This may be posted in the wrong forum, but I couldn't find another place to write. I probably just want to lighten my heart, but of course, opinions on what is happening are welcome.
How much can I, as a customer, get involved/question a contractor I've hired for kitchen renovation, including electrical and plumbing work the contractor has subcontracted?
How much SHOULD I NEED to question in advance/during the process?
We have made a specification for the work we ordered. This spec was followed by a quote that we accepted. The project manager and I have sat down and gone through our spec in detail. Things have come up along the way that we hadn't thought of, and we discussed solutions, drew, emailed, and got approval. Nevertheless, we feel that we constantly have to be a step ahead and "check" that they have thought correctly.
A "small detail" we discovered tonight was that the ledger they've put up that the base cabinets are to be screwed against and the countertop laid on is set at 86 cm (top edge) from the existing floor. That would have been fine if we were placing the cabinets on the existing floor, but we're not. We are to install a Marmoleum Click floor that builds up to 9.8 mm plus foam, so up to 12 mm. This means the ledger is too low. The floor is to be installed by the contractor, and while it doesn't state in our description that it builds about 12 mm, shouldn't they investigate this, or? Have we been unclear?
A box is being built right against the ceiling and wall where the ventilation duct and spotlights are to sit. The spotlights are supposed to have "buckets" around them, and a principle sketch has been handed over and discussed. The project manager was asked to check how much the ventilation duct extends to establish the depth of the boxing. Our impression when we see the box is that it is too shallow. Additionally, it already has sides and a bottom, so how will the buckets fit in?
I won't tire you with more examples, but I wonder if it should have to be this way - we are paying well for a contract with a PM, have submitted a description that the PM has approved, yet we sit with questions like these almost every evening when we come home from work.
How much can I, as a customer, get involved/question a contractor I've hired for kitchen renovation, including electrical and plumbing work the contractor has subcontracted?
How much SHOULD I NEED to question in advance/during the process?
We have made a specification for the work we ordered. This spec was followed by a quote that we accepted. The project manager and I have sat down and gone through our spec in detail. Things have come up along the way that we hadn't thought of, and we discussed solutions, drew, emailed, and got approval. Nevertheless, we feel that we constantly have to be a step ahead and "check" that they have thought correctly.
A "small detail" we discovered tonight was that the ledger they've put up that the base cabinets are to be screwed against and the countertop laid on is set at 86 cm (top edge) from the existing floor. That would have been fine if we were placing the cabinets on the existing floor, but we're not. We are to install a Marmoleum Click floor that builds up to 9.8 mm plus foam, so up to 12 mm. This means the ledger is too low. The floor is to be installed by the contractor, and while it doesn't state in our description that it builds about 12 mm, shouldn't they investigate this, or? Have we been unclear?
A box is being built right against the ceiling and wall where the ventilation duct and spotlights are to sit. The spotlights are supposed to have "buckets" around them, and a principle sketch has been handed over and discussed. The project manager was asked to check how much the ventilation duct extends to establish the depth of the boxing. Our impression when we see the box is that it is too shallow. Additionally, it already has sides and a bottom, so how will the buckets fit in?
I won't tire you with more examples, but I wonder if it should have to be this way - we are paying well for a contract with a PM, have submitted a description that the PM has approved, yet we sit with questions like these almost every evening when we come home from work.
I only needed to read your link and a large part of the explanation has fallen into place.
You are paying for their experience and knowledge, so if they don't understand such a basic thing as how floors are constructed, then not much is in place.
You are paying for their experience and knowledge, so if they don't understand such a basic thing as how floors are constructed, then not much is in place.
Don't know what is standard, but it's not entirely uncommon to lay the flooring after you have installed the cabinets, and then the measurement would be correct.
Regarding the "buckets", they can be installed "from the outside" (I assume it's the same type of buckets you install in suspended ceilings, and you do that after the drywall is mounted).
By the way, I agree with v-g, if you pay for a service, they should know what they are doing. Otherwise, they shouldn't be working with it.
Regarding the "buckets", they can be installed "from the outside" (I assume it's the same type of buckets you install in suspended ceilings, and you do that after the drywall is mounted).
By the way, I agree with v-g, if you pay for a service, they should know what they are doing. Otherwise, they shouldn't be working with it.
muruc - it is clear from our requests to them that the floor should be laid before the cabinets, meaning we want flooring under the cabinets as well, even though I know it's not uncommon to lay the floor outside the cabinets.
Yes, the bins can be set from the outside, but why make it difficult for yourself when you can make it easy?
v-g and muruc: yes, we hoped that the purchased service would meet the expectations. They aren't finished yet, so I am hoping for some improvement after today's discussion with them.
Yes, the bins can be set from the outside, but why make it difficult for yourself when you can make it easy?
v-g and muruc: yes, we hoped that the purchased service would meet the expectations. They aren't finished yet, so I am hoping for some improvement after today's discussion with them.
Ah, yes, then it's a completely different matter.
Who is setting the buckets, the carpenter or the electrician? If it's the electrician, I can imagine the carpenter putting up the plasterboard first because it's easier for him, then the fact that the electrician gets a lot more work because of it is not his problem.
Who is setting the buckets, the carpenter or the electrician? If it's the electrician, I can imagine the carpenter putting up the plasterboard first because it's easier for him, then the fact that the electrician gets a lot more work because of it is not his problem.
It has now been resolved so that the electrician believes the buckets are unnecessary since the boxing is so large (depth 400 mm, height 250 mm) and there is no loose material that can fall and settle on the spotlights. The boxing itself provides better ventilation than if the buckets were there. Otherwise, they would have put the bottom of the box with drywall (the carpenter) and then the front with the buckets attached last.muruc said:
If you can communicate, it's easy to sort things out in time, so you (I) don't have to get upset... The carpenter doesn't speak Swedish (but works for a Swedish company with F-tax) so I had no opportunity to ask him. It turned out that OSB is placed on the beam, and that the cabinets are set against the front edge of the frame ('OSB there too), letting the cabinets stick up a bit. At the back edge, you then shim to achieve the final height for the countertop. I don't know if this is a common practice, but the explanation is okay with me.muruc said:
I am not writing this to defend the craftsmen... but the cabinets should be screwed into the stud, and not just serve as support for the countertop? The screw fittings are usually located a few cm below the edge of the cabinet, for example, they are 60 mm below the top edge of a frame from Ikea. If the stud is not wide enough (e.g., 95 mm), then it needs to be placed below the upper edge.
bygga_bo - you don't need to defend your post - I now fully understand their thinking (as you write) and it all boils down to a problem with communication. Now we have been given a number to a guy who can interpret if we feel that we quickly want an explanation for something, and then similar issues should not arise again.