They can be notoriously difficult to work with.
Day two of cabinet installation brought a mix of progress and setbacks, much like the first day. On the bright side, almost all the cabinets were installed, including my favorite addition: a built-in space for the refrigerator. It makes our existing fridge look surprisingly custom, and the opening to its right will house a built-in microwave, which is a huge upgrade.
Here are photos showing yesterday’s progress:
Now for the downsides. A small issue surfaced when we found one of the existing wall outlets sits too high and would be blocked by an upper cabinet. Fortunately, the electrician was already scheduled to visit, so moving the outlet is a quick fix and a minor added cost.
The bigger problem involved the microwave. When the installer opened the box labeled as a 30-inch under-cabinet microwave, it turned out to be a 24-inch countertop model. Worse, Lowe’s had special ordered the wrong unit, and we’d waited three weeks for it.
We made a last-minute trip to Lowe’s to return the incorrect microwave and buy the proper under-cabinet model. The replacement was $75 more than the wrong one, which was frustrating, but the store manager refunded the difference and sold us the correct unit for the original price as an apology for the mistake. That customer-service gesture helped smooth things over.
With the outlet issue scheduled and the correct microwave now on hand, installation day three is shaping up to be productive. We’re hopeful the remainder of the kitchen install will continue without further surprises and finish on a high note.