Last November, I decided to bite the bullet and do something about my hideous bath. I was sick of the bad bad 70's era carpeting (Harvest gold yum), lack of ventilation, plastic wall tiles and beige, beige fixtures.
I really wanted to use a local business simply because the North Country needs local consumers to use local resources, and create jobs for local employees. Besides, I had already tried whining and begging to get my brother to come up from Connecticut, with no success.
So I paid a visit to Coakley's in Canton, as I had several recommendations from friends and colleagues. Within a few days they sent a contracter out to assess my situation. He was friendly and personable and seemed to know what he was doing. We met back at Coakley's that afternoon, to pick out materials (cabinetry, tile, etc.) and get prices.
Coakley's has an adequate selection of stuff, assuming you sort of have an idea of what you want. If you want exotic or specialty items, or a plethera of items to select from, you will need to travel. If you aren't sure what you want, or you want something designery, you will probably want to hire a designer. Coakley's staff were very helpful and good at telling me what they could do, but creativity was not their forte.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
The Agreement
Coakley's prices for my bath fixtures and cabinetry:
Tub and Shower unit (Sterling 71224100) $435.00
Foot lock stop $11.99
Faucet (tub/shower) Moen T214 $114.25
Toilet 17" Elongated Eljer Tilan $258.00
Cabinetry (Kraftmaid) $1700.00
Faucet (vanity) Moen Icon $ 253.00
Ceiling fan Eva (13400) $ 47.99
Ceramic floor tile Earthen Treasurers $154.15
Cement board 5 sheets $55.00
Window (Alliance double hung w.arch) $500.00
Vanity top Granite (Black galaxy) $1625.00
/w undermount sink
Labor (2 guys, 2 day, one guy 5 days) $3240.00
To keep costs down, I agreed to do the demolition (excluding the tub). Contractor #1 agreed to come and cut sink plumbing so I could remove the old cabinetry. I also agreed to purchase and do all the priming and painting (might as well put my BFA in Painting to good use).
Tub and Shower unit (Sterling 71224100) $435.00
Foot lock stop $11.99
Faucet (tub/shower) Moen T214 $114.25
Toilet 17" Elongated Eljer Tilan $258.00
Cabinetry (Kraftmaid) $1700.00
Faucet (vanity) Moen Icon $ 253.00
Ceiling fan Eva (13400) $ 47.99
Ceramic floor tile Earthen Treasurers $154.15
Cement board 5 sheets $55.00
Window (Alliance double hung w.arch) $500.00
Vanity top Granite (Black galaxy) $1625.00
/w undermount sink
Labor (2 guys, 2 day, one guy 5 days) $3240.00
To keep costs down, I agreed to do the demolition (excluding the tub). Contractor #1 agreed to come and cut sink plumbing so I could remove the old cabinetry. I also agreed to purchase and do all the priming and painting (might as well put my BFA in Painting to good use).
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The Install
True to Coakley's word, my cabinetry arrived within six weeks. We set the second week of January to do the install. It was scheduled to take 5 days.
The weekend before, I did the demo. It took the better part of a two day weekend. Thanks to Scott who showed up Sunday night to help with the removal of the bad bad rug whose rubber backing was permanent afixed to the bad bad old gold linoleum. I tried to remove the linoleum, but it was totally stuck to the sub-flooring. I was only able to remove ~12 inches of the linoleum around the perimeter. We left the linoleum in the center of the room, but Scott helped to scrape the rest of the rubber backing from the rug so the cement board could be installed.
Contracter #1 showed up first thing Monday morning with contracter #2 in tow. The work progressed well the first two days. On day three a third contractor arrived to help with the electrical work. By Thursday it was apparent that the work would not be done by Friday. Monday, contractor #1 showed up alone, and progress went even slower. I came home for lunch every day that week to find no one at work, contractor being pulled off to work at other jobs. Thursday was the last day of work, and unfortunately I was attending an all day workshop. When I got home that night, I was distressed at the results.
The weekend before, I did the demo. It took the better part of a two day weekend. Thanks to Scott who showed up Sunday night to help with the removal of the bad bad rug whose rubber backing was permanent afixed to the bad bad old gold linoleum. I tried to remove the linoleum, but it was totally stuck to the sub-flooring. I was only able to remove ~12 inches of the linoleum around the perimeter. We left the linoleum in the center of the room, but Scott helped to scrape the rest of the rubber backing from the rug so the cement board could be installed.
Contracter #1 showed up first thing Monday morning with contracter #2 in tow. The work progressed well the first two days. On day three a third contractor arrived to help with the electrical work. By Thursday it was apparent that the work would not be done by Friday. Monday, contractor #1 showed up alone, and progress went even slower. I came home for lunch every day that week to find no one at work, contractor being pulled off to work at other jobs. Thursday was the last day of work, and unfortunately I was attending an all day workshop. When I got home that night, I was distressed at the results.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
The Punch List
On Thursday, last day of the project (?) I was at an all day workshop, so was unable to come home for my regular lunch meeting with Contractor #1. When I got home on that night I was dismayed. Clean up was done, so I assumed the work was done, but I was not happy.
On Monday, I called Coakley's to get a final bill and convey my feelings about the quality of the work. On Tuesday, they sent two representatives to assess the situation.
Sheetrock - What a mess. It looked like something from Bizarro World from Superman comics. Not square, not plumb. The reveal around the arch window was all wavy. Lumpy dumpy. Not ready for primer. Coakley's reps agreed and sent contractor #2 back for three days of mudding and sanding. It looked better, but when I got close prior to priming the walls, I still wasn't happy with it. I spent 4 days retaping the inside corners and patching rough areas. Contractor #1 had used caulk to seal the corners, except it was too lumpy to paint. When I removed the caulk I found that the sheet rock didn't meet in the corner and wasn't afixed to the wall. There was a 1/2 in gap where the sheet rock didn't meet. Lesson learned: if the sheetrock is cut and installed incorrectly no amount of sanding and mudding will fix it. The major problem the contractor made was trying to patch half a wall of sheetrock. He should have removed all the sheetrock first. End result is a non-professional job.
Tile - Not right. The layout was done incorrectly so that the last tile ended 1 and 3/8 inches from the threshhold. When I asked what he intended to do there, I was told that the threshold would have to extend into the room. When I asked what I was supposed to do with a 1 and 3/8 inch gap along the wall, I was told my baseboard would cover it. Like I'm stupid? Coakley's agreed to adding tile along the wall so that I would not have to install
Ceiling Fan Vent - During the design interview we talked about venting the ceiling fan out the gable side of the house (not the roof). I was clear I wanted the fan to be vented outside and not into the attic. Contractor #1 installed the vent ducts towards the soffit but not out of the attic.
Caulk - In addition to caulk being used to connect sheet rock corners, contractor #1 also used caulk to fill the gaps between the cabinetry and sheet rock. Took me several hours to remove it and use tape and mud to make a clean seam. The worst part is the caulk job in the tub and shower walls. Opposite of smooth. Lumpy, goobery and extends to the flat sides of the shower. Within a few weeks I am going to have pink mildewy seam that will be impossible to clean. Yuck.
Cabinetry drawers - Drawers didn't align, but zig zagged off-center from each other. I asked contractor #1 about it, he said that's not unusual. When I asked Coakley's reps about it, I was told the drawers had adjustments inside. Contractor #2 fixed them nicely on the call back.
Cabinetry filler - There was a 3/8 gap between the cabinet filler and the wall. The upper cabinet was not centered over the bottom cabinet. Contractor #2 reinstalled the upper cabinet on the call back. Looks good now.
Sink stopper - Installed wrong. It was so tight, I couldn't open or close the stopper. It took several days and several attempts to find parts that would fit. Final result is a bent stopper, a little wonky but it works. On the call back, contractor #2 discovered a leak in the drain, and fixed it, thank you.
Cabinetry Toe Kick - veneer is not attached to wall and has no support behind it (i.e. where the 3 inch cabinet filler is located. Basically it is floating just waiting for a toe to kick it and break it.
Warranties and owner's manuals - I should have them for the tub/shower unit and Moen faucets, toilet? window? I got none. When I asked, one of the reps downloaded some care and warranty info for the tub/shower unit. Contractor #1 threw them out? Lesson learned: ask for them in advance?
On Monday, I called Coakley's to get a final bill and convey my feelings about the quality of the work. On Tuesday, they sent two representatives to assess the situation.
Sheetrock - What a mess. It looked like something from Bizarro World from Superman comics. Not square, not plumb. The reveal around the arch window was all wavy. Lumpy dumpy. Not ready for primer. Coakley's reps agreed and sent contractor #2 back for three days of mudding and sanding. It looked better, but when I got close prior to priming the walls, I still wasn't happy with it. I spent 4 days retaping the inside corners and patching rough areas. Contractor #1 had used caulk to seal the corners, except it was too lumpy to paint. When I removed the caulk I found that the sheet rock didn't meet in the corner and wasn't afixed to the wall. There was a 1/2 in gap where the sheet rock didn't meet. Lesson learned: if the sheetrock is cut and installed incorrectly no amount of sanding and mudding will fix it. The major problem the contractor made was trying to patch half a wall of sheetrock. He should have removed all the sheetrock first. End result is a non-professional job.
Tile - Not right. The layout was done incorrectly so that the last tile ended 1 and 3/8 inches from the threshhold. When I asked what he intended to do there, I was told that the threshold would have to extend into the room. When I asked what I was supposed to do with a 1 and 3/8 inch gap along the wall, I was told my baseboard would cover it. Like I'm stupid? Coakley's agreed to adding tile along the wall so that I would not have to install
Ceiling Fan Vent - During the design interview we talked about venting the ceiling fan out the gable side of the house (not the roof). I was clear I wanted the fan to be vented outside and not into the attic. Contractor #1 installed the vent ducts towards the soffit but not out of the attic.
Caulk - In addition to caulk being used to connect sheet rock corners, contractor #1 also used caulk to fill the gaps between the cabinetry and sheet rock. Took me several hours to remove it and use tape and mud to make a clean seam. The worst part is the caulk job in the tub and shower walls. Opposite of smooth. Lumpy, goobery and extends to the flat sides of the shower. Within a few weeks I am going to have pink mildewy seam that will be impossible to clean. Yuck.
Cabinetry drawers - Drawers didn't align, but zig zagged off-center from each other. I asked contractor #1 about it, he said that's not unusual. When I asked Coakley's reps about it, I was told the drawers had adjustments inside. Contractor #2 fixed them nicely on the call back.
Cabinetry filler - There was a 3/8 gap between the cabinet filler and the wall. The upper cabinet was not centered over the bottom cabinet. Contractor #2 reinstalled the upper cabinet on the call back. Looks good now.
Sink stopper - Installed wrong. It was so tight, I couldn't open or close the stopper. It took several days and several attempts to find parts that would fit. Final result is a bent stopper, a little wonky but it works. On the call back, contractor #2 discovered a leak in the drain, and fixed it, thank you.
Cabinetry Toe Kick - veneer is not attached to wall and has no support behind it (i.e. where the 3 inch cabinet filler is located. Basically it is floating just waiting for a toe to kick it and break it.
Warranties and owner's manuals - I should have them for the tub/shower unit and Moen faucets, toilet? window? I got none. When I asked, one of the reps downloaded some care and warranty info for the tub/shower unit. Contractor #1 threw them out? Lesson learned: ask for them in advance?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Punch List #2
Contractor #2 asked if he could hold off on the ceiling fan vent re-install, waiting for better weather conditions, not wanting to be up on a ladder outside, in February in freezing. I concurred. I could wait a few days or weeks. Meanwhile I discovered:
Electrical outlet - not secure. The outlet sank into the wall ~1/2 inch when I tried to plug in my drill to secure the sheet rock to the wall.
Shower drip - Water drips from the pipe joints when the shower is turned on.
Shower drain - Water drips from the drain into the basement ceiling when ever I use the tub or shower. A little red bucket placed under the leak works nicely, thank you.
Granite backsplash - Scratched during the call back to fix the sink stopper mis-fit.
Shower fixtures - not secure. Not only are there gaps between the fixures and the shower wall, the shower and faucet are not secure. You can wiggle them with your finger. Plus the shower faucet is installed 3 inches away from the mount. Looks odd, not anything like what is displayed on the product web site.
Electrical outlet - not secure. The outlet sank into the wall ~1/2 inch when I tried to plug in my drill to secure the sheet rock to the wall.
Shower drip - Water drips from the pipe joints when the shower is turned on.
Shower drain - Water drips from the drain into the basement ceiling when ever I use the tub or shower. A little red bucket placed under the leak works nicely, thank you.
Granite backsplash - Scratched during the call back to fix the sink stopper mis-fit.
Shower fixtures - not secure. Not only are there gaps between the fixures and the shower wall, the shower and faucet are not secure. You can wiggle them with your finger. Plus the shower faucet is installed 3 inches away from the mount. Looks odd, not anything like what is displayed on the product web site.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Punch list #3
The TUB: Why do water heaters spring leaks when owners are out of town? I was gone for the weekend, and when I got back, water water everywhere throughout my basement. Called my workplace to take an unscheduled vacation day. Called the plumber to have a tankless water heater installed. While he was here, I asked him to take a look at my plumbing issues in my new bath. When I asked him if the goobery caulk job in the shower was normal, he asked why the contractor used caulk on a seamless tub? I said huh? He said that model tub was seamless and wasn't supposed to be caulked. So I called the manufacturer (Sterling) who concurred. The tub seams aren't supposed to be caulked.
My plumber checked the level of the tub, and discovered it was not level, which is why the shower sided don't fit to the back of the tub, leaving a gap in the seams, which is why contractor #1 used caulk. The manufacturer said if the tub were not level, it will leak and the warranty would be obviated.
So I called Coakley's and complained vociferously. The first rep was sent out again to listen to my complaints. He did not think the tub was so bad, but agreed to have it reinstalled if I that would make me happy. I insisted.
Meanwhile I pointed out all the other issues on punchlist #2. He agreed to fix the leaks in the pipes and drain while he was here. While fixing the drain leak we discovered contractor #1 used caulk on the drain? To fix a leak? Unbelievable.
The Window - not plumb. Plumb on one side, not the other. Coakley's rep claims it is the wall. Knowing the quality of workmanship of contractor #1, I doubt it.
The Sheetrock - around the window is cracking. Coakley's rep agreed to send someone out to sand it down and repair the cracks. I doubt that will work, as they have already layered the mud on so thick to fix the wavy reveal on the window...more mud is not ever going to fix it.
My plumber checked the level of the tub, and discovered it was not level, which is why the shower sided don't fit to the back of the tub, leaving a gap in the seams, which is why contractor #1 used caulk. The manufacturer said if the tub were not level, it will leak and the warranty would be obviated.
So I called Coakley's and complained vociferously. The first rep was sent out again to listen to my complaints. He did not think the tub was so bad, but agreed to have it reinstalled if I that would make me happy. I insisted.
Meanwhile I pointed out all the other issues on punchlist #2. He agreed to fix the leaks in the pipes and drain while he was here. While fixing the drain leak we discovered contractor #1 used caulk on the drain? To fix a leak? Unbelievable.
The Window - not plumb. Plumb on one side, not the other. Coakley's rep claims it is the wall. Knowing the quality of workmanship of contractor #1, I doubt it.
The Sheetrock - around the window is cracking. Coakley's rep agreed to send someone out to sand it down and repair the cracks. I doubt that will work, as they have already layered the mud on so thick to fix the wavy reveal on the window...more mud is not ever going to fix it.
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