KITCHEN CRAFTERS

We have cringed at telling anyone about this project and we have told no one what company did the renovation. We realize that by holding back our experiences, that someone else may go through the same thing we did.
They did not pay attention to what we wanted or what was agreed to. Did not deliver services as contracted. Used subcontractors that we had to pay separately. Every time they came out to perform a job, we had to pay more money. We ended up having to pay unscheduled contractor for work on floor that was supposed to be included.  The plumber made a critical error and endangered the structural safety of our house, had to hire structural engineer and have additional repairs. The plumbing was left partially not finished even though a second plumber came in on the job. We felt we were in danger from retaliation by the first plumber involved. Everything cost more than what it was supposed to cost. If we hadn't been on hand inspecting their work as they went, the project results would have been worse. We cannot possibly go into all the details.
The designer was very pleasant and responded the best of all the people we were involved with. The requests that we had in planning the kitchen and the complete details weren't listened to even though we went through complete discussions and we provided a detailed notebook on what we wanted. We explained how we worked in the kitchen because we wanted the kitchen to work with us. Details about accessibility for disabled spouse were not listened to and did not happen. Cabinet drawers and a cabinet had to be reordered because it didn't match the rest of the cabinets. In the end, we designed the kitchen and we were presented with choices which we made.
A time schedule of all the work to be performed was not provided to us or to the scheduler. People appeared when not in order, and there was confusion. Additionally, the dumpster was replaced when only one or two days of work remained, and so there were expenses for two dumpsters. Good new products left over from the project, that we paid for, were being placed in the dumpster. We told them to bring them back in since we had paid for the products.
There was not a project manager on site, particularly the first day to ensure subcontractors were doing as scheduled. The project manager didn't know what was going on and argued with us. She even insulted us on the existing paint color of our living room.  Unfortunately, it seemed the owner of the company was not available for consultation because of health reasons.  We paid way more money than we were supposed to pay on this project.
We will continue to have some relationship with this company as we paid for an extended contract on appliances through the company. We wish we could give a glowing report on this company, but we cannot. We had originally planned on getting our own subcontractors to do this work and wish we had.

Took twice as long as estimated. Not the quality I was expecting. For example, I was told I was getting a glass door cabinet. Actually, it  is plastic, not glass in the door.  The dish washer was never properly attached to the granite. Many years later I found they did not properly attach/support my stainless sink. We spent a lot of money on this renovation and got poor quality.

Kitchen Crafters completed a remodeling of the Master Bathroom in February 2008 and we paid $26,737.44 in return. Kitchen Crafters removed everything down to the subfloor and then installed a fully tiled shower including the ceiling and a vanity, the toilet and fixtures. The remodeling began in July. The subcontractor Kitchen Crafters used incorrectly tiled the shower floor and then we reported to Kitchen Crafters that is wasn't draining properly and that we would like Kitchen Crafters to fix it using a different tiler as this first one had taken so long and ruined the carpet on the stairs. Kitchen Crafters came and looked at the shower floor and agreed that it had problems and needed replaced. Kitchen Crafter's in house tiler tiled over the existing tile and said that this would solve the problems. In May 2010, we discovered that this solution and the incorrect installation of the protective cement boarding had led to a significant water damage and mold problem between the tile layers and beneath the water protective cement boarding. Kitchen Crafters said that they would fix the problem and as of December 2010, we have yet to receive any compensation and are still waiting. Kitchen Crafters guaranteed their work. Kitchen Crafters? work was faulty and resulted in substantial water and mold damage to the our home. We lost the value and use of the master bathroom as well as the cost of water and mold damage remediation. We have not yet been reimbursed. After several of our family members kept having chronic health issues, our family doctor recommended that we hire an environmental specialist. We paid a specialist $500 for an investigation into the health of their home and he discovered that a water damage and mold problem existed under the tile in the Master Bathroom. The tile had been incorrectly installed, there was an improper seal on the toilet, and a list of other problems. Kitchen Crafter's workers or their subcontractors had drilled throughout the protective cement boarding beneath the tile and water was damaging the subfloor and soaking up the walls. In May 2010, Kitchen Crafters admitted fault and promised to remedy the problem. Kitchen Crafters scheduled to come out and remove the mold and water damage, but we insisted on a mold and water damage remediation specialist. We got three quotes and went with the middle quote of $3,500. Kitchen Crafters told us that Kitchen Crafter's insurance company would handle it. Kitchen Crafter's insurance company denied mold coverage and passed the claim on to the subcontractors insurance company. Neither could agree on which of the two insurance companies was liable and Erie didn't cover mold. On June 29, the Pumphrey's spent $3,500 to remediate the mold and water damage. We have never been reimbursed. We received an estimate that the cost of reinstallation, mold and water damage remediation would be around $15,250.00. On a side note, the health issues have cost us at least $10,000 in medical bills. Our two year old daughter had severe symptoms that manifested as migraines, chronic ear infection and chronic sinus infections. She had to have a Brain MRI, neurologist, allergy testing, two ear tube surgeries. The mother had chronic sinus infections since 2008 and had to have a sinus surgery in September 2009. This did not solve the sinus infections. Neither the child nor the mother have had sinus or ear infection problems since the mold removal. We cannot be 100% certain that the health issues were caused by the mold in the bathroom. Kitchen Crafters does not acknowledge any liability for the medical problems and does not believe that we could prove that there is a direct correlation between our health problems and the mold in the master bathroom. Therefore, I am reporting the health problems as a possible, but not 100% proven correlation with the mold in the Master bathroom. I encourage the reader to draw only their own reasonable conclusions. We have been without a bathroom since May 2010. Kitchen Crafter's insurance company offers to only cover around $5,000 which does not include retiling the shower, any compensation for medical, or for water damage and mold remediation. It has been 8 months since we could use their master bathroom and 7 months since the we paid $3,500 for the remediation. The bathroom is now being remodeled at our own expense. On December 20, 2010, we offered and pleaded with Jeff Francisco of Kitchen Crafters over the phone that we would return the vanity and granite top and forgive the costs of the mold and water remediation and sign a release preventing us from ever seeking compensation for any other damages such as medical that may have been caused by Kitchen Crafters in return for a refund of $25,000 for the bathroom. THIS IS LESS THAN THE ORIGINAL COST OF THE BATHROOM. Mr. Francisco said no and that he would be in touch with his insurance company. I have heard that Kitchen Crafters has done well by other customers in the past; however, this has been our experience with them. It has been since May 2010 that our bathroom was gutted and has remained so. It is Dec 20, 2010 and as of yet we have not been compensated one dime and still have no master bathroom. I feel confident that I have waited and given ample time for Kitchen Crafters to remedy the problem before reporting this to you the public, but I feel it is my duty to share my experience with you now, though Kitchen Crafters warned me against reporting. I am in no way trying to defame them and I am reporting only the facts as I experienced them. Trust me that this is not going to help me get reimbursed. I hope that everyone else has a better experience. I will try to attach the report with the photos of the sight taken by the independent environmental specialist.