Kicking myself-- cabinet install problems. What to do?

15 years ago

Part 2 of our cabinet install happened yesterday. I have 2 major issues. 1) One cabinet front and one side panel are chipped (off-white glazed). I told the owner and he said he would fix it. Looks the same. 2) We have 4 drawers. I gave him PULLS to put in. I went to get a cup of coffee, came back and the pulls were put in AND something that looks like a chrome thumb tack is nailed into the wood at the center point of the pulls (underneath, flat against the wood). I said, "What is this?" He said (Russian is his native language and his English is not great), "Part of design, no?" I said, "No, not part of the design." He said, "You no like?" I said, "No, I no like." But what can I do?

Here is where I kick myself. I owed them the rest of the $$ yesterday. I kept saying I didn't want to pay it because it wasn't done (it's 99% done + errors) and he said, OK, pay everything but 10% of what's left. And I did. Am I an idiot? I'm so mad. Had thumb tack dreams all night.

My husband hasn't seen it yet (we don't live in that apt yet since it was a gut re-do). He's going to look at lunch today. It looks good otherwise, but thumbtacks?????

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

catamount90
15 years ago
He has taken it upon himself to decorate your cabinets? That would drive me nuts and I would not pay.
katmandu_2008
15 years ago
You are not an idiot! Maybe you (and by that I mean they) can fill or patch the little thumbtack hole and cover with a little of the cabinet paint? Is the Russian the installer or owner (or both)? I presume you meant owner of the cabinet company? Anyway, cabinet company/maker should have some touch up paint.

They should fix the chipped panel and door to your satisfaction, even if that means replacing. I'd withhold that last 10% until you are completely happy.

Good luck!!
Related Discussions
Urgent Advice Requested (Kicking myself)
Q
Comments (8)
The more I try to mentally picture or sketch the space that I have created, the more I feel it protrudes too far from the house. I think that a small ornamental would be too close to the house in this area, though I do love Japanese Maples and Dogwoods... I may bring the farthest edge of the tilled area back in and reseed with grass. Part of the problem is that I have already planted the three astilbe 'Superba', and I have no other place to plant them. I'm sort of 'locked' into the asitlbe as the highest plants in the back of the bed. Otherwise, I may have considered a goatsbeard (aruncus) or maybe cimicifuga at the rear to further bring the height up, and allow me to move towards the front with more perennials.
...See More
Just publicly kicking myself . . .
Q
Comments (10)
I can see all your points, but really MOST of their customers probably aren't rural, and don't have this problem. I'm sure they just aren't aware of how important it can be for those of us in this situation. I emailed Betty, not to have her do anything about my situation, but to let her know that PO Box customers might appreciate a heads-up in the future. They're super-busy right now I'm sure, and I'll bet they just have never thought of how much it could matter to some of us. Incidentally, I had the same thing happen last year with a perennial order from BC. So I knew full well I should ask for a shipping confirmation, I just forgot. I'm just glad that they will ship to a PO Box at all, there are so many companies that just WON'T, I guess because they only ship UPS . . . now that's annoying. "Yeah, for the address, um, tell the guy to take TWP Rd 521 to the W for 12 miles, then turn south, take the first left past the bridge . . ." I swear, the next company that tells me that they won't ship to a PO Box, I'm going to just ask the person on the phone if they'll ship it to me personally, through the mail. I recently had an even bigger package-fiasco with one such company . . . I still don't even know what went wrong, except maybe everything. Ah well, thanks for the support, and I'm glad to see so many of your familiar names still here! Really, though, please don't blame Betty. I can imagine being in her position, and I don't expect she knew this problem was a possibility. Happy gardening, until next time!
...See More
Question about installing toe kick heating
Q
Comments (11)
We put our kick heaters under our island (one facing the sink/outside wall, and one facing the pantry/inside wall). The toe kicks under the island were cut-out only where the kick heaters themselves sit, and the grills for the kick heaters cover the cut-out (we used the black plastic grills supplied with the heaters, but could've purchased SS look covers from the manufacturer had we so desired). We have hot water baseboard heat, so the kick heaters run off of that (new lines were run for them). There are three access panels cut into the bottom of the island cabs--one in the bookcase end, one under a small pull-out in the mixer cab, and one under a large drawer along the side of the island. The two under the drawers are only visible when the drawers are removed completely from the island which we've only needed to do in order to access the heaters/pipes (had to do that last year when one of our pipes/welds developed a leak). The bookcase panel is covered by a finished piece of maple/birch which matches the interior of the cabs. FWIW, we used the Turbonics kick heaters and are very happy with them. Even our plumber, who tried to dissuade us from getting kick heaters ("they're noisy, you won't like them"), was impressed with these after he installed them. We used the supplied switches, and each heater is switched separately, but we could've hooked both up to one switch, or not used any switch at all (and allowed them to turn on or off on their own when the heat comes on). The switches have hi-off-low settings. The owner (?) of the company wase very nice, and answered our numerous questions before, during, and after the installation. Ours have been installed/in use since 2007. PS I learned about Turbonics here, and you could say that it was that thread that led me to becoming a member of GW! Here is a link that might be useful: Turbonics
...See More
Help.. Problems with Custom Cabinets, what to do??
Q
Comments (22)
So sorry about your situation, but you are lucky that your husband is a lawyer - I highly suggest you have him send a stern letter filled with legalese via Certified Mail - that will scare them into action! It's hard for me to undertand exactly what's going on based on your pics, other than it looks like crap and is highly unaccepable, especially for $27,000! Your upper cabinet is definitely a manufacturing problem - that crack existed BEFORE the cabinet was even built. A good cabinetmaker would NEVER have used that piece of wood. You can never fix a structural split like that, as you have unfortunately found out. It will always keep re-appearing. Is that first picture a farmhouse sink with a shoddy rail beneath? That is really bad, if so. And it has been that way from day one? What was your installer thinking? And, why was one side properly scribed to the shape of the sink and the other side left square? Huh?!?! So, your plans included using a D/W that you ALREADY had? And the KD / installers STILL screwed it up? Well, that is ridiculous. And closing up a functional drawer is NOT an option! Who in their right mind would order and pay for a "drawer" that opens and agree to have it just be turned into a decorative panel? No one! Even Judge Judy would not defend that "logic." As for installer vs. manufacturer, many cabinet companies and even siding manufacturers DO void their warrantee if it is not installed by a "Certified" installer. I assume your installer is certified by Mouser, and they are trying to use your non-payment as a legal way out of their obligations. Well, that's bunk because your "Certified Installer" obviously has no CLUE as to what they are doing, and Mouser has some gall to think that you should pay them even a DIME more! The pictures say it all! I do feel sorry for you, however I am not in the least bit surprised. After having a GC literally destroy the framing in my house, install the Cedar shakes completely wrong (with GAPS between), paying 3x the price to have pre-primed board-and-batt siding installed only for it to warp within 3 months, having NO windows and doors for months as winter was setting in (and GC LIED and blamed the Anderson factory, when in fact our windows had been sitting in the shop for over a month, the GC refused to pay for them even though WE HAD PAID HIM for them months before!), I have learned two very important lessons. 1) Trust NO ONE! 2) If you want something done right you have to do it yourself! A lawyer advised us not to waste money trying to sue. Good advice, as the contractor "disappeared" (closed website, disconnected phones) after he caught me taking photos of his trucks and license plates. We did file complaints with local agencies, but big deal, since contractors and installers can close-up shop and re-open under a new name. But, since your husband IS a lawyer, sending a FIRM letter to Mouser will not cost you anything other than the cost of Certified Mail. Therefore, I would DEFINITELY do that ASAP!
...See More
susan4664
15 years ago
How many drawer fronts are affected by this mysterious tack? Did you give him the pulls in bag, and if so could the bag have had these tacks as part of the design that you did not see? Its hard to believe he would have just pulled them out of his a** and applied them on his own. If he did, I would tell him he needs to fix or replace those drawer fronts for sure!!! Can you post pictures?
simoneb
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the advice/support. Normally I'm pretty calm about this stuff, but the cabinets were so expensive!

OK, to answer your questions. The Russian cabinet guy is the owner of the shop and was there installing with other guys yesterday. I called the company where I got the pulls and they had no clue about the tack. They are going to the warehouse to make sure that it's not included with the pulls (I have none left to check), just so I will know myself before I pitch a fit.

ALL of the drawers have this tack. My husband thinks they accidentally drilled a hole in one of the drawers as if to put a knob on (everywhere else is knobs) and then put the tack in to cover their error. My concern is, even if they pull out the tack, there will be a hole in my nice, new, $$$ cabinets. They did buy the cabinet paint to match, but the cabinets have off-white paint and a brown glaze so I suspect it would be hard to match it perfectly. I don't have pics at the moment, but will take some when I go back to the apartment tomorrow. DH is going over there today -- I can't face it!
sergeantcuff
15 years ago
"Thumb tack dreams".

This sounds like a bizarre nightmare, not something that would actually happen. It is possible to post on the internet while sleepwalking?

I hope you can get new drawers, as I'm afraid you will always be examining the filled-in holes. Good luck.
susan4664
15 years ago
Simoneb,

In light of this clarifying information, I would bet my bottom dollar that they drilled holes for knobs in more than just one, then did an "ooops" and attempted to cover them up. I am soooo mad for you.

My cabinet guy did that to one drawer front, then called it to my attention and gave me the option of having him correct it (he stained them all by hand himself), or ordering a new front and staining again from scratch. That is integrity! I ended up letting him fix it and it turned out great.

Too bad you are only holding back 10%!!! Did I say how mad I am for you??
simoneb
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks everyone. I'm glad that someone else is mad for me too. Will keep you posted on the saga :-( We are almost done with our whole apt reno so I am hoping this is the only problem we will have and that it's swiftly resolved. Fingers crossed, big-time!!!
mcr1
15 years ago
That is a horrible way of fixing a mistake. The either need to be fixed or replaced. The finish you have is not the easiest to fix, because of the steps involved, but we have had to repair problems like these for local showrooms. It is possible. Pull a tack out and see what is behind it.
caryscott
15 years ago
Maybe it's me but you've got to kind of admire the directness of his approach, "part of design, no", like you might fall for it, "really, well then I love it, no problem". When you tell the story of your reno you are going to get a lot of mileage out of that one. Despite trying not to I bet he will make good on it.
rmlanza
15 years ago
Just a silly question, what's the finish on your pulls? Is it chrome like the thumb tack? If not then there's your answer, I'd think....as to wether it was an honest mistake or a deception, I mean.
arleneb
15 years ago
Simone, What's happening with your pulls?? I'm dying of curiosity! Every time I think I've heard the craziest install story, another one comes along to take its place. Right now your Russian thumb-tacker is at the top of the list!!

Arlene
divadeva
15 years ago
Simone,
You actually, probably, have more leverage than you think. That 10% might be his profit margin, it depends upon the profitability of his shop. If he can fix your cabinets without eating too far into that margin he will. I've found with men from certain geographic areas that they'll listen to another man, not to short, blond me. Perhaps your husband can negotiate with him. It's not giving away your power, think of it as a strategy.
nordhavn
15 years ago
What happened?????

Kicking myself-- cabinet install problems. What to do?

Comments (13)

catamount90

katmandu_2008

Related Discussions

susan4664

simoneb
Original Author

sergeantcuff

susan4664

simoneb
Original Author

mcr1

caryscott

rmlanza

arleneb

divadeva

nordhavn

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Kicking myself-- cabinet install problems. What to do?

Comments (13)

Related Discussions

simonebOriginal Author

simonebOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

simoneb
Original Author

simoneb
Original Author