High Rise Kitchen Remodeling
By Scott Hanson
Under normal circumstances, remodeling a kitchen in a single family home, with a garage, driveway, and basement can be pretty straight forward. There is room to set up tools like table saws, store materials, and park construction vehicles close by for access to tools while the project is underway.
Now, image doing the same project in a high rise building with very limited space. Space in the unit has to be utilized for storage of material and tools, and setting up a small workshop so the workers can concentrate on the project. There are many factors that must be considered before beginning a project in a high rise. Here are some concerns and issues that should be discussed with your contractor prior to signing a contract:
A current list of building requirements, or construction rules, should be available for each bidding contractor from the building management. This document will describe the specifications for remodeling projects. These specifications usually affect the cost of a remodeling project, so it's imperative that this is reviewed early in the process.
Some buildings require architectural drawings, engineer reviews of the work and/or a local municipality's permits along with building management board approval. It should be clearly understood and documented in the proposal who is responsible for the obtaining the reviews and permits, and how they will affect the progress of the work. Not following the proper steps may result in the building requiring you to have all of the remodeling work removed.
The building requirements document is usually very specific for items such as flooring and plumbing work.
Flooring projects in a high rises may require that the new flooring material have a field impact class rating of 55 FIIC or greater. Some building may require actually testing of the floor for compliance. This will add to the cost of your project.
Most buildings require that a licensed and insured plumber do all of the plumbing work. A leak in a high rise not only affects the owner, but the neighbors below. Projects that involve plumbing work may require that the water in the tier be shutdown which means the shutdown needs to be scheduled ahead of time so that tenants can be notified. Local cutoff valves may need to be installed for supply lines and waste lines need to tie into the correct building waste stacks.
You need to find out early in the remodeling process what documentation is required by the building management. Usually this includes a written description of the project, certificate of insurance indemnifying the building management, a list of workers on the project, a project time line.
Before tearing out a wall, your contractor should review the work with your building engineer to ensure that there are no tier phone lines or electrical conduits in the wall that you are planning to remove.
You will need to find out what are the acceptable working hours in the building. Can work be done on Saturday's?
The contractor should inspect the freight elevator to be sure that the materials (cabinets, countertops, etc.) can fit in the elevator. If there is no freight elevator the building will usually designate a tenant elevator and install wall pads to protect it. How much advance notice will the building need to reserve an elevator? Many times it's almost impossible to reserve an elevator on the first and last day of the month because of tenants moving in or out.
Is parking available for contractors? If your building has underground parking, what is the maximum height allowed for a vehicle? Many times, full sized vans will not fit in underground parking garages. If reserved parking is not available, where is the nearest lot and what is the cost of parking for a full day? Does the lot usually have parking space available? Does the lot allow construction vehicles to park in it?
Where can the contractor store the materials and tools overnight? Can furniture be moved around in the unit to provide the appropriate space? Most buildings do not have extra storage for contractors, so your unit may need to be used.
For some projects the crew needs to have an area where larger portable tools can be set up such as table or miter saws, and long pieces of trim can be safely maneuvered and worked on. Can an outside deck be used or will it be too cold or windy? Dust is generated during both the demolition phase as well as the construction phase. Ask that your contractor set up a temporary plastic barrier to contain the dust. Make sure that floors are protected as well.
Who will be responsible for disposing of the trash? Can the building's dumpster be used? Is there a maximum size or amount that is allowed to be thrown in the building's trash? Can the contractor get a bin for trash?
All of these items make high rise kitchen remodeling a bit more challenging and possibly more expensive than the same project in a single family home. Realizing these factors early in the project helps eliminate surprises during the project. It is best to work with your building and contractor to address of all these concerns or requirements early. If your contractor complains about the building's rules and/or the limited space in your unit, find another contractor! Good luck!
Scott Hanson is the owner of Kitchen Tune-Up, an award winning kitchen and bath remodeling company in Chicago. You can find more helpful hints at http://www.kitchentuneup.com
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