Artisan Kraft ArtisanKraft Stone Fireplaces, LLC Stone Fireplaces artisankraftfireplaces.com ridiculous service horrible installation Carol Stream Illinois

The beauty of this review is that I don’t even have to provide an opinion – it is all 100% fact – all you have to do is read the email chain and make your own determination on the type of company that Artisan Kraft / Stone Fireplace LLC is.  For your reference, I purchased a $6,000 fireplace plus $1,400 in installation fees.

I will provide a summary in chronological order, and then provide the supporting emails:

1.  For starters, they do not accept credit cards.  They have to be paid in full, in cash/check before they will process your order for the fireplace.  Keep in mind that this is for a stock item, not a custom made piece.  What is even “better” is that they want to be paid in advance in full for the installation before they even arrive.  As a reference, please see the following email chain:

FROM ARTISAN KRAFT:

Hi Jeff,

We have you schedule for installation on December 12. Please make sure we receive payment of $1400 before we arrive on site. We will need to have that in the office by December 7th to keep the date. Please let me know once that goes out.

Checks are made payable to:

Stone Fireplaces

373 S. Schmale Rd, Unit 201

Carol Stream, IL 60188

Thank you,
Marie
Office: 888-652-0106

artisankraft@gmail.com
artisankraftfireplaces.com

FROM ME:

Marie - we are confirmed for the 12th. I am not willing to pay in advance for a service that hasn't happened yet. If that doesn't work for you, just deliver the fireplace on the 12th or earlier and I'll get someone else to install it. 

Thanks

Jeff

FROM ARTISAN KRAFT:

Hi Jeff,

If you can provide a certified check on the day of install that is ok. Please confirm. Thank you

Thank you,
Marie
Office: 888-652-0106

artisankraft@gmail.com
artisankraftfireplaces.com

******************************************************************************

2.  I agreed to pay via a cashier’s check after the installation.  I was not able to stay home on the day of installation, but left a cashier’s check for them at the house.  The fireplace hearth was set on the subflooring, and was built up from there.  Keep in mind, this was a gut-renovation of an existing home, and all of the framing was brand new (14” engineered trusses, subflooring, etc.) and perfectly level.

Fast-forward to my flooring installation….  My flooring contractor calls me and says “Have you seen how off-level your fireplace is?”  As he was installing around the hearth (which is about 1 ¼” thick and 5’ long), he noticed that the hearth was higher at one end than the other.  So, I come home and place a level on the fireplace, and it is off-level by almost 1/2” over a 5’ span.  I then check the firebox (which was installed inside the chimney and not connected to the flooring), and I check the floor itself – they are both perfectly level.

So, I reach out to Artisan Kraft / Stone Fireplaces with the following email:

FROM ME:

Marie – my hardwood floors are being installed now around the fireplace.  My floors are perfectly level, as is the fireplace box, but your mantel is ½” off level over a short 5’ span.  Whoever installed this did not level the hearth, and then just set everything on top.  Now that we added the floor and the trim (which happens to be level and correct), the error on the fireplace is becoming pretty obvious.

 Please have someone call me to discuss how this gets corrected.

 Thank you,

 Jeff

FROM ARTISAN KRAFT:

Hi Jeff,

 I saw pictures of the fireplace and it looks beautiful in the space.

 We provide an excellent high end product that we stand behind. While many companies provide similar items we stand apart with the quality of work and installation that we deliver. Our installation crews have years of experience and are by far the most qualified in the field. There are no perfectly level job sites. Whenever anything is installed on a job site adjustments are made throughout to provide the best possible outcome. We have not encountered a concern or claim like this before as most professional trades understand that adjustments always need to be made. 

 The problem lies with the floor installation. If the flooring is installed before the hearth we make adjustments on our end to make sure that the project as a whole works best with the existing conditions. We make adjustments on our end to provide the best fit with the fireplace surround in relation to the subfloor, drywall/walls surface area, and the firebox top/bottom/right side/left side 

A level firebox inside a wall does not mean that it is level to the subfloor and its surroundings. Had it been installed another way there would be 1/2" filler seams on the joints compromising the aesthetic appearance and proper installation of the fireplace. 

 It is the responsibility of the flooring installers not to just throw the flooring down but to make appropriate adjustments for the most ideal fit. That includes raising and lowering the flooring where it is necessary. 

 Thank you,
Marie
Office: 888-652-0106

artisankraft@gmail.com
artisankraftfireplaces.com

FROM ME:

Why don’t you send someone out to look at it? 

FROM ARTISAN KRAFT:

[No response]

FROM ME:

Per my email and voicemail dated 3/7/17, please let me know when you will send someone out to evaluate the installation. 

FROM ARTISAN KRAFT:

Hi Jeff,

The fireplace was installed properly and to the best aesthetic appearance based on the job site conditions.  I have seen the photos and spoke with the installers. 

Your concern lies with the flooring installation that was installed up to the hearth after the hearth was already in place. Sending a company rep out will not resolve the flooring issue. Please view email sent on sent on March 7th for additional details. 

Thank you,
Marie
Office: 888-652-0106

artisankraft@gmail.com
artisankraftfireplaces.com

FROM ME:

Marie - the indisputable fact is that the hearth, and everything installed on top of it, is not level. That is the only issue at hand here. I have idea how "seeing a picture" has any relevance whatsoever. 

If you send someone over to evaluate the job site conditions, you would immediately come to the conclusion that the installers did not the level the hearth prior to building on it. 

There is no flooring issue whatsoever. The subfloor and the floor are perfectly level. In fact, it is the flawlessness of the perfectly level flooring that exposed the un-level fireplace. Oh, and by the way, even if the floor was off-level, a properly trained installer would have shimmed the hearth to make it level before they did anything else - it's just how things are supposed to be built - there are no exceptions. 

So, I'm not looking for you to correct a flooring issue. I'm looking for you to behave in a reputable manner, stand behind your product, and come to a resolution with your customer. 

Please have the owner of the company call me. xxx-xxx-xxxx. 

Thank you. 

FROM ARTISAN KRAFT:

[as of April 1^st, 2017, there has been no response from my email dated March 9^th, 2017

So, let’s recap:

If you want a company that requires you to pay for everything upfront, even for a service that hasn’t happened yet, please call Artisan Kraft / Stone Fireplaces

If you want unskilled installers who haven’t upgraded to using advanced technology such as a bubble-level (invented in 1620), please call them

If you want to deal with highly intelligent people like Marie, who have such amazing observational skills that they can tell whether something is level or not just by seeing a “pretty picture,” please reach out to them.

If you like people who try to [illogically] blame another trade for their incompetence, you know who to call

If you want a company that will not even give you the courtesy of a site visit to inspect a claim and potentially protect their reputation, please call now!

Anyways, now you know the type of company that Artisan Kraft / Stone Fireplaces is.  There are plenty of other companies out there for you to use:

pakistanonyxmarble.com/carved-marble-fire-places.ph p

mantelcraft.com/english-marble-mantel-collection /

designthespace.com/fireplace-mantels/marble-mantels/the-orleans-louis-xv-105 /

dmsstudios.com/Fireplaces_02.ht m

Good luck!