I'm sure most have heard or watched the program called "Hells Kitchen", I now have my own version I call the "Kitchen from Hell". Back in mid September the wife and I decided it was time for a kitchen makeover, 27 years of the same original cabinets, they were worn out. Take a look and ask around for some advice and decided to go with the local company and support our area workers. We go in, check out the model kitchens, speak with the the lady, she'll come out in a couple days, do some measuring and give us a ball park total.
This is for upper and lower cabinets, small eat in counter and two panels to replace the two that enclose the wall oven and d/w. I have a counter top stove. My fridge located at one end of the counter cannot move left due to a hot air floor register(important point). My wall oven and d/w sit inside a 2x4 frame cage from floor to ceiling, strong like bull(important point).
A couple days later, the lady comes by to measure, she is told point blank, the fridge does not move, see the hot air register, she understands and says yes. She is shown the frame cage that holds the wall oven and d/w, it only needs a new front and side panel to match the new cabinets, yes I understand. About a week later she comes by with a "person in training" for the final measuring and then will make a computer "picture" of what it's going to look like. The person in training decides, I'm going to move my fridge over the hot air register and move this and that, etc. I gave her the evil eye, told her unconditionally, NO, the fridge stays where it sits. Another couple days go by, the first lady comes back alone with the computer mock up. First thing I told her, your sidekick needs an attitude adjustment, don't ever bring her back. So we agree on the price, contract signed. The products should come in a couple weeks, we were led to believe the second week of November before I go to hunt camp on the 22nd of Nov. Well, they're a little "tardy" to say the least, I was responsible to remove the old counters, cabinets and panels that surround the wall oven and d/w. No problem, all done.
They deliver during the week of the 15th, wife calls at work and says, I don't think you're going to like what has arrived. Uh oh, get home, my measuring tape comes out. I have a counter that's 98" x 32" and an extra little piece about 18" wide. I need a counter 94" x 77", all one piece, those idiots didn't read the plans/instructions and figured I had a 30 inch stove/oven, I don't, I have a 30" counter top cook stove, I need the whole counter top, STRIKE 1. Just the length of the 98" counter would mean the fridge would end up sitting over top of the hot air register..NOT. Then there's this "big box" thing on the floor, 8' long x 27" x 25", 3 sided that is supposed to hold my wall oven and d/w, STRIKE 2. Remember the two "important points" from above, apparantely nobody looks at plans or pays attention. Start measuring cabinets, oh joy, they decided I'm moving my kitchen walls too 'cause the damm cabinets won't fit either. Strike 3. Call her up, bring your plan and come look at this. She comes, looks, remeasures and can't believe that "Tweedle Dee" the person that makes the mock up computer picture decided to "change" things without consultation. Well, the corner upper and adjacent cabinets fit, the installer comes by puts them up, (he can't believe it either) he gets paid by the job(more on that later), not how many times he has to come back. Now their delivery/pick up is behind and she asks if I can take the cabinets and "the box contraption" back to the office, she'll take $100 off the bill. Sure I say, it's only 3 km from home.
Now comes the fun part, I'm off to hunt camp, no counter top stove or sink for the wife, only the wall oven that I hooked back up and microwave, real nice eh?
Back from hunt camp, wait another week, cabinets come back resized, installer comes back late on a Saturday afternoon and manages to install them and the 2 panels(front and side) for the wall oven and d/w. Then he goes to install the valance between cabinets in front of the window, measure, measure, cut, oh damn, too short. Then he goes to install the upper "bull nose" trim between the ceiling and top of the upper cabinets. Measure, cut 45's for the corners, I don't know, maybe his chop saw is drunk, they're more like 40's and 50's, great gaping cracks, oh we'll just fill them with DAP, oh darn, don't have any with me. STRIKE 4, where I come from DAP is the sign of a non professional(within reason). It looks like an old beaver with bad dentures tried to install the molding. So I call her up, mention the shortcomings, along with finding a drawer that hasn't been put together, missing the "plugs" that hold the drawer face to the side panels. Oh ya, holes for the handle also in the drawer face are "missing" a.k.a. not made. Then there are the cabinet doors, 8 of them have what is best described as black scuff marks on the surface and edges, I've tried some products to remove them but it appears on close inspection that they came pre scuffed (how nice of them) and they applied the satin finish right over them. What STRIKE are we at now? Oh ya #5.
Now some of you will know and understand how to adjust cabinet hardware, the hinges usually have allowance for up/down, front/rear and slight "tilt" adjustment. The factory monkeys must be getting far too many bananas, I could adjust some one way, but not enough to aline all the doors evenly, placement of hinges is critical, not hap hazard. She was made aware of that too.
I still don't have a counter, no place to put my sink, nothing to cook on except an old 600 watt hot plate, (I've got a big 2 burner coleman for outside if I really get cranked) but I don't think I should be cooking outside in mid December. Come Wednesday it will be 6 weeks with no counter, no sink and no stove in sight, Christmas is less than a week away.
Saturday morning I gave her the ultimatum, either the counter is installed by Tuesday 21st at 4 pm or don't bother coming back.. period.
Do you think I am being a bit harsh?
Hope this wasn't too long and nobody has fallen off their chair and injured themselves.
I also found out at the barber shop(best place to get local news) I'm not the only one suffering with this company.