There’s book learning and there’s on-the-job (OJT) training. Our remodeling project falls into the latter category; and here are some things I’ve learned in the past week:
When you have the plumber, the electrician, the ceramic tile man, and the drywall man on the job at the same time, each has his own agenda. Each thinks his part is most important too; but the truth is that working together gets the job done.
Case in point: I had decided where I wanted the built-in soap dish in the master shower, but unfortunately it conflicted with the plumbing that had to go in the guest bath. This is because both bathrooms share a vital wall, the one with all the plumbing. The same one where the soap dishes were to go. So something had to give; in this case, it’s the soap dishes, because if this were a game of cards plumbing trumps soap every time.
Another case in point: I had to decide where the electrician would put the boxes for the new lights in each bathroom. This was, in turn, determined by the placement of the mirrors over the respective sinks. Fortunately, I’d purchased the mirrors already, so I knew their height.
But if I hadn’t been organized, this sort of detail would have bogged my project. Delayed my time frame. Frustrated my inner boss.
I’m sure something will come up that wasn’t foreseen, but so far we’re on schedule and my homemade calendar of progress has seven smiley faces and one frowny one.
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