Built-in Cabinets: What Is Reasonable Condition For Acceptance?

[PointZero 0]

We recently had renovation done to a resale flat that we have purchased. The renovation is carried out through a ID firm and it has come to a tail-end with most of the items completed. We like to ask for opinions on what is considered reasonable for the acceptance of carpentry work.

We have many built-in cabinets done under the renovation, e.g. for kitchen, living room, bedrooms, toilets. The exterior of the cabinets look okay but many of the interior have quite a number of scratches and dents here and there. This is because the main person who came and install and work on the cabinets is quite 'rough' and he seems to be not skillful, the several times we happened to be around and saw him do his work.

As our cabinets are all in white, we can see quite obviously that liquid paper and white silicone has been used to touch up and conceal many of the scratches and dents, although there are still some scratches and dents not concealed yet. These are on the shelving panel and the interior of the vertical panels, i.e. you will only see them when the cabinet doors are opened.

As we have asked for the height of the shelves to be adjustable, a number of holes have been drilled along the vertical edges for repositioning of the shelves support. Many of holes are not drilled cleanly and still have a lot of wooden splinters coming out from them. They look very unprofessional.

For some of our cabinets we have magnetic catch system for the opening and closing of the doors and we see that the person had trial-and-error with the positions for the catch system, because we can see holes left behind from positions that probably did not work. Some he left them as they are, and some he tried to fill up with silicone but left a very unprofessional look.

Should we consider these as defects and if we do, are we being unreasonable? FYI, the total cost of the carpentary work is close to S$30K (e.g. a six-door-panel three-compartment bedroom cabinet with shelves for one compartment is S$2,700). This ID firm seems quite reputable, and what they are charging us for our renovation is comparable to other firms that we have approached for quotations, which are all not the cheapest-quote type.

Some other things that we have observed are:

- The ID in-charged of our project did not come down very often to monitor the renovation work.

- During the renovation period, there have been several few mis-communications between the ID and the contractor in-charged of the carpentry work, e.g. measurement not correct so things don't fit together, things not built according to design (e.g. no opening when there must be one). When we spotted these functional errors and highlighted to the ID, they are rectified, though often trade-offs have to be made in terms of the design.

- The contractor has workers that are skillful, but they only came in for a small part of the work. Most of the work is done by the not skillful person.

And is the finishing on IKEA cabinet a reasonable benchmark to use for comparison? E.g. if I buy IKEA cabinets, I don't expect the panels and boards to come with scratches and dents. I understand (or have been told) that more inferior type of wood is used for IKEA cabinets so I am not expecting the price to be comparable. But what about workmanship?

Thanks for any advice.

Edited August 23, 2010 by PointZero

[matrix0405 0]

From wat u described, seems unacceptable. The ID got profit margin kao kao, so just ask him to rectify to your satisfaction.

Edited August 23, 2010 by matrix0405

[neubie 2]

withold the ID's last payment, and tell them to make good.

[therat 18]

u are going to stay there and saw it everyday.

Are you willing to face it everyday and keep on remind you.. all those defects?

If cannot take it, just tell the ID to change it.

That's what I did to my contractor. 1 drawer 4 holes max. His worker go and drill 6 holes and not even in a even distance. So ugly.

I call the contractor, tell him straight.

Don't your company has QA?

Don't you company check the goods before sent to the customer?

You come down and take a look. As a boss, do you agree this condition is acceptable?

You come down and see la. If you as a boss, you say OK. Then we has nothing to say since that is your standard workmanship.

Your carpenter workmanship not good.

My husband say

"Uncle, you want to give me free thing. I 'm ok. But I don't want extra screw as freedie la"

He come down, replace a new drawer and off course, change that carpenter.

[chronograph 0]

Who's the ID?

Definitely unacceptable, die die must ask them to make good.