Badly fitted worktop- can this be salvaged?!

Discussion in 'Kitchen Fitters' Talk' started by ebenezergram1, Feb 15, 2021.

  1. ebenezergram1

    ebenezergram1 New Member

    We had a carpenter/kitchen fitter in last week to fit our new kitchen purchased from Wren. The carpenter had carried out work for us previously which we were really happy with including fitting new bannisters, a loft hatch and ladder and some new doors hence asking him back to fit the kitchen when he offered a quote.

    We are very disappointed with a few aspects of the work, mainly the join between two pieces of laminate worktop. He hasn't sealed the join yet and will do this next week when he returns to finish the job. I can't see how this can be improved on as the join looks so bad with quite a large gap and it isn't flush at all!

    Is there anyway this can be salvaged? Do we give the fitter a chance to improve things or simply get someone else in for a second opinion and assess what needs to be done or if more worktop needs to be purchased?
     

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    Last edited: Feb 15, 2021
  2. ebenezergram1

    ebenezergram1 New Member

  3. hairymaclary

    hairymaclary New Member

    He might not have finished the edge yet. All it needs is a router running down it to take off 2 or 3mm. It's certainly not acceptable as it is but just ask him about it.
     
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  4. John Bunyan

    John Bunyan Active Member

    It doesn't look finished or bolted up yet. Hopefully it's just a rough cut to length to get it in place and check the join is parallel. I would normally cut a masons mitre with a router which would take the edging off the worktop for a better joint. If he's done a good job of the balustrade I would imagine he'd have a router and be competent with laminate worktops.
     
    ebenezergram1 likes this.
  5. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select


    What you do is hold your horses before you rig up the noose, the worktop looks to be just put in position loose with the rough factory end untouched, very presumably the fitter is going to cut, router and fit it properly. What other aspects of the fit are you unhappy about?
     
  6. Okoak

    Okoak Active Member

    Time and again I see posts on here questioning the quality of work that has not actually been finished yet!
    If I had to leave a customer with an unfinished work top for a few days, I would certainly not go to great lengths to form a perfect joint edge which until fitted is highly susceptible to damage, I would cut the worktops to an approximate size, drop in place and then finish off in one go on my return.
    Give the bloke a chance to actually finish his work!
     
  7. WillyEckerslike

    WillyEckerslike Screwfix Select

    I agree that's it probably isn't finished but we do see any awful lot of work on here looking like that which is 'finished' and the installer is demanding their payment. Jord has already asked what else the OP is unhappy with so that might shed some light on what's going on.
     
    ebenezergram1 likes this.
  8. ebenezergram1

    ebenezergram1 New Member

    He is coming back on Saturday to finish off which includes adding doors to some appliances, putting on plinths and redoing the cornice which is a complete mess - I had to order more cornice. I can see from the order that worktop bolts were supplied but these haven't been used at all but the fitter has put some brown adhesive in the joint which would suggest that this isn't just a temporary join? If you look at the photos of the cornice and the massive cut around some pipework then you will perhaps understand why we are panicking about his ability to finish the job properly. Of course we will allow him to finish off but we didn't pay thousands for a new kitchen for it to end up looking like this. On questioning the work on the cornice I was told to use a "touch up kit"! The first picture is an example of a corner join on the cornice joined with thick adhesive that doesn't clean off and the second is a join in cornice over a two metre run. Again, he used thick adhesive that left a residue and it won't clean off as well as leaving a big gap. There were 3 x 3m lengths of cornice so there should have been no need to join small pieces together. I would rather he told me if he'd run out of materials! Luckily Wren are sending more for no extra cost.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. ebenezergram1

    ebenezergram1 New Member

     
  10. ebenezergram1

    ebenezergram1 New Member

    The work top hasn't been dropped into place. It has been fixed on and adhesive applied into the join. That's what the orange line is.
     
  11. ebenezergram1

    ebenezergram1 New Member

  12. Jiml86

    Jiml86 Screwfix Select

    I’d still give him a chance to finish, talk to him about it also, if he’s anyway decent he’ll rectify anything you’re not happy with or at least explain what he’s doing.
     
  13. I-Man

    I-Man Screwfix Select

    ok, from the look of the cornice, then it's definitely a poor job...those joints are a joke.

    I suggest you point out that you're unhappy with the finish, and with regards to the worktop, ask as to whether it's "finished" or not.

    Surprising that he's done other good work on your house, and yet made a cock up of this
     
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  14. ebenezergram1

    ebenezergram1 New Member

    I don't understand how he has made such a mess of it as he's a very experienced carpenter! Joining cornice should be a simple job surely? I will certainly point out all these faults and won't be paying for the job until they are resolved.
     
  15. ebenezergram1

    ebenezergram1 New Member

    See below.... The work top has been fixed on and there is adhesive in the joint. This would suggest to me that it hasn't just been dropped in place? The wokrtop bolts supplied haven't been used.
     
  16. WillyEckerslike

    WillyEckerslike Screwfix Select

    Oh dear. It might be salvageable but it depends on whether there's any spare worktop overhang to allow him to trim off the damaged edge and remake the joint. It looks like polyurethane glue has been used which is an excellent product but not in this situation. All of the cornice joints need remaking as well. The cut out for the pipework is generous but that will depend on the boxing as to how that looks when finished.

    It can all be fixed but depends on what's left (materials) and also what's been done already - sink and hob cut outs and so on. We all have bad days and it depends whether he wants to make amends. I dropped something on the edge of a worktop I had just fitted once which meant me replacing two lengths of worktop and £300 out of pocket. It was the first time I had worked for them as well. The client kindly said they couldn't see the damage but it was there - and my fault. I've fitted two kitchens for them since (when they've moved house) and lots of other smaller jobs as well.

    Good luck getting it sorted.
     
    Kingscurate, Jord86 and ebenezergram1 like this.
  17. John Bunyan

    John Bunyan Active Member

    If your correct about the worktop being glued and fixed then I wouldn't dream of getting away with fitting a kitchen with worktops and conice joints like that. I almost thought it was a wind up. I may be wrong but aren't wren kitchens dearer than howdens anyone? So to pay all that money to have it poorly fitted is painful. Even if the fitter is going through personal problems and he normally does a better job, it still doesn't explain why it's so bad so I'm not sure if he is up to doing a very good job. Does he seem to have professional power tools?
     
  18. ebenezergram1

    ebenezergram1 New Member

    Thanks! There is no spare worktop to play with and the sink and hob have already been fitted so it is looking very likely that some new lengths will need to be bought. I am guessing it would be acceptable to ask the fitter to pay for these? The ones we were sent were £250 each from Wren. I am hoping we can find something similar for less elsewhere but if we need to find someone else to fit them then that will incur more expense. We will of course given him a chance to put things right and will post an update then.... The problem is that I have lost faith in his ability to finish the job to a good standard but we shall see. The main issue I think is that instead of apologising for these mistakes, he tried to brush them off and make me out to be a fussy customer which is like holding a red rag to a bull!
     
  19. ebenezergram1

    ebenezergram1 New Member

     
  20. ebenezergram1

    ebenezergram1 New Member

    The kitchen didn't seem very expensive considering the size and number of units purchased and we are really happy with the quality. We decided not to go with any of Wren's reccomend fitters as they charge through the nose and don't include any plumbing/wiring either. We paid around 5k for a 5m by 3m L shaped kitchen with a cooker hood and integrated washing machine, sink etc, some wall units with glass doors and two large larder cupboards so I didn't think that was too bad... 20 year guarantee etc and cupboards came ready built, soft close and all that jazz... It is a huge space. But yes, regardless of cost or budget, these problems are down to the fitter and nothing to do with the standard of products supplied. He does use professional tools such as a powered mitre saw etc so not cut by hand ... as it would appear from these photos!!! The units and doors have been fitted really well to be fair so I don't know why he has messed up so badly on the other aspects? There was also a small issue of him fitting the sink the wrong way around but we passed that over- on seeing the other faults I am starting to think that he was just rushing the job to start on another this week?! He has all 10/10 reviews on checkatrade as well so I just can't understand why he has messed this up so badly.
     

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