Having gone through three frustrating weeks of delays was there any chance we'd cut these guys loose on our bathroom to utility closet conversion? Oh, forgot to mention the small details. Only a week after contract signing said contractor called to remind us to select the correct ventless dryer as required by building codes. Neither as specified in our original design spec or in the contractors Scope of Work. No way, not ever would this new solution work. Harken to our days in England saddled with ' energy efficient' washers and dryers which require 2-3 times as long to do a half load of wash as we energy-fat Americans have come to expect. And yes, these efficient machines are twice the price as American equivalents.
No way, no how. Having failed to perform simple due diligence and demonstrated sufficient customer contempt in completing our kitchen wiring, there was no possibility of us having this contractor return to tear open walls, redo electrical and plumbing work for the new utility room.
Cancel a contract? Are you michuganah! End of our calls being taken by said contractor. No response and/or non-acceptance of registered letters as well. On to escalatio'. Richard Nixon where are you? First stop-- the BBB. State your case, agree to mediation, await response from contractor. Cringe, rinse, repeat. Promises made. Promises broken. Calendar months flip by. News? Not really.
Next stop, letter to the Florida Consumer Affairs Department (recall, I am retired. What greater joy can I have other than irritating some thieving ganaf!. Also, complaints filed via web with every professional organization that said contractor displayed on his web site. On to the State Attorney General's office, another online filing, and the Fla. Dept. or Professional Registration and Licensing. More weeks pass, months pass. Finally, a renewed promise of settlement if we'd only state our claims one more time. As expected another broken agreement, altho this time an investigator was assigned with power to seek engagement of the AG's office, for real this time.
Magic! A settlement came through. Most unexpectedly. End of that failed contract experience. hopes for brighter sailing from here on. For future reference, the Florida Dept. of Professional Registration and Licensing was the charm. Quite professional, sympathetic and responsive to the point of over communicating back to us via calls and follow-up letters.
All cleared of that mess, minus cost of one overly expensive day's work by an electrician getting our new microwave and range installed. And just in time for our annual New Year's Eve party.
So, the minor kitchen work was completed, we're out a bunch of money and our bathroom-to-utility closet conversion is left pending. What to do? What to do?
Hmmm. So, with building codes now clarified the washer/dryer relocation is scrapped. Guess we'll have to live with the washer/dryer remaining behind bifolds in the kitchen. At least the bathtub is not there as well! Thankful for small treasures I guess.
Well, if we can't reclaim kitchen space by moving the washer/dryer out, the next best option might be to build a pantry and move out an equivalent amount of rarely used kitchen stuff. Seems simple, deinstall the sink, cabinet and toilet; replace with floor to ceiling shelves on both sides of the room. Wire in a new overhead light fixture and maybe, just maybe, a utility sink for the occasional clean-up following each art project with the grandkids.
Voila'. No sooner spoken than the Architectural Review Board's (i.e., Karen) approval granted. Diagrams rendered, material lists drawn up, a suitable utility sink identified, and paint allocated from storage. All set? 'But are you sure you know how to remove the sink? The toilet? Don't you need some help?'
Lest there be any doubt about the seriousness of this plan a proper project plan was drawn up. Work activities day-by-day, from demolition to a trip to the recycling center, from materials pickup to staining, and finishing up with installation of a bifiold door to replace the standard closet door. Finally a project I had control of.
Two weeks and a pantry is born, shelves loaded neat and tidy. Our kitchen now resides with empty shelves aplenty. All set for now, not another remodeling project in sight!
Note there had been a toilet in that room & a bathroom sink and mirror. How cool is this? (this part typed by Karen)
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