It is common during the course of a project for questions to come up —  these meetings will help is to reduce anxiety and to establish that work is moving forward as planned. One of the most important things to establish at the preconstruction meeting is when to hold regularly scheduled on-site meetings. Face-to-face meetings are the core of good project management and communication. Having this established keeps the production staff moving without interruption and allows you the chance to have the undivided attention of everyone involved.

The other key component to great communication is email. Together with weekly meetings, email creates an ongoing synergy between you and your contractor. A great deal of business gets done between meetings by sharing documents, photos, and addressing items that won’t hold up the schedule.  However, the weekly meeting will be the place where you can put the entire package of information together and make sure everyone is on the same page.

Regular meetings also provides an opportunity to ask questions in advance of the meeting, allowing both parties to get the information needed. A typical weekly meeting could include:

1. Reviewing the production schedule,
2. Understanding the details on certain products being used behind the walls,
3. Finalizing and coordinating the finish products and fixtures,
4. Viewing visual information regarding a cabinet or bath layout and,
5. Reveling in the joy of watching your home transition into the renovation you dreamed of having.

In our next article we will discuss the items that the homeowner is responsible for, and the value of a project binder to make those finish selections as much fun as they should be.

Plans that have less information will ultimately create opportunity for differences of opinion — a communication problem that can easily be avoided. CDs typically include:

1.  Blueprints containing floor plans, framing plans, a structural section, exterior elevations, interior elevations, a lighting plan, a door and window schedule, and a foundation plan if required,
2. Specifications that include a list of what the materials will be from the way the concrete will be ordered to the style and quality of the roofing, and a
3. Scope of Work that will provide instruction regarding what may not be shown on the plan such as “The Contractor shall paint the entire existing home complete with all scraping, sanding and priming of bare wood at such time as the addition is painted and shall provide the Owner with up to 3 sample colors painted on the home on 3 elevations”.

The most common missing document from bid sets is lighting plans. This is not a drawing with a light in each room. It’s a document that shows where the switches go, how the light is intended to be placed, and perhaps an audio video component for speakers that will be installed. A budget that includes what is only required by code is vastly different than a budget with a lighting plan. Since “different” is never less once a project starts, make sure the designer and the builder know your expectations and invest in a lighting plan during the budget phase.

If you wish to have the optimum level of preparedness, request a fixture specification list with photos. The Wiese Company provides this document to all of our clients so that they can easily access model numbers plus it serves as a useful tool when it is time to coordinate lighting, plumbing and bath hardware. Even better, you won’t be surprised when your faucet arrives and you can’t remember if that was in fact the faucet you selected 3 months prior…

The bottom line, the better your document set, the better your construction experience. Please contact us if you would like to see an actual Project Book and everything that goes into a The Wiese Company project.

Ray, 1992

20 years in business has left a couple of gray hairs on this remodeler (well, maybe more than a couple).

I opened our doors in 1992 during an election year when incumbent George Bush Sr. faced unknown Bill Clinton and the first serious (did I say serious?) 3rd party candidate ever Ross Perot. The country was still trying to pull out of a recession that seemed to linger on… based mostly on a housing bubble crash (with a minor banking crisis). I guess this is a “full circle” story.

With each passing year we have seen some of the country’s best and worst economic times. Hard to believe some of our most challenging times were at the height of the boom! You may have experienced the same issues I did-tradesmen that were too busy to return calls, human resource issues at their peak and the out of control price of goods.

As we move forward past the recent economic climate, I am grateful for what that GREAT recession has proved to me:

1. The most important part of our business is customer service.
2. By hiring like-minded people, our staff jumps right in to take their share of the project on with equal fervor and care.
3. Committing to quality and value creates happy customers who will refer us to their friends and family… just like in 1992.

I can hardly express the gratitude and satisfaction of working on your homes and with your families… here’s to another 20 years!

Today we design kitchens for lifestyle as equally as we do for ergonomics and safety. Beware only thinking about the former, and dismissing the latter. The Wiese Company believes that paying close attention to key functions of the kitchen will allow you to have a space that works great for cooking as well as for everything else.

For example, your lifestyle items may be that “the kids like to do their homework at the island every day” or “my sister and her family often visit and we all cook together.” These lifestyle requirements may require an extended island to keep the olive oil off the homework or an additional sink for those extra helping hands in the kitchen.

In this edition’s featured kitchen, our client’s 2 teenagers are often using the kitchen as the rendezvous point at the beginning and end of their day. The family addressed the lifestyle needs by making sure they used a large farm table as a place for family time at meals as well as Sunday morning websurfing.

You’ll notice we featured an open space for bowls stored below the island and for a pot rack above. The client often cooks from scratch after returning home from her day job and likes everything “tout proche” (French for “near at hand”). As the client’s husband boasted, “My wife is an excellent cook — everything she makes is fresh. Her soups and stews are incredible.”

As a planning note, knowing your daily cooking habits should dictate the amount of prep area along with adjustments for their location as well as the choice of appliances. This client belongs to a CSA Crop Share so they selected a Sub-Zero refrigerator that has higher humidity levels that keep vegetables fresh for about a week longer than typical refrigeration.

Thanks to Andres and Liz of Newton for another fun and unique kitchen project. Bon appetite!

Expanded Kitchen with Increased Natural Light

High on the client’s wish list was a view with more sunlight and transom windows. When adding on space (in this case 10 feet) it is important to give that space purpose and a sense of transition. With a beautiful patio and garden out back, we suggested a higher ceiling with coffers to produce a sunroom connotation that nestles the dinette table in nicely and makes it open to the outside view. Plus, it provides soft separation from the cooking galley to the desk top.

My favorite parts of this design are not the most glamorous ones, although glamour still abounds. In fact they are the things that ultimately make this kitchen purr every time it gets used:

• What I like to call “The Drop Zone” is something that replaces many kitchen desks because it provides a place to put a hand bag down along with mail, magazines, keys and all those things that seem to take over the island.
  

  The Drop Zone

• Inside the Lower drop zone cabinet we have electric receptacles for the family’s cell phone and portable device chargers allowing only the charger cord to show on the counter above.
• Notice the broom storage to the right that will store the dust buster as well as a few other janitorial aids.

Other features include a snack and beverage station with an under counter refrigerator, microwave and bar sink. The island incorporates two 50 quart trash bins for recycling as well as spacious storage and seating with an oversized work surface. The client’s choice of glazed borders with a classic cherry island makes this a timeless and warm environment.

The Snack Zone

Featured Products: Plato Woodworks Cabinetry (White Dove with Brown Glaze, the  island is Alder wood with Briar stain), Subzero refrigeration and Wolf Cooking.