Construction and a Pandemic
We are all currently on a “lockdown” a “stay-at-home” issued, and we still have projects that need to be finished. Many may have been in the early process of selecting their designer and getting ready to move forward with their design projects.
At Waldron Designs, we want to assure you that this is not the end-all to your home renovation projects! Waldron Designs launched in 2013, but we had already been through a couple of revisions. In 2011-2012, we were “Open Box Interiors”, a virtual design firm.
We designed a kitchen in Canada and did color consultations in Los Angeles and North Carolina, among other furnishing and decor projects across the country! Most people think furniture and decor when they think of “online design”, but we don’t stop at decorating, we develop complete designs that go beyond quick product selections to be ordered online.
In fact, our furnishings are custom-designed from a drawing specifically for you and your home, and we have the capability to ship them anywhere in the country!
“But, what about construction? There is no point designing it if we can’t build it, right?”
Well, yes and no. If that were the case, I’d have closed my doors. But, you CAN still work with a contractor when everything opens back up. We are on a shelter-in-place for two weeks currently (April 4 Update: Shelter-In-Place extended to May 4th). Now, let’s just imagine for the sake of playing it safe, that this continues for 6-10 weeks. 12 weeks even!
The design process for any construction project takes a minimum of 6 weeks. From there, let’s imagine that we have cabinetry. The cabinetry will take 6-8 weeks to build before it is ready for installation. It never hurts to allow more time for the design and it definitely does not hurt to have the design prepared well in advance of construction.
I know that we are all concerned for our economy, but one of the best things we can do is to keep moving forward. Continue everything we would normally do, from the safety of our home.
“Okay, so we can build it in 8-10 weeks, but the pandemic will not be over by then. How do we protect ourselves and the contractors?”
Assuming that the shelter-in-place mandate has ended, it will still be important to be cautious.
In every project that I am able to connect with the general contractor, I discuss the separation of the workers from the owners. First, will the owners be staying in the home during construction? If yes, we discuss how the contractors will enter and exit the building.
Usually, there is a side door, a back door, a garage entry that allows a separate entry. From there, everything is divided with plastic sheets.
In all honesty, it is best to completely separate the work area from the living area and not allow cross-over for many reasons.
It allows the contractors to focus on their work without the disruption of owner questioning and observation- leave this to the designer!
It provides a cleaner, safer work and living space.
If we are local and are making site visits, we will enter the same way the contractor enters, shielding your family from new contact every time.
