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?