What to Do When Renovating Your Living Room? - Homeslibro | Lceted

What to Do When Renovating Your Living Room?

If you are redesigning your living room from scratch, it is vital to approach the work in a particular order. If you follow this systematic approach, you will avoid problems and will not have to redo jobs that have already been done, so save yourself money. Follow the plan here to get it right the first time.

 

1. Determine Your Budget

How much can you afford to spend to get the look you want? If your budget is tight, concentrate on basics— fireplace, doors, flooring, moldings, and woodwork—and upgrade any cheap accessories later. Allow for a contingency of at least 10 percent in addition to your proposed budget.

 

2. Plan the Layout

Draw a scale plan with doors or walls to be moved or removed, windows added, or fireplaces installed, and where electrical receptacles, lights, light switches, TV antenna, built-in audio, phone jacks, and the flue for a wood burning stove will go

 

3. Consider the Heating

If you are replacing radiators, are they currently in the best position and big enough for the room? Will removing walls or doors mean you need to increase the heating in the room? Or think about removing radiators altogether in favor of underfloor radiant heating.

 

4. Schedule Tradespeople

Contact an electrician, HVAC contractor, carpenter or millworker, and painter to get quotes. You may also need a general contractor if you are knocking down walls. Ask how the work other tradespeople will be doing might impact on their jobs so you can get everyone in at the right time.

 

5. Get Approval

If you are making structural changes, get approval from your local building department. The same applies if you plan to replace original windows, for example, and live in a historical preservation area.

 

6. Place Your Orders

Once your quotes are in, order flooring, doors, woodwork, radiators, and windows. Paint, wallpaper, carpet, and light fixtures can all be ordered later.

 

7. Gut the Room

Strip any wallpaper to see if the walls or ceiling need to be patched. Rip out old flooring, woodwork, moldings damaged beyond repair, unwanted fireplaces (or unblock a fireplace, if needed), old electrical wiring, radiator pipes, and walls you have approval to demolish (be sure to provide appropriate supports to keep the room safe).

 

8. Install New Heating— Rough-In

Have plumbing installed for water-fed underfloor heating or new radiators first, since this is a disruptive job.

 

9. Install the Electrical Wiring—Rough-In

The electrician will install wiring beneath the floors and into the walls and ceiling for all the electrical fixtures. If you are having a security system installed, have this system wired now.

 

10. Install the Fireplace— Rough-In

Wiring, gas piping, or a chimney lining for a fireplace happen now, so a mantle and/or gas fireplace can be installed after the walls are patched—or get an existing chimney swept.

 

11. Install New Windows

Install new windows, or prepare existing windows now so they are ready to be painted

 

12. Patch the Walls and Ceiling

Patch and repair openings in sheetrock or plaster walls. Apply plaster skim coating and sand in preparation for the wall finish.

 

13. Lay the Flooring

Lay tiles or a wood floor—or a subfloor if you are having carpet laid.

 

14. Tackle the Millwork

When the plaster is dry, install baseboards, crown trim, doors, door trims, and chair and picture rails. Make sure the carpenter knows the position of all plumbing and wires.

 

15. Decorate

Fill fine cracks, paint ceilings, walls, and woodwork, and wallpaper—in that order

 

16. Organize the Final Install

The electrician and HVAC contractor can return to install radiators, light fixtures, and electrical receptacles, and finalize underfloor heating. The fireplace can be finished off

 

17. Add Finishing Touches

Put up curtain rods or blinds, attach door hardware, and lay the carpet to finish the room