" the kitchen is bitchin' " - Reuel, Oct. 10, 2004
| People/Entities | Overall % Contribution |
|---|---|
|
Troy Harris, Designer |
15 |
|
Leah, Ray, Becca, |
15 |
|
M.C. Installation |
40 |
|
Howard's Kitchen Studio |
10 |
|
ProSource, Floortek, |
20 |
Overall Project Grade: A
|
Special Acknowledgement We are very grateful to Troy Harris (formerly with Home Depot but now with Countertops and Cabinetry by Design), Chet McCoy (M.C. Installations) and Mark Kaplan (Howard's Kitchen Studio). All were very generous and thorough with time and advice. Having noted that, Chet McCoy and his team from M.C. Installations deserve special recognition. Chet and his crew (mostly Ronnie and Pat) did everything except lay the final floor and set the final countertop, and Chet served as de facto project manager on the ground during a relatively long and somewhat complicated demolition, reconstruction, and installation of cabinets and appliances. Chet demonstrated extraordinary skill and understanding of the project, the people, and the interactions between various subcontractors. M.C. Installations' work ethic, attention to detail, and committment to the complete success of our project set them apart and a cut or two above the average contractor, and made sure we had a fine outcome. |
| Item | Vendor | % | Grade | Comment (%=contribution to success of project) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design Layout, Lighting, and Features | Troy Harris, Design Consultant 237-7027, 779-5585 (with Home Depot at the time) |
15 | A+ | Troy provided creativity, patience, encouragement, and steady guidance. Through Home Depot, provided intro to M.C. Installation for cabinet installation and other aspects of the project. Home Depot coordinated cabinet delivery and assisted with exchanges and returns. |
| Create Project Plan | Tom Owens, New York State, via remote link, in spare time. | 2 | A+ | Critical Path project plan provided required flexibility and excellent tracking mechanism. Supported by Mary Owens for technology. One on-site visit during construction. |
| Manage Overall Project | Ray Owens, Cincinnati, OH, in spare time. | 2 | B+ | Did well, given lack of subject matter knowledge.
(Strong support by main contractor, Chet McCoy.) |
| Select Cabinets, Knobs, Sink, Appliances, Floor, Counter Material | Leah Hoechstetter, Cincinnati, OH, in spare time. | 5 | A+ | Spent a kabillion hours in research, eventually settled on Home Depot for cabinets and Howard's Kitchen Studio for appliances, sink, and countertop vendors. Chose excellent quality, well matched fixtures. |
| Select Room Color | Rebecca Owens, Cincinnati, OH, in spare time. | 3 | A+ | Bold choice, excellent outcome. |
| Create / Maintain Website | Ray Owens, Cincinnati, OH, in spare time. | 2 | A | Too many pictures, as usual. |
| Room Prep for Demolition | Leah, Drake, Reuel, Denise, Jack, Morgan, Ned, Grant, Ray | 1 | A+ | Well begun is half done, as they say. |
| Demolition | M.C. Installation 513-522-1068 (Chet McCoy and crew) |
5 | A+ | Top notch job, excellent ongoing cleanup and dust control. |
| Replacement Plumbing and Filter Installation | Chet McCoy and crew. | 5 | A | Tricky work in some tight places, well done overall. |
| Upgraded Electric | Chet McCoy and crew. | 5 | A+ | Very thorough and painstaking. |
| Wall and Ceiling Repair, and Floor Leveling | Chet McCoy and crew. | 10 | A- | Tough job well done. |
| Cabinet, Window Sill and Lighting Installation | Chet McCoy and crew. | 10 | A+ | Great deal of skill and creativity shown. |
| Window Sills | Mees Distributor 513-541-2311 |
2 | A+ | Good work, on time, good price. |
| Flooring Material | ProSource 772-7726 |
3 | A+ | Excellent assistance, excellent price. |
| Flooring Installation |
Floortek 941-9199 |
4 | C- | Floor generally looks good, but some quality
issues: -- irregular spacing around cabinets -- somewhat odd centering of tile -- very poor use of caulk -- overly high door trim cuts -- very poor cleanup Owner did come out to discuss, but was not overly sympathetic. (Would recommend very close supervision if used.) |
| Appliances, Under Cabinet Lighting, Knobs and Pulls, Sink, Sink Fixtures |
Mark Kaplan, Howard's Kitchen Studio 513-271-3490 |
10 | A- |
Generally Very Good -- excellent advice -- very good appliances, sink, knobs, lights -- good prices -- needs reminders for item delivery -- some support staff questionable (delivery, counter installation) |
| Granite for CounterTop | Daltile Stone 513-554-1330 |
2 | A | Required two trips, had excellent materials |
| Counter Top Fabrication | Helmart 513-941-3095 |
5 | B+ | Nicely cut sink opening. OK seam placement. Some finished areas on splashes uneven. |
| Counter Top Installation | Helmart | 4 | C | Basically good installation but some iffy
quality and work practices tolerated: -- used permanent marker to cover up seam and edge flaws -- left adhesive on exposed counter undersides -- disruptive (arrive 1:30 p.m. and work till midnight). -- mediocre cleanup (removed trash but left a lot of dust.) (Could recommend only if on standard work day and assurances made and met regarding quality and cleanup.) |
| Finishing work (trim, minor changes/adjustments | Chet McCoy and crew. | 5 | A+ | Excellent. Fast, efficient, complete. |