January is coming!
The time for resolutions, fitness regimes, eating well and RENNOVATING is upon us and it is going to be a big year for those of us renovating.
The process both delights and terrifies me and there is bound to be some hiccups along the way as I am doing the two most expensive rooms – the kitchen and bathroom.
If you are considering renovations, let me share some things with you that should get ready for as your home is about to be invaded. It might make you feel distracted, unorganized and even short tempered as old items leave and new items arrive in your home. There will be moments of regret and times when you feel like you just can’t take it one more day. If it sounds like I am trying to discourage you I’m not but it is a good plan to go into any home renovation project with your eyes wide open.
Carpet will be the easiest product you can replace. It is fairly clean and causes the least amount of destruction in your home. The wall base can stay on and you don’t need any unusual or new subfloor. It is a product that can be installed very quickly and can be used instantly after it is finished.
The negative is that it can scuff your walls and baseboards because the backing of carpet is very abrasive and they often have to drag a large piece of carpet into the room.
Carpet will also lose fibre for quite a few weeks after it is installed. Carpet shedding is normal and the little tufts of carpet will drift around your home for quite awhile.
Hardwood and laminate will cause a fair bit of dust in your home, even if the installer is able to cut outside. Hardwood dust clings like a shy three-year-old and will be carried throughout your home as the installers move back and forth.
Hardwood also means some extra work such as baseboard removal and stair alteration. Also, depending on what you are converting from and to, you may find your baseboards are either lower or higher than they were.
Often this isn’t an issue until you try to reconnect that baseboard to another room that doesn’t have hardwood – then it becomes an issue as the baseboards will not be at the same height. Choosing the appropriate height of flooring will solve this issue and there are many options available for thicknesses or underlay choices.
Painting, dry walling and ceiling retexturing will all create a huge mess and tons of dust in your home.
We all know this but actually living with it is another story. Drywall and paint dust created from sanding will invade every crevice of your home, even your underwear drawer.
You can try to avoid the mess by creating barriers of poly in the rooms which aren’t being upgraded, cover the furnace vents and all items in the room that you wish to protect.
Despite the drawbacks of renovation, you can rest assure that the end result will be magical. You will soon forget the torture and mess of the renovation and just delight in the beautiful finished product.
Sooner than you know you will be planning and dreaming of the next renovation in your home!
Kim Meckler is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre.
