Tmelrose, I'm glad all our 'helpful advice' didn't send you running for the hills! I, too, miss my grandparents and all the gardening knowledge they had in their heads. I would like to think I absorbed a lot of their knowledge when I was helping them in the garden, but it still would be nice to be able to ask them questions at times. In my neighborghood when I was a kid in the 60's, we had some of those 'little old lady' gardeners who always wore big floppy hats and gardening gloves. Being ladies, they always wore cotton housedresses outside, usually in floral prints. I always thought that they had beautiful yards, especially their flowers, and wish I had picked their brains to learn all their secrets too. They were so sweet and kind and so tolerant of all the questions kids ask, and I do remember that their pure love of gardening just oozed out of their pores. I would like to think there is a bit of them in each of us, even though we share our experiences and ideas now over the internet instead of over the backyard fence. Susan, I always have a lot of plans for things I never get around to doing too. Maybe all gardeners are that way. Having an unfinished 'to do' list or a 'list of plants to try' always keeps me occupied in the winter....when I think, of course, that "in the spring, I will get to that", although I usually don't. And, I have yet to meet a single gardener who thinks their landscape or garden is "finished" or "done". They always have a mental list of things to do and things to try. Even my rural neighbors who are lifelong farmers/ranchers/gardeners and are mostly in their 80s and 90s now always have something new they are going to try "this year or next". Dawn

Well, our faucet found us yesterday :) We were at the building supply store buying flashing and foundation waterproofer and other necessary but not very exciting stuff, and at the checkout was a little flyer with "50% off closeout faucets". The display was tiny, there was only ONE kitchen faucet on it, everything else was bathroom faucets and shower fixtures. But it was our faucet, fitting every requirement, a Delta in brushed SS for $150 marked down from $350. Nothing fancy, but just what we wanted.

Our story is very similar to SW's. I drove into town and brought most of the unexpectedly heavy cabinet boxes home in my little pickup truck (driving feeling like I was carrying a giant water balloon). My husband and son, neither a carpenter or ever wanting to be, put the cabinets in, also on 2x4s instead of the legs. Painted baseboards are Home Depot thin wood sheeting instead. I wanted a custom-fitted wall-to-wall pantry with coffee/tea niche, so they cut the boxes down in depth and in vertical and horizontal dimensions to my specifications. These got custom doors. All very easy, doable stuff, even the cuts, which were all straight, beginning woodworking 101 stuff. They installed the dishwasher incorrectly, but we didn't realize literally for some weeks that the hot steam was venting behind and into the cabinets alongside. It was the hardwood floor curling from the steam running under it that clued us in: No visible damage to the cabinets. Ever. The notion that my well-installed and supported cabinets will crumble within the next couple of years is absurd. My 30" middle-depth drawer has been holding most of 2 sets of dishes for 2 years: one set of bone china for 16 (rim soups and cups and saucers elsewhere since seldom used) and a set of earthenware for 8. This is all very heavy, but it pulls out with a finger, rolls quietly back with a little bump, and works as well now as when first installed and I love, love, love having this full-extension drawer for the cost of a pizza. Now, when I pulled out some of the little pegs that hold the shelves in place to move them to new positions, I wasn't very careful with the pliers and discovered the particle board they set into splinters very easily. So I was more careful after that--no more splintering (well, a lot less anyway) when pulling them out--but absolutely no problem since then with the boxes, shelves, and drawers I left alone, or the ones I wasn't so careful with, for that matter. Once put together, they sit solid. If I could have spent $90K with a happy smile for my new kitchen, I might well have done so. Instead, I spent about $1800, which includes long L-counter and island, Ikea wood counters, and custom doors for the pantry, does not include upper cabs because we put windows over the entire counter instead, custom wood vent cover, or appliances from Craig's List. This was also with a happy smile. Does it look like a $90K kitchen? No, nor a $50K, but to the undiscerning (no one on THIS forum :), easily comparable in price to those in the new subdivisions popping up all over. I did a pretty nice job of designing, if I say so myself, and all the windows and the few custom touches give it a...custom look. I am always glad to be able recommend this choice to those for whom it makes good sense.

1) Regarding the screws.... For the drawer faces: Pocket holes should be drilled into the face frames if they must be attached permanently vs using the hardware to keep them on. The pocket holes should have covers attached (either the plastic or wood options). I personally prefer if they are removable via removal of the hardware so they can be changed out or refaced in the future & since you're going the custom route I'd defiantly want it! Inside the cabinets: A pilot hole should be drilled prior to screw if the wood hardness requires it & the screw counter sunk (slightly below the side walls) with or without plastic caps (depending on the company). Cabinet/Wall Brace:Are all the cabinets secured to the wall with simple screws?? I was really surprised to see this! How are they making sure the bases are secured to studs & not just drilled through into the gypsum board? In the past I've seen cabinet makers use a base board across the run anchored into wall studs and the bases are then secured to the board. Holes: The hole that will be exposed once the dishwasher is installed needs to be fixed. The fridge cabinet with the double screws and the blank hole is ridiculous...whomever was doing the install rushed and didn't care about screw placement or taking the time to properly aline things before drilling. Again= Custom built should = quality control and care! Yes there are MUCH better ways of finding the studs...even just using your knuckles to knock on the wall can get you close enough that a max of 2 holes might need drilled if you miss it the first time....again, sloppy work installing. The range microwave: Did they know that cabinet was going to support a microwave/hood? I'd ask about the install and max weight support. I don't believe 2 screws is enough to hold it (especially if they only screwed it into the wall & not a support board!) but don't know...I'd just hate to have it come crashing down a year from now! *You need to make sure the cabinet makers know that screw placement & finish result is important to you and you expect no screws will be felt or seen once the install is complete. 2) Shims: Yes, it's totally normal for wood shims to be left under the cabinets. Floors aren't completely level and in a new build the house will settle over time and the floor will change so it's important that the cabinets can be leveled. This is why RTA cabinets like IKEA have adjustable feet on the base that's hidden with a toe kick. Custom cabinet makers use wood shims to level on site during install and those can then be removed or added to as time goes on and any changes are required to keep the cabinets level. 3) Fixture & Outlet Holes: Yes, it's common to have large square pre-cut from the backs before install as plumbing is different for every job & since fixtures change depending on the choices made in faucet, garbage disposal, dishwasher lines, etc they can't make exact cuts. Again, this is why a lot of RTA cabinets are backless and if the backing is ordered it must be cut by the installer to fit the existing fixture spaces. HOWEVER- I totally agree with your being upset about the range plug placement and their solution to cut another hole into the side of the custom cabinet boxes. Although- I'm not entirely sure I understand correctly if it had to go through another base to reach the outlet or just the base of that unit vs the back side where a hole was already cut? I don't know what another solution would have been.... 4) Cabinet Face Gaps: Are you doing a full overlay with the new build as well? I completely agree that the gap's should be consistent and you definitely shouldn't be able to see the contents of the drawers! If the cabinets are full overlay why is the frame not hiding the contents? If they are custom inset then I'd be very picky about how it all lines up since this is a fine craft that requires skill & time to get right (hence the excessive cost)...plus wood swells & contracts so they need to fit properly with a slight consistent gap after install.