Green Building Conference

HighCraft attended the West Coast Green Building Conference last week in San Francisco. This is the country's largest such event and featured national speakers on a host of topics ranging from design to construction techniques and products relating to building more energy efficient and healthy homes. Most of us had received some exposure to green building concepts in the past but this conference served as an excellent comprehensive introduction for the company.

Remodeling a home has a particular pace, moving from dramatic progress in the early stages of demolition and structural work (if that's part of the scope) to a more precise and ordered type of activity as finishes are applied, later on. It is important to understand and appreciate the pace of construction to manage expectations and ensure overall satisfaction.

Early in the project, the remodeling process shows almost daily -- even hourly! -- progress. As your remodeling crew removes old fixtures and cabinets, tears down walls and rebuilds them, and roughs-in new plumbing and electrical services, the remodeled space quickly begins to take shape.

These early phases of remodeling happen faster than the finishing stages because they usually involve large-dimension components, such as the wall studs and roof rafters. When these large elements are removed or moved, you see a sudden change from what was there before. In addition, there are often several workers on the job site at the same time to manage big pieces of material and to shape other "rough" stages of the job. The electrician, plumber, and heating contractors, for instance, may all be present to install their respective in-wall systems before the newly framed areas are filled with insulation and covered over with drywall.

Similarly, the installation of windows and doors, roofing and siding materials occur nearly as quickly as the remodeled area's demolition and structural reconstruction, resulting in a nearly finished exterior shell. It is a very encouraging and exciting time for everyone involved because the new space has become a three-dimensional reality.

From that point, however, the pace begins to slow as the project moves from the "rough" to the finishing stage. Progress continues but gives way to more subtle and complex improvements.

While the placement of insulation and drywall occurs quickly, producing the shape of the finished room, the process of taping and texturing these surfaces to prepare them for paint, wallpaper, or other textures is necessarily slow. A drywall contractor may require a week or more to properly prepare a large room addition or second story. Because of the nature of the work, few other contractors can complete their work during this phase of the finishing process, so the "buzz" of activity of the earlier phases of the job is now much quieter.

Typically, from this point to the project's completion, the various trade contractors who once worked side-by-side must now operate in sequence. Carpenters, for instance, install the cabinets and countertops before the appliances and plumbing fixtures can be connected and finished. Meanwhile, the painting contractor waits for the trim carpenters to finish before he can cover their work and that of the drywall crew. And imagine how many faceplates, switch plates, light fixtures, and other finishes may need to be fastened in place to complete the electrical system of a large remodeling project, not to mention carpeting and other floor finishes, tile work, and plumbing fixtures.

The meticulous rate at which this stage of construction occurs can test the patience of any homeowner. To help ease anxiety or mystery, professional remodelers often schedule opportunities to walk through a new home with their clients, pointing out the progress going on in the later stages of construction. Far from grinding to a halt, their remodeling job is near completion. Understanding the pace of remodeling, from dynamic beginnings to the precision of completion, helps homeowners establish realistic expectations as they look forward to their transformed home.

Warm regards,

info@highcraft.net
www.highcraft.net

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