Hello Areewan,
Quite simply because they probably thought they might get away with it. Or they sent their worst man for the job. If properties are for sale then they have to be good. If it's for someone who has the home then they don't care. What you need is someone who loves what they do and cares about the project and house more than you do. In this way you can gauge a tradesman and how he feels about the work he undertakes.
It's not a job so much as who you are. Talking to someone before you hire them will be a good way to understand who is who! :))

I checked the director of this company and found out the shocking truth about him.... saw one comment 3 years ago.....

After looking at drawings of my kitchen, Kenneth xxxxx (Director),
Surface xxx quoted me £4000 to have Quartz worktops fitted in my
kitchen.

I agreed and then he sent his fitters to my house to
draw templates. The fitters took my sink away with them as I wanted the
Quartz to be cut around it.

I then get a call..
saying they under-estimated the Job and now they require £6000. I then
tell them that I no longer want to proceed and I will arrange for my
sink to be collected.

I am then told if I no longer want to
proceed they will not return me my sink unless I pay them £145 for the
template. I then tell them that I would have never agreed to their
fitters coming out in the first place if I knew they would be charging
£6000.

Surface xxxx point blank refused to hand my sink back.

I
have since been onto Companies house. Kenneth xxxxx(Director),
Surface xxxx has 18 previous Dissolved Companies against his name. His
company Surface xxxx Limited has been DISSOLVED. I don't understand how
he can still be allowed to trade. This Company is not even VAT
registered.

I would not recommend this company to anyone.

I found this too late!!!

AJ, I did talk to him many times before making a decision. He seemed to be an honest person and frank, showed me his factory and the work, and mentioned to me he got all 19 houses around our new built houses to get done too. That is why I felt for it, worse than that I mentioned to my in law who is renewing their kitchen as well and they hired them too. I am feeling guilty right now.

Hello Areewan,

Well if a company is new or has not met the threshold then they will not have a vat number. This does not denote how good they are- it's simply a measure of how much they have amassed whilst trading! Under the threshold you don't require a vat number and therefore don't charge VAT. This is often preferred among those clients who wish to make savings..

This is why it is important to know a good company from a charlatan! Vat registered is not an indicator per se as even those who have met the threshold and charge VAT can be anything but good!

The company should never need to take away your product and certainly not hold you to ransom for it! They should be fitting on site. A good job they are struck off! I feel terrible for you as there are many people out there claiming to offer a trade, a skill, a service and providing none of it!

Money making being the sole interest.. In my line of work.. I tend to care more about a clients project than they do. I do hope you find someone who can carry out the works to an exemplary finish.. This is really after all what makes a kitchen or any room scheme.. It's how it is completed that matters and so working with the right people makes a wealth of difference....

You can't feel bad for not knowing.. Trust me, we have all been there and seen people crow about their experience and you find they are utterly diabolical ! You will find someone and rectify this situation.. Things can always be repaired and know that at some point you'll be happy with your home.. :))

AJ, I will call him this Monday and mention to him about the sealing as well, and will see how he will solve this problem. I totally renew my kitchen worktop, tiles and floor. This experience at least makes me wiser to check the company to do the job next time. Cheers again for your support :)

Oh Johnny....your work is really good, if you are not this far I would hire you right away, I love that color of that worktop too, it looks good and the seam is really neat and blend in so well. That is what I expected to see in my kitchen at first!!

Not at all Areewan, Most welcome! The important thing is that you find a way forward. Johnny's seams etc do indeed look cleaner from the images. I also like the up stand too as a finish.. :))

Absolutely. You need to be happy Areewan, and there are changes that can be made to improve what you already have. Let us know how you get on on Monday. Monday is a bank holiday tho, hopefully he is decent enough to right his wrongs. I'm not sure I can say who I work for. I'm not here looking for work (I was looking for inspiration) and I wouldn't want it to come across that way.

Thank you AJ. I know it isn't ideal to have a join in this sink run, but cutting the pieces together on the slab helps dramatically. The upstand is a beautiful addition too and worth it imo.

Hello AJ

What a wonderful statement. Yes I totally agree. :)) I can't help but just say yes, "I can do that." When we are asked to do something new, something different. The best advice I can give is to say "Yes no problem" and then worry about it later. If we don't say yes. Someone else will. Even the most difficult things can be achieved if you want to do them.

Looking at your designs, they are beautiful. So nice to see such creativity and individuality. They are truly awesome. If only I can afford an interior like that.

Hello Johnny,

Oh thank you so much.. That's really lovely! I agree we're always learning and developing. Looking at projects in different ways and yes.. saying yes to work which develops, stretches your creativity, your aptitude is the way we grow and become better and better.
Well I am certain you could, I'm highly resourceful and I specialise in creating high end with mixed budgets - I'm very reasonable for what I give and do. I always give more, care more and I'm thrilled you like my work.. Thank you so much ! :))

Just to update the situation, after calling the company and discussing about the seam and the drain they forgot the drill the hole for it. The fitter came yesterday and fixed the drain, also they changed the seam from clear silicone to color silicone one that close to my color worktop. I did ask about using epoxy with color matching but they said they used to use them but they break easily from movement under the worktop like dishwasher. They also agree to come back for sealing and sanding my worktop for finishing the look. :))

Hello Areewan,

That sounds very positive indeed! Glad to hear they are willing to finish and complete the job and hopefully you'll be happy very soon. :))

Hey Areewan,

You're getting somewhere, at least he is trying to put it right. The choice of silicone is still a concern for me. You will never achieve perfection with coloured silicone.

His point is kind of valid. You may in 1/1000 installations get some joints break. This can happen through movement of a dishwasher or more than likely somebody standing/sitting on the worktop! For us, this isn't a big issue. Certainly not big enough or common enough to warrant using silicone for the seam. The joint can be re-levelled and and re-glued if the resin cracks. Simple.

I hope you get it looking right for you.

I am still chasing the guy to come to do the sealing for me Johnny, and to be honest, I am thinking about DIY myself. The fitters seem ok to come back to do the sealing job and sanding but the director Kenny haven't contacted me at all, to arrange the time for fitters to come. So I am thinking about DIY project. I am searching for epoxy and color but have no idea what color you use to mix with epoxy. Can you tell me where can I get it? I do a lot of DIY and painting stuffs so this is not something I am scared to try. I don't know if the guys will come to do it, or even they do come, I don't know if they will use good stuffs for the sealing. I just don't trust him anymore.

They really should come back , it is normal to have joints but they should not be that evident

Hi Areewan,

Thats not so good, the guy sounds like a nightmare. If I was you, I would confront him at the business premises. It's too easy for him to ignore calls and texts. Areewan where in the UK are you? We charge a labour rate but could make this right in no time at all.

Sorry guys for replying late. I am just back from the Air Show. I am in Lanarkshire. I am not quite sure if any other granite company will want to fix this for me because I didn't buy the granite from them. It is a bad job from other company and they have to fix this.

We'e just had a granite worksurface fitted into our new kitchen in Turkey. The long surface was in one piece with the opening for the sink cut out before it was fitted. The island was cut from a single piece with the opening for the hob, pre-cut. No joins. No seams. Perfect! We couldn't believe how good it is, as sometimes Turkish workmanship leaves a lot to be desired. Hope your problems are fixed soon.

Greypuss you are luckier than me then. I should have picked other granite company if not because this one had the granite I am looking for. :((

Thanks so much AJ and Johny for trying to help me. I am not sure if you guys are aware that I am living in Scotland :((. Here might be more difficult as I am searching for most granite companies and there is rarely any of them fixing the granite problems. I got a fitter from different company to come to see tomorrow, but I don't have high hope much as he knows the guy, Kenny and I don't know in what degree. But from talking to him on the phone and sending him pictures I showed here, he said there was no issues (-*-)

Hey Areewan.

Sorry about the belated reply. I am so busy with work, buying a new home and finally trying to arrange a holiday.

I can see that you are in Scotland now that's such a shame. I am on the South coast and I don't think we could be any further apart unfortunately.

Does he mean there are "No issues" with Kennys work? Or does he mean there are No issues" with being able to put it right. Because there certainly are issues with Kennys work! Hopefully he is acknowledging that.

If it is the latter he is right in saying that with some time, experience and the right tools then this less than perfect job can be made good. Not perfect but very good.

I understand you are limited in companies available to help you. But is there really know one else you could try?

Areewan do you not have an option of talking to consumer advice on this? Getting some sort of legal advice on where exactly you stand? Maybe you should not have any work done until someone from a legal perspective, who may be able to help you, has seen how bad it is.

AJ is right tho 100% you should be making Kenny and his company either sort it out or pay for any of the work you have carried out to make it good for you.

Kenny fails on all aspects of number 3.

Quite frankly Areewan I am gobsmacked! This guy John. Well I don't know what to say. Just don't waste anymore of your time and money.

You are right in saying that there are very few companies that will carry out remedial work on other peoples work. But they are out there. The question is will they travel? I don't know.

Do you not have any paperwork like quotation summary or anything else re: the order itself. I find it incredible the way this guy is operating a business. I would report him to trading standards.

Can I ask? And you can tell me to piss off if you like, but was the job cheap? Did you get more than one quote as a comparison?

Hello Areewan,

Okay so you need to put it all in writing to the company. You need to explain what you're not happy with with images. Get quotes from others for cost of completion/repair. Written quotes that you can scan and send with the email or letter. The company is obliged to set it right under their duty of care either by completing the work at their expense or you find someone else and the bill is sent to the first company.

Now the thing to note here is, you have given them ample time to arrange to attend and complete the works. So now you can start legal proceedings. Speak to citizens advice. You can also start a small claims proceeding to claim your money back. You could also take them to court for negligence but these things can cost - so you need to weigh up the benefit here.. So speak to citizens advise and retain all information including quotes and anything from the first company that you can submit to substantiate your claim. It may be enough to get them to finish the work but - some people are charlatans. I hope you find a way forward quickly and without hassle and cost :))

I'm am not sure if the stock clearance reasoning is why he's selling it. I imagine it is just to make some quick money. You can buy low grade, highly resined slabs of black Indian granite from Italy for £100-200 even cheaper if you buy more but obviously you have the cost involved of transporting them. It is totally possible if he has a yard to store them, that he is buying them cheap and trying to be a bit of a wholesaler to make quick money.

Does Kenny stock slabs of material you can view prior to cutting? Or is he shipping in cut to size sections of material straight from the quarry? Did you visit his premises?

Hello Areewan,

I do remember of course... Oh goodness! All that sounds so very unsavoury. I'm quite shocked - please take care ! Perhaps consider carefully how to proceed then in light of that. It's not right to intimidate people into accepting bad work but perhaps steer clear :))

It's ok I understand, that is very very cheap. There is nothing wrong as such I don't think with the material itself just that it is mismatched in colour. The quality of the stone looks ok. It is the poor workmanship that has let this down. Even with the extra seam strip joints for the hob this could look great.

Like I said initially I believe it to made from cut to size lengths imported direct from the quarry. This increases the amount of joints needed and makes it very difficult when it comes to colour matching and continuation of the pattern across the seam. This is because essentially the buyer is purchasing crates of mismatched material. Even Quartz is made in colour batches and if using more than one slab for production we always use consecutive slabs form the same colour batch. Now none of this matters if you are having an all one colour granite. Because a black African granite for example is very consistent in colour for a period of time. And therefore lends itself to the method of using cut to size granite components.

This is not the way we operate but lots of smaller newly operating businesses do. It will allow these companies that do operate this way to really keep there costs down and offer low priced but lower quality installations.

Wow! What a disgraceful bully. I hope he gets everything he deserves one day. AJ is absolutely right. Do not put yourself in any position of vulnerability. Don't go to his premises alone and just be careful Areewan.

How are men like him able to start up and operate businesses in this country. Who is regulating these companies? It's disgusting.

http://www.tilingsuppliesdirect.co.uk/product/lithofin-nano-top

This is what we use. It is expensive but it is the best. It is paramount the sealant is applied to completely dry stone throughout the material. You can apply this yourself just wear a mask and latex gloves. There will be instructions regarding application.

What did you get from Amazon?

The thing I can't understand Areewan is how did he manage to make such a mess of it if he has cut from the full slab like he must have done. Maybe he had an issue during fabrication, a breakage. Because if you actually saw the slabs and he did bother to buy them in then how has he got it so wrong?

I feel really sorry for you and I wish I could help.

The picture of the slab is lovely. You have great taste. I'm hopeful everything's gonna be ok. Let's be positive.

I will check the stain remover brand tomorrow we use and let you know. There's a few options for you depending on what has caused it and how severe it is. What sort of staining are we talking about?