“Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.” Those words are sung over and over again by the Carpenters in the 1985 recording with A&M Records.
Yet most of us Californian’s in the San Francisco Bay Area this year would not let any rainy days get us down. California is in a fourth year of drought with a record low snowpack and high temperatures. So not only are we missing 20 inches of rain, or about one (1) year of the wet stuff, the snowpack has been significantly less than normal, making this one of the severest droughts on record.
“In a normal year, snowpack provides California with about one-third of its drinking water,” according to NBC Bay Area Staff. And although we are conserving record amounts of water, it is obvious to everyone how much the dryness is impacting us. Even our infamous Giant Sequoia trees, some of the largest and oldest living entities on earth, have “more patches of dead foliage in the trees than in past years,” according to Koren Nydick, a National Park Service ecologist.
Luckily, we are in an El Niño year. “El Niño isn’t a storm that will hit a specific area at a specific time. Instead, the warmer tropical Pacific waters cause changes to the global atmospheric circulation, resulting in a wide range of changes to global weather,” says Emily Becker in her article September 2015 El Niño Update and Q&A. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a science-based federal agency, we are in for a wetter than normal season. Now THAT is good news.
So let’s welcome the rain. And let’s be prepared for it. Creating your dream space, while exciting, can create challenges in your convenience of living while it’s underway. And adding a rainy day, or week, or two, can further dampen your spirits if you’re not prepared.
Gordon B. Reese III, owner of Gordon Reese Design Build, recommends these ways to prepare for rainy days during your major remodel.
- Create a large space available for the craftspersons. During a kitchen remodel, we often use the kitchen after the demolition for custom trim, counter or cabinet preparation. This gives the craftspersons a dry place to saw, sand, and prepare items for installation. When that space is not available, having an alternative can keep your remodel on schedule.
- Create a dry space for storing building supplies, materials and tools. During the dry season, these items are often stored in the yard. When the rain hits, it’s important to discuss alternative storage areas with your contractor.
- Determine a dry space for wood sawing, cutting and trimming. Cutting and trimming can be a messy job even in good weather. That’s why a good contractor will create a dust barrier system to keep the white stuff out of the rest of the house. Again, a large, dry space, like the garage or a shed, can keep the remodel going and the dust minimized.
- Make sure your contractor uses quality carpet and floor protection. Although a good contractor will use carpet and floor protection all year, it’s especially important during the rainy season. Lets look at an example:
- A craftsperson may be on the roof installing duct work for a kitchen hood.
- For the next phase of installation, he/she will need to return to the kitchen.
- Even though a well-trained craftsperson will remove rain gear before entering your home, floor protection will protect against any accidental mud or water.
- Make a dry place for the craftspersons to house their raincoat and boots. This can be on a porch, in the garage, or an empty room near the remodel.
- Ask your contractor to provide a portable, temporary bathroom. Craftspersons won’t need to walk through your house to use the bathroom.
- Rent a temporary storage unit, such as a POD, SmartBox, or Units for housing furniture and other items.This can keep items stored out of the way during your remodel.
“Always plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.” Richard Cushing.
And it wasn’t raining when you started your major remodel.
In summary, a good contractor will help you think through all the minute details of your remodel – even how to prepare for the rain. Expect it. Ask for it. And enjoy that new space you’ve created!
Recent Comments