There’s something sacred about entering someone’s home.
And not just the “you can stand in the entryway while I go get something for you” invitation, but the “come on in and have a seat and chat with me for a minute” invitation.
You know once you get the latter, you’ve crossed the line from stranger to at least acquaintance, if not a friend. It’s a nice feeling, and it’s a show of trust on the homeowner’s behalf, is it not?
And that’s how kitchenCRATE approaches entering your home: with the utmost respect. As if we’re walking into the home of a friend because we are.
So here are a few things kitchenCRATE does to take care of you and your home throughout the project. It is, after all, the same things we would do in our own home…
Dust Barrier
When removing tile countertops, sanding, painting, or cutting sheetrock, we create dust or fumes. That’s the fact of the matter. But, alas, we understand that dust is dusty, and fumes are obnoxious. So on each kitchenCRATE project, we install a plastic dust barrier between your kitchen and the rest of the home. Within this dust barrier, we install a clever little zipper door for easy access.
And this dust barrier isn’t just plastic taped to the ceiling and walls. No, we actually build a light wood frame out of 1 x 2 stock material, wrap it in thick plastic (called a vapor barrier), and use a tension system to ensure it stays secure without having using nails or screws. It’s methodology we perfected during past training for mold remediation. And if it works for something toxic like mold, then it certainly works for dust and fumes!
Flooring Protection
Installing flooring protection is critical to protecting your home during kitchenCRATE. I can’t tell you how often this is not done, or not done correctly, on remodeling jobs.
We use a combination of brown rosin paper, painters tape, and masonite to protect your floors.
Brown rosin paper is the least likely material to stain should it get wet, and it’s easy to tape down while maintaining high durability. Painter’s tape is meant to be placed on a finished surface without causing harm (unlike masking tape or duct tape). And masonite is an extremely hard thin sheet material that does a great job protecting wood floors from dents or wheel marks.
We do not use adhesive-backed plastic carpet covering. While it’s very effective in protecting floors, it can leave a sticky residue that, after a while, creates dark “stripes” on flooring. For that reason alone we decline it’s used, even though it would save us money and time in the short term.
Temporary Facilities
No one likes strangers using their bathroom. That’s a fact of life.
So kitchenCRATE simply solves this problem by setting an exterior temporary toilet and hand-wash station on each kitchenCRATE job. (Much like the ones you’d see at an outdoor concert) And don’t worry, we place these stations out of the way so they don’t create an eye-sore. And since kitchenCRATE will be in-and-out of your project in just 7-days, there’s no need for the toilet to be serviced in such a short period of time.
Start and Stop Time Communication
We’ve all dealt with the dreaded “wait-for-the-cable-guy” scenario: a 4-hour window in which the cable guy inevitably shows up in the last 20 minutes.
KitchenCRATE employs a variety of methods (depending on your preference), to ensure we don’t waste your time waiting for us to show up each day.
First and foremost, we communicate with you daily regarding our start and stop times. Phone, text message and email are all used to keep you up to date on your project.
Secondly, with your permission, we set a lockbox on your home with a key. This allows us to access your home with your permission if you’re away. We, of course, provide you with the code, so you can remove the key at any time.
Lastly, we show up when we say we will. And we don’t give you a 4-hour window. It’s our responsibility to arrive on time, and so we do.
These are four of the ways kitchenCRATE protects your home and your time. Our mission is based on completing beautiful, affordable kitchen remodels. But a close second is making sure you not only tolerate, but enjoy the process.
KitchenCRATE is a 7-day, $15,000 kitchen remodel offered in cities around Modesto. If you’re interested in learning more, simply contact us today!
