House renovation - our home is a reflection of ourselves. It’s the place where we make fond memories with the ones we love. Our home would be even more special when we pay the attention it deserves and tries our best to create a space that we’ll enjoy to be at. Sometimes our home will require more special attention – with some mild or major changes and renovations. Of course, home renovation is something you can do by yourself but we think that with the proper expertise you’ll make sure that your home won’t have problems due to mistakes made during renovating.
We at IGD Building devote our time and effort to create the dream home our clients want and desire. We are a contractor company located in Surrey focusing on providing the best possible service to our clients. As home renovation contractors we offer major home renovations, small repairs as well as kitchen renovation, bathroom renovation, and loft conversions. There is no too big or too small of a job for us. Our main goal is that our clients can feel happy because we know how hard it is to achieve the dream home.
Home Renovation Services
Home renovation projects are a complex task that requires careful planning before the start of the renovation. Even if you want only small home improvements it would still require effort to plan everything to make sure that the renovation work will be as smooth as possible. That’s why we also advise that you get in touch with a professional contractor who can evaluate your home and give you advice on what needs refurbishment and upgrade.
What’s a major home renovation?
A major home renovation project transforms your home fundamentally, and the change that is achieved in the house is major. As the major house renovation is a longer process, compared to minor house renovation, it needs to be carried out in stages. If the house cannot be left, the home refurbishment is done room by room, and in this case, it is best to start the house renovation from the innermost room and gradually move to the corridor, leaving it last in the list of repairs.
The house renovation begins with demolition of old flooring, demolition of unnecessary partition walls, dismantling of old furniture, doors, and windows. Once everything is ready, start with the construction of plumbing and electrical installation, as well as laying insulation. The last stage of the house renovation is related to the application of plaster and painting, installation of flooring, installation of furniture, lighting fixtures, and decorative elements. After that, you'll see your freshly renovated house.
How do we start a house renovation?
The first step to any house renovation process is to go to the site and see any potential problems that need to be addressed. If you work with an architect or an interior designer we will follow the plan they suggest. But if you don’t that’s okay too. We will listen to your opinion and try to deliver to the best of our abilities.
Before the house renovation starts
Before the renovation project begins there are some important future steps you have to take to make sure that you feel comfortable during the whole process:
- Remove personal belongings from where the renovation takes place
- Set up a place for large supplies
- Set up a trash bin where all waste is thrown way
Demolition
Before we really start with the home renovation process, we have to demolish everything that needs to be done. Demolition can include many different actions from small changes like pulling up a carpet to complete the tearing down of walls. This is something that needs professional attention because it can be dangerous. The demolition itself shouldn’t take too long but for your own comfort, it’s advisable to stay somewhere else because it can get too noisy and dusty.
The doors, along with their frames, will also need to be dismantled. As the home is cleared of unnecessary furniture, a lot of available waste and dust appear too. It is a good idea to clean the premises as often as possible in order to reduce the collection of excess dirt, which hinders the faster implementation of the project.
Rebuilding Project
The next step out team will take care of rebuilding. We will prepare the foundations of the house renovation – wood frames for the walls, prepare the floors and the roof and install windows. Our team can move walls as well construct new ones At this stage we will also fix the roof (if need be) and do a rough-in of the plumbing, electric system, and any cables. During the rebuilding process, we will also install the drywall on the walls and ceiling and insulate the floors. We will also finish the walls and install cabinets, appliances, and lights. The rebuilding process is crucial and it needs professional attention because mistakes at this stage of the renovation can cause serious damage and the potentially expensive cost to repair.
Plumbing and Electricals
One of the most important steps in home renovation is the install plumbing and electrical systems. Our team is prepared for that and will provide you with the best possible service. Depending on the scope of your house renovation project we might need to install new electrical on the entire house or just where it needs to be updated. During kitchen renovations, for example, where we install new appliances we would need to update the electrical panel too.
If you’re also doing a bathroom renovation, our team will take care of the plumbing system as well. We will upgrade the water supply if we are to install new bathtubs or sinks in the bathroom. Furthermore, if need be we can also upgrade the pipes with better materials such as copper. Our team can also manage the upgrading gas supply as well.
All of these steps are crucial and need the attention of a professional contractor who can not only properly do them but also manage any potential problems.
Bathroom Plumbing
If necessary, our team can do a partial or complete replacement of the plumbing pipes and the sewerage network. The changes in the plumbing installation depend on the conceptual design for the bathroom. It is often necessary to move the pipes in accordance with the design decisions. The preparation of accurate drawings facilitates the work, which guarantees the successful implementation of the design project. The location of each drain outlet is essential for the final look of the bathroom.
The water supply system is most often built with polypropylene pipes. Polypropylene is a durable material that is widely used in the construction of plumbing systems. Dry construction systems are suitable for use even in rooms with high humidity such as bathrooms, kitchens, washing machines, and dryers. They are an excellent choice against the appearance of mold and moisture. For this purpose, modern ecological panels with a glass veil are used. Manufactured using an innovative technology in which the surface of the plasterboard coating, instead of paper, is laid with a factory-primed glass veil, specially designed for wet rooms, which protects the panels from moisture and mold. The next step against the appearance of mold on the walls in the bathroom is laying a waterproofing solution and waterproofing tape in the corners.
After waterproofing the surfaces, we can apply of elastic tile adhesives. The flexible layer of the waterproofing membrane, together with the elastic adhesive, provides a secure waterproofing system for wet rooms. This is the moment when you should not compromise on the quality of the materials used, as well as the tiles. The right choice will affect the durability of the materials, as well as the achievement of the ideal look of your bathroom.
Wiring
Our team can do a partial or complete replacement of the electrical installation - the power and lighting cables are laid, sockets, switches, electrical panels are replaced. When the old floor screed is removed, the cables of the electrical installation can be easily built on the floor as well. The use of only quality electrical equipment and electrical materials, as well as the strict application of the standards and norms in force in our country, are the main prerequisite for ensuring the safety and security of the electrical installation. In addition, indoor units of the air conditioning system are installed, as well as the pipes of the heating system.
Installing or Replacing Windows
Our team can also install new windows or replace existing ones. It’s one of the most common steps in any house renovation. Almost every house renovation project requires the replacement of the old wooden windows with new ones. When choosing a new window, you must take into account many conditions in order to choose the most suitable for the specific room. The most vulnerable places in any building, in terms of noise and heat insulation, are the windows. When the right decisions are made for their indicators, energy consumption is reduced, and thus the costs for heating and air conditioning are significantly reduced.
Wall Insulation
Our team of house renovators will lay the insulation in the walls and ceiling. This is the step we take before we install the drywall. In a complete renovation of a home, wall insulation is one of the most important steps. It is extremely important for optimal heat in the home, the prevention of heat loss, both during the warm months of the year and during the colder ones. Thermal insulation is a process in which a system for thermal insulation is installed on the facades of the building and on the floor slab above the basement. Replacing the windows also has the effect of insulating the home and reducing heating costs by about 40%.
After installing the thermal insulation, the walls must be leveled and all the unevenness of the sub-priming and cement screed must be filled. Here it is important the quality filling and smoothing of all holes and irregularities to prepare the walls, ceiling, and floor for the application of finishes and plasters. The materials used for leveling must always be of good quality. Lime-cement or gypsum plaster is used for the unevenness on the walls, as well as gypsum plasterboard.
Constructing and Installing Suspended Ceilings
Our team can install suspended ceilings too. Suspended ceilings are a modern and preferred solution for furnishing and repairing homes and offices. This is because there are situations where the ceilings need multi-layer plaster and leveling, in which dry construction is the better solution.
Suspended ceiling solves the problem of the curved ceiling, it is faster and safer than conventional straightening with gypsum plaster and thin-layer fine plaster. Gypsum boards are used to build walls and cladding. The lack of construction moisture and the quick installation make them preferred for various construction and repair works.
Gypsum contributes to a comfortable living environment through thermal insulation, sound insulation, and fire protection. It regulates the humidity of the air indoors, as it consists of many small pores, which in the presence of moisture from the air absorb it, and in case of shortage give it away.
The distance left between the monolithic and the suspended ceiling can be used to run air ducts for air conditioning or other types of pipes, depending on the needs. Suspended ceilings provide an ideal opportunity to install a variety of lighting fixtures to achieve a modern, individual vision for each room.
Loft Conversions
Our team can also perform loft conversion as well. We first have to say that not every house can be turned into a lot, so it's best to get in touch with a contractor who can tell whether loft conversion is possible for your place. Our team can help you with that and see if you need planning permission to do so. A lot of houses won't need planning permission but it's best to do some research or ask a professional. There are a lot of loft conversion types you can get, so ask your contractor about it and what would be the best option for you.
House Extension
If you're considering house extension, don't worry about it. Our team can perform home extension too. Home extensions are a fantastic and effective way to bring more space into the house and add value to the home. To determine how to do the extension, we will meet you at the property and determine whether your house is suitable for an extension. After that, we will see if any planning permission needs to be attained for the renovation to start. After all the documentation is done we can start the building work. The project manager will visit the site often to see if the house extension is going according to plan.
Finishing Touches on Walls
The next step after everything is leveled is the installation of tiles (granite) or vinyl (PVC) flooring, laminate, parquet, linoleum, carpet, and more. The wealth of modern and environmentally friendly flooring solutions is great. You can find many textures and colors, depending on your preferences and needs.
After the above-described activities, the application of the finishing coating begins - painting with water-based paint, gluing decorative wall panels, stone decoration, applying decorative plaster, gluing wallpaper. This is the stage when it comes to design decisions, the precise attitude to every detail, to achieve the perfect look of your home.
Lighting
Lighting fixtures make the home brighter, create the illusion of larger rooms, successfully accentuate certain elements, as well as differentiate the different functional areas. It's one of the most popular renovations in any house renovation project. The installation of lighting fixtures is associated with the installation of chandeliers, light bulbs, freckles, lanterns, sconces, LED strips, etc. The right choice of the type of lighting fixture, its size, and the brightness it provides are essential for the functionality and interior design of the house.
Flooring
The floors can be done after the walls are finished or before that. It all depends on the plan you have for the renovation. That being said, it’s best to opt to renovate the flooring at the last stages of the process to make sure that it’s left undamaged while doing the walls. The type of floorings depends on you and your goals for the interior design. Our team can do it all – laminate, wood floors, tiles.
Final Works
Before showing you the finished home refurbishing, we will do some mild touch-ups to the paint or wallpaper or the flooring if need be. At the final stage, we will also install the doors, shelves, and cabinets. Furthermore, we will also throw away any rubbish before we show you the finished work.