ComplaintsforN-Hance Wood Refinishing

• Initial Complaint

  11/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 1/5/22 We hired N-Hance out of ******** ** to paint our cabinets using their lightspeed technology for durability along with purchasing of new cabinet doors, hinges and installing of cabinet/drawer handles. On 1/25/22 Cassie and Ryan ******* arrived to begin the work. On 1/26/22 I noticed that the cabinet doors looked smaller than I had anticipated, Ryan and Cassie stated they needed to look into and would let us know. They left that day with doors missing from my cabinets, doors smaller than the hole for the cabinet door, doors hanging by 1 screw, screws through the sides of my drawers, the doors painted a different color than the cabinet boxes, blotchy painted areas, damage to microwave, drawer fronts and handles installed crooked. On 1/27/22 an email exchange happened outlining our concerns of workmanship and incorrect doors with photo's. On 1/28/22 I received a phone call from Larry, Cassie's father, to schedule a time to meet. On 1/31/22 Larry and his brother in-law along with Ryan came to our home to look at the work completed and agreed that it was not up to standard that they would be ordering all new doors, new drawer boxes to replace the ones they ruined and repainting the cabinets. We brought up concern about the workmanship and were assured we would be very happy with the work once completed. In 3/2022 Ryan and Cassie came back out to complete the work again. The job did look much better than the first time but we still had some concern regarding workmanship but once again were assured that if we had any concerns to call them and they would take care of it. On 10/18/22 I reached out to the company regarding some issues of peeling & chipping paint, 10/25 I received a response that it would not be warrantied and their daily rate is $*****. 10/18 & 10/25 I asked how they can determine that by an email and provided them information from their website regarding the durability of the product, have not received any communication back. Paid $**** for work

  Business response

  11/07/2022

  This project was for cabinet door replacement with larger doors and drawer fronts than were originally on the existing cabinet boxes. Despite our best efforts mistakes in gathering parts can happen. When that happens NHance makes sure that before the job is considered completed that the homeowner is provided with the appropriate parts and an amazing finished product. That was the situation with this project.
  Retrofitting cabinets is an art and not a science. When changing door and drawer sizes and styles a project becomes complicated. Doors may not open the same, hidden hardware may be seen due to door style change, original screw locations no longer work etc. All of that can extend the amount of time a project can take. Since retrofitting is an art it can take time and possibly multiple attempts and finessing to make all the pieces work together as desired. This is particularly true when the homeowner is asking for larger sizes of doors and drawer fronts than their cabinet boxes were manufactured for. This need to finesse and make adjustments was what the homeowner was experiencing in the middle of their project. All of those finessing/adjustments were addressed by NHance during the project and all were completed by the project's end. None of the finessing/adjustments added to the homeowners cost. When the project was 100% complete the homeowners had a gorgeous, fully functioning kitchen with the largest door sizes NHance could provide given their existing cabinet boxes that still allowed their cabinets doors to open and close without hindrance. It is that end product that we focus on and what we feel is important as it is what the homeowner is left with when we close the books on their project. Once the end of a project is achieved and the homeowner begins using their kitchen, maintenance and care is the responsibility of the homeowner, not NHance. Touch up paint and cleaning solution along with instructions on how to use both are left with the homeowner.
  The homeowner's original drawer boxes were made from an inferior MDF and were approximately 10 years old already. An inferior product that is also aged is more susceptible to splintering when it is necessary to drill holes for handles or create new screw hold locations for drawer fronts. The homeowners original cabinets had no drawer or door handles installed. Since their drawer boxes were inferior and older this splintering did occur. Once the screws and handles are in place the splintered wood is pulled back in and is generally not noticeable. This common occurrence with handle holes and drawer boxes caused the homeowner an unusual amount of angst. It was at that time that NHance decided that as a courtesy to the homeowners, NHance would replace their inferior drawer boxes with an upgraded product, at NHance's expense. This was done as a superior rated product would reduce/limit the amount of splintering. This was all done in a sincere effort to ease the homeowners angst. It was not done because NHance had damaged the boxes nor was it ever intended to be an admission of such.
  The color used for the cabinet boxes and doors/drawers was the exact same color. The color the homeowner chose (white) does not require any additional pigments for the color to be achieved. Therefore, there is no possibility that there was an error with miss tint as no tinting was involved. Lighting and shadows can affect how color appears to the eye. Each space is different and natural light as well as the amount of artificial light can all have an impact on how the color appears. It does not mean that the colors are not the same, it just means they present differently to the eye. This was explained to the homeowner but they could not accept the role that light plays in color. As a courtesy, and to again reduce the unusual amount of angst, NHance offered to spray the boxes a second time using the same color used the first time and using the same procedures that were completed originally and outlined in the original work order. This process was completed by NHance at no additional cost to the homeowner. Again, this was not done as an admission to a mis-coloring of their cabinets rather simply as a courtesy.
  It is our standard practice to ask for photos of areas of concern. We use those photos to collaborate with the franchise technical support team. It is the technical support team's purpose to be experts in the use and function of NHance products. We collaborated with the technical team with the photos the homeowner provided to us. The technical support team verified with us that the photos showed no product failure. Abuse, misuse, normal wear and tear, staining, natural wood expansion and contraction, chipping and peeling due to water or impact as well as neglect and damage due to homeowner failure to do appropriate maintenance are not covered warranty issues. We do not warranty any handles/drawer pulls or drawer slides, hinges or door/drawer bumpers and it is the homeowners responsibility to perform any maintenance of those items. For example drawer slides that begin to squeak will need maintenance in the way of lubrication or cleaning. Any warranty issues for any of the above listed items would be dealt with directly through the hardware manufacturer. The homeowner was notified that the issues are not covered under warranty and they were given the option to have re-work done at our daily rate. The websites that the homeowner researched and forwarded to us were not related to this NHance franchise but rather belong to others. We are not responsible for other franchise warranties or their procedures. While ************* is an industry-leading wood finish and despite its superior durability, it cannot protect wood surfaces from all scratches, dings, or damage.
  

  Customer response

  11/09/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  Let me begin by stating Nhance did NOT replace my drawer boxes because they split, they replaced the boxes because they drilled screws into the corners of the drawers and the screws were sticking out the sides as you can see in the pictures provided. Also, the drawer boxes split not because of age as they were in perfect condition, but because Nhance did not predrill the holes nor did they protect the back, which was confirmed by Cassie's father, Larry's brother-in-law when he came out with Larry and Ryan to go over our concerns and also confirmed by other contractors, we have been in discussion with over these issues. Also, had NHance used thicker felt pads OR installed the pads on ALL the doors the screws from the handles would not be chipping away paint on the cabinets. The reason for our BBB complaint is If you look in the photos provided it appears there is no primer, or any sort of product used to help the paint adhere to the wood. The reason that we chose NHance over a traditional painting company is because they promote the durability of their product over traditional paint. With children and a dog in our home we knew we needed something durable, and this product we believed was the right choice but unfortunately at this time this product and company proves to not hold up to what they advertise/promote. NHance has many videos ** ******* of owners using sandpaper to scratch the paint, hitting completed product with hammers and scraping it with screw drivers and never did the product peel or chip. The paperwork provided to us before hiring Nhance to do the work states "NHance Wood Refinishing warrants the workmanship of the cabinets for one year from its completion date". I truly believe as a customer the issue of peeling paint is from poor workmanship or process as the peeling is happening on the edges of the doors/drawers and not where fingernails, cooking utensils or silverware hits. I do not believe that a product that cost over $**** just for paint should begin to fail just 8 months of normal use in a very normal home environment. Direct from their website " N-Hance wood refinishing services can give new life to your cabinets, renewing their natural beauty or updating them with a more modern look. Refresh your current finish, go for a deeper color, or change the look of your cabinets completely. We offer a gorgeous, factory-like finish that's designed to withstand years of wear and tear" We are asking that NHance stand behind their product and advertising and correct the issue of the peeling paint on our doors which again are brand new doors purchased through NHance.
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  Customer response

  11/14/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  Yes, we were left with a gorgeous kitchen but the bubbling of the paint where the paint did not adhere to the material is not seen in a photo several feet away and there is no care or maintenance to prevent this other than initial prep. The paint that is thin is also not evident in a photo. We paid over $**** for our kitchen to look beautiful and 8 months later the paint that we paid for, for our kitchen to be beautiful, is peeling off the brand new cabinet doors we purchased from NHance. We believe anyone who pays a company this much money would expect the product to last longer than that time frame especially when the company advertises, quoted direct from their brochures at time of receiving their estimate "Custom Color is made of an acrylic polyurethane blend, resulting in strong adhesion that resists chips and peeling." "Superior Process- Primer Applied-reduce chipping and peeling - Custom Color Applied-Several coats applied." From the photo's provided you can see very few coats were used. Again, we are asking that Nhance Wood Refinishing take responsibility for their poor workmanship and lack of process and correct the issue of peeling paint.

  Business response

  11/16/2022

  The key words to take notice of from your previous response is that our product is an acrylic polyurethane blend. This means that Nhance offers a "paint like finish" and not a paint. We did not paint your cabinet rather we refinished them. We understand how this can be a confusing concept to fully understand. When a true latex paint is applied it is usually in thick layers as the paint is of a thick consistency. Our finishes are thinner which allow them to be sprayed rather then rolled or brushed on. The layers applied to your new doors were not too thin. They were applied in the proper amount based on how the product works. The products are applied in stages where they are chemically bonded to one another making one continuous layer of finish rather than multiple individual that do not bond together. Any knowledge about paint is not relevant to this situation since no paint was used by Nhance in this process. We applied the exact number of coats we said we were going to do in the initial estimate which you approved when you chose to proceed with the work.
  
  Below is our warranty outlined according to the most recent photos provided by customer. Warranty and care guide have been attached for reference.
  
  Images 14 and 24 are photos of drawer boxes. These were from the middle of the job and have since been replaced. Not relevant currently.
  
  Image 3, Pic 1-5, &9 are photos of areas shows effects of water damage. Water is the main culprit to compromising the finish and is considered abuse. The photos show how the water has degraded the finish compromising the adhesion. The layers have thinned now that the water has taken them away. Nhance provided the customer with all the knowledge and tools to be successful with their newly refinished areas. This customer received a cabinet care guide which has been included for reference. This goes over how to clean and use the touch up bottle. Also, in this brochure talks about things to look out for that can affect the finish. The first and main one listed is water.
  
  Images 6 & 7 are areas where they are noticing the effect of normal wear and tear as this is likely a highly used cabinet like one housing garbage cans. The warranty states that special care needs to be taken around cabinets housing garbage cans. The lack of special care is on the customer as they are the only using their space. The warranty continues to state that a touch up bottle is given the customer for areas like these if needed. This is a situation where the touch up needs to be used.
  
  Again, to be clear these areas are not covered under our warranty as they are not workmanship. The finish is degrading and separating from the door due to an excess amount of water. We are asking for this customer to understand that the damage is caused by their normal use and abuse their space despite our provided tools and suggestions on proper care. It seems we are at an impasse where we can only offer the solution of reprocessing the water damage areas at a service fee. This offer will not ever be acceptable to this customer as they are looking to have this job done again at no cost. Nhance has tried to go above and beyond and provide as much as we could at no cost to this customer. Nhance is unfortunately no longer able to provide curtesy work.
  
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  Customer response

  11/17/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  You have refused to even step foot in our home to review or discuss these issues so I am not sure how you can pinpoint the cause when you have only reviewed photo's nor do you have anyway of knowing how we have cared for our cabinets. It is amazing to me that the product has withheld in the high traffic areas such as where my children sit at the counter and rub their feet and around the handles where finger nails and such hit but not along the edges where we had issues right after you completed the job and you had to come back in to do some more touch up. It truly is very sad that I as a customer trusted you to do a high quality job at a high quality price you have failed to stand behind your product.

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