They Said "It Couldn’t Be Done", Part 2

Experience is a great teacher. I recently worked on the same property only a few months earlier and discovered faulty plumbing. For a plumbing drain to work properly, drainage pipes need to slope downward to be effective (a no-brainer, right). In fact the proper slope should be a minimum of 1/4″ drop (slope) for every 1 foot of pipe (run). Well, this was not the case and I suspected the same on this project.

In fact the property management had recently adopted a new policy stating that all re-modelers doing any work (that involved plumbing) on the units , must rectify the original plumbing error. Ah-ha my suspicions were warranted, as I also discovered the same problem on this unit.

This problem could have fallen under the heading of unforeseen issues, and thus becoming an extra charge to the home owners, but fortunately it was foreseen and didn’t surprise anyone. I consciously anticipate on my projects. To me it’s like a chess match, I go through the what-if scenarios during the estimating stage and as the job progresses. I find that it greatly reduces the surprises and subsequently the stress level for all parties involved.

Another example of anticipation was the issue of removing a small wall in the kitchen beside the counter. Without seeing the original building plans it was questionable if the wall could be removed without compromising the structural integrity of the unit. The plans were not available so the only practical way to determine if it was possible was to remove the existing sheet-rock and view the original framing.

I discussed this with the homeowners during the bidding stage and we agreed on 2 designs plans, dependent upon discovery after removal of the sheet-rock. Fortunately the outcome was favorable for the homeowners. The wall was not a load bearing wall and therefor able to be removed.

I did however strengthen the existing beam above the wall just as an added insurance as I felt the original framing was acceptable but borderline. Proper engineering is mandatory in situations like this.

Tagged as: Bathroom, Kitchen, remodel