Order of play for converting living room to kitchen

[jonwade]

Hi

I am almost ready to get my builders to convert my old living room into a kitchen diner. I will get a plumber and an electrician in and the builders will make some minor alterations internally (moving a door and adding a small wall, as well as replacing the bay window with a smaller one.

I have spoken to both electrician and plumber and asked whether I should get them to do their bits first and then have the builders come in, or vice versa. Both said either way was fine really.

Is there a best way / most sensible way, or would it be a case by case basis?

The likelihood is that I will get the building work done before the electrician and plumber are ready to fit me in anyway, but this would delay completion of the job (re-plastering the ceiling).

 

[Octopus]

You will need to get them in in different stages of the conversion. Its all a bit chicken and egg.

 

[chrish_1977]

I think you have done the right thing by asking everyone first, most situations like this need different trades at different times

 

[Jay Sparks]

As long as the new runs for the plumbing and electrical work/accessories aren't on the new wall that needs building, you can get your plumber in first, then the electrician. This way, if the plumbers pipes are in, the Sparky will work around them with care, if it was the other way round, the plumber would just cut the cables to get his stuff in..lol

But as long as there in before ther builder, it should be ok.



Jay

 

[nickblake]

the first thing I would do is get the design to the sparks and plumbers ,design I mean the kitchen layout , if the cables have to drop down then they have to be in the centre of the units so as to avoid the cabinet fixings damaging the cables , I always transfer the kitchen layout drawing to the walls then do the chases for the cables so its basic builders work , then the sparks plumbers first fix , builders plastering tiling fitting the kitchen ,then sparks plumbers 2nd fix , but the kitchen unit layout plans a crucial

 

[FAA Greenie]

If you want downlights fitted, get the sparks in first, or the plumber will just use all the centreline etc for his pipework !!!

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Dont have water in there, and do away with the bloody plumber altogether.

 

[Kate]

All three trades need to see the job first....why not get them all there at the same time and they can talk together when to come in and out. Have a 'site meeting' to plan it out one evening

I personally prefer this method. Everyone gets a chance to meet eachother and make friends lol, and each should have a slight understanding of what the other is doing. Then there should be no chance of plumber cutting cables using cente of room etc.

They may all charge maybe a little bit of labour each to you at worst, but can save time in the long run.

 

[Octopus]

All three trades need to see the job first....why not get them all there at the same time and they can talk together when to come in and out. Have a 'site meeting' to plan it out one evening

I personally prefer this method. Everyone gets a chance to meet eachother and make friends lol, and each should have a slight understanding of what the other is doing. Then there should be no chance of plumber cutting cables using cente of room etc.

They may all charge maybe a little bit of labour each to you at worst, but can save time in the long run.

Yes, the ideal solution.

On my refurb, after a chat with the plumber he's running all the pipes to the rad and I'm doing the back boxes for sockets at the same time - BUT the cable runs will be done after the plumber has finished.

 

[Kate]

We are all mean to plumbers...I meet some nice ones. My other half was a plumber when I met him

Yea they route pipes in awkward places so I make sure to tell them about downlight positions before they start...
but...coughcough...I have drilled a pipe...plastic one..on first fix. So they might think the same of us. He didnt mind as I told him about my c0ck up straight away.

Other end of the scale..plumber last week was either an ignorant *@* or didnt no how to talk. Was left to me to explain heating controls and he wouldnt/couldnt tell me how it worked.

 

[Andy78]

A spark in a loving relationship with a plumber ?
Kate, with the abilty to see past things like that you should be a peace envoy in the middle east !
You'd have them all playing footy together in no time.

 

[Kate]

I should!!!

everyone is a friend until they do something against me
Not a great practice in the business world as people take advantage but I wouldnt change myself

Think he was an exception to the usual plumber mentality.

 

[FAA Greenie]

lol, the only reason I mentioned that was from a job I did about a year ago, completely gutted house with just joists left in place. I put the wiring in for downlights in the kitchen and even left the cable coiled up roughly where the fittings were going. To be double sure, I even took photo's of it all.

Went back two weeks later, cut out the first hole to find a lovely plastic pipe straight down the centre of the joist with my cable laid on the top of it!! But the worst thing was that the pipe wasn't even supported anywhere, just laid there on the new ceiling.

Not very professional but I actually laughed out loud!!!!!!!!!!!!