|
Ask Chris / FAQ's
- What should I look for when hiring a contractor?
- I’m ready to remodel my kitchen or bathroom.
How do I begin?
- Who will install my kitchen or bath? And, do I
need to hire other people besides the contractor to work on the
project?
- What is a design fee?
- Do I really need to get permits?
- Should I buy my own cabinets, appliances and/or
fixtures?
- How do I prepare my house for a kitchen or
bath project?
- What are today’s major trends in bathroom
design?
- Will a kitchen or bath renovation increase the
resale value of my home?
- What are people spending today on kitchen
and bath projects?
- How can I keep costs down without cutting quality?
- I am interested in white painted cabinets,
but have heard that the joints in the wood will open up.
- I like granite countertops. Are there any
concerns I should be aware of?
- Are solid surface countertops still popular?
- Why should I choose Top Notch Kitchen & Bath?
What should I look for when hiring a
contractor?
Here are some guidelines to point you in the right direction:
- Find out how much of the total project the contractor will handle.
Will he do the design work as well as the actual construction?
Will he oversee the work of architects and engineers (if needed),
as well as plumbers and electricians, or will that responsibility
fall on you, the homeowner?
- Choose a professional certified by the National Kitchen & Bath
Association (NKBA). Anyone can call himself a kitchen or bathroom
designer, but if the initials "CKD" (Certified Kitchen
Designer) or "CBD" (Certified Bathroom Designer) appear
on his business card, you know this person has at least seven years
of experience as a designer and has passed a rigorous exam. A CKBI
(Certified Kitchen and Bath Installer) has passed a similar test
that focuses on code issues, public health and safety matters and
project management skills.
- Select a designer/contractor who really listens to you.
He should ask lots of questions about your family’s unique
needs and lifestyle before starting the design.
- Make sure that the contractor has established relationships with
subcontractors whom he trusts to adhere to his same high standards.
- Ask if the contractor provides a warranty on workmanship. Most
craftspeople warranty their work for a year.
- Is he happy to provide references of recent jobs in your area?
Speaking with references can really help you understand what to
expect both before and during your project.
- And most importantly, will he be present at the job site on a
daily basis (and easily reachable), or will he delegate that responsibility
to someone else?
to top
I’m ready to remodel my kitchen or bathroom.
How do I begin?
First of all, you don’t need to have a plan or design in mind
for your new kitchen or bath. That’s our job. We love
to arrange spaces, and we will work with you to create the design
that fits your needs and budget. Your responsibility is only to provide
us with information about your likes and dislikes and how your family
plans to use the room.
The best way to discover what you like is to do some homework. I
suggest that you read kitchen and bath magazines, visit local showrooms
and start a clipping file of things that appeal to you. You can even
research products on the Internet (we can point you in the right
direction). You never know where inspiration will come from. Just
keep looking and compiling ideas. The more information you can provide
to us, the better.
to top
Who will install my kitchen or bath? And, do
I need to hire other people besides the contractor to work on the
project?
On most projects we handle everything. Everything. That is
our specialty, and it is what makes us unique in our market.
For example, our management of a complete bathroom project could
include:
- Custom design, including visits to your home
- Coordination with architect and engineer, if necessary (yours
or ours)
- Coordination with interior designer, if necessary (yours or ours)
- Acquiring permits (but not variances)
- Arranging all inspections
- Managing all subcontractors
- Scheduling all product deliveries
- Demolition down to the studs and subfloor
- New underlayment for a tile floor
- Wonderboard/tile underlayment for shower walls
- New tile floor and walls
- New insulation and drywall
- New or revamped electrical wiring
- New general, task and/or decorative lighting
- New or revamped plumbing system
- New plumbing fixtures
- New window(s) and door(s) with new trim
- New cabinetry
- New medicine cabinet(s)
- New linen closet
- New accessories (towel bars, toilet paper holder, etc.)
- Painting and decorating
- Removal of all trash
- Jobsite clean-up
Of course, if you want to track down a certain special item yourself,
or if you would like us to work with a specific subcontractor, that’s
fine, as long as there is plenty of communication among all parties.
to top
What is a design fee?
A design fee is paid to a professional kitchen or bathroom designer
to cover the time he spends to survey your home and develop a comprehensive,
workable plan tailored specifically to your needs. The fee usually
also covers discussions about budgets and time frames, as well as
professional advice on styles and colors. The dollar amount of the
design fee varies depending on the size and complexity of the job;
in many cases, the fee is applied to the cost of the construction
job itself.
to top
Do I really need to get permits?
Permits and inspections provide the homeowner with checks and balances
for the project, and, as such, they are a good value. They insure
that someone professionally trained in health and safety issues will "sign
off" on your job. A responsible contractor should welcome the
opportunity to have another set of eyes check his work.
Some contractors may tell you that you don’t always need a
permit for a bathroom job, but this is only true if you are just
replacing one fixture in the room. A complete bath renovation always requires
a permit.
to top
Should I buy my own cabinets, appliances
and/or fixtures?
No two kitchen and bath professionals approach this the same way.
Some people want you to buy everything yourself, while others prefer
that you select your products through them.
I tend to fall into the second category. Since I provide "soup
to nuts" project management, which is what most of my clients
prefer, I find that I have the best control of the details and timetable
of the project if I personally manage and coordinate everything.
That is one reason why Top Notch Kitchen & Bath has a well deserved
reputation for completing projects in a shorter period of time than
other contractors (although we don’t ever sacrifice quality
for speed).
Of course, homeowners who are only interested in changing their
cabinetry and not altering their floor plan in any way may find it
more economical to purchase cabinetry from a home center and then
hire a separate installer. But, if you are considering an addition
or any other structural changes, it’s probably best to purchase
your cabinetry, appliances and fixtures through a professional kitchen
and bath contractor who will take overall responsibility for coordinating
all aspects of your project.
to top
How do I prepare my house for a kitchen
or bath project?
Any way you look at it, a renovation or remodeling project is disruptive.
Advance planning will pay off, though, by making the project run
as smoothly and as quickly as possible.
First of all, plan to keep the project area and the living area
separate, not just for safety’s sake but also to help you keep
to your routine as much as possible. Then you won’t be in the
contractor’s way, and he and his crew will not be in yours.
For a kitchen project, that usually means setting up a temporary
kitchen in another part of the house where you can prepare simple
meals in a microwave or on a hot plate. Scheduling a major kitchen
project for the summer months may also help, when it is possible
to both cook and eat outdoors.
Besides removing everything from the project area, it is also a
good idea to prepare nearby rooms. I suggest you box up all knick-knacks
and breakables, cover the furniture and drapes with sheets or plastic
and roll up area rugs. And finally, don’t forget to think about
the health and safety of your pet, who may become very upset with
the level of noise from the project, as well as the number of "strangers" in
your house everyday.
to top
What are today’s major trends in bathroom
design?
Bathrooms have seen the most dramatic change in both concept and
design of any room in the house. The spacious and sprawling bathrooms
of today include many amenities that were just not available to the
general public ten years ago. For example, bathrooms may now include
large whirlpool tubs with separate showers; toilets and possibly
bidets in their own, separate room; double vanities or two separate
vanities; heated tile floors; heated towel bars; deep and stylish
medicine cabinets that provide lots of storage; halogen lighting;
handsprays (personal showers); and dedicated make-up areas.
A significant trend in today’s bathroom design is to make the
room larger, especially the master bath. This usually involves borrowing
space from an adjacent closet or bedroom to expand beyond the typical
5’ x 7’ room of the past. It’s not uncommon for homeowners,
especially those with smaller families, to sacrifice a spare or guest
bedroom to create a "master retreat," complete with a large,
luxurious bath and a spacious walk-in closet (or even his and hers
closets).
A final trend is the desire for products of better quality that
will last. Many people have been burned in the past with a bathroom
renovation that didn’t hold up after a few years. In some cases,
this caused leaks that resulted in costly repairs to other parts
of the house. To avoid this situation, people today are willing to
spend more for a better quality, long-lasting product. Hand in hand
with this is the fact that people today have less time for home repair
and maintenance. "Easy maintenance" and "better quality" are
words I hear over and over from my customers.
to top
Will a kitchen or bath renovation increase
the resale value of my home?
Houses that sell quickly today, at all price levels, are those that
include well designed kitchens and bathrooms. In fact, houses with
drop-dead kitchens and baths end up being the object of bidding wars
at all price points, while houses that sit on the market have old,
tired kitchens and baths or have been remodeled unprofessionally.
Many people today would rather spend the money up front to buy a
house that has been thoughtfully remodeled, rather than buy a fixer-upper
that will be a drain on their time, as well as their pocketbook.
to top
What are people spending today on kitchen
and bath projects?
Obviously, the answer to that depends on how drastic a change you
are making in your home. Replacing a kitchen without any major construction
can run to $30,000, or even into the $40’s or $50’s. Changing
a layout, moving walls, using commercial-style appliances or just
using the best of everything can bring the price up into the $80’s.
As for the bathroom, ten years ago, $10,000 could buy a really nice
bathroom. But that was then. Today, in our northern New Jersey market,
most people are spending between $15,000 and $20,000 for a complete
but basic bath remodel. Upscale fixtures and a separate tub and shower
can drive the price into the high $20’s and even $30’s.
And it’s not uncommon for master bathroom/bedroom suite projects
to go into the $40’s and beyond, depending on the degree of
structural change involved.
to top
How can I keep costs down without cutting
quality?
If you’re on a tight budget, be realistic about whether you
can make any structural changes to your space. Beyond that, don’t
sacrifice quality!
In a bathroom renovation, better ways to trim costs include:
- Leave fixtures in place in the new design. In other words, put
the new toilet (for example) in the same place as the old one.
If you must move fixtures, relocating the sink and tub is less
expensive than moving a separate, dedicated shower, and moving
the toilet is the most expensive of all.
- Use stock products wherever possible. Custom products will eat
up your budget.
- Choose simple tile patterns in basic colors, which will save
you considerable money over intricate, colorful mosaics and decorative
accent tiles.
- Choose white or biscuit for everything in the bathroom
(tub, shower, toilet, vanity, sink, tile, etc.). Add interest and
color through the use of pretty towels, soaps and countertop items.
This has the added benefit of giving you the ability to change
the look of the bathroom through the simple purchase of new accessories.
And, an all-white or all-biscuit bathroom is most appreciated by
prospective buyers when it’s time to sell your home.
to top
I am interested in white painted cabinets,
but have heard that the joints in the wood will open up.
That’s true. It is inevitable that the woodworking joinery
will expand and contract with the seasons as a result of the level
of heat and humidity in the house. Beyond that, it really depends
on the workmanship of the cabinetry whether the joint issue is obvious
or not. A well constructed cabinet will eventually show a few cracks,
but they will not be that noticeable.
to top
I like granite countertops. Are there any
concerns I should be aware of?
Functionally, granite is a great product. There is no harder surface
for countertops. Some stones are more porous than others, however,
and may stain easily, so it is always good to ask about this ahead
of time. Also, granite may require periodic cleaning and sealing
depending on the stone. All in all, though, most choices are trouble-free.
The placement of seams in a granite countertop is usually the biggest
negative. Sometimes, because of the product’s limitations of
size and weight, there will be seams in conspicuous places. We work
with our granite fabricator to find the best placement for seams
in each individual kitchen or bath.
to top
Are solid surface countertops still
popular?
Solid surface can be an excellent choice. It comes in many styles
and colors, is easy to maintain, can be fashioned into a variety
of edge treatments and is still the only countertop surface that
allows a seamless sink installation (an undermount sink must be used
with granite).
Many customers find that they like the look of both granite and
solid surface in their kitchens. We can accommodate this — with
beautiful results — by using granite on an island and a contrasting
or complementary solid surface on perimeter countertops.
to top
Why should I choose Top Notch Kitchen & Bath?
Designing and installing kitchens and bathroom is what we love to
do, and it shows. We will proudly furnish references of customers
who have turned to us time and again to make their dreams come true.
Also, unlike the experiences you may have had with other contractors,
you will never spend a day wondering if we’re going to show
up. We will be there every day, on time, until your project is completed
to your satisfaction.
to top
|
