I found this wonderful article online from a gentleman who owns a company called Forte Electric. I was very impressed because he thinks like, and sounds like he has the same business characteristics that my husband, Rich, has. He has some valuable information about planning that I would like for you to look over, think about and digest in your preparations. And I am also going to give you his company website, which is in New Jersey. This is great advice that he has given, and it will be "continued" on the comments.
Here is his website:
http://www.forteelectric.com
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Kitchen remodeling, what to expect and how to prepare for your Kitchen Remodel.
Before you begin your journey into the world of a kitchen remodel there are some things you should know. So many articles are written on how to plan, design, and hire a contractor for your kitchen remodel. What almost none of these articles tell you is what to expect. Remodeling a kitchen is one of the most intense projects one can embark on. There are a multitude of decisions to make and details to review.
Using my experience from being involved in hundreds of kitchen remodels I’ll try to give you some advice on what to expect.
The first of many steps will be deciding on a budget. You will want to make sure you have an amount of money you are willing to spend. This figure, your budget, needs to include everything you plan for the kitchen as well as unforeseen expenditures. So when it comes time that you get your prices be sure there is room left for added expenses. Keep in mind also that when your remodel is complete you’re going to
want new utensils, dishes, towels, etc..
Even if this is going to be a do it yourself project you’ll probably want to visit either a kitchen showroom or a big box store kitchen center to get some design ideas and layouts. At this point some questions will need to be addressed. Things like the type and style of cabinets and the types and size of appliances. This is rarely a one step process and don’t expect to get the design down in one shot. Take some ideas and in the comfort of your home analyze them. Make sure all the measurements are correct.
Get a feel for where the essentials will be located, like the sink and fridge and stove, and make sure the layout feels right. Now is the time to refine your decisions. If the layout needs some adjustments, that needs to be done first. Once you have planned your layout and chosen your cabinets you may be excited to get started, but don’t jump the gun.
Try to work out as many details as you can at this point. The more time you spend planning now will mean less time fixing problems that arise when you try to make changes on an already started project.
Before your order for cabinets is placed make sure you covered all the bases. If you have glass doors will there be glass shelves? If you are going to install under cabinet lighting will you need a light rail? Is there crown molding and how much do you need? Is it going to be used in the room as well as on top of the cabinets? What side panels do you need or any other wood related to the cabinets? The reason all of
this is so important is if you are missing something you need from the cabinet company, it can cause delays later when you need to reorder. Some cabinet orders can take weeks. The last thing you want to find out after you have begun is that you're going to be delayed.
Now that you have made your choices and picked a design and cabinet and all your appliances, you will need to find out what the 'lead-time' is for all the merchandise needed to arrive. Usually this is about 6 weeks but varies. Now you can proceed to the next step. If this is a DIY project and you have no experience installing kitchens I would recommend at this stage you read everything about it you can get your hands on. This is no easy task, and after investing thousands of dollars in cabinets you won’t want to mess up the install. I would not recommend this for a weekend project. Unlike the popular home makeover shows on TV today, a kitchen generally does not get installed in 2 or 3 days. A much more likely scenario is 2 or 3 weeks if all goes well, and longer if there are any snags.
If you intend on being the GC on the project and don’t have experience with it, I would again recommend that you do as much reading on the subject that you can. Do not attempt this unless you have very strong organizational skills and have no problems making tough decisions. If this is the course you are taking, your work is just beginning. You’ll have to now find and secure all the trades needed for
your kitchen remodel. In most cases you will need to find the following trades: Demo company, Carpenter, Plumber, Electrician, Tile installer, and Cabinet installer. There could be other trades involved depending on the circumstances surrounding your project such as Alarm installer or an HVAC contractor. Just to give an example of how difficult it can be to GC a job like this imagine finding and then scheduling all these trades. Now imagine you did all that work and the day comes for the plumber to show up and he doesn’t. You can’t get a hold of him for days. Now all the trades you scheduled after him need to be rescheduled. It’s the busy season and they are three weeks out at least. I am sure you can see what a stressful situation this could become. It doesn’t just take a bad sub-contractor. It could be that when the walls are opened there is a problem such as termite damage or a leaky pipe or a
structural problem. Any of these things now means a delay that gets passed on to all the subs meaning a massive rescheduling.
If you choose to have a General Contractor do the entire job you can avoid some of this headache. A GC who has a good working relationship with his subs will be able to resolve scheduling conflicts much more easily if a situation arises. Of course this does come with a price. A GC will generally be adding a percentage on every aspect of the job. This is usually in the area of 25% but varies with each individual contractor. In my opinion a good general contractor is worth every dime and will make the job go more smoothly. Unless you have a great deal of time on your hands this is the way to go.
(cont. on 1rst comment)
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1. (Forge Electric ~ KtchnRmdlgPreps ~ cont.)
ReplyDeleteNow that everything has been decided and you know who is doing the installation, here is what you can expect. Since any good kitchen install should include a complete gut of the room, a demolition crew will first visit you. Make sure that before they arrive you have removed anything you care to keep from the kitchen. **A good tip is to buy some plastic drop cloths or use some old sheets. Cover things like furniture in nearby rooms. You are going to see dust everywhere for several weeks and this can save you some cleaning headaches later. If you have a basement below the demo area that is open, cover anything there as well. Another tip is on any walls in the surrounding rooms from the kitchen, take things like paintings or nick knack shelves down. Sometimes just the vibration from the work can knock stuff off the walls.
At this point you will most likely want to set up a temporary kitchen somewhere. A dining room is a good choice. Having a small microwave, coffee pot and a toaster and possibly a hot plate should suffice. A small fridge or your existing one moved into the room. You most likely won’t be able to run all these appliances at once unless you have some dedicated receptacle circuits in that area. Stock up on some paper plates and disposable cups to minimize having to wash dishes in your bathroom sink which is usually not too convenient.
The demolition should be a one-day affair but in some cases can extend to two days. The next step will be the carpenter if there are any structural preparations such as new windows or doors or walls being relocated or removed. If any of this work needs to be done the time will depend on how extensive it is. Anywhere from one day to three days is about average. This is also the stage where any hidden problems may come into view. Damage to existing structure like termite or water damage will now be visible. Pipes or wiring that will have to be relocated is another problem you may encounter at this stage. If you are going to be faced with any extra costs on the job, this is the most likely place they will arise.
Once the carpentry work is done or if there is none, the next trade in should be the plumber to do his rough in. The plumbing should also be a one-day job but can be 2 or 3 if there is a lot of plumbing. After the plumbing the next trade in should be the Electrician to do his rough in. Again this is usually a one-day job but can extend to 2 or 3 if the work is extensive. One small tip when these trades come in. Before they leave just take a quick stock and make sure you still have running water and heat and that lights and power work. Sometimes workers in a rush will forget the most basic things like turning the water or power back on. Checking before they go can save a headache of getting them back by days end.
If the work is being inspected this would be the time for the rough inspections or structure, plumbing and electrical. Any other trades required such as an Alarm installer or HVAC contractor will be at this stage. If not the next one in is the carpenter again, he will need to insulate and sheetrock. If you are getting a tile floor installed it is usually installed at this stage. Be sure the right tile is on the job. I have seen the wrong tile installed because the customer never looked and wasn’t home when it was installed. Not a pretty sight. The tile installation can be 2days or a week depending on how much area is being tiled. Be sure to follow all instructions about not walking on the floor at this point.
(cont. on Comment #2)
2. (Forge Electric ~ KtchnRmdlgPreps ~ cont.)
ReplyDeleteAfter the tile is installed the spackling and taping should be done if it is not done at this point. I like to see the room painted at this point and touched up later but your painter may want to wait until the job is complete which works fine as well. Now the cabinets are ready to be installed. This job is usually at least
three days but can extend to more than a week if it is a large kitchen with a lot of details. Once the kitchen is installed the next step depends on the counter material. If it is a laminate top and installed now then it’s off to the finishing steps. If it is a stone or other material that needs to be made a template will need to be made. This is generally a few hours at most. The countertop is usually promised in 2-4 weeks time for delivery and installation.
Sometimes during the period of waiting for the counters, the other trades can come and do some of the finish work. They will not however really be able to finish until the counters are in and in some cases even the backsplash is in if it is a tile splash. After the counter is installed the tile backsplash can be installed if that is the material being used. At this point all the trades can come in and finish. One or two days for each trade are about the average.
The scope I have given you here is all based on the average job. Take into consideration that there may be a day or two here and there where no one is working on the job. Since a kitchen remodel has so many variables the scheduling may need to change and if it does there may be more down days than average.
As each trade comes in to do their work, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Most of us like what we do and love to talk about it with our customers. Try to make it easy for the trades to do their work by making the house accessible. Keep areas they may have to get to clear like the water main, boiler, main electrical panel and attics or basements. If it’s possible, have parking as close to the house as possible. If
you have pets or small children, keep them out of the workers path and work area. There are too many dangerous activities for them to be in these areas. While the work is being done don’t turn on any water valves, gas valves or circuit breakers without asking first. They could be off for a very good reason and could cause a dangerous situation.
By planning ahead and knowing what to expect, your kitchen remodel can be a very rewarding experience and not the nightmare that it can turn into when there is none.
(C)Copyright 2005 Forte Electric Inc. All rights reserved.
***I am sorry that I used the wrong name at the beginning of Comments 1 & 2. It is FORTE ELECTRIC. Thank you. ~Naomi~
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