Steps to Doing Works at Home Flawlessly

Steps to Doing Works at Home Flawlessly

Now that we are home for longer, it is the ideal time to make those small changes that have been dragging on for centuries!

But there are aspects to take into account before getting to work. Before starting it is important to collect information, draw on the experiences of friends, ask for help from professionals. With these steps you avoid stress, waste of time and money.

1. How much should you spend?
   Start by setting a limit and requesting several budgets, always detailed, in order to avoid the progressive increase in costs. This is also a good way to decide, right from the start, where to channel the investment. Please note that there are tax benefits for repairs.

2. Make a calendar for your works
   Before starting, we need to set a start date and an end date for the goal. This has been incredibly useful! This not only helps to set expectations across the project line, but it helps us to see if we are still on the right track and what is to come.

3. Define to whom to deliver the work
   To choose the people who will take care of the rehabilitation, it is advisable to contact two or three companies and one or two professionals (before the visit, ask for the specification of fees) to compare proposals and budgets. In addition to the budget, you can also request documentation on the work performed or simply search online. Another advice, in case of renovations that include new plants and reorganization of the space, is to assign the entire work to a single company. The charges may be higher, but the result will pay off, making it even easier to solve any problems.

4. Obtain Licenses and check the plans
   If the works are only for cleaning and recovery (if there are no structural changes) in single-family housing, licenses or authorizations from the Chamber are not necessary. It is essential that the plans of the properties - be provided by the Chamber, by the previous owner or by the real estate agency - are confirmed by the architect, in order to safeguard inaccuracies due to changes made by former owners.

5. Keep safety in mind
   The type of construction and its breadth determine whether or not there is a need to carry out a safety project. In works of some magnitude, in which there is more than one company involved in the process, it is mandatory to appoint a safety designer who, at the design stage, draws up a plan in accordance with current safety standards (with the additional task of coordinating the various security plans prepared by each of the contracted companies). We advise you to always take out civil liability insurance.

6. Protect areas that will not change
   Prepare the house (removing furniture, sheltering floors) for possible damage. Unprotected floors are always suscetible to heavy machinery, splashes of paint, nails and screws on the floor. Rubicer offers the RUBIPROTECT screen specially developed for this purpose. Finally, make sure that the removal of debris is included in the budget. This is an extra expense that should not be underestimated.

7. Rehearse the Plant
   Removing furniture and other objects, it is necessary to demarcate the spaces provided for in the project. It is important that you accompany the architect. The plant alone may not allow an effective perception of space: as a general rule it always perishes greater than it actually is.

8. Think of evolving needs
   Consider the evolution of the family: if there are young children it is worth considering placing sockets for later telephone / internet connection and, eventually, television. It is also convenient to think about the installation of plumbing for air conditioning devices and to provide the installation of satellite or fiber optic cabling. Any subsequent modifications to sockets and cables will cost much more.

9. Photograph the links
   It is really advantageous to photograph the installation of the pipes because you never know what might happen, it is better to know where the plumbs are located, if there is no path, than having to bore the whole house if there is an unexpected break or clogging. Insist on the installation of a safety tap in each service area, otherwise any problem in the bathroom or kitchen will force you to renounce the water in the entire house until it is resolved.

10. Give walls and foundations time
    After the walls, plaster and foundations are finished, it is important to wait until they dry, before starting any other work. Sometimes the masons are in a hurry to finish the job and do not wait for the walls to finish drying before laying the tiles. Some time later, the tiles start to come loose first and then “a cascade of them”, damaging the floors and shower bases where they fall. Even when shower protection guards are installed, silicones always require a drying time before being wetted by the shower.

11. Confirm the tile design
    There are masons who interpret the tile design in a very imaginative way! To avoid surprises in the layout of the tiles, print an assembly diagram so that the bricklayer can follow your instructions. It is very important to have 10 to 15% more material, this can prove to be very useful.

12. Check the location of sanitary ware
    Often people are only faced with little space between the various toilets after they are installed, however a new arrangement would imply breaking the floor and walls.

13. Confirm the opening of the doors
    A simple gaffe like changing one side of a door can prevent you from getting into a room. Make sure the hinge is in place.

14. Test the colors for the walls
    It is necessary to test the paint samples chosen by you or the painter. Test at least 2, in an area of ​​1x1m in an area with light and in an area without light. Always wait for the paint to dry before choosing.