What do you do when the crew is at your house?

14 years ago

My DH and I are retired so we're often home. We try to stay out of the worker's way but still be near enough if they have questions. MY DH is quite ill and is handicapped. He needs to rest often. Our bedroom is above the dining room (adjacent to the kitchen) which has a cathedral ceiling. Our house is open enough so you can hear him snore :~) I try to do housework and other chores. I find that when I rest, read, or do hobbies I feel a bit guilty because they are working so hard. I've worked on selecting kitchen materials but I'm mostly done. It's difficult to remain busy around the rest of the house when the kitchen is so central to daily life. We sort of feel at a loss of what to do with ourselves.

We're also near enough to hear their conversations ~ giggle ~

This has been a lengthy remodel since we had to have replacements from Kraft Maid and because of extra work from the designer's mistakes. Also there is a lot of custom piecing together of some areas. So the crew has been here a lot.

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Comments (14)

karin_2015
14 years ago
Hang in there! I dont live at my house yet where the kitchen and pretty much entire house remodel is underway, which is both a blessing and a hardship--I think it would be nice to be able to see the progress the crew is making each day.
I certainly don't think you should feel guilty relaxing even though they're working. It's their job and they are probably very glad to have work in these times. :)
plllog
14 years ago
What do I do? GW!

In another thread we were discussing walls and noise. My computer is right next to the kitchen wall, but I don't really hear the workers, though I do hear the power tools.

With an open plan it's another story, but as long as they're not disturbing you it's all good. Let your husband snore (and I hope the sleep gives him some relief). If you're not getting too much dust in your living area, take up knitting. Maybe if you make laprobes for the old folks' homes or caps for sick babies you'll feel like you're being industrious instead of having fun. And they're grateful to have them even when the colors are funky or some of the stitches aren't perfect. If you don't like knitting there are other volunteer or charitable things you can do at home so you can be "working" while they work. (I've been doing some of that too.)

Play some music sometimes so they'll know how easily they're heard in case they're discussing private things.

But, really, this is your home, and it's okay to do what you'd normally do. Well...maybe not the nude sunbathing. But it's okay to relax, read a book, work on a hobby or whatever. Really.
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biochem101
14 years ago
I know exactly what you mean!

I think it's being brought up with that "Protestant Work Ethic" as it's called (whether you are Protestant or not, it's just a saying). You feel like a slacker. LOL!

It's very hard though when you can't go into the kitchen to do things. Maybe you can't even move through the area to the laundry or some place. Dusting the bedroom doesn't fill the time. And they are throwing dust all over anyway. I don't know why, but I feel the same way whenever there are contractors in the house. As if they must be thinking, "Humph, all this woman does is sit around all day."

It's really very silly of me, but I can't help it.

Habit? Ingrained from childhood? I don't know.

Hang in there. They will be done eventually and you can relax. :)
steff_1
14 years ago
It is hard when others are working in your house. You really can't do your regular routine and not doing anything feels awkward.

I did watch TV and read a lot more and the master bedroom closets got a thorough rework when our wood floors were going in.
Sharon kilber
14 years ago
Don't feel guilty because their working. That's what their getting paid for. Do what you, have to do. While staying out of the way. My husband, who is a GC, had one lady, that would go to sleep, everyday and he, would have to wake her, up if he, had a question. sharaz
biochem101
14 years ago
shar-az: OMG! LOL! I can NOT imagine having a contractor wake me up. That is too funny.

It would be amusing to hear the contractors side more often on here. Well, I'd be amused. ;)
jsweenc
14 years ago
We are in week 4 of having other people in our house all day. I have three children, two homeschooled 11 year olds and a baby, 13 months. I have been so thankful to have a refuge, a room out of the path of traffic with two entries, one with french doors with glass which enables me to watch the progress without getting in the way, the other directly across from a bathroom. We do have to walk through/past the work zone, but the layout is such that we rarely get in the way doing so. It keeps the heat in, noise out, for all practical purposes. If anyone has a question, they come to my glass doors and knock. I was especially thankful today while they were installing new windows, with cold gusty winds blowing out there. Amazingly, the baby is able to nap with all the work going on.

But I agree -- do what you would be doing anyway, and don't feel guilty. They are getting paid. Actually, I can't imagine that they are thinking about what you are doing at all, no matter what it is. They would only be thinking about what you were doing if you were hovering, watching their every move or trying to be "helpful". Your job is to stay out of the way, as far as they are concerned!
judydel
14 years ago
They don't care what you do as long as you are available when they have questions and as long as you pay them when they are done. In my experience, contractors want you to leave them alone so they can work. So if your husband is snoring and you're resting so be it. As others have pointed out, YOU are paying THEM to work. LOL I can relate though.
sara_the_brit_z6_ct
14 years ago
I'm so glad my kitchen was done in early summer - I spent a lot of time in the garden! But I know that feeling that you "ought to be doing something". Spend it online - call it research.
Sharon kilber
14 years ago
biochem101. I, told my husband, no way could I, go to sleep while workers were in my home. She would just go in her bed room, and go to sleep. I, ask him how he woke her up. I, could not believe it. He, said he, would just stand by her, door way, and yell. It is pretty funny. Their are all kinds of people out there I, guess. sharaz
bireland
14 years ago
I'm in the guilt camp. Twice I forced myself to watch some TV in a fairly visible area. I work part-time in a home office. So, I hang there a lot and when not working, I cruise the Kitchen Forum on the garden web. I do cruise in and out of the kitchen to see what is going on.
segbrown
14 years ago
Most of our downstairs was torn up, so we had to live upstairs and didn't cross paths that often. It was summer, so kids were out and about anyway. DH was in his study, which was in the small part of the downstairs that wasn't under construction.
rjr220
14 years ago
My dream is to water down some fabric softener (as y'all have instructed others to do) and remove this 1970's wallpaper from the half bath while my new kitchen is magically installed.

{{!gwi}}

Hope I didn't burn anyone's retina with the gold and silver metallic stripes.
jsweenc
14 years ago
rjr, I love that 3D effect! Reminds me of wallpaper we had in a small bathroom when I was growing up - made me dizzy to be in there.

What do you do when the crew is at your house?

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karin_2015

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