The countertop guy came back today to measure again because he was wrong yesterday. When I examined the spots he marked for me to cut on the front of the cabinet, I realized his math was off. So, I made him come back out. Turns out I was right. Which is kinda scary when you think about it because if I hadn't double-checked his math, my countertops would not fit my cabinets -- not to mention, I would have totally screwed up my cabinet base.
The electricians came and finished up the trim work. They were a bit astonished to discover I had already moved two of the receptacles that were in the wrong spot, but at least I fixed it. They put in my pendants, too. The entire kitchen now has power. Yay!
Although I haven't yet heard from my contractor buddy, and I left him a message, he knows I will call him again tomorrow morning to make arrangements to move the refrigerator and my washer and dryer back into their respective spots.
The not-so-surprising development was the painters did not return. They were supposed to come back on Monday, but I imagine the scenario went like this: "Oh, man, I have a hangover this morning; I don't want to go to work today." Then, his painting buddy, whom he probably picked up hitchiking on Highway 99 says, "Me, too. But you know we are under the gun to get this done."
So painter dude says, "Yeah, she'll be really mad. What kind of excuse could we use? Hey, I know, I've got it. I'll say somebody died. Somebody in my wife's family. Yeah. That's the ticket. I'll say we have to go to San Francisco."
Of course, the painter promised to be here today at 2 PM. I called him at 2:30 and left a message. He never called and never came over. Now, I don't care if somebody really died or whatever his reason was, he made a promise to be here and he never even called me when he didn't show up.
So, I fired him. I left him a voice mail saying I'd pay him 50% of what we agreed to since he was 50% done. I hired another painter who works on Land Park homes and will be here at 8 AM tomorrow to finish the second coat and repaint the baseboards that #1 painter dude messed up.
My hood vent and dishwasher, which had to be reordered because they were damaged / wrong style on receipt, will be delivered tomorrow. At last. I called them 3 times a day since Friday. Except hood vent install guy's voice mail is full. I don't know when he'll get here now.
Never heard back from the Kitchen Design Center. I sent them two emails and left two voice mail messages. I do expect they will send the cabinet installers to cut out my sink area, but god knows when. If they don't handle this properly, I will post a less-than-desirable rating on Angie's List. See, this is the thing -- even if you can't handle a customer's request, you owe the courtesy of a phone call to say you are working on it. When nobody responds and nobody calls back, it is irritating. I would never in a million years do that to my clients.
Apart from showing one of the strangest homes I've ever seen in my life near the Med Center tonight, today has been pretty good overall.
So, how do you like the pendants and under cabinet task lighting?
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Broker-Associate at Lyon RE. Selling since 1974, helping buyers & sellers in Sacramento. Land Park resident. Midtown office. Home Buying Columnist for New York Times' About.com. DRE license #00697006
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We designed our home and did the general contracting and have done lots of projects with our buyers and sellers....we have a theory about painters....it's all in the fumes !
Lord you just don't know when or if they are going to show up do?
Elizabeth, I must say you are certainly moving this project along and staying on top of the delays. The lighting is lovely, BTW. Looking forward to more remodeling eye candy and some interesting commentary on the project. Love, C. ;-)
Elizabeth - This sounds like the conversations I have with my subs. I wanted to WHACK one of my plumbers this afternoon... but I refrained... for now. :)
I love the lights... you did (surprise, surprise) a bang up job!
Girl, I can totally relate to what you said about the painters. Unfortunately, it isn't just the painters who behave like this. When I was rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, I heard every excuse imaginable. "My truck wouldn't start", "They were supposed to be there", "We'll be there tomorrow", "My kids were sick", etc., etc, etc. If it hadn't been such a stressful time, his comments would have been humorous.
Good luck with your project. Good catch on the countertops.
Elizabeth,
I feel that you actually enjoy the whole process. Good for you. I would try to get the result without being there. You are really a hands on person.
The project like this would be no fun for me. I pretend it is, but I wold rather not be doing it.
The way it looks now, it is goping to be very nice.
Elizabeth, with my short attention span for most things you probably wonder how I can keep up with you with your series. But to tell you the truth it is fascinating to me. I see things, as you know from reading what I write, quite differently than others. I am not paying as much attention to the nuts and bolts of the remodel. I am watching you. You are extremely disciplined and want the job done right and don't put up with any slackers. You have high standards which I really like. Your follow up is excellent, terrific communication skills, funny (the painter dude), excellent boss - you fired painter dude LOL, and you ask for feedback. I LOVE undercabinet lighting. We put that in our house too. What can I say? You are a gem!!
Elizabeth - I really enjoy these remodeling updates you are posting. A couple years ago I did a little home renovation, so I can really relate to the experiences with contractors, painters, etc.
Everything went really well for me - even the more difficult things that I had concerns over. BUT, the one problem I had was with two different texture and paint guys, who were to remove the cottage cheese ceiling, retexture and paint. The first guy didn't get the texture right, and you could see the seams in the sheet rock. I didn't have enough confidence in him to have him redo, so I hired another guy, who did a little better, but still didn't get us totally there. Believe it or not, I ended up touching up, and repainting myself.
I also agree with Gary. . .You are one of the bright gems on ActiveRain. I love reading your stuff!
Elizabeth, oh my! What are you up to.....looks lovely....glad I came in today....rather than at the beginning. What a fun thing for you to post about. It's stressing me out and I'm not doing it! Really, this is fun to see progress!
Your kitchen is looking really nice! I'm sorry about your painters. I hope they learned a lesson... :)
Gotta love a girl that doesn't take any crap! More people should fire some of these subs. Than maybe we'd start to see some better customer service.
I have not had a chance to go back and catch the entire journal of the remodel - but it is looking good... but dealing these people can really be a frustrating thing - hang in there
Hi Sally & Jeff: I don't know if it's the fumes, but it's definitely something. There are really great painters and lousy painters. I happened to end up with the lousy ones.
Hi Jeff: Welcome to the world of dealing with contractors.
Hi C: Glad you like the pendants. They are hand-blown in Italy. They didn't say Venice, but I'm betting . . .
Hi Jesse: Don't go whacking plumbers. But you have my permission to smack the painters.
Hi Pat: I still haven't heard back from the first painters. I left them a v/m asking how much they want for the job thus far because they aren't going to finish it. Nobody has called me.
Hi Jon: I enjoy the process when things are going as planned. Not so much when things get screwed up, though.
Hi Gary: You always say the sweetest and nicest things. No wonder your clients adore you.
Hi Myrl: That's a cool name. Yeah, I know, sometimes you do end up doing the job yourself. You can explain things 50 ways from Sunday to a person, and if they aren't capable of hearing you or are not talented enough for the profession, it just won't end up right.
Hi Jeanean: If it's stressing you out, imagine what it does to me?
Hi Debi: I doubt they learned a lesson. In fact, they are probably telling their friends what a b-tch I am. People like that never look toward themselves as the source of their miseries in life.
Hi Kathy: People who know me would definitely say I do not take crap. I'm too old and cranky to take any crap.
Hi Thesa: Frustration is only part of the problem. I try not to be frustrated but go with the flow. But the best intentions don't always pan out that way. :)
Darnit... my drywall/painter dude is a true artist. The plumber I'm using right now... well, since you said I can't whack him... I won't. No, my fingers aren't crossed at all!
My husband's favorite saying is, "You can never trust preachers, painters and paper hangers." Guess there is some truth to it. He was a car dealer.
Hi Jesse: After the plumber installed the tankless a few weeks ago, he had problems with the pipes plugging up. He sat down on the floor in front of my sink cabinet and stared at the plumbing, shaking his head and muttering, "I dunno." It was at that moment that I was so happy he was not my husband because I've seen my husband sit on the floor like that in total confusion. I started laughing and said, "Well, it's a good thing you're a plumber!" I don't think he quite got the joke.
Hi Barbara: And as my mother would add to that, "Don't trust a gin drinker." Except it doesn't have your alliteration.
Elizabeth - Your last remark reminds me of when I was a bride, my husband was an electrician. We lived in a house on a large cul-de-sac lot. When we purchased the home, there was an unfinished guest house which needed completion, including tying into the sewer, once the bathroom and little kitchen were complete.
I will never forget, asking him if he knew plumbing. His response (because he was a lofty electrician) was, "All you gotta know to be a plumber, is that s*it rolls down hill, and payday is Friday."
Well, we pretty much completed the inside of the guest house without a hitch. But, let me tell you, it's pretty pathetic watching a grown man cry. Especially while trying to do mathmatical equations in the middle of the night, with a flash light, while trying to figure out the "fall" of the pipes to maintain proper flow to the sewer. . .Electrician or not!
That isn't the reason we are no longer married however:-)
Hi Myrl: My husband knows better than to touch anything. He once tried to snake out the kitchen sink and ended up putting a hole through the P trap. And it was chrome, not plastic.
Oh my word, chrome? That took imagination. I am going to have to call you for the details on that one, girlfriend. Phone-tag, you are definitely IT! (LOL)