How We Can Safely Remodel Your Home During COVID-19

You’ve been sheltering in place or working at home since March 2020, and it slowly dawns on you that it may be time to remodel your kitchen (or bathroom or your whole home). Join the crowds! Our phones are still ringing off the hooks as many East Bay residents are eager for a fresh look and feel in their bathroom, an updated fireplace and new flooring, or a beautiful and functional new kitchen.

As a design build firm that has been safely and busily back to work since May 4th, 2020, let us share with you how this can work. You should not have to choose between safety for your family and a beautiful home.

Choose Wisely

Now is not the time to skimp on quality. You want a remodeling partner that takes safety as seriously as you do.

• Research your remodeling candidates: check out reviews on social media, company websites, BBB, Houzz, Diamond Certified, and Angie’s List.
• Ask for references from clients that have worked with your remodeler this year, and question them on protocols followed.
• Check for a contractor’s license and bond. Companies that are appropriately bonded and insured are more likely to take safety and OSHA regulations seriously.
• Ask for a copy of their certificate of insurance.

In-Person or Virtual Design Consultation

As of summer 2021, we are back to offering in-person design consultations. If you are more comfortable with a virtual consultation, we can do that, too!

Either way, to get the most out of your meeting:

• Have a clear understanding of your scope of work, priorities for the different components of your scope, and a rough idea of your budget.
• If you have plan sets of your home, provide them. The more info you have the better.
• If you bought your home within the last 5-7 years, it will often still have photos posted on Redfin or Realtor.com. We can view the link together!
• If you’ve owned your home for a long time, photos of the areas that you want to remodel are helpful for the discussion. You can email them prior to your meeting to nicole@mskdb.com.

Site Visit and Inspection

After an initial in-person or virtual meeting and discussion, we will want to see your home in person. To make sure this is done safely:

• We require masks to be worn during the visit.
• Practice social distancing at all times during the meeting.
• Have hand sanitizer available, and be sure to have sanitizing wipes for areas to be inspected, for the safety of both parties.

Design Phase

After signing and beginning the design phase, we typically have physical meetings, though we can schedule many of them virtually if you’d like.

• Meetings on floor plans and design styles can be done in-person or virtually. We can easily show renderings and perspectives on shared screens.
• Share product and inspiration links with your designer so you are best prepared for a retail showroom visit to view your favorite products up close.
• We always schedule appointments for all your shopping (even before Covid!). We want to make sure you get the personal attention you deserve when shopping for plumbing fixtures, tile, flooring, countertops, appliances, windows, and doors. You’ll get more done and be in and out more quickly.

Construction Phase

We will be following both county health codes and Cal/OSHA requirements.

• Ask for a COVID-19 Site and Safety Health Plan from your remodeler before your project starts. Get it in writing.
• Prepare all your questions for your pre-construction meeting with your project manager – don’t be shy!
• At the entrance to the job site, there should be signage related to coronavirus safety protocols posted, hand sanitizer, sanitizing cloths, masks, gloves, and a trash can without a lid.
• With the exception of the homeowners, all persons entering the worksite must sign the Daily Attendance Log (name, phone #, email address, address).
• If possible, there should be a designated worker access door.
• Work areas should be protected by plastic walls when possible.
• Job site areas that have been worked in must have all surfaces touched sanitized by the crew at the beginning of the day and the end of the day.
• Crew must wash hands before the start of the day, after returning from AM and PM breaks and lunch.
• Crew must cough or sneeze into their arm if working alone without a mask.
• Workers should wear masks when working with others, and put one on if the client enters the room.

Go ahead and dream of your beautiful “new home” and reach out for your first design consultation. Safe remodeling can and is being done now!