[FloridaShrimp]

The project for granite counter-tops and back splash installed by Wildwood Kitchen and Bath was more costly than competitors but I went with them because of a good referral. Should have saved my money. Every part of this project was done poorly and there was no follow up or quality control exhibited by the owner. First, quite a bit of drywall was damaged when the old counters were removed. The granite was thinner than the original counter and all of the surrounding edges were damaged and needed to be reworked- filled, orange peel applied and painted. Gouges and knicks were made in the opening to the kitchen. Instead of using a utility knife to slice the bottom of the molding under the bar top in the kitchen opening, it was ripped off tearing up more drywall. When this was mentioned, the owner said that they don't usually repair any damage done during the demolition. Second, the granite was cut too short and did not butt up against the wall. The space was filled in with an unsightly bit of white grout. Pictures were sent to the owner and I called her saying that I did not want the tile installed (it went around the kitchen) until a solution could be found for this defect. There was no follow up, no communication about the matter. The tile installer came out to look at it and he had no solution. So I came up with the suggestion to cut a small piece of granite and glue it in place so that the counter top would meet the wall. This was done- again the owner had no discussion with me about a fix. Next comes the tile installation. I chose a special pattern for over the sink between the cabinets. It was pricey but pretty. Several of the small tiles were chipped. The tile installer tried to repair the drywall but I had to stop him because of the job he was doing- he said that he was not a drywall man. I have spent quite a bit of time redoing what the granite installer tore up and redoing the mess the tile installer made. I paid half of the amount upon signing the contract, all but $260 when the installer came out to make a template for the granite. Once I had paid, there was no follow-up about the issues from the owner. She never communicated with me about any issue I was having with the project that I had paid up front for. I do not recommend having any work done by Wildwood Kitchen and Bath.

[villagetinker]

Contact seniors against crime and explain your problems, they may be able to help with a refund.

[REDCART]

There have many poor reviews in the past on TOTV re WK&B. Did you overlook the poor reviews or were you simply impressed by the very nice WK&B showroom? Hindsight of course is always 20/20. We looked at WK&B last year for new bath ideas but given the negative reviews here we knew that we'd never use them. It hurts when you spend money in good faith and the contractor doesn't hold up their end of the deal.

[2BNTV]

From OP:
Once I had paid, there was no follow-up about the issues from the owner. She never communicated with me about any issue I was having with the project that I had paid up front for.

My older brother was a contractor and he always said, "never pay a contractor in full until you are satisfied with the job. They will never come back and address your concerns as they will be off to the next or bigger job/s".

It's a shame that some contractors don't have the integrity to do what's right by their customers. Eventually, their business will suffer.

[John_W]

Originally Posted by FloridaShrimp

...Second, the granite was cut too short and did not butt up against the wall. The space was filled in with an unsightly bit of white grout...

There is no excuse for that type of work when the place has been in business for so many years. They advertise heavily in TV and in various Villages publications. To made that look good, it would require more granite. A 4" strip of matching granite mounted horizon along the back of the bar would cover the opening, in fact a lot of granite countertops are installed that way. Here's an example:



Fortunately I've been an advid reader of TOTV for about 5+ years, and I remember many bad reviews in the past about Wildwood Kitchen that I put in the back of my mind. Just off the top of my head if I were to want granite installed tomorrow, I would go with ARS Granite in Fruitland Park or Duncan Stone in Leesburg. There are many good reviews on this website about those two. Duncan Stone is an advertiser on TOTV and ARS I've been to in person and have an estimate in hand.

ARS Granite and Marble

Duncan Stone, Inc-Home

[TNLAKEPANDA]

We got a quote from them (the sales person was a Village resident) to install some additional matching cabinets in our kitchen. They sold the same brand of cabinets. When I got their quote I was shocked at the price. I know about what things should cost. After doing some research I found a company in Ocala who installed the exact same items for HALF of what Wildwood wanted. They are a total rip-off.

[Chi-Town]

Wildwood Kitchen and Bath has a nice showroom which many other like businesses lack. You would think with that hook they would strive to capitalize on such an advantage. But they are mediocre at best. ARS got my order.

[mtdjed]

These posts have saved me money. I had a quote for some bathroom updates that I was going to contract for this fall. Not now thanks to fellow posters.

[Bryan]

Another vote for "Never pay in advance" or, on milestone payments, keep 25% of the contract in your pocket as the final payment. You would be amazed at how attentive a contractor will be to your 'punch list' if you still have 25% of the total contract in your pocket. If a contractor won't go for that, time for you to go to another contractor who will.

[Bonnevie]

Granite Solutions did mine. The plumber that was installing the sinks pointed out how they take the granite all the way to the wall and he told me some others don't do that. Another reason I'm so happy I went with them.

[TNLAKEPANDA]

Try thses folks

McCullough Family Granite Ocala, FL 34475 - YP.com

[FloridaShrimp]

Update on Wildwood Kitchen and Bath- the owner just replied about the issue of the decorative tile. She is scheduling a redo of this area of tile over the sink. The original work was sloppy ; however it will be redone. The small piece of granite that filled the gap was an acceptable solution.

[rdhdleo]

Glad they're making it better! I have to say they installed our granite countertops, about 5 or 6 years ago and did a beautiful job. We had no complaints at all and their price was comparable to the others. We have recently sold the house and the new owners love it. Our current house has Corian countertops and I have to admit I like it a lot better