Customer taught me a lesson about reveal gaps after 8 years in the shop

Had a client in Portland who rejected a full set of shaker doors because my reveals were off by about 1/16 inch on three of them. I thought I was being precise with my setup blocks, but he pulled out a digital caliper and showed me the difference door to door. He said it looked like a bad haircut when you stare at it long enough, and honestly he was right. Now I cut a spacer stick for every job and check each reveal against the previous door before I hang it. Has anyone else had a customer point out a tolerance issue that made you rethink your whole process?

2 comments

2 Comments

lane.cameron23d ago

and honestly that caliper moment is EVERYTHING. I had the same thing happen with a built in bookcase where my shelf spacing was off by a hair on one side, and the homeowner just looked at it from the end and said "that shelf looks tired". Turns out even 1/32 shows up when you stare down a long line of cabinets. I used to set my stop blocks and trust them, but now I do the same thing you do, I keep a dedicated spacer and I physically check each door against the last one before I commit. @nancy475 is right that the defensive builders never learn, they just blame the wood or the paint. Taking the hit and changing your process feels bad at first but it makes you way sharper on the next job. That customer probably did you a bigger favor than they know.

nancy47524d ago

That's brutal, man. I've been there too, where you think it's tight enough and someone with a caliper just changes the whole game for you. Good on you for taking it as a lesson instead of getting defensive, that's what separates the real builders from the hacks.