09/28/2024
I saw this on another contractor's page and realized the he did a really good job of explaining what we as remodeling professionals do and the types of knowledge we have to have and acquire along this road we traverse throughout our careers.
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REMODELING ISNT A SKILL.
It’s about 10 trades, dozens of skills, and a whole lot of experiences. You don’t learn remodeling, you learn skills and use them to react to problems. You learn a process. Remodeling is a challenge and constant problem solving upon discovery. You are at the mercy of existing conditions and must figure out how to get the end results you want. Don’t believe us, read these brief overviews of each phase of remodeling.
Demolition isn’t just swinging sledge hammers. Demo for remodeling requires planning and preparedness. It’s identifying what’s inside a wall cavity. It’s disconnecting plumbing and electrical so demolition can be done safely. It’s knowing how things go together and common building practices so you can disassemble things. It’s dust control for people living in the home.
Framing isn’t just for entire houses. Remodeling requires framing knowledge. It’s crowning studs all the same way. It’s understanding blocking, load bearing wall sections, headers, footings, posts, trusses, joists, wall layout, and terminology, etc. It’s ensuring things are flat, square, level, and plumb.
Plumbing isn’t just water running down hill and things not leaking. It’s supply water, pressure and balancing, filtering, and fixture units. It’s venting, pipe size, slope, and traps. Remodeling can require a lot of plumbing, especially when adding, expanding, or rearranging fixtures.
HVAC isn’t just supply air to a room. It’s air returns, supply air, air exchanging, air quality, make up air, ventilation, etc. Remodeling doesn’t always require this, but a lot of it still has to be known for when it arises.
Electrical is almost always encountered when remodeling. New switches, lights, receptacles, etc. Floor heat systems, new circuits, loads, amperage, wattage, volts, line drop, wire size, etc. Wiring is often in the way or needs moved or extended. This can be tricky when access is minimal.
Trim carpentry should be a major skill of remodeling. From installing cabinets to baseboard, casing, coping, scribing and crown, it is some of most noticed work.
A remodel rarely happens without a change in flooring. Knowing products, thickness, wear thickness, substrate requirements, deflection, slip resistance, underlayments, sound deadening, etc are all factors. It’s not just slap down whatever was cheapest at the big box store.
Drywall/plaster seems easy enough, right? There are actually screws types, screw patterns, thicknesses, fire lids, air sealing, setting compounds, specialty tools, different finish levels, etc. knowing and getting it done correctly matters.
Painting, anyone can do it. But as a remodeler you need to know how to caulk, blend, spray, roll, mask, recommend sheens, know paint types and primers, all to do a quality paint job.
Tile isn’t just sticking pieces to a wall or floor. It’s anti fracture membranes, uncoupling membranes, waterproofing, mortars, grouts, sealants, prep, layout, cutting, polishing, and so much more.
All this to say, remodeling isn’t the hardest job in the world, but it does require a lot of knowledge, skills, and experience to do it correctly."
Source: Rabworks LLC in Newton, Ohio
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