Construction projects are, by nature, messy. Like many processes, sometimes things just have to get worse before they get better. But here at BOLT, we’re very aware that when we are at a construction site, we’re at our clients’ home. We respect you and your property, and we want to make the experience as pleasant as possible, and as least disruptive to you and your family as we can. To that end, we’ve developed a Job Site Cleanliness Process. Read on to discover how we care for and protect your property as we renovate it.
Before We Start
A huge part of job site cleanliness starts before any construction is done. We prepare your space carefully before we start demolition. We build framed walls and hang plastic sheeting with zipper doors to separate the finished space from the construction zone. This keeps the dust and debris where it belongs–in the workspace and not in your living space.
Then we cover all the registers and grills in the construction area with filters. This ensures that your ductwork stays clean and dust-free. It also protects your HVAC system from damage such as dirty cooling and evaporating coils, blower issues, and reduced airflow.
Existing floors will be covered with ram board–a heavy cardboard product designed especially to protect floors during construction. The ram board is taped in place and remains there for the duration of the project. It protects your floors from scratches, debris, and even moisture.
Sometimes in a big project, we need to remove an exterior wall. Rather than leaving your home exposed to the elements, we protect your house by framing a temporary wall. We insulate it and hang drywall on the interior side. We use house wrap on the exterior side to keep it safe from the elements and ensure that your home, property, and family are protected as well.
Hanging drywall on a temporary wall is quick and easy for our experienced carpenters, so sometimes we do this instead of hanging plastic sheeting, even when the area isn’t exposed to the elements. A framed wall lasts longer than plastic sheeting and can protect the finished part of your house better in some situations. Rest assured that we do everything we can to protect your home before we start the demolition process.
During Construction
Trade Partners
We work hard during the entire duration of the project to keep the job site clean and neat. One way we do this is by only scheduling one trade partner to be on-site per day or per phase. For example, if it’s time to rough in plumbing, only the plumber will be at your home–he will have the site to himself. The electrician and the drywallers and others have to wait their turn.
We require each subcontractor to clean up at the end of his work day, by sweeping and doing a light vacuum with a shop vac. He also will pick up his tools, and any trash or construction debris, and organize the space. By only allowing one trade partner per day, we are able to hold each one accountable for his own clean-up. If someone leaves a mess, we know exactly who to call to clean it up.
Site Superintendent and Project Manager
Each day, the site superintendent and project manager are actively working at your job site, overseeing all the trade partners and carpenters. At the end of the day, they walk through the site and create a job log detailing what work happened that day. Part of this walk-through is a health check to monitor job site cleanliness. If they see an issue, they note it and coordinate with whoever is responsible for the clean-up.
Resets
Sometimes the work is moving so fast that despite our best efforts, the site ends up getting messy. When this happens, our site superintendent and project manager will do a reset. They will stop construction for a day or two and do a more thorough clean-up and reorganization. This often takes place after the rough-in, when all the trades have been through the site and have done their initial work, and the project is ready for drywall. Resets allow us to keep the mess under control and the work moving forward.
Finishes
When your project is nearing the end, it’s time for us to protect all the finishes we’ve just installed. After the drywall is installed, we move on to trim and cabinetry. As we hang the cabinets and install the countertops, we cover them with ¼” rigid insulation board. This protects them from debris, scratches, and damage from tools being set on them. We cover any new flooring with ram board as we did the existing flooring.
When the Work is Done
When your project is finished, before we hand you the keys, we invite our cleaners in to do a detailed construction clean of the space. This is included in the price of your remodel, as we want you to be able to just walk through the door and see your new space, pristine and shining and waiting for you to enjoy.
We know that the remodeling process can be long and disruptive (we even have a funk chart explaining the ups and downs you might feel!). But we also know that the end result will be worth the inconvenience. We believe that by keeping the job site clean and organized, we are enabling work to proceed more quickly, ensuring the safety of our crews and subcontractors, and respecting your property.
The care and concern we put into job site cleanliness at BOLT are echoed throughout our process, from our first consultation with you, through planning and design, through construction, and until the whole job is done. We carefully manage every detail of your project to ensure that you are thrilled with your home’s renovations. If you’re considering making some changes to your DC, Maryland, or Virginia home and you want builders you can trust, contact us today. We’re ready to help.