Complaint Review: The Home Depot

Kitchen remodel project, originally placed Dec. 15, 2012, at Home Depot Store #4602, subcontracted to US
Remodelers (A Home Depot company). The installation was performed February 5, 6, and 7, 2013.

On first inspection, everything looked OK. The new laminate counter-top looked dirty, but I could not clean it since there was no water hook-up in the kitchen till the plumber comes back. However, after the installer left, I found that I was unable to clean the counter-top. It turns out the entire surface is full of pock mark flaws from one end to the other.  They can clearly be seen for what they are on close examination. They can also be felt directly with a fingernail. The effect is to make the entire counter just look dirty and disgusting. I don't understand how this piece passed inspection in the factory or at the site. The entire counter-top will have to be replaced.

If in fact this particular laminate product is "designed" to look this way, then I must still protest. There was never any mention of any such "feature" and I would not have chosen it if I had been informed. I was
only shown pictures of the available styles and colors - these most certainly did not show any pits. It is the salesperson's responsibility to disclose important information about the product. The original
Specifications of sales agreement or change order only reads Our laminate countertops are manufactured using engineered wood with high pressure Wilson Art horizontal grade laminate and Countertop color:
Milano Quartz with no other description.

In addition, it now occurs to me that these pockmarks will hold bacteria and other filth and thus constitutes a health hazard.

The sink installation was supposed to be seamless. Instead, I find that there is a significant and variable gap around the sink. I can push down on the edges of the sink and see the gap disappear.

The back-splash area appears to still have a large amount of glue smudged all over - I don't know how to clean it up. In some sections there is a significant gap between the counter-top and the back-splash, which is filled with glue.

There are several significant problems with the cabinet refacing. There is a completely missing section of the new material. All of the wall-mounted cabinets received a new bottom section - except the cabinet above the refrigerator, which still shows the original cabinet bottom. I will need to have a piece installed here to match the rest of the installation. Also, the quarter-round trim at the bottom cabinet next to the refrigerator has a gap at the corner and needs to be modified.

I am also surprised that the original cabinet trim was not replaced on all of the edges where the cabinets meet the walls. As a result of this material not being replaced, I have a very unattractive line along every
wall that was covered by the original material. It will be very difficult to Spackle, sand, and repaint this area now that the new cabinets have been installed. In my opinion the installation should have included replacing ALL of the trim, not just some of it.

There are a few places with glue coming out of the cabinet section seams.

There is also a small section of the new material that was chipped/damaged during the course of installation. This is above the stove next to the fan/light.

The installer kept pressuring me to write a letter to take with him, giving him a "10 out of 10" for the installation.

After I determined the extent of the problems, I immediately sent an e-mail to Home Depot, they never responded. On February 11, I sent letters of complaint to:

Home Depot
Store #4602 (Sterling Park)
46261 Cranston Way
Sterling, VA 20165

Home Depot
4855 Walden Lane
Lanam, Md. 20706

US Remodelers
Thd At-Home Services, Inc


35 Davinci Drive # C
Bohemia, NY 11716-2666
(This is the address on my contract)

I never received any subsequent contact from Home Depot or US Remodelers.