What to expect during your remodel
Even with the best contractor, living in your home during a remodel can be challenging for any family. The quiet sanctuary of your home will be transformed into a bustling hive of activity and the process will inevitably disrupt some of your daily routines. Knowing what to expect ahead of time can reduce stress and help you strategize ways to make your remaining living space as comfortable as possible during the remodel.mfortable as possible during the remodel.
YOUR WORK STARTS BEFORE THE REMODELING BEGINS
For the duration of the project all furniture and personal possessions must be removed from the designated work zone. Allow yourself plenty of time to pack and move items to a new location. Consider packing up items in adjacent rooms that are particularly fragile or which you don't want to get dusty or dirty. Remember, space will be at a premium during the process so if multiple rooms are part of the work zone, consider storing things off-site.
DUST AND FUMES
We do everything we can to protect your home from dust by hanging plastic sheeting, covering carpeting and protecting floors with cardboard. We rough clean the work zone at the end of each day, and we use air filtration equipment whenever possible. However, we can't control all the dust. Expect to see extra dust, even in areas outside the work zone. Although we use low-odor, low VOC products whenever possible, many adhesives, sealants and stains will produce fumes that may be noticeable in adjacent areas of your home until they have dried, cured or set completely. (In these instances we may leave air-filtration equipment on overnight to expedite this process.) If anyone residing in your home has asthma, allergies, COPD or other respiratory sensitivities let your contractor know before they finalize your estimate. Extra steps can be built into the process to help you, but they may slow down the pace and cost more for the extra time expended.
NOISE AND EXTRA TRAFFIC
Expect that there will be lots of noise and commotion during your project, including saws, hammering and drills. Demolition is a particularly noisy and dirty phase of the project. Some homeowners are more comfortable staying elsewhere during this initial phase. You can also expect extra vehicles and traffic around your home. In addition to our craftsmen, your home will likely be visited by other professionals including: delivery persons, electricians, building inspectors, plumbers, etc. Taking a moment to strategize the parking and maneuverability of your own vehicles ahead of time can eliminate potential headaches, especially if space is limited.
HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARDS
Once we have started your remodeling project there will be safety hazards in the work zone. For your health and safety, and for the health and safety of your family members and pets, we ask that you stay out of the construction area (even after our work day ends). We know it's tempting to pop in and look at the progress we've made, but in addition to the obvious hazards - sharp tools, exposed nails, electrical wires, etc. there may also be safety considerations that aren't as obvious. Maintaining this boundary also helps to keep the dirt, dust and fumes contained in the construction area.
PROJECT COSTS INCREASED
Increased project costs are a concern for most homeowners. It is wise to have a 15% - 25% “contingency” in the budget for any remodel. This creates a buffer fund above and beyond the remodeling budget to cover unplanned expenses. There are four primary reasons for increased
1. Project scope expands: this means that, as the homeowner sees the project taking shape they add additional components to the work. For example: work begins on a kitchen remodel and then the homeowner decides they want to extend the new flooring for the kitchen into the dining room as well. Or, after seeing the tile shower surround, the homeowner wants to add a matching backsplash above the countertop. It's tempting to add “extra touches” to your remodel once it's underway. We are willing to add extra features to your remodel IF our schedule allows. Otherwise, we are happy to schedule extra components for a later date. Just remember that these changes to the project scope will increase the overall expense of your remodel.
2. Cost of materials: since 2020 most construction materials have increased in price by almost 40%. Transportation and delivery costs have also increased.
3. Selection upgrades: this means that the homeowner upgrades a feature or type of material being used in the remodel. For example: the homeowner decides that they want glass paneling instead of standard railing on the deck we are building. Or, the client decides that they want to upgrade the new kitchen countertops from laminate to marble. A feature upgrade is when an aspect of the design is changed, for example: the client selects tile for the shower surround but then decides they want to use multiple types of tile to create a more interesting pattern. Or, the client adds an accent wall to the room we are texturing and painting.
4. Hidden defects: Our estimates are based on “best case scenario” and we don't know what we're going to find behind your walls, above your ceiling or under your flooring. It could be faulty wiring, out of level sub-flooring, water damage from prior leaks, or a hundred other things. Addressing hidden defects is part and parcel of remodeling. When we encounter necessary repairs we communicate with the homeowner and move forward as quickly as possible. We deal with problem-solving every day. It's the nature of remodeling. Most homeowners fear that unexpected repairs or hidden defects will be the biggest factor in increasing overall project costs. This is rarely the case.Notice that none of these examples came from the CONTRACTOR adding costs. Your contractor is simply responding to the conditions in the home or is following changing homeowner requests.
DELAYS AND TIMELINE EXTENSIONS
A contractor puts a lot of time and effort into creating a schedule for each project. In the course of almost every remodel we encounter things that require a change to the schedule. We know it's not ideal, and we don't like it either, but it happens. Here are some examples of things that will change the timeline and are beyond a contractor's control:
1. Weather: Obviously, damp, wet weather will prevent work progress outside, but did you know it affects work inside your home as well? Drywall mud can take days to dry (instead of the usual 1 day) when humidity is high, paints dry slower so we cannot apply as many coats in a day. The new picture window for your dining room can only be installed in dry weather. A week or two of daily rains can cause significant delays on the job.
2. Delayed and damaged deliveries: Items that were promised to be delivered on a certain date arrive late. The shower door glass that took ten days to fabricate arrives with scratches in the glass and has to be returned to the factory to be re-made.
3. Fabrication times: the glass company comes out to measure and template your shower glass but the frosted glass you selected is back-ordered and will take 3 - 4 weeks instead of the usual 10 days.
4. Changes to the project scope and selection upgrades (made by the homeowner) will also extend the timeline and require adjustments to the schedule.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Did you know that a home has over 10,000 separate components? And more than half of those components were customized by hand to fit the specific requirements of your home. Unlike new construction, where one trade follows another in a cookie-cutter process repeated in house after house, each remodel is unique. It requires more expertise, knowledge and experience to plan and coordinate because there are numerous factors and considerations which are not present in a new construction scenario. Consequently, there may be times that work is taking place in what seems to be the “wrong order” to you. However, the project manager has carefully planned each phase of your remodel to maximize efficiency, maintain forward progress and prevent unnecessary damage and delays.
Remodeling is a linear process and work must be done in a certain order. For example: we cannot measure or order your shower glass until all of the tile is installed. We will not install your appliances too early because they are likely to get scratched if we do. We cannot start putting up drywall until the electrical inspection has been passed.Our trades, especially our plumbers and electricians, are also scheduled to do their work in logical, complete intervals. Here is an example: Your project has two bathrooms being remodeled. Bathroom one gets to a stage where the toilet and faucets could go in, but the second bathroom is not ready. The plumber is NOT going to come to the job site until both bathrooms are ready, so he can do that stage in one trip. He has calculated his time and what he charges by a limited number of visits to the job site. If we ask him to make an additional trip every time a small piece of his work “could be” done, he will charge a lot more. (Sometimes our clients insist that these extra trips be made, and we will do this IF: 1) the plumber/electrician can fit it into their schedule, and 2) the homeowner is willing to pay for the extra trip charge and the extra project management required.)
As you can see, should a homeowner insist that work be done in a different sequence than what was laid out by the project manager, it can create extra expense, increase the amount of time spent on project management and cause delays in the timeline.
We are committed to keep the project moving forward as quickly as possible while maintaining our high standard of quality and craftsmanship.
THE BIG FINISH
As we near completion of your remodel it may seem that the work slows down, and this can be frustrating. Work is still moving along just as it should, but we have reached the stage where attention to detail, precision and fine craftsmanship matter the most. Be patient, because these final touches are what will give your new space a flawless finish that you will be proud of for years to come.
When our work is complete and all of our tools and equipment have been removed, we will bring in a professional cleaning person to address the work areas and get ready for you to move back into and enjoy.
And then….it's finally time for that housewarming party you've been dreaming of while listening to our saws and hammers.