Renovating Your Home
Just when you've decided to refinish the floors before painting the walls--you realize it makes more sense to do walls before floors
. Or is it the other way around?
The truth is you can do it in any order that makes sense and makes the project easier to complete in a high quality manner. The following is one suggested home renovation timeline.
Step one is to design and plan the entire remodel. Whether it's a sketch on a cocktail napkin or full-blown architectural plans, some type of planning and design always comes first.
Always, before you do anything else, ensure that you have funding for your renovation. To save some cash, draw up a simple "yes/no" list of do-it-yourself projects and projects you want professionals to do.
Look for contractors and subcontractors for those jobs you do not want to do yourself. You also need to apply for permits from the city to approve any structural changed to the building.
Before you start tearing things down, make sure that the roof, foundation, siding, and windows are secure. All of these checks will prevent costly damages, from the structure of the elements.
Protect your future renovation work by making certain the house won't collapse on you because of a faulty foundation or major structural problems. Securing the roof, siding, and windows will keep your house and everything in it dry.
Depending on the scale of your renovations and the condition of the house, demolition might be the first step. Begin by renting a large container for waste.
Carefully demolish all or some of the areas of the house that will be renovated. Demolish as much as possible if you will not be living in the house.
Exercise caution when demolishing surfaces coated with lead-based paint. If there is mold in the home, you will need to hire professionals to remove it and make the building safe.
For structural carpentry call in the carpenters for major carpentry projects. This includes things like moving walls, constructing new walls, significantly enlarging window openings, adding beams to support a greater weight upstairs, punching in new doors, removing existing doors, or adding new construction windows.
With the walls and ceiling open, you need the HVAC Company to install ductwork for central heating and air conditioning. In addition, run new electrical and plumbing systems inside the walls if necessary.
Before you close up the walls with drywall, call in city licensed electrical and plumbing inspectors to check the work. Without their clearing, you are not legally allowed to operate those systems within the home.
The last thing to do with the walls open is install fiberglass batt insulation in the walls and attic. Insulation goes fast, so give your drywall guy a call and let him know he's next up.
A second inspection from the electrical inspector and plumbing inspector will give you the go-ahead to close up the walls. Drywall guys hang sheets of drywall, apply drywall compound, and let the compound dry.
After drying, they sand it smooth. Sometimes, they will repeat the process until they achieve a seamless surface.
Installing the flooring later in the renovation process saves your flooring surface from significant damage. After the floors, install replacement windows.
Here's where you introduce carpentry that doesn't involve structural issues. Install baseboards, molding, trim around windows and doors, built-in elements like bookcases, breakfast nooks, etc.
Painting interior walls, hanging wallpaper, painting molding and trim, staining and sealing trim should be the final detail-oriented surface finishes. These should be done last to get the best, most seamless look.
With the house mostly finished, it's safe to put on siding. You don't want to do this earlier - unless absolutely necessary - because doors and windows may get punched out, ruining the siding.
Finally, you can do major auxiliary building projects like additions, sunrooms, or swimming pools. Large building projects like additions should come last.
These projects should be done last so you don't deplete all of your money and energy on projects not related to renovating the house itself. However, an alternate view is that you may want to build an addition very early in the process so that you don't ruin any work you do in the main part of the house.
by: Tom Selwick
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