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FLOORED: Tonawanda contractor leaves veterinarian steamed over floor installation

Other customers have scored small claims court judgments against owner Thomas Winarske, who has an 'F' rating from Better Business Bureau

LOCKPORT, N.Y. — When you take your pet to the veterinarian do you consider the clinic floors? Dr. Barbara Hardy does.

“They’re very important because you have animals coming in and out. Many times a day having pet accidents, you need to clean the floors. You need to worry about the footing on the floors not being slippery,” says Hardy.

Back in December, the Lockport veterinarian decided her function, but not very attractive concrete floors needed an upgrade. And by chance, her husband brought home a business flyer from BTPoxycrete.

The company does cement epoxy countertops and floors. Hardy called the owner, Thomas Winarske. He came out and quoted her $25,000 to install a new epoxy coating on the existing floors.

Dr. Hardy accepted the price and the work was done over a weekend. But within a week, Dr. Hardy started noticing things she didn’t like about her new floors.

Pointing numerous spots on the floor, Dr. Hardy explains, “We have areas where you’re getting these divots where the top layer hasn’t been adequate.”

In these patches, colorful chips are supposed to be covered with a layer of epoxy, but instead, the chips stick out from the surface. 2 On Your Side took pictures of 25 different sports where this was a problem.

There are also two other large areas where the flooring is discolored.

Hardy asked Winarske to come in and see for himself. His diagnosis, the floor cleaner used in the veterinarian clinic was eating away at the flooring.

2 On Your Side did speak with Winarske by phone and he was emphatic that the cleaner was the issue.   

The product is Kennelsol made by Alpha Pet Tech of Littleton, Massachusetts. The cleaner disinfectant has been on the market for 30-years. National sales manager for the company, Tom Bissanti tells 2 On Your Side the company has “never had a complaint” with Kennelsol affecting floors.

Agreeing Alpha Pet tech is Rino Baliva of Elite Crete Systems, Baliva inspected the work done by Winarske and identified the product used as from his company.

“This is not the way the job’s supposed to look,” said Baliva. And Baliva believes Hardy was overcharged for the work.

The Lockport veterinarian is not the only BTPoxycrete customer who is unhappy. 

2 On Your Side found multiple claims against Winarske in small claims court. A Cheektowaga couple last year was awarded over $400. A Lancaster couple won a $1,000 judgment for an unsatisfactory job on their countertops. And a Ransomville couple is in a small claims court battle over how their countertops turned out.

Add to that Winarske’s company has an “F” rating with the Better Business Bureau. 

Back at Dr. Hardy’s clinic, she’s facing an expensive fix for her floors, a complete do-over, removal of the material Winarske’s company installed a completely new installation. Total cost, an additional $20,000.

If other consumers have had a bad experience with Winarske or any other company, they are urged to call the NYS Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Bureau at 716-853-8404

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