Several problems with Quadrafire7100 install...help!!

I am so hot about my install I don't think I need a wood stove to keep me warm this winter. I paid a factory authorized installer to put this thing in and he's not done yet....thank God I have not finished paying him yet either! Here's the issues.

1. After installing the unit, he told me go ahead and put up my rock/tile and they'd come back and install the fascia. I had a sample of the rock tile I was using sitting right there, he said the thickness isn't an issue, go ahead and install it right up to the flange and it would be covered by the fascia. Well, now the screws to hold on the facia are too short because the rock is holding the fascia off of the unit by 1/2" or so. This, I think, is the BIGGEST problem with my install. My two choices are getting a masonry disk for a side grinder and trying to trim the rock back. NOT a good option in my opinion because this is very hard rock (quartzite) and it's going to be next to impossible to make a nice cut. The second option (and probably the one I will do) is get some strips of steel and attach them to the existing spacer strips that are on the back side of the fascia with high-temp silicone and use longer screws. Is this a good, safe fix?

2. I told him several times how important it was to make sure the switch box was done properly and lined up with the existing switch box that it was going right next to. He assured me it would be perfect. Well, it's far from perfect. Now I have to lower and straighten the box, patch the drywall and try to match the paint. The sad thing is that they could have easily installed this box from the garage side of this wall without messing up my paint.

3. The three flex pipes (convection air, combustion air and chimney cooling air) are running up through the fire stop. The fire stop was installed after the pipe so instead of running the pipe through a hole in a solid piece of galvanized, they used pieces and screwed up there. This, in my opinion, is not a safe fire stop. They say they are going to seal it all up with foam. Is this acceptable? Man what a messy job it is! These guys are professionals?

4. The quadrafire is not bolted down to the floor….the hold-down brackets it was secured to the pallet with are gone.

5. If these issues are so glaringly obvious, it makes me wonder what other shortcuts they have taken….shortcuts I don’t see. This has not been a good experience at all.

thanks for any suggestions, comments, etc. I am at a loss right now.

Another issue if you can look at the photo where the three flex pipes go through the fire stop, is that the sharp edge of the flashing is jammed right against the side of the flex pipes. I wonder how long before the flashing cuts through those pipes?

you know, in hind sight I do wish I had just installed it myself. But I figured I'd get a better job by hiring a factory trained installer. Yeah right...what a joke that was! I called him today and asked him to send me my final invoice before I lay into him with my demands, so that he does not try to pad the install. I do know he charged me $75 for that firestop, which I do NOT intend to pay until it's done right. I am so disapointed.

They wanted to come back today to finish up and I told him not to come until Friday. That way I will be home and will have all of my ducks in a row before they get here. I am going to let them install the fascia with some temporary spacers just to see if the knobs and doors do work. If they don't, I'll have to look into grinding off some of the rock around the fascia. The installer WILL have to pay for that, along with the drywall repairs and painting.

And I'll check code regarding the drywall in the chase. Not sure if it's required here or not, but if it is, that's my responsiblity. It was not in the quote. We will have to just work around the pipe to do it.

ok, I see what you mean. I have typed up a list of all of my issues for the installer. I am going to back-charge him for the things I have to pay to have fixed (stone, drywall, painting, new chase pan if he won't do it right). I am so disgusted with him right now. He will probably slap a mechanical lein (who cares.....lol) on my house but he is not getting a red cent out of me until this stuff is done right.

thanks. Regarding the firestop......do you think the flex duct passing through the firestop is a problem? I am going to suggest to them that they come back with a solid, one piece firestop that has a central hole for the chimney pipe and three 6" holes for the flex duct. If the pipes fit snugly in the holes, I don't have an issue with foamblock to fill the small gaps between the flashing and the pipes. But I won't accept this mess. Would you believe they actually charged me $75 for that chase "pan"?

Regarding the electrical....we are going to go back and check all of their connections and wiring to make sure it was done right. We wired the house ourselves (this is our 3rd house we built) so I am confidant in our abilities. I wonder if I have any recourse through quadrafire, since this dealer/installer was recommended on their web site?

I just sent Hearth & Home an Email and requested that they have someone contact me. I really don't want to let this contractor continue with my install. They have already proven themselves to be unfit.

The installer just left. He fixed the switch plate, he fixed the chase pan and secured the transition pipe properly and caulked where he was supposed to, only after I told him that the installation instructions say to do it that way. Then he started working on the fascia. He said it won't fit and I have to have the rock removed and fixed, at my expense. I reminded him that I installed the rock per his instructions so why should I have to pay the bill? He got mad and left. Told me he is done, I don't owe him any more money. I am getting a rock man to come and see what needs to be done to fix the rock. The doors will not open right with it like it is, so it's going to have to be cut back. What a mess!!

Well, the installer called me this evening and apologized for acting like a child and for being terribly rude. He said he is going to send his rock guy here to fix the rock, at his expense. You can bet I will be watching him like hawk. If he looks like he is making a mess of my beautifully done rock tile, I will send him packing in a hurry. If....and that is a BIG if....the installer manages to give me a decent job, I will pay him what I agreed to pay him because that is the only fair thing to do. We are checking over the wiring ourselves to make sure all of the connections are tight. The manufacturer has not contacted me back since my inquiry a few days ago, which does not sit well with me either. Regardless of the final outcome, I do intend to talk to them and let them know how bad my installation job was.

No, actually I am not comfortable with it. as I lay in bed last night, I thought this thing over and have decided that this guy isn't going to finish my install. He threw a great big temper tantrum over this job because I kept catching him taking short cuts and only apologized so he can finish and get paid. Well, he's not going to finish or get paid. The mfg did not contact me back this week so I will call them Monday and get a different installer or the factory rep out there to check over my former installers work. And I am going to get a small grinder and see if I can cut this stone back myself. If my original installer thinks he did a good job on my install, chances are his stone guy does shoddy work as well. I'd much rather just do it myself.

Excellent idea, loon. I just sent them a link to this thread.

Yes, dealer and installer are the same person. I sure hope hearth and home helps me. This kind of makes me wish I had gone with a different unit. I love the look of this quadrafire, but this has become a major headache.

OK....here's the current plan. I am hiring an electrician, a drywall guy/painter, a stone/tile guy and a different factory installer. I will pay for these people out of the money I still owe to the current installer. If there is any money left over, I will send it to him. I agreed on a price for this unit and the installation and don't want to screw anyone out of money, so he will get anything that's leftover because that's what is fair. I informed the installer of my plan this morning. He seems to be OK with it. Hopefully the factory folks will call me today as I requested.