GINDER KITCHENS & BATHS

They did a really great job! Kept everything clean and were very respectful to all our needs!

All the employees and subcontractors were neat , thorough and professional. I was very satisfied with my experience. I've done remodeling before so I know that it doesn't always go as planned, but everything was discussed with me and adjustments made along the way. This is not like a television show. You have to have realistic goals for your project. Tim did a great job co-ordinating the project.

Where do I begin. We should have known we were in trouble when I entered our living room and saw that they had placed the middle shower unit on our sofa instead of on the floor. We were not asked if this was OK to do and no tarp was placed under it to protect our furniture. There was no consideration taken for the fact that this could have easily slid off of the sofa and damaged our coffee table that was right in front of it, or it could have put holes in our sofa. Unfortunately, by this time the demo had already begun on our bathroom. They also went into our bedroom, where the door was closed, and placed a storage tote in there without our permission. When they installed the shower unit, they used screws that were too long and they went through the walls and damaged our second bedrrom wall with numerous holes. After the shower faucet was installed , the contractor was leaving for the day. I went downstairs and saw a bubble of water on the ceiling in the room directly below the bathroom. According to the contractor, the fitting was leaking all day after the faucet was installed. Had this been checked immediately, this problem would have been found and our ceiling would not have been damaged. During the contracting they had electricians came in to do the electrical work in the bathroom. A few days later it was discovered that they did not put wiring back correctly which caused one of our outlets in another room (which was on the same circuit) to loose power. This was a concern for us as something so simple( their words) was missed, what else might they have missed. The first time we went to use the new shower head they installed , it was leaking and spurting water all over the place because they did not check to make sure it was installed properly. When it was fixed we were told it didn' have an O ring. The above issues separately, are not huge issues, with the exceptions of the water damage to our ceiling, but, when you add them together it shows a lack of professionalism and courtesy shown to someones home. 1- The 3 biggest issues on the project were when Bill Ginder installed our toilet, he installed the wrong one and knowing left for the day with the intention of not telling us. We found this on our own and when we brought Bill back to explain he told us he knew it was the wrong one but purposely didn't tell us because he didn't want to upset us. When I noticed the wrong toilet had been installed, I also noticed it was leaking in the back. Again, a simple check was not done. 2- The floor tiles were installed and it is a horrible job. They did not use a backer board, which in their professional opinion, was not needed as they said the exxisting tile was fine and the new tile could be placed over it. The tiles are uneven and the grout is cracked throughout the floor. Under the heater the tiles were not finished off properly and you can clearly see the unfinished tiles. They also did not put a threshold for the door. They butted up the edge of the tile to the carpeting in the hallway and left it that way. it is uneven and has jagged edges. 3- The last major issue was not long after the job was finished, literally less than a month, I found a crack in the new shower unit. When I informed Tim Ginder about this he accused us, the homeowners, of damaging the shower ourselves, reason being we complained and were upset with all the other issues, that he considered "minor problems" When Kohler came out to fix the crack they advised that the crack more than likely happened in shipping. Definately was not a homeowner cause. ** There were more issues that I haven't even addressed. This was our experience. We started out very excited as this was our first renovation. And it literally turned into a nightmare.

This was probably our best experience ever with a major remodeling project.  We selected the Ginders because of Tim's creative design for our new bathroom.  He really saw possibilities that never occurred to anybody else, including us.  All of the work was done by true craftsmen.  In addition to being highly skilled, diligent and thoroughly professional, everyone was a pleasure to deal with.  We would recommend the Ginders to anyone without reservation, and look forward to working with them again in the future.

VANITY

1. The Cambria countertop for the vanity is short.  The specifications were for a 60 inch cabinet (per Bill Ginder). But I had ordered two 30 inch cabinets and side panels. The difference of length, being an additional inch. The top itself measures 60 and 7/8 inches.

2.  I had ordered under mount sinks, but the countertop was not specified for that.  So rather than having the manufacturer?s retaining clips, I have a boards nailed into my cabinet to hold the sinks in place.  Which damaged the corner supports of the cabinets.

3. The leg supports, to have a furniture look are recessed rather than on the corners.  In addition, they were not stained to match the cabinets.  However, Bill did stain them, on my new white colored tile, but they are not sealed with polyurethane or anything.  Also, my tiles are now stained, so I cannot correct this without incurring additional tile work.

TUB

1. The tub was not installed to the manufacturer?s specifications; as such it is not supported properly.  Per a Kohler representative, (I had called them in regard to the air jet heating), if I have an issue with the tub?s water integrity, they will not honor the warranty.

2. Although I was asked about the placement of the faucet, I was not told of the ramifications.  By placing the faucets in the tub, again, it voids the warranty of the tub.  Also, if need be to replace the tub, I would need to have the faucets moved.

3. The Cambria deck, although I recognize that to get a solid piece and then cut out for the tub size would create much waste, having the joint of the sides be above an electrical outlet gave me pause.  Also, it was extended into the shower area, with the tilt being towards the joint.

SHOWER

1. Ledges ? I was very clear to Tim [name removed], that I wanted no shelving except for the alcoves. I have three ledges, two of which are somewhat manageable, however the third one is the stoop and it has the potential to cause a fall if your foot catches it.

2. The grout almost immediately started to crack. Bill came out and sealed it with chalk, however, he didn?t remove the bad grout. 

3. The showerhead was improperly installed.  It was ?glued? to the pipe and upon Mr. Ginder removing it, there was a leak, which leaks into the adjoining room. That had to do with the snapping of the joint.

FLOOR

1. Before Ginder started, it was level.  However, upon removal of the tiles and backing, it was not.  I was not informed of this until after the tile installer had already installed the tiles.

PLUMBING

1. A licensed plumber, or one who I believe to be one, came and did plumbing work.  Upon his leaving, Mr. Ginder directed his worker to adjust/remove his work.  Although Mr. Ginder is not a licensed plumber , he did plumbing work or directed his employee to do.

EMPLOYEES, or NOT

1. Mr. Ginder on occasion uses people who are not his employees, and as such are not covered by his insurance. As he stated to me, that is why I have home owners insurance.  On one specific instance, he had a minor child to carry tiles up to my bathroom.  I refused to let him enter, and directed him to hold the door for the other men.  I believe they were church members helping him.

PERMITS

1. I am an advocate of permits, they protect homeowners.  Mr. Ginder stated that the job was completed of Feb 4, 2013.  However, the electrical permit was not issued until Feb 5, 2013.  Sad as that is, my husband and I are listed as the electrical contractor. I am not sure if other permits were required.

WARRANTYs

1. Mr. Ginder does not provide information to contact manufacturers for about warranty information. I had the occasion to contact KOHLER and they did come out, but advised me that I should receive all information about the date of sale, price and installation date when contacting any manufacturer.
BAIT and SWITCH
1. Specifically my tile selection, they no longer made them since I had signed my contract. I wouldn't have thought about it, except that when I asked for an accounting of the cost, I was told they keep leftovers and use them for future customers.
ACCOUNTABILITY
1. I was put on a BUDGET, ok, but I have been unable to get an accounting for what I paid.
In addition, per PA ACT 132 Home Owner Improvement contract specifications, the following are missing or errant,
1. Approximate starting and completion date

2. Cost of special order materials listed separately

3. Names of sub contractors

4. Lack of toll free phone number to call (public access)

5. The amount of insurance coverage at contract signing.

6. Right of rescission ? Ginder (36 hours) act provides 3 business days.

7. Separate listing of costs for special order materials.

This was an awful experience. The contract signing date was Sept 25, 2012. The actual work began on Nov 13, 2012.  The finish date, per William Ginder was Feb 4, 2013. To date, it the problems have not been rectified. Nor do I wish to deal with this company anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never called back with estimate/plan or contacted us after first appointment to measure for kitchen remodel.

Work done on time and unexpected issues carefully handled. Gave good personalized service.

They were excellent. They were just really knowledgeable. They were here at 7:30 in the morning.

They did an excellent job. I trust him to do good work and knew I could rely on his word. The quote was accurate. The crew was clean and efficient. They were polite and on-time. Everything looks beautiful.

They were very helpful in design and selection of fixtures and material. Work was done quickly and cleanly and the result is a really beautiful new bathroom.