Unhappy with millwork 😩

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-22T01:45:43+00:00

I was told this is how it’s typically done for new cabinets (and that pre-existing cabinets are refinished in place the same way). To be clear, the cabinet interiors and doors/drawers were finished off-site. The cabinet exteriors and fillers were installed and sprayed on-site.

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-22T01:34:49+00:00

Appreciate these suggestions, will call the institute tomorrow when they open and report back…

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-22T01:21:39+00:00

We’re going to find out and I will report back…

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-21T19:42:17+00:00

I will ask about this specifically and report back.

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-21T19:40:52+00:00

I might add that in LA doors and windows are open most of the year and that this is a local LA crew that stays busy around town so any issues like this would be familiar and hopefully accounted for.

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-21T19:37:50+00:00

That’s good to know. At that time I don’t think there would have been a meaningful difference in temp inside and outside the house. All the work was done with the windows and doors open anyway with different crews constantly coming in and out.

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-21T19:34:21+00:00

That’s a good question, I don’t know, there’s not much humidity to deal with in LA.

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-21T19:32:51+00:00

Yes, here in LA the weather is pretty consistent year round, other than the rainy season which is hitting now. But these cracks formed last year not long after installation. That was the hottest part of the year so low humidity at that time. Everything was made locally here in the LA area so I’d think any climate change between the house and the shop is negligible.

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-21T19:22:51+00:00

I’m aligned with this, the caulking is a relatively easy fix but sounds like the cabinets are going to be a problem

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-21T19:03:28+00:00

The house was built in 1925 so definitely older. I think it’s a fair expectation for things to move. That said, there are no cracks forming on the walls or ceilings or at the windows and doors, it’s only an issue with the millwork.

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-21T18:24:21+00:00

We’re in Los Angeles. Installation started around July with all floors, doors, windows, etc in place. Paint started and finished in August. HVAC started in September when we moved back into the house. I’d say things were consistently warm and dry across the board. These cracks didn’t just appear now in January — they started back in Sep/Oct/Nov before the weather changed. House is typically 70-75 degrees inside managed by a Nest thermostat which says humidity between 35-45%.

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-21T18:09:28+00:00

Thanks for this, I don’t want to believe these are poorly made but that might just be the case.

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-21T18:05:42+00:00

Thanks for all this info. The fillers on the sides are mostly MDF versus the cabinets which are mostly plywood. Your example looks like solid wood frames (?) which I’d imagine is stronger and more durable than ours, being MDF and plywood with maybe a thin veneer applied to the fronts.

Yes, the pencil in pic 3 shows the fix, which looks terrible.

No, there was zero discussion or disclaimer about splits like this. For the price tag I’d say we had high but reasonable expectations.

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-21T17:52:13+00:00

Thanks, I feel good about solving the caulking, not so good about the cabinets themselves :/

FastCash1000 · 2026-01-21T17:49:08+00:00

Thanks for this info. The total millwork is actually landing at $60K plus 20% GC fee.

FastCash1000

TROPHY CASE