Euro Style Cabinets? (Rant)

[Bill Neely]

If you go with a double drawer on top, you need some sort of a stretcher underneath. So for balance, you really need the other stretcher, too. Plus, the stretchers make the cabinet much stronger, especially if there is going to be heavy weight (like a stone top) resting on this thing.

Not neccessarily true. I've built cabinets with a pair of 'pencil drawers' supported by a member running fore and aft without a stretcher. In any case he could have just as easily made the bottom of the small drawer fronts overlay the stretcher and avoided any balance issues.

[Joe Jensen]

The cabinets are terrible. The stretcher look terrible and the grain running vertical would only make sense if the doors and drawer fronts were all full overlay and the grain all matched on each door and drawer. I doubt you can take action against him. I believe I could remove the stretchers and if I were you I'd do that and have all the doors and drawer fronts remade to fit without the stretchers and with the grain running horizontally.

[Charles Brown]

That's a Mickey Mouse looking euro cabinet if I've ever seen one. Euro boxes built correctly don't need those kinds of stretchers. This may be a case of a guy with a table saw saying, "sure, I can build that." Not everyone needs a cnc to build euro boxes but they should at least be familiar with AWI or similar standards for any sort of cabinet work.

maybe I'm missing something. Did he order these out or build them?

[Phil Thien]

Not neccessarily true. I've built cabinets with a pair of 'pencil drawers' supported by a member running fore and aft without a stretcher. In any case he could have just as easily made the bottom of the small drawer fronts overlay the stretcher and avoided any balance issues.

Good points.

[Richard Coers]

I'm guessing he is using biscuits in the joint and didn't think about runing those horizontal instead of vertical.
Jack,
Can you really afford to keep this guy on site? I mean emotionally? There is not a thing he does correctly, you have to have a horrible relationship with him now, and I don't imagine he cares one little bit now. He knows there is probably not going to be any more payments made. If you care to say, what percent have you paid him so far? You are definitely not paying him any more are you? Have you considered going to a big box store, or IKEA (they have a vertical grain natural beech that is close to your look), and just starting over? You will have a kitchen in about the same time, and this guy will only be seen again when battled in court. You are going to have to "cut bait" as they say, and get away from this hack. Best of luck!

[Ron Kellison]

My questions: Has he been paid? Is there a hold-back?

Ron

[Joe Angrisani]

....what percent have you paid him so far? You are definitely not paying him any more are you?.....

Has he been paid? Is there a hold-back?

Inquiring minds want to know....

[scott vroom]

The tile layout is a joke. And no edge profiling? I'd dump this guy in a heartbeat. Cut your loses 'cause it won't get any better.

Here's how we layout our inside corners (work in progress, backsplash not yet grouted); also notice the bullnosed edge profiling:

[Cary Falk]

I have never made a Euro cabinet but I think I could do better than that blindfolded.

[Greg R Bradley]

If the cabinet does not convince you that he is incompetent, the counter should make it obvious.

[Shawn Pixley]

I don't think that it is anything relative to Euro style or traditional style, the guy is a hack.

[johnny means]

I may ask, how did this guy get the job? Was there a bidding process? Did you shop around? I would be surprised if that sort of craftsmanship would garner any references.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

No matter how deep,you feel you are into this project with this guy, there comes a time when it's better to throw the bum out. We contracted to have a studio built for my wife, the project went from 2 months, to three, to five.. . He wanted still more money, after all it was taking so long. No surprise he was working less than 20 hours a week. We threw him out, the subs put liens on our house, he hadn't payed them. We took him to court, we won, he payed us $500/mo for two years, we payed the subs, I finished nothing that was left.

It wasn't what we planned, but the results were good in the end and it was a huge relief to be rid of him.

It sounds to me that everything that's being worked on is a disaster. You won't get it done right with a million punch lists. Cut him loose. Do it yourself or find some who can. Try to recover your expenses, but if it doesn't work out, life is learning little by little. I love great contractors. Bad ones I'll send packing ASAP. Bad work leaves a bad taste in your mouth forever. Do you want to get up every morning o the kitchen this guy is producing? Didn't think so....

[Jack Pinkham]

No matter how deep,you feel you are into this project with this guy, there comes a time when it's better to throw the bum out. We contracted to have a studio built for my wife, the project went from 2 months, to three, to five.. . He wanted still more money, after all it was taking so long. No surprise he was working less than 20 hours a week. We threw him out, the subs put liens on our house, he hadn't payed them. We took him to court, we won, he payed us $500/mo for two years, we payed the subs, I finished nothing that was left.

It wasn't what we planned, but the results were good in the end and it was a huge relief to be rid of him.

It sounds to me that everything that's being worked on is a disaster. You won't get it done right with a million punch lists. Cut him loose. Do it yourself or find some who can. Try to recover your expenses, but if it doesn't work out, life is learning little by little. I love great contractors. Bad ones I'll send packing ASAP. Bad work leaves a bad taste in your mouth forever. Do you want to get up every morning o the kitchen this guy is producing? Didn't think so....

We don't want him back in the house. We gave him a long punch list and said that unless he committed in writing to correct all the items in an professional manner and within an expedited time frame, we would file a complaint with the state construction contractors board. His response was to tell us that we have unreasonable expectations and that we have caused him so much stress that he's had to see a doctor. He also accused us of insulting his employees and micro-managing the work. The "micro-managing" was because I made him replace his new 1/2" plywood sub-floor without edge support with 3/4" tongue and groove plywood panels. The sub-floor is for ceramic floor tile. Without edge supported sub-floor panels of at least 3/4" thickness, the tile and grout will crack. He was also going to adhere the cement board to the plywood panels with construction adhesive. I had to show him the manufacturers specs which prohibit this. We "insulted" his employees by telling the contractor that some of their work was not acceptable. We never told any of his employees how to do their job or commented directly to them about their work. As for the job taking 18 weeks and still not being completed, that was our fault, because on one day out of the 18 weeks we said that we were busy that day.

I'm going to get estimates from three contractors to finish the job. These will be used to document our case with the contractors board and in court, if required.

[William C Rogers]

Jack

Let me be the first to congratualte you on your decision. I know I gave you a short answer "this is why I am building my own cabinets", but that was because I was shocked to see this guy's last cabinet with a combination face frame/euro construction. I have never built cabinets before and yes I am making some mistakes, however I am correcting them by re-doing. They need to be right. Come on, a 2 inch drawer, 2 1/2 streachers?!! I don't think you would have ever been happy if you let this guy finish. At least now you can say, I had to fire the first guy and get someone to fix all of his mistakes. I am getting ready to build a house and do my own general contracting. I hope I don't run into a contractor like you had. But from your experience I can see not to let it go on too long. I wish you the best of luck finding someone who can fix the job. Post on what you new contractor says about finishing the project.

Bill