That time a client insisted I use pre-finished plywood and I fought them on it for a week

They wanted Shaker-style cabinets for a kitchen remodel in Cleveland. I told them pre-finished would show every seam and glue line. They stood their ground. After 3 panels I realized the finish was actually consistent and I saved about 8 hours of sanding and spraying. Still bugs me they were right. Anyone else have a customer call it better than you thought?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley439d ago

Yep, learned that the hard way on a bathroom remodel last year.

mila_murphy218d ago

Stick with the pre-finished stuff if you ask me. I pushed back on a client once too, thinking I knew better, and ended up wasting a whole weekend sanding and spraying when the pre-finished would have been done in half the time. The seams are more visible, sure, but with good edge banding and proper layout, you can hide them well enough that nobody notices. Plus, the factory finish is way more durable than anything I can put on in my shop, and it doesn't have that weird overspray smell for days. Sometimes the client just has a better eye for the practical side of things, and it's worth listening.