Why I vow to never support the Peat industry for my entire life.
hoorayfororganic
12 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (107)
justaguy2
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agolou_spicewood_tx
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agoRelated Discussions
Bad stain job- no contract-never shown stain samples prior to staining
Comments (19)Hi, It appears there is some confusion regarding contractor licensing and the role of the local home builders association (HBA) which is worth clearing up. I don't know what the requirements are in your locality, but in the Commonwealth of Virginia contractors are required to be licensed and are regulated by the Virginia Board for Contractors. If there is an issue with a contractor's performance, customers as well as other contractors can file a complaint with the Contractor Board. The board has the authority to impose disciplinary actions, fines, and even take away a contractor's license if the offense warrants. HBA's are trade associations; they don't have any regulatory authority nor do they issue licenses. Membership in a local HBA is not mandatory. That said, membership in a HBA is one thing to look for when selecting a builder or remodeler since it shows a commitment to supporting the industry, continuing education, etc. In our area, municipalities require contractors to have a business license in addition to their contractor's license. The cost of the business license is proportional to the gross revenues earned by the contractor in the municipality....See MoreHelp! Spacing for walnut countertop supports? Cracks showing!
Comments (16)@crytalbathurst........Sorry for the slow response and thanks for your comments on our counter tops. I have looked over the many comments to your post and I would have to say that I agree with the majority of opinions that the wood expanding and contracting due to moisture is probably the culprit for the cracks and it has nothing to do with the overhang of the top. The top most likely was not dried out completely prior to glue up and natural drying out process has brought out the cracks. Looking at the board (I.E. the filled portion on the end) I would say that these cracks were naturally occurring and the board should not have been used in the construction of the counter top. These things happen with a wood counter top but the manufacturer should take the top off, cut that board out and replace it with a new board. As far as the finish I can not comment on Emmets, we use only a Waterlox Tung Oil finish and apply 5 coats of the tung oil to both the top and underside of the top...this is important in an area where there is alot of natural humidity because the top will shrink and expand with the different environmental conditions. I also noticed a comment on cost of the top. If you only paid $500 for the cost of this top I would consider that a steal!!! For us to build this counter top we would order at a minimum of $500 worth of lumber to get the right boards (I.E. no knots, no cracks etc). That top in New England would cost nearly $2,000 with our hand rubbed finish. Good luck with your top.....unfortunately the only way to fix this correctly is to remove the top, cut out the bad board and replace it with a new one....See MoreMy $100,000 cabinets are not what I asked for...
Comments (35)Hi Jan, I totally get what you mean about letting go. If my client called to ask me if I remembered to put the date on top and checked that I numbered each and every page, I will never accept another file from them, and their file would be at the bottom of the list of the things I want to do that day too. But if I don't double check on a detail, it tends to not work out, and then I'm told I can't complain if I didn't hold meetings and check drawings? And so I disclosed that I had meetings and discussions, and suddenly I am on the other end of the spectrum -- I must be that client from hell I didn't want to be. And let's not forget -- Jan, you are based out of NYC and probably of a calibre that allows your clients to just "leave it to you", without a moment of doubt or question, and effortlessly move into a fabulously perfect home months later, perfectly designed and tastefully finished. But I've read up on a lot of posts with construction gone wrong, GCs and designers gone cheap/sloppy, and so, probably not a good blanket advice to give to the rest of the world who may not be able to afford a top end designer like you to be their magical trusted genie :) Not to say I doubt my trades -- I did my research, checked up on references and reviews, looked at their portfolio, and erred on the side of going for trades asking more than the average quote. I had a few scares about miscommunications and misunderstandings, but never a doubt that they don't know what they're doing or that they're taking me for a ride. And I think, since the china cabinets did not originally work out as I had wanted, I'm entitled to a moment of fear that I will end up with what I saw -- no longer a doubt, but an actual tangible possibility. Tatts, that's just what I was trying not to do with my cabinet designer, which is why I didn't demand further drawings, and why I held myself back by not asking him to check on all the extra things that wasn't made evident on the elevation drawings (as long as the elevation drawings were not contradictory to what I wanted). The 200 or so in emails I sent were mostly one liners, just to confirm when I'm going to see him, sending him copies of my appliance specs, my floor layout, and answering his questions. And it was still 19 pages of elevation drawings alone, so there was a lot of detail to work out -- and I did not begrudge writing it out for him in an email when asked -- probably a good insurance policy for him and for me. And as much as I may be detail oriented, I am quite mindful about the fact that I am, and I do my best to try not to over-ask and over-manage. However, when the industry cries back, "well you never said you wanted it so you should live with it" or "you have no cause for complaint since you should have checked the shop drawings", I guess it puts us home owners in a bit of a double bind. Finally, I think my replies here have been dense and long, so I apologize for that. But I've mostly been getting responses from pros that are telling me I didn't do something right, so I needed a chance to explain myself, though I had hoped it wasn't necessary to this degree in the first place. What I was hoping to find out here was what would be industrially acceptable to ask to change/fix, and what are things that I have to let go. I guess I really didn't want to let it go on these points, and yet I didn't get an immediate "okay I'll fix it", so I came here hoping I could get some guidance. Because I really like my cabinet designer, and if it was unreasonable for me to insist, I didn't want to. But I didn't want to not ask, just for the sake of being nice either -- this house is important to me, as I would expect any house to be to its owner. Though I don't think my question was really answered for me here, I am happy to say that the end resolution has made that answer unnecessary, and I'm grateful that it worked out in the end for me. It's funny that, in the end, this discussion has turned into more of a debate about whether I asked enough or whether I asked too much, and it seems that I may be guilty of both. I'm not sure if the pros' opinions are going to be much help for the non-pros in figuring out exactly how much is enough, as I've gotten both ends of the spectrum in terms of advice here. What I do know is that if I were to build another house ever again, I'm going back to 99% of the trades I used this time around, provided they'll have me back. I think they will -- I've selected trades that charge for this level of detail and fussiness, and I'm sure they are still happy about adding my house to their portfolio. Many have told me, they'd rather know than guess and be told they guessed wrong. And so I'll do exactly what I did this time around in terms of how much detail I give them and how much I let them work out on their own -- and if the second house turns out like this one, it may have a few scares here and there, but I'm pretty sure I will be happy with the result. To give this discussion some utility for non-pros, I'd say that if you know what you want, you need to have it that way, and are prepared to be hands-on, go for it and ask for it. I drew out the tile placement drawings, I marked up each electrical outlet placement, I double checked that the electrical and gas plug-ins are as per specification (and some had been off, even though I gave the electrician all of the appliance specs and had drawn in the area in which they had to be placed), and even moved the wall light brackets for those that weren't perfectly placed. And yes, I had a few scares and a few "suck it up" (or rip-it-off) moments throughout the process, but I will be more happy with my end result than I could ever be if I had stayed out of the process and been surprised with what I am sure would have still been a beautiful house, just not what I had wanted. In the end, my electrician was fine with me moving his (unwired) light and electrical boxes around here and there, and the tiler was happy to have me show him exactly how I wanted by shower floor mosaic to be done up. I went to the paint store to buy the paint myself -- down to the brand, line of quality, finish and colour. This probably won't be the right approach for those who think some of the things I listed above sound horribly daunting -- but at this point I think I am pretty confident in saying that I have done the right thing for myself. I guess you would know yourself the best -- and if you care about the details as I do and are prepared to work for it, then it can be the right approach for you too. And by giving all the details I have given to trades before getting quotes, by natural process, you'll end up with only the ones who want to work with you in the first place. So I will now stop apologizing about all of the details I gave to my trades, as they signed me on after they saw the extent of my wish list, and I believe I've paid accordingly for that level of detail-minding. Good luck to all of the non-pros out there, who know what you want and have to get it! It's a lonely road it seems -- until you find people who want to work with you, and you will. Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions, even the ones that said I asked too much or too little. While I'm not sure what the answer was in the end, somehow I feel like I came out better equipped to navigate this minefield in the event I decide to build myself another house. I hope the non-pros find this helpful, whether it be a lesson in what to do, or what not to do :) I wish I can change the discussion topic to "To what degree of detail am I responsible for checking when working with trades?" But unfortunately, I don't know how to do that. And it seems like we don't have a clear answer in the end anyway -- only food for thought....See MoreI paid my decorator up front - I want to fire her and get some $ back?
Comments (38)You have two choices: Go to small claims court , share the story and her contract, and possibly mediate a larger refund.Just having to appear may push her to that. Or take the 500.00 and run for your life. I doubt either option sounds very appealing. But I don't understand your use of the word "trust" . Trust is earned by a designer, usually through a very pleasing to you result, or at least the confident feeling you are well on the way to that result. In this case, the first experience was less than marvelous, but she had somehow earned this so called "trust". Like someone remaining in a bad relationship, simply because the partner is ......what? Familiar to them? You have paint and tile to be "fixed"?! Were you jumping for joy about anything? As to CB2, West Elm: Part of the trust issue is telling a client truthfully " Your wish list exceeds your budget. It can't be done well. " Neither of those aforementioned venues are a "big box'. They are simply price/style driven to appeal to a young mass audience with fewer resources. That same customer is trying to do a lot, for quite a bit less. Her remark as to her reasons may have been deadly accurate and equally truthful. ........ even if a bit lazy describes her. In any scenario, it seems to make no sense to keep stuffing a square peg into a round hole. She is going to do what? Work more hours to bring you the same level of merchandise? You are going to give her yet more budget? Small claims and walk away, or 3500.00............and run. You pick. ( As to the cataloging of art? I assume you mean a list.NOT the actual artwork. )...See Morehoorayfororganic
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agomadmagic
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agohamiltongardener
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agohamiltongardener
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agothe_virginian
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agohoorayfororganic
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agojustaguy2
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agojustaguy2
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agothe_virginian
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agolou_spicewood_tx
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agohamiltongardener
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agohamiltongardener
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agolorna-organic
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agoalphonse
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agolorna-organic
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agodicot
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agopnbrown
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agojustaguy2
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agopnbrown
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agojimmy0058
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agosouthsounder
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agoadirondackgardener
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agogonebananas_gw
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agotrancegemini_wa
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agopnbrown
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agogonebananas_gw
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agotrancegemini_wa
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agordak
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agopnbrown
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agogonebananas_gw
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agojk1550
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agoadirondackgardener
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agojustaguy2
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agothe_virginian
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agoadirondackgardener
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agothe_virginian
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agoadirondackgardener
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agojustaguy2
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agooregon_veg
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agogonebananas_gw
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agooregon_veg
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agogonebananas_gw
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agoadirondackgardener
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agotrancegemini_wa
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agooregon_veg
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agooregon_veg
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agotrancegemini_wa
12 years agolast modified: 5 years agooregon_veg
12 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
Related Stories

REMODELING GUIDESThe 4 Stages of a Remodel: The Renewal of Vows
In this stage, you’ll reconnect with your original vision of your home and finally start seeing it come together
Full Story
HOUZZ TV FAVORITESHouzz TV: Life, Love and Purpose Down on the Farm
A Missouri native proves that you can go home again — and discover something entirely unexpected
Full Story
MOST POPULARThree Magic Words for a Clean Home and a Better Life
Not a natural tidying and organizing whiz? Take hope in one short phrase that can change your life forever
Full Story
ARCHITECTURERoots of Style: Midcentury Styles Respond to Modern Life
See how postwar lifestyles spawned a range of styles, including minimalist traditional, ranch, split level and modern shed. What's next?
Full Story
MOST POPULAR8 Life-Enhancing Home Resolutions for the New Year
You can take steps to make this the year your home truly becomes a place of comfort and joy
Full Story
HOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: Reinventing a 1930 Fire Station for Family Life
Don't sound the alarm because the fire engine is gone; this remodeled station now happily hosts fundraisers and two generations of a family
Full Story
CONTEMPORARY HOMESHouzz Tour: Later in Life, a Bold New Design Adventure
A Washington, D.C., couple in their 70s embark on a new marriage and an innovative renovation of a historic row house
Full Story
INDUSTRIAL STYLEHouzz Tour: Industrial Rococo Style in a London Courtyard Flat
Raw materials, a lush living wall and a creative approach to decor are highlights in a filmmaker and a restaurateur’s warehouse apartment
Full Story
INDUSTRIAL STYLE9 Imaginative Ideas for Industrial Rebar in the Garden
Inexpensive and unexpected, steel bar from any big-box hardware store can give your landscape an edgier look
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNStandouts From the 2014 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show
Check out the latest and greatest in sinks, ovens, countertop materials and more
Full StorySponsored
Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting gallery. 270 locations nationwide!
Kimmsr