Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Murphy's law follows me where ever I go!

Well guys, yesterday was going to be the day... the long awaited day I get my BEAUTIFUL quartz counter tops!  Well, after they set the stone on the island and got me all excited, when they went to lay the stone on the counters they discovered my cabinets weren't level... like REALLY NOT LEVEL, as in off by 5/8"!  That is massive when it comes to counter tops... they couldn't even install them, I was in TEARS!  I called RH service line and they were very helpful, thank goodness that the contractor I hired works with RH as the "3rd times a charm" fixers, since they pay the foreign workers next to nothing, and that results sometimes in shotty work, well instead of pay the good guys the first time around, they pay them after the 3rd time around!  Anyways, thanks to my contractor having a working relationship with the local RH Service rep, they were out within 2 hours, said they'd pay for fixing the cabinets, and now I have the counter top guys coming back tomorrow... I'm made at RH for doing a shitty job in the first place, but I'm also PISSED at the counter tops fabricator... that's why they come to do a template people!  They check for level!!  So, both parties are equally to blame, I'm just happy that things only got pushed by a few days, so now the tile guy will be done on Monday with the back splash and then it will all be done!!  But here's some lovely pics of the cock-eyed installation illustrating that RH doesn't know how to use a laser level when installing cabinets!

 well, the island was good and is all installed bc my contractor did it, so it was perfect and level!  Just look at all that counter space!  It's about as big as an extra long twin mattress!  LOL I know this bc I got up and laid down on it...


 ummm... yeah, this is unacceptable... 3 shims???

just another view of that fabulous island!


Oh, and here is our new Amish build table, with both leaves in that sucker fills up the whole room!  I don't like the refinished chairs though with it :( so I'm going to get distressed black painted ones either made for it, or maybe I can get a good craigslist find and paint them myself, I think that a black distressed x-back chair would really go nicely, these are just too formal for the space.

12 comments:

  1. Your counters look great! I'm glad everything is getting worked out. And I LOVE you table! Was that custom made? I like the chairs too! What if you just changed the fabric to a more fun/casual print?

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    1. Thanks Colette! The table was custom made by the Amish, we went to a place called Oak Depot and designed it, but it's built right in Ohio in the heart of Amish country, the craftsmanship just can't be beat, it looks amazing, it was expensive though, but well worth it, it's an heirloom piece that will last forever!

      The chairs look much better in the pictures, but they are still nice, just not enough of them, i only have 5 side chairs and 1 head chair, I refinished them myself and picked out the fabric, but youre right, it would look better with just a basic linen one, but either way, I have to get new ones, I want really tall ladder backs, to give height to fill the room with those tall ceilings, I will also have those custom made, for the price you can't beat it and you get solid wood and it's not made in China

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  2. LOVE the table! That is on my list! Love the counter tops, too!

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  3. Hi, I have a question for you... I have a ryan home with my 10 month review scheduled for next month. I have the same issue as you were my cabinets are really unlevel, and my granite is unlevel is well with huge shims under the countertop in certain spots.

    Was it difficult to get Ryan to agree to repair the cabinets? How long did it take? THanks a lot!

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    1. Hi Mike, it was a unique situation with the cabinets... it may actually be easier for you bc your granite was installed by Ryan. I re-did my kitchen after the fact with the new island and got the counters from Home Depot. I just happened to luck out because my contractor that installed the island also does all the repair work for Ryan homes so I built a good relationship with them and they called the PM and the site director happen to be in the neighborhood and so were guys from the contracting company so they hurried up and fixed it that day so the counter top people could come back the next day... it was an ordeal because I was passed the 1 year mark, but you should have no issue I would think I would just press it, make it a big deal because it IS a big deal, your counters could crack when there is that much space in between, no to mention it just looks terrible, I would take it up during the 10 month but then follow up after a week if no one has contacted you to fix it

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    2. wow, ryan agreed to repair your cabinets after your warranty was over? thats awesome!

      it might actually be more difficult for them to agree to repair since they will have to remove my countertops and possibly trim them in addition to leveling the cabinets... i always get nervous about asking them to fix something, because it seems like a lot of times, the fix ends up being worse than the initial problem. thanks again!

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  4. Hi! My husband and I are in the beginning stages of building our Venice in Pittsburgh! I came across your blog and read all of your posts in on evening! I love what you did with the kitchen and agree that the island offered by Ryan just isn't modern enough. Can you tell me who you used to get your island made? It's beautiful! Thank you and thanks for all of the tips!

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    1. Hi heather! Glad you found my blog helpful! We got the island from 85 lumber they sell timber lake cabinets so they are the same exact model Ryan used, I went to Home Depot for counters, let me know if you have anymore questions! Happy building!

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    2. Thanks! I've been taking lots of notes! We are really excited and also a little scared, but I think that's probably normal :) what is the name of the contractor that you used to build the island? I'd love to have someone who is familiar with Ryan homes and who does good quality work! Thanks again!

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    3. H&M contracting, they do all of the fixes for Ryan Homes in the Pittsburgh Area, they are always SUPER booked though bc of the work they do for RH, they are located in Carnegie. I would suggest if you want the island when you move in that you book them a few months in advance before closing, you will probably have to wait about 2-3 months to get a scheduled date

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    4. Thanks Rachael! You're the best!

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