(no subject)

[sexy_romulan]

Electrician dude has come and gone. He quoted us ~$2500, which was rather less than I was expecting, but recommends taking down the drywall completely, since he's going to have to mess with vapour barrier on an exterior wall. Well, on the plus side, we wouldn't have to worry about the drywall when tearing up the existing kitchen, and the cost of drywall per hour is no doubt less than the cost of electrical, so maybe it's worth it to make the electrician's life easier. Although we'd have to completely redo the backsplash. Also, moving the switch on the wall we want to remove may well turn out to be a total hairy problematic pain in the ass, but there's no real way of knowing for sure until the wall is open.

From speaking to this guy and to the guy Corey's family always goes to, though, I get the strong impression that such estimates are necessarily kind of vague, there being endless potential for surprises inside the walls. Hmmm. This does not make me happy, since every piece of renovation advice out there says GET IT IN WRITING, but Corey's family has no end of good things to say about their guy, although they note he's expensive. Well, electricians seem to be in general, really. I'll get a quote from him too, but he's on vacation until August 10, and if I manage to put in my order at Ikea before August 9 I get to take advantage of the sale, so I'll have to make up my mind to go ahead or not without that info. Well, if the plumbing and drywall costs (slightly more predictable) are looking reasonable, we'll have some flex room there. I've heard 20% of the budget is a reasonable amount to set aside for unpleasant surprises.

I hate trying to second-guess professionals, and I hate trying to plan for unpleasant surprises. It makes my brain hurt.

So: more phone calls tomorrow - pestering plumbers, a drywall dude, and a flooring place (since we'll need to patch the hardwood floor after the wall is gone). Hopefully we will arrive at clarity soon.

Comments

[arndis.livejournal.com]

F&E class said to use 10-20% for the contingency aka catastrophe fund. New to renovations, don't know the tradespeople that well, and don't know what's in the walls that well...you want to keep that contigency fund nice and big.

There are several flooring places on Colonnade Rd including one next door to Heartwood, the kitchen designer that I am now interning under. (Long nasty story about the paid summer job. Internship isn't making me any money but I am learning more and my boss is so much nicer.)

Also, I am told that you should leave picking tile and flooring for last because you will typically have a zillion colour choices for those and not so many for cabinets and counters.

[ami-b.livejournal.com]

Boo to long nasty stories, to say nothing of no money! However yay for working at Heartwood - that was one of the first places I poked my nose into and the gentleman running it seemed like a real sweetheart.

Makes sense re flooring - in our case though we're keeping what we've got, we just need someone to do some matching and patching up. I'll wait to cudgel my brains about backsplash till later, though.

[arndis.livejournal.com]

Oh, that would probably be Christina's dad. He makes the cabinets and she does the designs. The flooring place next door also has tile. Floor tile can usually take being wall tile, so when picking the backsplash you start out with the run of the shop.

You could also consider doing something unusual -- what about a sheet metal backsplash with no grout to clean? (Hm, aged copper or brass, or anodized aluminum with oil-slick colour patterns...) Or glass, or mirror?

You now have me really liking the idea of a textured glass (texture towards the wall, smooth towards you) backsplash with a ribbon of LED lights run along the top so as to make the backsplash glow. The splash is probably embedded in some kind of white setting bed on the wall side.

You should show me your plans sometime!

[idioglossia.livejournal.com]

You can do a contract with your electrician with stages built in, and a payment schedule.

So, for example:

When you tear out the drywall: $100
When you pull out the vapour barrier and replace the vapour barrier: $100
When you wire the kitchen up: $200
When you pass inspection from the City: $100
When you close the wall up and install outlets/light fixtures: final payment.

This way, you can fire him at any point and he'll have been paid up to the amount of work he'd done. And you won't lose ALL your cash.

Also: you'll need a permit, make sure he mentions that he's going to get one. Also: Mike Holmes has a book about how to manage home renovations. Check it out, Holmes is very readable.

[amazon-syren.livejournal.com]

<*tilts head*>

That's a really good idea. :-)

(And YAY Mike Holmes! ;-)

[ami-b.livejournal.com]

Very sensible. Although with the work in question only supposed to take a day, payment in full upon completion seems plausible, too.

Permit, you say? City website mentions need for inspection from the ESA but not permits...nor does the ESA website. Is there somewhere else I need to consult?

Yay Mike Holmes - I think I will have to pick up said book in any case! ♥ ♥ ♥