After months of planning, it’s time to start the remodel. This is an exciting time when your kitchen, bathroom, basement or whole house will change into something new and beautiful. It’s also a time when many homeowners feel apprehensive about the changes to their home and contractors coming and going. This article will ease your worries and prepare you for the construction phase. Be sure to reach out to the Kowalske team with any questions along the way!
Get Ready for Construction:
Prepare for the Remodel
Give yourself plenty of time to pack and move items to a new location. Take time to plan how you will adjust to the loss of access to this area. Also, consider packing up items in adjacent rooms that may be in the way of our crew entering or exiting your home.
Kowalske will need a space in your driveway or lawn for a dumpster. We also ask for one space in your garage to store materials for your project. Our Production Manager will call you before your start date to answer any questions and give you an overview of what to expect during construction.
Construction Material Delivery
Some items for your project (hardware, light fixtures, etc.) might be delivered directly to your home before construction and a majority of the items will be delivered the day we start. Please designate a space in your home or garage to store these items.
Day 1 Kick-Off
On “Day 1” of construction, you should expect your project to start between 7:30 am – 8:30 am. The Kowalske team arrives at your home: your Production Manager, Designer, and our crew. The dumpster arrives and we start to prep your home for construction. Our crew protects your floors with plastic and cardboard and hangs sheeting to control dust.
Remodeling is Dusty
We do everything we can to protect your home from dust by hanging plastic sheeting and protecting floors. However, we can’t control all the dust. Expect your home to be very dirty, especially in the beginning. We do our best to clean up and vacuum at the end of each day. Consider packing up items in adjacent rooms that you don’t want to get dusty and dirty.
Expect Lots of Workers
Whether this project is big or small, there will be a lot of people in and out of your house. Skilled tradesmen, carpenters, project managers, and inspectors are just a few of the people you can expect to see. They will also be making a lot of noise. Expect that there will be lots of commotion during your project. The majority of our clients are not home during the construction phase, so we ask you to give us a house key to secure in a lockbox. Our team will use the key to enter and lock up when they leave. Work will be completed generally between 7 am and 6 pm.
Expect the Unexpected
At some point or another, there will be unexpected changes. It could be faulty wiring, an unexpected water line, or a million other things. We can’t see what’s behind your walls. Changes and “known unknowns” are part of remodeling. We will address them and move forward as quickly as possible. Expect the unexpected and you won’t be as surprised when it happens.
Online Remodeling Schedule
We spend a lot of time putting your project schedule together. We put the schedule together assuming the world is a perfect place. People get sick, snowstorms happen, or the door we ordered arrived in the wrong size. Your schedule is probably going to change. We know it’s not ideal, and we don’t like it either, but it happens. Looking at your schedule on Buildertrend in terms of “goals for the week”, instead of “day by day,” will allow you to enjoy this process much more. Being flexible is important.
Project Manager Communication
Your Project Manager will be in communication with you during construction to answer any questions and prepare you for each stage of the project. Your designer will make periodic site visits to check on your project.
Construction Safety Hazards
The day we start your remodeling project, there will be safety hazards all over the place. The rooms we are working in will have nails, electrical wires, and maybe even pieces of glass that broke during the demo. If you enter the construction area, or go near the dumpster, wear shoes, and be very careful. There will be hazards all around that you don’t see. Please keep children and pets away from the construction area.
Decisions From You
Although we will be there with you every step of the way, you will need to make lots of decisions during your project. For example, how high do you want the decorative tile, the showerhead and the towel bar? These are just a few of things we will need your input on. If you want to leave those decisions entirely up to us, that’s fine, just let us know.
Punch List Items
At the end of your project, there will be “punch list items” we need to complete. The painter needs to do some touch ups, one of the drawer pulls needs to be tightened. What about the pendant light that came broken? These take the longest and can be very frustrating when you want your project done. We want to complete the project too. Please be patient when it comes to the last few items that need to be finished. We will get them done as soon as we possibly can. The last 5% of the job is the most difficult part.
Remember the End Result
Treat each moment of your remodel as an exciting adventure. Each step of the process will get you closer to your dream space. Whether you decide to stay home during the remodel or take the opportunity to vacation with your family, these few weeks of inconvenience are well worth the end result!
Learn More
If you are in the early planning stage of your project, here are some great resources:
