cabinet snafu -- help!

14 years ago

Our cabinets are being made by a local cabinetmaker. The boxes were placed yesterday, and while almost everything looks great so far, there was one noticable mistake.

In our plans, we have two appliance garage lift-up cabinets that rest on the counter on either side of glass front hutch-style cabinets. They are 24" wide, and have tall, narrow double doors above them. I wasn't wed to the idea of the garages, but they solved the problem of how to balance those narrow cabinets while remaining functional. I thought I'd put an espresso machine in one, and hadn't figured out a use for the other. There are about 4" of counter in front of the cabinets, so not a lot of space for pulling appliances out.

The problem is that our cabinet maker framed the entire box so that instead of having the countertop be the base of the cabinet, there is a 1.5" step, and the base is cabinet, not countertop.

This shrinks usabale space a bit, makes it so we can't slide things forward, and means spills rest on wood, not stone. However, fixing this is a fight I don't really want to have. I already mentioned it to the cabinetmaker, and he wasn't cool about fixing it, suggesting he could "tear" the would off but it would "leave jagged edges." Bogus response, but in his defense we didn't clearly specify how to build it. I assumed (mistake!) that it was obvious.

So, what do I do now? Does it still make sense to have a lift-up door? Do you think the way it's currently built significantly affects usage? Is this something you would live with, or would you want it corrected? It still looks fine...

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Comments (5)

breezygirl
14 years ago
I wouldn't want to live with that. You're right in that you can't store an appliance there and pull it forward for use. Makes the appliance garage-type of storage pointless and the countertop on front useless.

I don't like fights either, but imwould try to address it with him. You should have had the discussion beforehand about what those cabs would look like, but coulda/woulda/shoulda. Too late now. Can you politely ask what it would take tp fix the ragged edges he thinks will result? Ask how much it would cost to fix it so you're dealing with real facts.

I'm sorry this happened to you so close to the end.
dianalo
14 years ago
I agree that while you "should" have specified more, the cab maker had even more of a responsibility to ask. They should ask a million questions to ascertain exactly what you want. The function of the garage is not as good his way. There is no logical reason for why the floor of the garage would not be level. Unless he can give you a valid reason to have wanted it his way (and the fact that it is currently that way is not the valid answer), then he should fix it. You wanted it your way for a reason. His way makes no sense. Not only would it be choppy but you'd lose interior height.

I had a similar problem with our cab installers. They installed our back cubbies on the island to not be flush with the counter in front of them. They had to re-do the back to the correct height so that there was no lip or height difference where the 2 materials meet.
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eandhl
14 years ago
We had a bathrm cab built like this, our mistake and ended up having a piece of soapstone cut to fit the cab making it equal height to counter.
mmhmmgood
14 years ago
I can see why you would assume it was obvious ... what cabinet maker doesn't know how an appliance garage works?! The one he made doesn't work! As long as you're otherwise happy with his work I'd try to find a mutually agreeable way to fix it. Since the details of the appliance garages weren't specifically discussed I guess he's not totally responsible ... but maybe he'll be willing to assume some of the responsibility for the mistake and give you a break on a portion of the labour/materials required to fix it?
User
14 years ago
"fixing this is a fight I don't really want to have."

Then you'll have to live with it.

If you don't like it today, you won't like it any better 6 weeks, or 6 months or 6 years form now. Un-install the cabinet and have him return it to the shop for modification. No discussion - JUST DO IT !

Re: assuming- been around garden web long??? Don't assume anything especially in cabinetry. Isn't here a shop drawing that shows how the cabinetry is to be built? What does it show?

No drawing ? Big mistake.