Extension Thread 2021.....aka "where's the bloody builder?"

[Callmejudith]

New thread!

@PoshWatchShitShoes oh no! What a nightmare!

It's grooves on the left back corner. They've tried to fill it. Feels smooth, looks bad.

I'd be fine keeping it till they can replace, but it's too heavy apparently to ask them to lift it out the van if I'm not keeping it

@PoshWatchShitShoes FUCK

You can't be without a worktop over Christmas????

My mate had her kitchen put in before Xmas a few years ago with worktop not due til January. Her builders made her a temp worktop out of ply or something woody to tide her over

I am so so upset. The worktop guy is a total arsehole. I asked again if I can keep the damaged worktop and he said no, as I'd ruin it in a few days, that I'm being unreasonable and can't expect him to accept back my second hand worktop after I've finished with it.

He can't commit to a date. And apparently I have more kitchen than most people, he's been to my house and I only have to walk 10ft to the utility sink. I'm bottom of his list morally for doing this before Christmas as he's already got 20 other jobs lined up to do before then.

What the actual fuck 😭😭😭😭

Apparently he's given me 4 different options (money off, 2 different styles of reworked edge or replace it) and I've chosen the most difficult one for him by "insisting on a new slab".

For £4.8k. Am I being unreasonable!???

What kind of supplier says that!!??! 😠

@PoshWatchShitShoes that's shit, you definitely aren't being unreasonable.
If it's Silestone it shouldn't be "ruined in a few days" - if it is then it's not up to the job of being a worktop.
They should leave you with at least a temporary surface if it's going to be such a long wait even if it's not the damaged worktop. I take it, it's their fault it's damaged, they should be sorting out the solution.
Problem is at the moment with more demand than supply - it's hard to force shit trades to do anything as they know they have you over a barrel.

@PoshWatchShitShoes that's really shit. What a total arse of a man. I can't believe he spoke to you like that. Is the rest of the worktop from him too? I would be tempted to tell him to take the whole lot out then as that might force his hand (and I'm hot headed) but it could leave you in a worse situation. Did you pay by card? You may well be in chargeback territory - not that that helps you with the worktop.

Howdens do pretty inoffensive plain white laminate that might cheaply get you through until the correct piece arrives.

Did the company point out the fault or did you have to notice it? Also, do you need to be an authorised distributor to sell silestone? I would have a try with them direct too as his behaviour (not the delay) is presumably not what they are trying to project.

@PoshWatchShitShoes your kitchen looks stunning though. Who is the manufacturer?. Love the handles.

Yes it’s awful to be spoken to like that and I agree tradesmen are in such demand these days they have us over a barrel. It’s like they are doing us a massive favour being paid to do a job.

What an absolute wanker @PoshWatchShitShoes I’m so gutted for you. Is it just one section of the worktop that isn’t right or the whole thing?

@Callmejudith it was damage to a corner of the island slab.

The quartz is lovely. We've had to remove all of their mastic and 2 pieces of the upstand!!! The quality of the finish is shoddy. Thankfully solvable though... the mastic man who is coming to do the bathrooms will redo the kitchen worktops too.

I just want my island quartz as soon as possible.

Oh that’s not good. So frustrating as well

@nomoneytree makes an excellent point about being an approved silestone fitter there could be some recourse there

@nomoneytree it's from Handmade Kitchens. The quality is very good. The downside is that you need to design it yourself, do all of the measurements yourself and then source fitting/worktops/painting/plumbing/electrics yourself.

So whilst I'm thrilled with the look, there's a lot of stress involved and I thankfully caught a few of my own design errors whilst it was being fitted and we solved them before a bigger issue arose. I'm grateful for my very patient fitter!!

I didn't feel particularly guided through the process if that makes sense, so just need to be eyes wide open going into the process.

Also, the costs add up. I think my overall spend will be 65% of what I was quoted by some of the higher end brands, but I'm not yet sure if the saving was worth the stress 😂 With hindsight, it would be lovely to just sign off a design and let it all be someone else's issue to create the dream.

We started doing up our living room back in the summer. Spent hours and hours and HOURS stripping 4 layers of wallpaper and had it fully replastered, new radiator went in last month, and yesterday the kitchen fitter put up my made to measure book shelves. I absolutely love them! The bottom shelf is high so I can stack wood up underneath, maybe in some apple crates I hope. The shelf sits on batons so just lift off for decorating purposes, and the batons can be painted same colour as the walls.

@PoshWatchShitShoes hope you had a good sleep and a solution came in the night!

@Indecisivelurcher such a lovely living room. Looks so cosy, elegant and welcoming. And your doggy obviously loves it too 🥰

Thank you! There's not a lot elegant about it. Have tried to do cosy and boho in here, with the wood burner, books, things picked up travelling, then our 'extension' is trying to be a bright and modern family room.

That looks lovely @Indecisivelurcher

@PoshWatchShitShoes how did you leave it with the worktop wanker yesterday?

@Callmejudith he was awful. So rude and dismissive. I think he may have some sort of personality disorder.

I wouldn't speak to anyone like that, but certainly not a customer. It's not his fault apparently and if I knew how heavy those slabs are I wouldn't be so unreasonable asking them to lift it out of the van when they know they'll then be removing it when the new one comes. He then started laughing in a pissed off manner 😮

We have no island worktop or kitchen sink plumbed. I have no idea when that will be delivered.

I'm gutted to have got so far and this.

Thank you for asking and I'm sorry I'm whinging about something else, as I know I had a meltdown a couple of weeks ago too x

This is the place to meltdown - come on I’ve had about 400

MAJOR UPDATE... replacement worktop is going to be fitted next Thursday!!!!!

Oh my goodness, I hope it's perfect 🙏🙏🙏

Beautiful living room @Indecisivelurcher I want one like that when I grow up!