My little rant NF

[Sinker]

I don't know how guys can charge money for work like that!! I would be so ashamed if I installed that. What a joke!!

 

Good luck with the rest of the project. I think your going to need it!!

 

S.

[SBCregal]

wow

thats horrible "craftsmanship" the next phone call i made would be telling them to come pick their cabinets up from my front yard before the garbage man gets them. theres no excuse for work that poor.

[dickie]

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.

I've been in the building trade for many years as well. One thing I always did was to ask the subcontractor to give me actual projects they have done for other people. Take the time to look for yourself,(that alone is worth a thousand words) Ask the people how the job went for them and leave them by giving them a bottle of wine for their hospitality. When you spend that kind of money, you have to do a little bit of background checks as well. I feel for you and your wife. Spend the money and have your lawyer write them a nice letter plotting out the course they must take OR ELSE.....

[DRIFTER_016]

 

Nice sanding scratches in the finish too.

I guess they used 80 grit on a belt sander between coats.

 

Absolutely crap work. I would make them re-finish the whole lot.

[mbac31]

Wow is all I can say to this. Those miters are terrible. Doesnt look like he scored them at all or used any tape. Dap, not enough out there to match that. Those are not sanding scratches I see at the last pic. I beleive these guys lay the finish on with a brush. Lines are to varies for a belt sander. I could be wrong, may just be camera tricks. Thats not crown or valance moulding. Thats a banding finishing trim under sills for windows or a finishing trim for a joint where two peices meet. No filler spaces on top or bottom to adjust for squareness at all. Thsoe are the first thing to be placed up. If the house is out of square it can be hidden over the entire kitchen without anyone noticing. The banding is terrible on the b oxes, looks like a blind guy did it with grandmas old steam iron.

[Gerritt]

Piss poor job at best. I would ask them to remove them from you're house. Banding is horrible, Valance is not even the same colour as the cabinets (as it looks in the pics), miters are junk, and they did not even use finishing washers on the screws to make a nice clean finish. Add to that the scuffs etc.. as for the poor cut on the valance you can tell he cut it from the back side.. hence the splintering... amateur job at best.

 

I would not accept these cabinets.

[HTHM]

Normaly I am not a negative guy, but in this case i have to agree with the majority of the posters to this thread. Have them take out the cabinets and refund your money and get someone who is competent to do the work.

[Fisherman]

Daily Update: Somehow the threat of involving the legal profession must have twigged someones synapses to the point that the local boss called and asked if a temporary counter and some further work would suffice until they can grab the proverbial bull by the horns. I need something to hold up a sink and counter top cookstove, so I agreed, they sent a fellow from Bradford to Toronto and back here by lunch with correct length countertop pieces, (not mine) but enough to get me going.

The "new" installer came in and just shook his head, unbelievable was his first word. He took one look at the scuffed cabinet doors, right away he said the finishing department just sprayed over the scuffmarks, too bad so sad. He agreed they are going back. The upper trim work was beyond belief for him, that will be completely redone.

As for the end sum of the bill, that was addressed by the sales person and local boss, there will be a major adjustment to be made upon final completion....

As the factories are now closed for 2 weeks and I don't expect trades persons to flog their holidays at my house because of "some one or many" boo boos" caused by lack of communication, this will probably rest until the first week of January when I'll re light the fire.

To all that read and commented, thanks for the support.

Hopefully the fatman in red will squeeze his way down my "B" vent instead of sitting on top and making his deposit..

[misfish]

You should of asked Skud and my son to do the job for ya. I hear they do good work.

You need a perch fishing fix by the sounds of it. The marina is almost ready.

[Fisherman]

Ya, about time for a fixin of perch, have to work tomorrow and thursday, maybe early next week. Hey we need an ice fishing thingy..

[misfish]

Let me know when yer heading out bud.

[Fisherman]

Okay.

[Twocoda]

ok ...now that it sounds like things have the potential to be on the mend...

 

DO NOT go soft on them ...even if they correct everything to your complete satisfaction....DO NOT forget the inconvenience they have put you through ...

 

i realize you probably didnt answer my question for sharing the companys name ..but quite honestly ...im dying to know to see if my assumption is right ..based on your location..care to PM me the info?

[lew]

Good to hear their gonna come back and do the job the right way this time.....hopefully.