By definition, trivia is trivial. It’s those small details that stick in the mind like flies on flypaper. Yet, there are some things I’ve learned in our bathroom remodeling project that are small details, but which are anything but trivial. Rather, they are the specifics you need to know if you want to get the project right.
Items to ponder:
1. When you are tearing out walls, it helps to know if they are plaster or drywall.
2. It also helps to close the heat registers and cold air returns throughout the construction area, so that the dust doesn’t permeate the rest of your house. (Unfortunately, we missed this detail and had to have a cleaning service come in to clean every item we owned . . . by hand.)
3. You need to find a tile for your shower and tub that has a bullnose. I chose a floor tile that I wanted to also use over the tub, but floor tile doesn’t usually have a bullnose. So I had to go back to the drawing board.
4. Drywall, the layman’s term, is also called greenboard, backerboard, or sheetrock. They have specific purposes.
5. The best decisions are made at the front end. The more you plan, measure, and determine where lights, mirrors, vanities are going, the less the frustration later.
6. In Michigan, if it’s a good day to go fishing it’s possible your crew will not show up on time.
7. It’s important to know exactly how many inspectors are needed to sign off on any rough-in work. Otherwise, if you move ahead without getting some inspector’s permission, you run the risk of tearing everything out.
I’m sure there are other important details I’ve learned, but I think this list suffices to prove my point. That is, you have to separate the trivia from the crucial, regardless of the project.
Leave a Reply