Kitchen installation upset- advice appreciated

[Rose76]

Hello

I am really not sure where is the best place to put this but I would appreciate some expert opinions. We are part way through having our new kitchen installed. My husband started off the job-he is a self-employed gas safe registered engineer and very handy but hasn't experience in full kitchen installations nor could he afford to be working in our kitchen over his own paid work so we called in a kitchen fitter to finish the job. The fitter said it would take a couple of days. However after those 2 days (already a question: is a full days work for a fitter 5 and half to six hours with lunch break?) there is still lots to do and we dont really want him coming back as we are not happy with a number of things. This is where we need the advice. We are not sure what is normal/acceptable in what we see as significant mistakes. Also do you think his work so far is reason enough not to call him back or should we find someone else. I have lost so much sleep worrying over this. We have saved for so long to do this much needed refit and I am worrying that we are going to need to replace some of the things. I just want the job done -it has taken nearly 5months to get to this stage as we went right back to the brick. If I put up some photos would anyone be willing to advise? Thanks for reading this far.

 

[cajar]

Yeah, post photos and describe what you're worried about and you'll get several opinions.

 

[Rose76]

Thanks cajar. I'm struggling to transfer the photos so will try again tomorrow.

 

[calorific]

You're nearly there with those pictures - just upload them into that kitchen album and we'll be able to see them just fine.

As to this fitter, first thing you need to do is to write down your snagging list and give it to him and ideally go through it alongside him. It's scary and not the easiest thing to do, but you are paying his wages and if he can't comply or give reasons why he's done things in certain ways then you don't need to employ him any further especially since you had both agreed to two day's work and no more initially - as such, then that's the (only verbal) contract. Although, to be fair, you should at least pay him for the two day's labour.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=129539

 

[Rose76]

I think I have got it!

 

[Rose76]

View media item 51872
This is the first photo which shows some of the base units. It seems that the fitter has put all the units a little to the right and has had to compensate when attaching the drawer fronts by putting them of centre. This has caused a few problems - a gap left on the right hand side, the drawers not closing properly and no room left to attach the oven deflectors as the drawer fronts encroach in the space meant for the oven. To be fair to the fitter when my husband realised this when trying to fit the oven he phoned him and he said that he thought he could correct it but my issue is he must have known when he done it that there was a noticeable gap on the left handside and the drawers fronts were not fitting straight. and why did he not do it right the first time. I think if this was the only thing it wouldnt be too bad but it feels like he has taken shortcuts or little care thinking we would not notice or have a problem with it. I also am not confident in his work now and am unsure that if he came back that he would cause more issues. Is this an easily corrected thing?

 

[Rose76]

[GALLERY=media, 51874][/GALLERY]
This is the gap on the left which cannot be seen clearly in the first photo

 

[Rose76]

View media item 51873And I think you can see here the drawer fronts are out to compensate

 

[Rose76]

View media item 51875
This is one of my biggest gripes - we had got tall larder units cut back and therefore the end panel. Now my issue is not that this doesnt reach the floor although that is a problem but that this is unsealed - and I am afraid that when we mop the floor that water is going to be absorbed into the end panel and cause damage. Could this happen. My feeling about this is that we need to buy a new end panel

 

[Rose76]

View media item 51876
And still with the larder units - he did not think we needed an end panel on the right hand side. Although at two stages I said I though it would look better. Now they are done I still think they do need an end panel and I dont know why he would have rather not put one on. I am not happy with the way it looks as I think it ilooks unfinished and I dont think the plinths etc will be enough to finish it. I know the fronts are all rickety looking but my husbabd has said they can easily be corrected.

 

[Rose76]

View media item 51877 View media item 51878
Maybe this is being really picky but inside the cupboards it appears that he has attached some of the fronts upside down - if he had just swopped the two it would have been unnoticeable but instead by correcting it on the same front he has split the paintwork. While my husband thinks this isnt something to worry about it has annoyed me!

 

[Rose76]

View media item 51884 View media item 51883
with the worktop he has had to compensate for the walls not being straight - even though we thought that's what we were paying the plasterer for it seems he didn't square the walls. As a result the fitter hasn't had the easiest start with the walls not being straight. However what are your opinions on this join - is this what you would expect. I guess it is difficult to really tell from these photos if the join could have been done any better.

 

[Rose76]

View media item 51879 View media item 51881 View media item 51880
And lastly with these gaps by the tall end unit - can they be filled - the one in the worktop is a few mls wide - getting wider toward the back - I didnt want to use an upstand against this unit. Is it normal to have a gap like this and does it need be be filled with anything as I am afraid of it being a dust and crumb catcher! Also with the wall unit is it possible to put in a narrow filler between this and the tall fridge housing- do fillers have to be fashioned out of end panels?

 

[calorific]

In fairness to the fitter, things are a bit tight for room and there wasn't a lot else he could have done to make those drawers fit centrally. If he had shifted the whole array to the left then he'd struggle with the left hand cupboard and/or to fit the oven in.

As for the panels on the tall unit - I'd have one on the right hand side by the wall (if he cuts a long section of it then he'll also have some facia to play with filling in elsewhere if needs be. As for where it meets the floor, he could fix this fairly easily by scribing with a pencil, taking off the panel and trimming it to fit and rubbing a bit of solicon on the cut edge to help seal it.. The legs could then be lowered accordingly if needs be to get a good fit at floor level.

He could have spent a bit more time getting the worktop to match the wall undulations and that joint in the corner of it should be tighter. Once things are siliconed into place then minor gaps are hidden and not problematic.

What has he said to this snag list?