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If you are planning to make a renovation, do not rush. First, find out what mistakes can await you in this difficult business. This will minimize rework, save money and time.
First of all, even before the start of the repair, you must clearly understand the result in all details – for this you need to draw up a project. Actions based on the principle “let’s start quickly – and we’ll see” turn into endless alterations.
Apartment renovation where to start
1st mistake: starting repairs without a project
Ideally, there should be three such projects: a redevelopment project, if you decide to break walls and erect partitions, and the associated design project and an electrical project.
To draw up them, you can turn to professionals, but their services are expensive: a design project – on average $ 30 per square meter, and an electrical project – from $ 800 to 1. But if problems arise, builders themselves must correct and correct errors under the supervision of architect. This moment must be prescribed in the contract.
If there is no opportunity and desire to contact professionals, such projects can be easily compiled by yourself or you can use the help of friends who have survived the repair. You just need to carefully study the building codes and regulations (SNiP) and take into account some of the typical errors associated mainly with communications and electricity.
2nd mistake: alteration of plumbing and sewerage
When drawing up a project, you need to remember that alterations related to general communications are the most delicate.
Relocation of the kitchen sink. If, for example, you decide to move the sink in the kitchen to another place, removing it from the sewer pipe, the project must take into account that for the normal drainage of water, the height difference must be observed – approximately 3-5% relative to the length. That is, for each square meter, about 3 cm of a drop is obtained.
So if you move the sink 6 meters away from the riser, it should be raised 18 cm.
Moving a bath or toilet. But the sink is still nothing, since its siphon is located high. But the bathtub and the toilet have a drain at the bottom, and if you put them far from the sewer pipe, you cannot avoid blockages – the drain will inevitably work poorly. If you still feel the urge to move the plumbing away from the drain, then you need to raise the bathroom – for example, lay a step in the project.
Transferring a heated towel rail. The same is with a heated towel rail: if you move it away from the riser, then in the project it is necessary to take into account that the pipes must go to it with smooth gradients, without sharp bends, otherwise there is a danger of air congestion, and as a result, your heated towel rail will often be cold. Therefore, if it is not possible to bring pipes to it properly, then it is better to buy an electric one.
Transferring batteries. Approximately the same problems can arise with the transfer of heating radiators – it is necessary to lay in the correct laying of pipes in the project, and, most likely, you will have to make grooves (“grooves” in the walls). But it is still better not to carry the radiators from under the window, since they work in such a way that they cut off the cold air coming from the street.
We must also remember what you cannot add to your own project:
- You cannot destroy and brick up the common air duct, even if you really want to acquire extra meters in this way.
- You cannot plaster the gas pipe tightly: of course, these pipes spoil the view, but you will have to do with other means – for example, make a decorative box that can be easily removed.
- The same goes for common heating pipes. God forbid what happens, and you will have to call the emergency gang – do not hesitate, they will turn your walls apart.
We advise you to read:
- All about bathroom remodeling
- Redevelopment in law
3rd error: floor, walls, ceilings
We did not calculate the load on the walls. Even such simple things as the permissible load on your partitions (walls) need to be thought out in advance. For example, you put a plasterboard partition in a room, and then decide that there should be bookshelves on it. Of course, such a partition will first have to be strengthened by “stitching” plywood there. Otherwise, you will have to abandon such a design or redo the work.
The same applies to the installation of boilers in the bathroom: a typical mistake – they put a plasterboard partition, sewn it up, tiled it, and then remembered about the boiler. Again, the choice is small: tolerate hot water outages or redo the job.
The screed is not suitable for the selected flooring. Typical mistakes in the overhaul of floors are primarily associated with inaccurate design of screeds. Very often there is such a problem: a person passionately wanted to level all the floors in the apartment – and level it (making a common screed). And only then did he decide where the parquet would be, where the tiles, and where the linoleum. As a result, you will have to tinker with alterations, since for tiles you need to make screeds higher, and for parquet – lower. Therefore, decide in advance on the materials for the floors and include this in your project to calculate the height of the screeds.
By the way, when drawing up the project, do not forget that the floor level in the bathrooms should be from 2 to 5 cm below the floor level in the corridor.
And don’t forget about waterproofing in the project. All this will protect your floors and neighbors’ ceilings and walls.
Dropped ceilings. We got to the ceiling. The most common mistakes are made with suspended structures. For example, you made a false ceiling, and then decided to hang in this room an old chandelier under 30 kilograms. Nothing will work! The presence of a hook for such a chandelier had to be taken care of at the design stage so that it was pre-installed in the concrete ceiling. Another example. If you are making a suspended ceiling in a children’s room, be sure to consider whether you will be installing a sports complex. If you catch yourself after the renovation, you will not be able to install such a complex without cutting holes in the false ceiling and installing special wooden blocks to the concrete ceiling.
4th mistake: inappropriate materials
The fourth group of errors with far-reaching consequences is associated with the wrong choice of materials for repair. Here are some typical examples.
Pipes. The pipes from the riser with hot and cold water, which will be extended to your faucets, must withstand the pressure that you have in your house (it is different in multi-storey buildings and cottages). Consult with a plumber serving your home, which is better to choose – steel, polypropylene or reinforced plastic. The same applies to materials for radiators: remember that aluminum radiators are good only in cottages, and they are not suitable for multi-storey buildings.
Floor in the hallway. Choose your hallway flooring wisely. If you have chosen parquet, then you have forgotten about our specific climatic conditions with long winters and slush. More than two years in the hallway… Of course, you can lay a rug, but then why would expensive parquet be hidden under it? Still, it is better to use tiles or linoleum in the hallway.
Artificial materials.Use with caution (panels, suspended ceilings) – this is primarily due to fire safety. The combustion products of some plastics are highly toxic. Remember that now all materials on the construction market are certified, therefore, before purchasing plastic materials, carefully study the certificate – whether they are suitable for residential premises.
Partitions. Choose the right material for partitions – concrete, brick, aerated concrete, drywall, expanded clay, grooved gypsum boards, etc. All these materials can withstand different loads.
Be sure to read the certifications and consult with sellers before purchasing.
If you plan to use exclusive finishing materials and plumbing, install rare kitchen furniture, you need to take care of this in advance, because sometimes you have to wait months for rare ordered materials, and repair work will be slowed down. Already at the stage of the project and planning, you should be aware of this: if you want an exclusive, plan your purchases in advance.
5th error: wrong work sequence
Here the rule is this: first, all work with communications must be carried out – water supply, sewerage, electricity, ventilation.
True, if the walls are destroyed, then all the necessary work cannot be done immediately. After the walls have been erected, sockets and switches are being completed, and in the bathrooms – heated towel rails and faucets. In order not to hammer the walls once again, some of the electrical wires (first of all, to the sockets) must be laid before the screed on the floor.
So, communications – walls – floor. Only after that ceilings are made, and the repair ends with finishing work.
can lead to rework, loss of money and time.
Don’t forget one more thing. If you decide to install additional television antennas, establish the Internet and install air conditioners, call the employees of these companies before finishing work, if you do not want numerous wires to run through your beautiful apartment.
Even before finishing work, all the electrics must be done, including a single shield where all antenna cables are connected.
So, try to avoid common mistakes to minimize rework. That’s it, now you can sit down to draw up your own project, where redevelopment, design and electricity will be taken into account.
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