Quality is an interesting topic.  It’s something that is hard to define in writing or even in pictures.  You can as easily tell sub-par quality as you can tell superior high quality.

Where it get’s tougher in renovations or remodels, is the middle ground.  In the vast area between total crap and the unafforable and unattainable, lives what we deal with most times.  The product is usually well suited for the purpose.  It does it’s job and has a reasonable service life.

Where there could be some conflict is in the expectations.  You expected something greater than what you received.  The door just doesn’t have the weight you expected.  The fridge is noisier that you thought it should be.  And the tile floor joints are uneven.  Surely this isn’t right.

Then there is the marginal quality.   Paint is paint, right?  Those drywall tape joints are a bit rough, but then they all are, and if you don’t get too close you don’t notice them too  much. 

And finally there is hidden or concealed work.   There are items that you’re not even aware of having possible lower quality.  The plumbing within the wall, the electrical wiring, or the vapour barrier details around the windows all could be less than expected.  If you pulled a permit for the work, at least you have some confort in knowing that the work was inspected by the departments having jurisdiction.

The tough part in a renovation is that quality is as much a feeling as it is a reality.  If you trust your contractor and have carefully reviewed the specifications, you are well on your way of receiving what you paid for.

The problem is, who can you turn to if you have a truly bad feeling or merely some doubt?

- Frank Soellig