It doesn't hurt to ask for a discount. I'm still not clear whether the contract is directly between you and the cabinetmaker or the GC and the cabinetmaker (and you signed off on selections), but you should hold money back from the proper party until the hood is installed, the laundry room pull-outs are all in, and the glass cabinet doors are hung - plus whatever else is missing or incorrect. I'd have a difficult time accepting the keys from the builder on Wednesday if you don't have an operating and functional kitchen (and if you can't use the stove because you lack a hood, then the kitchen is not functional). If delaying the closing is an option for you, it might incentivize your GC into getting on the cabinet guy's case.

Pat, so sorry about your project, I know you must be down, I can't offer any advice but to chalk it up to experience I think you should follow Slow's advice and try again using wire mesh or chicken wire. , At least you still have the vase so you can try again. I would really like to try that somtiime, bought the portland cement and some sand.. just can't get up the nerve yet. I've just been using the really smooth ready made mix and I have enough to make one more. then i will try what you are doing. Please let us know what you decide, and know I have, and probably most of this list, been there, and that's how we learn. Good LUck

I believe your mistake(s) were during the 1st time staining. Oak doesn't require conditioner. What brand stain and finish was it and did the instructions reccomend conditioner be used with oak? If conditioner was reccomended by the stain manufactur,I am going on a limb and say that A. They were wrong,and B. They said so just to sell additional merchandise,not help customer get best results possiable. Although conditioner would cause conditioned wood to stain lighter,it should not cause the blotching you have. I will go farthur out on the limb and guess that you either A.Did not condition 1 door then stain it but instead conditioned several and conditioner had dried by the time stain was applied. OR You used Polyshades or another "one step" product rather than a clear coat. Now we come to the present and how to fix the problem. I have serious doubt a professional can make it look as good as it should have origionaly other than painting the cabinets. Once a finish has been applied,it is next to impossible to remove all of it and start from scratch. The old finish is preventing penitration around where handles were. And finally,what is said to be possible with gel stain is exaggerated except in the hands of a real artisian with mucho pratice. I made several assumptions but you gave so scant information to work with. I'm anchous to see how far I missed it.

Don't be taken by the fifth burner. At 30", you'll likely never be able to use more than 4 at a time. Also, you mention a new hood. Do you have a ventilation system with make-up air? If not, there is a limit to how many BTUs you want to have. The Jenn Air 30" Pro-Style dual fuel range with multi mode convection has a lot of what you are looking for and is under budget. The Wolf, well the Wolf is like the adult version of the Jenn Air. All of its burners are dual stacked 20K burners and the broiler is IR. It is over budget, and there were issues at one time with the blue porcelain interiors chipping. I don't know how those were resolved, or whether they are ongoing. These are sealed burners whereas the BS and CC are not. This one will definitely need a hood with MUA. I used to research this stuff until I was blue in the face, hoping to find the best option, trying to figure out which would be the best one for me. Half of the meals I've cooked in my life were in rental apartments or in friends' homes. The truth is that a great range makes life easier than a crappy one, but OK appliances are usually just fine. You don't want one that needs to be repaired often. In my case, I don't want one that will need a ventilation system with MUA. My sincerest advice is not to break your budget, but to find something that is reliable and close enough. You're not choosing a spouse (something I also haven't done).