When a remodeling project goes wrong it can be a source of great stress. Both financial and emotional. As an interior designer I have seen many remodeling projects from start to finish. Some jobs flow easily and without a hitch, and some jobs don't. There can be many reasons for delays and added costs. Sometimes the client makes changes, or there are backordered materials, or contractor delays, but sometimes things come up that were unexpected and not the fault of anyone.
I am working with a client in Ann Arbor, and her job seems to be such a job. We were installing a new cork floor in the bathroom of her 50 year old ranch. When the homeowner pulled the toilet for the new floor the shut off valve broke. Water gushed out. The shut off in the basement was also damaged. They eventually had to call the city to come and shut off the water at the street. Of course, this shut off the water to the whole house.
Since the new floor was going to be higher than the existing thresholds we decided to pull the thresholds. When that happened the old cement under the old tile which was under the newer vinyl floor began to crumble. So the installer had to remove the old tile. Once the tile was gone it was clear that the old subfloor was damaged beyond repair, so that had to come out. The installer did not have the tools to install a new subfloor so I had to call a builder I work with and he found someone who could come over on short notice to put in a subfloor. Needless to say the installation of the flooring took longer than anticipated.
I find that having work done in my home feels rather invasive. It creates a mess, because things have to be moved, covered up, sanded, etc. This really does disrupt your life. I, personally, do not do well with this. I like things where they belong, and am not a big fan of having to move the contents of one room into another room. I actually have a couple projects coming up that will necessitate moving all the contents from two rooms. I know it will be worth it when it is finished. But it will be ugly along the way.
