skip to main content

What would you do in this situation?

15 years ago

My dh and GC were finishing up the trim in the kitchen yesterday, and they noticed that the 42" uppers that we paid for were actually 40 1/2". Would you ask the custom cabinetry makers to refund the money or come back and take down the uppers and replace them with the correct size?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

remodelfla
15 years ago
Are you happy with them otherwise? Will an 1 1/2" make a difference in storage to you? Are there any little extras (light rail, some molding, finishing touch) that you'd like but didn't do? I'd bring it to their attention and see if they could compensate you with some kind of perk. It seems a shame to take them out if you're otherwise pleased with what you have.
mooring_girl
15 years ago
Neither at first. I'd check the elevation drawings to see what they indicate. Does the 42in include crown moulding or light rail? The cabinetry makers may have worked from the elevation drawings and allowed for these items in the cabinet box size.

BTW, why didn't your DH and GC get out a tape measure before they started hanging cabinets?

Personally, I'd leave them be and enjoy the extra space between the counter and the uppers. More options for coffee makers...
Related Discussions
What would you do about this carpool situation? (long)
Q
Comments (11)
Susan: There is a lot of give and take with car pool, and I think it works best between good friends because it can be such a strain. It sounds like this car pool may not work out for you, in that case, don't take anything personally and just let it go. Car pools are wonderful and its fun to see your children interact with others (that can be enlightening, in fact). However, some down time alone in the car with your daughter could be a very good thing for your relationship with her. Another alternative is to ask your daughter if she has a close friend that she can car pool with, although it might be out of your way, it could work very well. Plus, it's a good idea to expand your group of friends who you can call upon to pick your daughter up in the event of an emergency or something else that prohibits you from getting her on any given afternoon. Maybe there is a third party you can include in your car pool? One successful car pool I know of requires (in a nice way) that the 5 moms get together once a month and discuss their daughters schedules together. If any girl needs to be to school early or stay late due to a test, they've agreed to send all of the girls early or keep them all late rather than disrupt the car pool. Our girls high school has laptops and wireless, so the girls are never at a loss for something to keep them busy. I also want to add that I am usually the one who is on the receiving end of car pools. I have a lot of children and am grateful that my friends don't count the driving they do for my children. I cannot possibly repay them by driving their children an equal amount. The key to car pool is recognizing that any party might need to change plans overnight and might not be able to notify you until it's time to leave the next morning. For example, in the case of the girl skipping her first class because it was a study hall, perhaps she was feeling sick, perhaps she needed to finish a project up in the morning, or maybe she just needed a good night sleep and her mom told her to sleep in. Not the most considerate way to tell you, but with teens you really need to go with the flow or you will go berserk. And I know that you know that, it just helps to remind myself of that fact. Driving these long distances to and from schools and other activities can make you crazy. Good luck, I hope the problem resolves itself quickly.
...See More
please help!!! what would you do in this situation!! please help!
Q
Comments (17)
This is a response to the post by lee676 Excuse Me!? You sound like a cheating husband to me. This IS the WHOLE story. At first, I wasn't snooping. But once I saw that he was having conversations with one of my friends, OF COURSE I AM GOING TO LOOK FURTHER INTO IT!!! I bought him the computer! Then fixed it up for him!! HE ALSO has access to my computer and information as well!!! I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to look into my archives!!! If I'm not doing anything wrong, then who cares!!! It should have been the same for him!! I TRUSTED him!!! With all of my heart!! Oh and by the way, if you have the hard drive, you have the information!! I had two different people telling me that they can extract the information that I need off of that Hard Drive!!! You need to think about what you say before you say it!! ( * Posted by lee676 (My Page) on Sun, Jun 4, 06 at 6:17 So let's see, you snooped on your husband's computer ("without even thinking"), and found a short letter he wrote to an ex-friend of yours, whom you don't like in part because of her overactive sex life and in part because she doesn't look pretty enough (why else would "not being the prettiest thing in this world" be relevant?). You say you "totally trusted him", yet you continued to snoop in his sent email box even after "accidently" opening the first message. Then you downloaded a program that would hack into his Yahoo archives. If there is lack of trust in your marriage, I'd have to say it goes both ways. So your hubby wrote a letter to someone you once thought enough of to be friends with. So he finds her good-looking. Are you so insecure in your relationship that you can't stand the thought that he might find other women attractive? I don't think you've told the whole story here, but I can't blame him for being upset at what you did. I certainly would be too if I found my wife installing software on my computer for surreptiously reading my private correspondence, even if I was completely innocent. (I don't understand what the point of trashing the computer but saving the hard drive is, though.) That said, this isn't about you being lazy in bed or anywhere else. This is about a breakdown in trust, and lack of responsive listening. Something had to have led up to this.
...See More
What would you do in this situation?
Q
Comments (31)
There's a lot that goes on "behind the scenes" that managers know about, but not the other workers. Maybe you think she walked out with no notice, but maybe upper management had forewarning. Maybe she had a very legitimate reason for not returning - and management doesn't feel that it's anyone's business but hers, and they're keeping her reason(s) private. You referred to her as a "student worker." In state service, we use students from the local colleges/universities. As students, they do not accrue civil service credit, they get no benefits, and they get no guarantee of hours. They can be let go at any time without any notice and without any type of severance pay. Althought it's great when a student gives advance notice when they intend to leave, they don't all do it, and, really, how can we "expect" them to when the state at any time can say to them, "we don't need you any more"?
...See More
What would you do in this situation?
Q
Comments (38)
Well, I live in a suburban area where there are no sidewalks and I walk facing the direction of traffic, during daylight hours and I don't listen to music - nothing in my ears to block sound. The school district considers it safe because they let the children off (from kindergarten to high school) at bus stops and expect the them to walk on the street to their homes. Houses here are spread out, long wide driveways and multiple garages so the streets are not blocked up with parked cars. Streets are reasonable wide so there is room for more than three car widths. I see people of all ages walking on our streets from infants being pushed in carriages by their moms to grandparents visiting. And many are out walking their dogs. Our streets are winding, meandering ways that link up to busier straight main streets where most of the traffic remains. The only people driving on the side streets are people specifically going to an address on that street so limited traffic. snookums2, I don't know where you live or your experience, but I'm surprised that you are so negative about people living in the suburbs like I do. Walking on the streets when is the norm here. I have lived in many places and in different countries - I completely understand that in a city with a large dense population, heavy traffic and sidewalks that the only time one would walk in the street is to cross it when traffic is stopped. I am lucky that I have several gorgeous local parks as well as a large nature reserve nearby and when the weather is bad I do walk in malls - and since I walk several miles daily, I visit all of these on a regular basis. But frankly I like just walking out my front door, and not getting into a car to drive 10 minutes before I can walk - there is something extra special about just walking in the neighborhood.
...See More
igloochic
15 years ago
if you do as mooring suggests as far as checking, and you're not happy with them still, i'd have 42" boxes made. if you don't see the difference and reallydon't care....take a price break and move on :)
bluekitobsessed
15 years ago
Unless you absolutely needed the extra 1.5" for storing some appliance, the extra hassle in changing a cabinet when you're already at the trim stage isn't worth it IMO. If it matters to you, ask for a freebie on an extra (which they're more likely to give you than a price break). Otherwise, don't sweat the small stuff.
jujybean
Original Author
15 years ago
The crown moulding will not match to the opposite wall if we keep them at present. The DH and GC will have to rehang them before we have counter placed on Wednesday. No we didn't measure the cabinets before hanging because why should we? We trusted the cabinet maker to give us what we paid for on our contract. The GC measured the distance based on what we should have gotten. When they tried to put up the crown(which is another story aside from this one) there was a large gap between the doors and the spacer which looked really odd. We thought they just didn't give us the right size. Its all because of 1 1/2 inches that wasn't there. My DH didn't realize the difference until he was putting up some side moulding on the cabinets to hide wall cupping. Whether we measured correctly or not there still is that 1 1/2 inch they screwed us out of. Either pay for my DH and GC to rehang them (they will have to take a full day off from work) or replace them with correct size and they install them at no charge to us for their screw up. I am sure the BBB would like to know about this. As I am itching to let them know.
bill_vincent
15 years ago
If it were me, and I were satisfied with the cabinets they installed, I'd go to the shop owner and give THEM the choice-- either give me the cabinets I ordered, or give me some money back, both for the difference in price of the cabinets, as well as the time that's going to have to be spent reworking the trim and other finishes to make everything work. One way or another, I'd demand to be compensated.

Most likely, they'll give you money back-- it's the cheapest way out for them.
bluekitobsessed
15 years ago
I'm sorry. I didn't realize from your 1st post that it was a serious problem with matching crown molding and other cabs. It's not small stuff.
jujybean
Original Author
15 years ago
thanks Bill for your advice. That's probably what will happen, but who knows until they have talked to the owner and not his stupid brother or the sales agent(who is NOT to be blamed)

Blue, I guess I should have stated in that in the first post. I love my cabinets and would hate to be without uppers for 5 weeks or however long it takes.

This was the final straw for our GC with this Cabinet Maker.
We still have not received one last door. They delivered 3 drawers a couple of weeks ago, but didn't bring the door at that time. I called in about it the next day. We think they hadn't even ordered it and did so only after I called. When the GC called on Thursday to find out when it would be available for pickup they told him early Friday. He called to make sure before driving over there and they said late Friday. He then called at 4:30 and they were gone.

They just don't understand that messing with clients of a reputable GC will lose them business in the long run. And with my husband in an industry where is in homes that they have money to spend, he will not be referring them to this company, such a shame for the little guy who is messing up royally. (I didn't forget my bitter pill this morning)

I JUST WANT MY KITCHEN TO BE FINISHED!

Related Stories

LIFE The Polite House: How to Deal With Noisy Neighbors

Before you fly off the handle, stop and think about the situation, and follow these steps to live in harmony

LAWN ALTERNATIVES Stop Fighting the Patchy Lawn!

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Here are 3 situations where a garden may be a better idea than more turfgrass

DECORATING GUIDES Decorate With Intention: Get Your Home Office Right

By Laura Gaskill

Help personality and productivity team up in a home office for a win-win situation

BATHROOM DESIGN Bath Remodeling: So, Where to Put the Toilet?

By By Any Design Ltd.

There's a lot to consider: paneling, baseboards, shower door. Before you install the toilet, get situated with these tips

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Rugged Irish Landscape, Serene Modern Weekender

This getaway home embraces its environment with windows that frame the views and thoughtful situating on its site

GREEN BUILDING Salvaged Materials Triumph as All-Stars of Sustainability

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

When you save manufacturing energy and have a beautifully crafted home to boot, it's a win-win situation

WINDOW TREATMENTS The Case for Stationary Draperies

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

Curtains that open and close are great in some situations, but stationary draperies can give you a better view (and save money too)

REMODELING GUIDES Room of the Day: Storage Attic Now an Uplifting Master Suite

By Mitchell Parker

Tired of sharing a bathroom with their 2 teenage kids, this couple moves on up to a former attic space

REMODELING GUIDES Have a Design Dilemma? Talk Amongst Yourselves

Solve challenges by getting feedback from Houzz’s community of design lovers and professionals. Here’s how

LANDSCAPE DESIGN How to Make Your Painted or Stained House Feel at Home in the Landscape

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Use color and texture to create a pleasing connection between your house and garden

Sponsored

More Discussions

kitchen design feedback

6

Silver colored drawer pulls and faucet

0

Need help with kitchen remodel

1

contractor chooses kitchen

13

Two tier drawer in 3 stack

11