Thursday, October 14, 2010

Master Bedroom/Bathroom Reno Day 2

Yesterday was day 2 of the Reno.   Half the day was spent mapping out the exact positioning of the electrical, and also the layout of the beadborad ceiling and tray ceiling trims.
While, I could have done this on the plans, I prefer to do it right on site, walls down and contractor there to bounce ideas off.  We taped out the bed on the floor, night tables, dresser and then decided on the maximum width for the built in closets and how many rows of hanging bars, shelves etc we would have.
then, we marked where every plug and switch would go and the height and how many outlets we need. My biggest peeve is builders who put electrical sockets behind the bed or area clearly earmarked for a large piece of furniture.  Unless you can use a flat plug, it forces the furniture to sit almost 2 inches from the wall. 
 The plumbing fixtures arrived in time for the plumber who does the rough in on Monday. 
Checking the boxes, we discovered one of the taps and the shower pressure valve kit is brushed instead of polished nickel.  Which means it had to be re-ordered and will delay the plumber on Monday.
And, now the wall is open, we noticed this morning, water running down the plumbing stack where the sink drain vents outside.  It was raining this morning and obviously water is getting in.

For people who wonder why construction always runs over schedule and over budget, this is why.  There is always a hitch.  Something arrives wrong or gets delayed.  Now it seems the flooring may be back ordered. Plus we need to find out where the water is coming from and fix it.  Always plan for the unexpected.  You will always need extra $.

As a designer, these are things that eat up your billable hours.  It is essential that your contractor inform you of everything he finds along the way.  You then need to find a solution, present it to the client and bascially collect more money.  Also you need to physically inspect every package for accuracy.  The worst scenario would be the plumber opening all the boxes and installing the wrong fixtures.  Once the pipes are soldered and installed, it becomes an expensive mistake to correct.  So if you discover an error, you have to call and have it corrected, rebox the item, send it back and then re-receive the new fixture and deliver it to the site.  Multiply this by several mistakes and you can have a problem. 
The good news here is, I am the client and the deliveries are coming here. 
Before.  Wall in place.
Gone.


14 comments:

  1. You must be thrilled to see your vision coming to fruition Chania! And we taped out everything when we were designing our remodel too...it really does help to visualize and make smart decisions!

    I can't wait to see the project as it continues taking shape!

    Kat :)

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  2. I'm so glad we'll get to see the stages! I can almost hear the bangs of the hammers, the Poompf of air guns and the whir of the saw.

    Stressful and exciting and I know you are loving it, well, not the leak. I also know it will be wonderful when completed.

    Carry on. : D

    xx

    z

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  3. excited for your progress - even tho you've had a few setbacks. They are inevitable. I am interested that you plan everything out once you can 'see' the space. That sounds so much like me. Can't 'see' it on paper! In the space where we are putting our new masterbath, I spend hours and hours staring at the space and once it's empty completely, I will tape, chalk and plan!

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  4. oh how fun!! the reno i mean...not the setbacks. i am so happy we get to see the behind the scenes and i look forward to the final, gorgeous outcome! i am excited for you :0)
    woo hoo.

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  5. Drawings...drawings...if only people could be given reliable drawings, you would (sort of) know what to expect when the walls come down.
    When we built the house in Florida, we took photos of everything before the drywall went up, so we know exactly what's where...something I'll leave for future owners.

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  6. I know it is going to be gorgeous Chania! Glad to be able watch the renovation. :)
    Health and happiness,
    Angela

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  7. fun fun fun!! My husband and I are re-doing our master bath as well...not to the extent you are, We are just doing updates, rather than a gutting, new bath, new shower,new flooring etc...but it's still a pain in the neck! I hope there are no other unforseen issues for you!

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  8. This was a great post. Interesting to see the project evolve step-by-step. I hope things will get smoother. x

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  9. You wanna send that dude over my way?
    You are absolutely right on every single point you make because we a done every single one of those over and over and over...........

    Your ideas sound great and you when it is done you can go to sleep looking up at that great ceiling!
    Cheerio, friend!

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  10. Hey GORGEOUS....!

    I'm ITCHIN' to see the after pics....I just KNOW it's gonna be one special room....!

    Yep....measure out in person....I'm HOPELESS with trying to visualise things dimensionally off a plan....Or read a road map for that matter....hahahahaha....Maybe it's a 'paper thing'.... :o) !!

    I hope you don't experience too many issues Chania....!!

    Have a GREAT weekend....!

    Cheers,
    Tamarah :o)

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  11. great to see the progress chania! hope it all turns out exactly as you wish! jx

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  12. Awesome! I'm enjoying seeing the progress (however little) so far. Can't wait to see more. (Like you're not!!!)

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  13. Wow, you have a total makeover on your hands. I think I said this last week for a completely different post, but i'll say it again. You brave soul.

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  14. Chania, WOW!!! So much progress so quickly, I love it:) I cannot wait to see how it looks finished, I know it is going to be fabulous!!!! ~ Tina xx

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I love to read each and every comment and are thrilled that you take the time to send one. Thank you so much. Chania