I can not tell what part of the cabinet it is, but if its the bottom can they just replace the bottom? I wouldn't want the base of the cabinet to warp a month after install and they are gone.

Hmm, good thought, virginia lynn. I don't know if the base can be removed independently and put back. It gets put on early in the assembly instructions. My contractor is not an IKEA expert. I know some companies (like the ones who did our last kitchen and bathrooms) can hack anything.

What is your contractor willing to do to fix the situation has he said anything?

I am meeting with him tomorrow about other things but his employee said he told the owner already so it should not be a surprise when we talk. I am worried that he will say it will be fine with caulk and I am too tired of all this to gear up for an argument. We are putting in a drawer tonight to see how much of it is covered. I would like that he is coming with a plan already made and not just hoping I would not notice.

My goodness. It's IKEA, not the Taj Mahal of cabinets. Just get another and deduct it and the labor from the final bill.

No, you shouldn't live with it.

Insist on a replacement--even if they don't replace the entire cabinet with a trip to IKEA, it needs to come out and have the bottom replaced with a hunk of melamine-coated plywood/particle board/whatever. They should be able to get it out without messing with the counters.

Our DW line broke and flooded the kitchen and into the finished basement. I made an insurance claim and not even 24 hours after the water happened we had a crew here with industrial dehumidifiers and fans drying out the kitchen and basement. They also kept taking moisture readings in both locations to see how cabs, hardwoods, and drywall were doing.

We had to move out of last house because of mold and DH now has asthma and is allergic to tons of stuff because he spent the most time in the house. Mold is fast and debilitating.

They need to pay to dry out the house and then make you whole. You can make a claim against their insurance if they dont.

You have to make sure it's all dried out as Iowacommute said and the GC needs to replace the cabinet bottom on his dime. That means he sends his person to pick up a new one or figures out a way to make it right. It's warped. It's brand new and he is responsible. Don't accept anything less. I realize you've had enough, but better to have it fixed right now, then to have problems down the line.

The 90 mile drive to IKEA is none of your concern. Have the contractor replace the cabinet, a half hour job at most, especially since there are no tops on yet.

It's his responsibility to replace it and go and fetch it. I know you're sick of the whole thing - in fact, you GC is counting on this! You need to be firm and get it properly corrected.

I agree with replace. Honestly, a few hundred for an Ikea replacement should not break the bank for him, and getting good reviews online for handling it well is worth way more than that. I would worry less about mold as long as it dries out well, and more about structural integrity over the years you will be using your kitchen - to the point where I'd buy the replacement if he refuses and then review him accordingly online after it's all done!

My biggest concern having just been through a major flood and knowing the results of a flood is mold . It does not sound like proper remediation for the water was done since you mentioned still subfloor still wet days later . Were industrial dehumidifiers brought in to get the moisture out of the wood , drywall , etc? I would be very concerned about the growth of mold in those areas . That opened up cabinet base is a perfect substrate for hidden mold . This is your family here not just a damaged cabinet , there are protocols for a reason .

Really good insights, thank you. Thanks to info above, we had a mold freak out last night and looked closer under the cabinet and in the under-stairs area on the other side of the wall and everything is dry. I guess that's the silver lining to my other issue about the poor condition of the subfloor - most of the water must have run through the cracks between the plywood. If/when they replace those pieces, we should not have any wetness issues.

Because this cabinet is on a rail and it's so close to the ceiling, I *think* everything to the right of it (including base cabinets with counter now attached) would have to be pulled out in order to replace the cabinet so it can slide out and new one slide in. That's why it's a bigger deal than replacing one IKEA cabinet. I am trying to determine how likely that is to cause more problems + delays. My husband doesn't want to deal with that and would prefer to have it caulked/repaired and move on. Thank you for the discussion - I'm meeting with the owner later this morning and it was helpful to get some other views.

I get remodeling fatigue, but please don't just "caulk/repair." You paid for new cabinets, not ones rescued from water damage. Your contractor needs to remove them, check surrounding areas for moisture damage, and replace them. His responsibility. Not yours.

Caulk NEVER, ever = repair. Now's the time, not later when the ... "repair" fails due to more water, humidity, or just wear and tear. Sliding the other cabs is nothing.

Look. If I can build, install, take down, repeat THREE TIMES by myself, this is absolutely nothing to a contractor. I'm a 5'2" chick with power tools and no money. This is a guy with what are known as "people." It should take them less than an hour. Probably longer to slide the other stuff over than to actually replace the cabinet.

Tell 'em to suck it up and make it right. This should not even, ever, have been cause for discussion.

I was going to post what Iowacommute posted. We had a washer overflow for 20 minutes and water came down into our first floor kitchen and hallway through the lighting. They ran industrial fans and dehumidifiers for four days! Insist they check your home with a moisture meter. You can't go by how dry it looks to the naked eye.

Amen! looking for spots of mold means nothing . It will be in the drywall , behind the drywall , hidden , that's exactly why protocols are set up to protect your family and your property . They did the damage make them do it right . I am telling you that you would not believe the places mold was growing after the flood water was gone and they sure were not areas I could spot till all the walls were stripped down to studs . Meters tell you when it's dry period .

Contractor thinks he can get just the base piece and replace without pulling out all the other cabinets. I'm not so sure if he's right but he is taking responsibility for it (as of now).

Good Gabriel I hope it all works out for the best. Please do not settle you will regret it later. I know you are in a hurry to get your life back to normal but please try to stay firm in getting what you have paid for completely

Things happen sometimes. Contractors usually just want to make things right.