint against DeckOver span across the country. Since June 2017, customers have filed eight lawsuits against Behr and Home Depot seeking class action status. Home Depot is the exclusive retailer of Behr DeckOver.
The most recent lawsuit was filed in New York State.
It alleges that even with proper application DeckOver “…peels, bubbles, chips, cracks, discolors and damages… decks.”
In court documents, attorneys for Behr and Home Depot argue many consumers have not experienced problems with DeckOver and say any issues may be a result of improper preparation, application or maintenance.
The scope of the problem varies in each case and so does the response.
Dennis Rose said Behr offered him a solution.
“They sent me a cleaner. They said to sand it, clean it, redo it. I did it and it came back,” Rose said.
Santo Murana said when he called Behr, the company didn’t offer any remedy.
“They said, well we’re sorry to hear that, but there’s nothing we can do for you,” Murana said.
Murana pointed out spots where the DeckOver appears to trap moisture, challenging the company’s claims that DeckOver resists the elements and repels water.
When NBC Connecticut Responds reached out to Behr about the influx of complaints about DeckOver, a spokesperson directed consumers to contact customer service.
Customers can call 1-800-854-0133 ext. 2 or fill out the form on Behr’s website.
Responds advised Smeallie, Murana and Rose to tell the company they’d spoken to NBC Connecticut.
“When we saw your report we really thought, well maybe we should see what they can do for us,” Smeallie said.
Smeallie and her husband said Behr offered to reimburse them for each can of DeckOver they can provide a receipt for.
Murana was asked to send in his receipts along with a paint sample. He said he would be happy with a refund.
“It’s their product. They really should stand behind it,” Murana said.
Others, like Rose, feel the company should help cover the cost of removing the DeckOver.
“I would just like to have the deck done and done right, that’s all,” Rose said.
Behr declined multiple requests to respond to the allegations against DeckOver.
