If you haven’t experienced a renovation or remodel project lately, today you’re going to get a little refresher. In recent history, I’ve experienced two different projects–one in a workplace and one in my own home–that reminded me just how disruptive (and dirty) the process of renovating can be!

At a previous workplace, the board voted to update floors and baseboards and to paint all interior walls. It sounds like a fairly simple project (and relatively speaking, it was) but this project went on for weeks. First the old flooring–industrial-grade carpet–was removed and replaced with LVT. This choice made for a major visual improvement and a much better surface for hallways that were worn thin in places with high foot traffic. Next the walls were painted. Finally the new baseboards, the finishing touch, were installed. As you can imagine, with three separate jobs happening during this time period, our building experienced a dramatic increase in in-and-out foot traffic.

On the bright side, the finished product looked fabulous. It’s amazing how a little update could make a 15-year-old building look like brand new construction! On the downside, our office staff was battling dusty desks and dirty floors (from the added strain of contractor traffic) for weeks.

Most recently, I decided to take the DIY approach to our kitchen. I have completed some fairly extensive projects before… but none with the added complication of young children in the home! Despite our best efforts, project dust ended up all over the house. What a mess!

This recent intimate experience with a renovation project was able to lend some insight into how the project at my workplace could have been completed more smoothly. Even though it was “business as usual” for both employees and visitors during that time, the project could have been far less disruptive than it was. If your church, school, office building, medical facility, financial institution, or other such organization has a renovation on the horizon, here are a few “hard-learned lessons” that might prove useful:

1. Tape and drape – When you begin conversations with your contractor, ask specific questions about their dust-reduction protocol. This could include taping and draping off the area with tarps. If the project includes extensive sanding or drywall work, ask if they provide air scrubbers to clean the air (otherwise you could be facing the problem of slowly-settling dust for up to weeks after the project is complete).
2. Floor protection – Even once an area is draped off, construction workers will need to enter and exit the building, likely multiple times per day. Ask about floor protection. In addition to protecting the existing floor in the project area (if applicable), will they be laying down a pathway of heavy-duty paperboard (such as Ram Board) between the crew’s point of entry and the project area?
3. Post-project cleanup – Regardless of who you choose for your project, it’s almost a guarantee that their version of post-construction cleanup and yours will be radically different. After all, you hired them for their specialty… and that specialty just isn’t cleaning. Have a plan in place ahead of time to take care of the dust and dirt that will inevitably be left behind.

When the project is complete and you’re ready to sit back and enjoy your newly renovated space, the last thing you want to do is be staring at anything less that you’d hoped for when you started. The good news is that when you use Sonlight Cleaning Services for your regular janitorial needs, you’ll never be disappointed. We are the very best in the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex at providing janitorial services, day porter services, specialty services, and even emergency cleanup services. If we can handle all of this, you can trust that we know what it takes to clean up after special-case scenarios like a renovation. You shouldn’t have to settle for anything less than a sparkling-clean “first look” after a renovation–contact Sonlight Cleaning Services to talk with one of our client care specialists today!