Hello World! Welcome Friends! Remodeling is exciting but stressful due to the many moving parts involved in the process. Things get a bit more complicated with a condominium or apartment unit, and more difficult still if the space is on a higher floor. Reserving the freight elevator may be the least of your problems.
You Need Association Approval First
Before you plan out your dream remodel, you have to get approval from the apartment or condo association first. More often than not, you need to submit your remodeling plans, or at least outline them, and you might not get permission to do everything you want. To save time and heartache down the line, come up with plans B, C, and D just in case.
The condominium association should have a list of guidelines tenants must follow during renovations. Any construction workers, floor installers, or other service people will have to receive security clearance. You may also have to get permission to use the elevator for materials, equipment, and appliances. It’s not uncommon for associations to place limitations on the hours that construction can occur each day, either. They have to keep the happiness of the other tenants in mind—and you need to think about your neighbors, as well. It’s not necessary to ask their permission, but give them a head’s up.
Image via Flickr by emily @ go haus go
Don’t Bring the Noise
You can’t just choose whatever materials you like as you pick out new flooring or create new walls. That might not seem fair, but again, you have to consider the other tenants, specifically the ones beneath you. If there are other condo units to either side, then you also have to think about how much noise seeps through the walls of your place. However, you owe something more to the people whose ceiling doubles as your floor.
When adding new walls or merely remodeling existing rooms, go heavy on the insulation. Choose flooring materials that absorb sound. Above all else, avoid anything that transmits sound. You might not have it in you to give up the floor of your dreams, and you might not want to install carpet everywhere. There are still ways to avoid sounding like a thundering herd of elephants to the folks below you. Use floor coverings wisely and in numerous places.
Get Familiar With Heavy-Duty Equipment
You’ll need equipment to get the job done on an upper floor if only to avoid damaging the freight elevator. Besides, some items just won’t fit. In other cases, using the elevator isn’t practical.
A boom lift is an essential tool for renovations done on higher stories. It allows you to lift and lower furniture, smaller pieces of heavy equipment, flooring, and other tools through windows or patio doors. You can use the lift to work on the exterior of your apartment or condo, as well. Inside, a scissor lift gives you the height you need to work on ceilings and lofts.
The most important thing to remember during a remodel or renovation is to get the approvals and permits you need beforehand. Once the process starts, you don’t want to stop because of paperwork.
Have you ever done a major reno in an upper-level space?
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