Post-flip Kitchen and Bath Punchlist
Real estate investors, working like flippers, are so common in our town that you get really variances in the levels of quality of installations. This isn’t just an example of a typical fix-up, this is an actual renovation. Here, in this particular case, a contractor or developer or flipper went and installed new products and new materials, not just to fix problems with the house, but to improve the house and or make it sell for more money. They did a pretty bad job though.
Today we’re going to look at an example of a typical DC home that has been flipped but had a handful of issues left behind me fixing it up really quick and dirty and the cheap way and then leaving behind lots of problems. So numerous that it takes a whole operation to go back and fix them. Especially, in this case, it’s more complicated because someone is now living in the building.
First, we’ll start with something really simple and common. This particular bathroom sink has a stopper that’s controlled by a lift rod that engages the stopper in the typical pop-up drain assembly. There are other types of drain assemblies used in bathrooms, but this particular type is very common.
The next picture below shows the connection between the pop-up drain assembly and the lift rod. They’re essentially held together with a clamp and can be adjusted to fit as needed, but sometimes they’re a little tricky to connect in a way that engages the lift rod properly. Here, this is a pretty simple fix.
In a different bathroom, in the same house, the bathroom sink is similar, but it’s not the same. Instead of having a satin nickel type finish, this particular faucet has a polished chrome finish. The shape of this particular faucet is a little bit different because it has a gooseneck. At a quick glance, it seems to look okay. There doesn’t seem to be any problems here visually, from this particular angle. The next picture shows it from a different angle though.
Here, from this angle, you can see that the drain stopper lift rod is completely missing. Instead of using a typical pop-up drain though, they’ve gone and switched this particular drain between a combination of the faucet and the sink with a different type of drain that can also pop-up but work differently without a lift rod. Instead, this is intended to lock in place in the stopped position when pressed downward and then disengage when pressed again. The particular installation isn’t working though and needs to be repaired.
The next picture below shows a typical area which needs to be sealed inside of a shower. Here, we’re pointing to the area between the shower control escutcheon and the tile wall. Sometimes the shower controls will come with a component such as a flexible gasket which is intended to create a seal. Regardless if it has an integral gasket or not, we generally recommend the application of an additional gun-applied sealant, like a caulking manufactured specifically for caulking within a shower.
As well, the planar joints of the tile surround should be caulked. Even with well applied tile applications, fractures will naturally occur at those joints. We say that cracking will occur, naturally. It happens almost invariably. wherever there’s a planar joint between an area of tile installation, of significant size, at an additional planar area of a tile, a crack will naturally form. The two different planes of materials experience micro-movements. That’s a part of their material nature. Expansion and movement in framed walls is natural and should be expected. Applying a sealant at this area provides an extra safeguard against having an opening when there is natural cracking.
The picture below shows an issue with a missing screw in the hinge of a shower enclosure. A shower enclosure is different from a shower surround. The shower surround is the covering applied to the exposed surface of the walls to make those walls essentially impermeable. Tile is one of the most common materials used for creating a shower surround but other materials like fiberglass can also be used. Generally, tile looks much better than fiberglass or synthetic types of sheeting materials.
Dupont Kitchen & Bath Can Help
As dedicated and local DC metropolitan kitchen and bath builders and installers, we pride ourselves on turning your visions into reality. Your kitchen and bathrooms can reflect your unique style and be designed with personalized aesthetics. It can be a process from creative designs to the realization of your dream space. Specializing in kitchen and bath construction, we bring expertise and skills to every project. If you’re contemplating a renovation, upgrade, or modernization in the local market, we’re happy to be your team. Consult with us, and we can start together on a path to redefine and elevate your DC living experience.
You can visit our company website at https://dupontkitchenbathdc.com/
Here at our website you will find a simple and convenient web form that you can fill to contact us quickly.
