As part of a kitchen refresh, my wife and I decided to replace our existing Corian counter tops with granite. We were aware of Marble Trend’s solid reputation and quickly found a slab that we liked. Sales experience was extremely positive. But who to install it? Marbled Trend strongly endorsed DEA Marble- Granite, Marble, Quartz, Natural Stone. The company had recently done work for a family member, and they were happy. Indeed, the job looked good. Accordingly, we contracted with DEA to fabricate and install our new countertops.
The nightmare began. Sotari, one of the owner/operators, came to our home and spent ten minutes measuring our small but complicated kitchen with a tape measure. He wasn’t receptive to questions and input. I was so concerned by this speedy approach that I requested and paid for him to come back and re-measure. Same tape measure. And many complaints that the walls of our 35 year old house are not square- which of course no house is.
Installation was difficult to arrange, as a result of a number of postponements on their end. Weekdays were not an option apparently; when we protested, the fabricator Sotari informed that we were a ‘small job’ and challenged me to come and remove my material from his shop if we were not happy. I wish I had
I wish I could say that the wait was worth it. There were ¼ inch gaps between the countertops and walls. The under hangs were out between ¼ and ½ an inch on a run which is less than 4 feet. The fit was poor. Underneath supports were shored up with silicone pucks, which means that eventually the material will crack. The walls had been cut into. We chose to dump this substandard job and start afresh. We’ve repaired fairly extensive damage to our walls. We’re horrified to discover that the installer- Yanni- scored into our cabinetry with knife and level to make his mark, rather than use a pencil. This will also require repair.
We chose to dump this substandard job and start afresh. This time around, we’ve sought out the fabricator first. The reviews are excellent, and the experience thus far is positive. Excellent communication from the sales person. And the measurement is done by a technician who brings specialized digitalizing equipment: he encouraged our questions and invited us to watch the process. Measuring took over two hours. A template was brought to our home a week later to check for accuracy. A shop visit is scheduled with the fabricator to determine optimal placement on our stone.
Beware! Poor communication, out dated tools and methods, sloppy prep, careless workmanship, arrogance . Find your fabricator first. Do not go with this DAE unless you want to be treated very badly and have your job executed by individuals who don’t care.