How to Prepare for your kitchen or bathroom remodel and renovation!
Below you will find tips and tidbits that will help to guide you as we get ready for this renovation adventure !
To Keep or Not to Keep….. Many of our clients find that while cleaning out their bathroom and kitchen for the remodel, they can also purge and get rid of unwanted items. This can be a silver lining during all of the mess and upheaval that a remodel can cause! Also, please let your contractor and designer know ahead of the demo day if you have a way to repurpose any part of your bath or kitchen, such as cabinets, so that they can set them aside for you. Some individuals wish to donate to organizations, friends, or family, and as long as we are aware we can make certain that extra care is given to prevent damage as much as possible.
Time for a Vacation! Since the kitchen and bathrooms is one of the most used areas of the home, your daily routine will be greatly impacted while it is under construction. Many families decide to take a vacation or to stay with family during the main construction phase to eliminate the headache of trying to work around the mess and noise. We realize this is not an option for everyone, but is worth consideration in order to alleviate some of the stress of the demo and initial installations. It is advisable to stay out of the home, possibly over a long weekend, during the painting or staining of cabinetry. Many of the chemicals used in these processes produce fumes that can be strong and may cause headaches. Although the contractor will be diligent in using fans and trying to increase air flow in the space, it is best to give a day or two for the area to cure before returning to the space.
Hurry Up and Wait! Some aspects of your project may take more time than others, either in the production and delivery of product, or in the installation. Cabinets usually take approximately 6-8 weeks to manufacture, for instance, and must be ordered after structural changes are made and final measurements can be confirmed. Countertops can take 2-3 weeks or more from the time of template, which is done after cabinetry has been installed. Shower glass cannot be ordered until the shower has been installed. There are times that products are delayed in manufacturing, and some special order products will take longer to process because they are made especially for your project. During tile installations, there are different time periods that products must “cure” or dry before the contractor can move on to the next phase. Because of this, some of the installation team may not be at your job site during the drying time in order to be productive on other projects as well. Please understand that these time frames are out of our control, and that we are equally anxious to see your room(s) completed.
Remodels can be costly, and we want to assure you that we are trying our best to make your dollar stretch farther. However, if you add products or divert from the original plan for any reason, it will probably result in additional funds needed. For this reason, we encourage clients to set aside an additional 10-15% of their project total to cover these change orders as they occur. Although these funds might not be used, clients are saved the stress of trying to obtain funding and keep the project on schedule without further delays by planning ahead.