If you have been planning a remodel or design refresh in your home, you may have noticed that many flooring installers or contractors have no interest in helping you with your staircase. I specialize in staircase remodels because I enjoy the engineering behind the project. Each staircase comes with its own characteristics and decisions and those challenges are exciting to me. Over the years I have developed a process for a staircase remodel to help ensure my clients get exactly what they are looking for without impacting their life too much during the construction phase.
Initial Meeting
It is important that I see the staircase in person to be able to develop a sense of the scope of work. Even simple staircases have many elements to them – treads, balusters, handrail, landings, and newel post, etc. And, its style is affected by the other architectural details in your home, such as flooring and trim. Being in the space also helps me identify potential challenges. I take detailed pictures while I am there so I will be able to provide an appropriate contract and price. There are always surprises in any construction project, but I try to minimize them as much as I can upfront. I also discuss design elements at this meeting. Clients ask me about standards, and while there are building codes that need to be adhered to, there really are no “must dos” when it comes to design preferences. When we are setting the initial appointment I suggest they have pictures from Houzz, Pinterest or other design resources to give me a sense of what they are looking for. I ask about their preferences for wood species, stain vs. painted, style and functionality. From there we come up with conceptual designs. All of this information goes back to my shop with me where I develop a quote based on type and quantity of materials plus my time to implement the design. Once the quote is accepted and 50% is paid to cover material purchases, the project is placed on the schedule.
Pre-Construction
I notify my clients a week or two ahead of time that I will be starting the in-home portion of their project. By the time I have arrived, a lot of work has been completed in my shop – cutting, painting, staining and finishing. I complete as much as I can in my space; I try to spend as little time as possible in my clients’ home to minimize disruption.
Construction
The most common question I get from clients is “Will we have a staircase while you are working?” The answer is Yes. I purposely take out only a portion of the stairs at a time while I am working so you always have a functional staircase. There is a phase of the staircase remodel where there is a lot of tear out that will eventually be built back in. It doesn’t look pretty, so I ask them to just try to ignore that as they use their stairs! I also clean up and put materials aside before I leave for the day to help maintain a sense of normalcy in my clients’ lives.
Communication during all phases of construction is key to ensuring everyone is on the same page. When an issue arises, how I handle it will depend upon the nature of the problem. If something structural comes up that I was not anticipating, I usually do not bother my client with it unless I feel it would affect them. I just deal with and move on. Aesthetic surprises call for homeowner consultation because they can dictate a potential change they will see every day.
Final Walk-Through
Once the major components go in, there is still work to be done. The finishing touches like trim, caulk and paint complete the look. Usually my clients have been living in the house and watching the progress, however, I still like to have a final walk through to ensure they are happy with the project and to collect final payment.
The nature of hiring a small, custom-focused home improvement business is that there is not a huge machine behind the process. In my case, it’s just my helper and me. Therefore, a few month waitlist is typical, but rest assured once you are on the schedule, you are not pushed for another project. I do them in the order I receive the deposit. I also do not bounce around from project to project; once I start at a home, it is my focus until completion. Doing one project at a time allows me to stay “in the zone”, making me more efficient, offering less margin of error, and allowing for a better customer experience. So expect no lengthy gaps or interruptions in your job. Finally, I show up when I say I am going to – I respect your time and my own.
If you would like more information about how I can help you with your staircase remodel, send me an email or give me a call at (317) 679-5890.
