Can a Glass Company in Rancho Cordova Fix a Bad Mirror Install?

How can a contractor make a homeowner whole again when a project was completed incorrectly and it’s too complicated to tear down and redo? The way I look at this situation is even if the glass company agreed to refund all of my money in full — gave me back my 500 bucks — it doesn’t change how I feel about it. A refund won’t cut it. It’s really not the money; it’s the principle. It’s not like I did not make my expectations perfectly clear from the beginning, because I was adamant.

I also had met with the installers from the glass company in Rancho Cordova when they measured the wall for placement of the mirror. The mirror is about 6 feet wide and 5 feet high, so it’s a big mirror. Thinking ahead like I am predisposed, I had requested that the glass company paint the back of the mirror with an additional coating to try to prevent peeling of finish, resulting in that weathered black edge after time. The mirror was to be installed on a wall from a left inside corner to a right outside corner. It was extremely important that the mirror’s edge on the right line-up flush with the edge of the corner. The job required perfection.

When the installers from the glass company placed the mirror, the edge was not flush. I complained on the spot and asked them to fix it. The installers proclaimed it was impossible to fix because the wall was not plumb. Some yo-yo burly guy insisted that he had placed a level on the wall when he initially measured, and the wall had been plumb at that time, but after the marble was installed, it was no longer plumb. Or, at least that was his story, he was sticking to it and what he would tell his drinking buddies later.

After measuring the mirror, it was clear to me that the installer was a doofus. Not just your usual triple Big Macs for lunch and supersize the French fries idiot, a true doofus. The mirror was 1/8th of an inch longer on top than it was on the bottom. It meant the company that manufactured the mirror had not cut the mirror to precise measurements. I called the glass company in Rancho Cordova to address the problem. The customer service guy sent over a different employee to measure the mirror to determine whether his guys measured  incorrectly or if the manufacturer screwed up. It was the manufacturer’s fault.

However, upon presentation of the facts, the manufacturer claimed a variance of 1/8th of an inch on a rectangle mirror is insignificant and therefore acceptable. I agree, if the mirror was centered on a wall. In that event, I could overlook it because I would not notice it. But when the mirror meets an outside corner, no, it is NOT insignificant. It is hugely important.

Why don’t people take pride in their work anymore? Why do companies not care about how they manufacture products and so readily accept mediocracy? Has bottom-line profit margins been so reduced over the years that excellence is no longer a goal?

I noticed the installers had chipped a piece of marble when they installed the mirror. It was not a professional installation job in my estimation. One of the shims is protruding slightly as well. If they rip off the mirror, which is attached with a strong industrial product, it is highly likely they will demolish the wall in addition to ruining more of our beautiful Carrara marble. The wall is reinforced with chicken wire and concrete. It’s probably best to leave it alone.

Still, the company in Rancho Cordova wants to know how they can make their customer happy. Turn back the clock, hire workers who give a crap, instill a policy of professionalism, and don’t accept inferior products from your manufacturer would suffice, but that’s not gonna happen. I’m in a service business selling real estate in Sacramento. I demand excellence from myself and my team members. We strive not to merely make our clients happy or satisfied but our goal is to make them ecstatic with our performance. Perhaps if I were some lemming, I wouldn’t care, too, like so many people do not. But that’s not how I am wired.

My husband, Adam, has a solution. To install a small chrome frame around the mirror. It would reduce the beveled edge unevenly, but it might not be enough to be visibly noticed and hence an irritant.