March 12, 2024 • 23 mins
Unlock the secrets to cultivating lasting client relationships and ensuring the smoothest of bathroom remodels with your contractor comrade, Chris Kirby. As we navigate the complexities of homebuilding, I'll arm you with the insider knowledge that guarantees a seamless process, from pre-construction communication to those final, satisfying project completions. Revel in the satisfaction of a job well done as we delve into the power of before-and-after photos, the magic of word-of-mouth referrals, and the necessity of an airtight follow-up routine that will have your clients singing your praises from the rooftops.
Courtney, our resident design wizard, joins the conversation to illuminate the latest bathroom aesthetics, casting a spell on your senses with the alchemy of warm and cool tones that will transform the most intimate of spaces. Embrace the precision of laser levels and the psychology behind color choices as we tackle the tile layout challenges that can make or break the look of a lavatory. So, subscribe to our digital community for a regular dose of craftsmanship and style that transcends the ordinary, and don't miss out on the invaluable insights that could elevate your homebuilding journey to new heights.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Homebuilding and Remodeling Show.
Let's go.
Welcome everybody to theHomebuilding and Remodeling Show
.
My name is Chris Kirby and I'llbe your host.
(00:21):
I am the owner of threeconstruction companies on the
Alabama Gulf Coast.
The show is about residentialconstruction.
We're going to cover topics ofhomebuilding and remodeling.
Are you thinking of doing aremodel or building a home?
Are you a contractor looking toimprove your knowledge base or
grow your business?
Have you ever done a remodelproject or built a home?
(00:42):
There were so many things youwish you knew or that you could
have done differently during theprocess.
Then this show is for you.
We break down the process ofbuilding and remodeling and how
to have the best results duringyour project.
Whether you are a DIYer lookingfor tips, someone looking to
hire a contractor to do aproject, or a contractor looking
(01:04):
to expand your knowledge baseor your business, welcome aboard
.
Glad to have you.
Stay tuned.
We kick off the show with mythoughts on homebuilding and
remodeling.
I'll share best practices andtalk about some of our
experiences in business and outin the field.
These shared thoughts andlessons learned are meant to
help you on your very ownjourney.
(01:25):
Let's go Alright.
So the month of March isBathroom Remodeling Month on the
Home Building and RemodelingShow, and I wanted to talk about
the four key relationships thatyou need to maintain in order
to be a successful bathroomremodeling contractor, and there
is a difference between generalhome remodeling and being a
(01:48):
bathroom remodeler.
I'll touch on that first.
For instance, we do kitchen andbath home additions.
Those are our three favoriteprojects to take on.
Those are the ones that we havebuilt systems around, and I
recommend, if you're going to beany type of remodeling
contractor, that you incorporatesystems into your business as
you grow your business, and it'sgoing to help you to be able to
(02:11):
maintain things such asfinancials, how you estimate,
how you plan your project, howyou manage your project, the
timing of the project all ofthose things.
Processes definitely help withthat, and so, for a bathroom
remodeler, the number onerelationship for you to maintain
is the client relationship.
(02:32):
We've talked about it before onother shows that client
relationship management is ahuge deal.
When you, as an individualcontractor, start out, you're
taking on work and you figureout that you know you're pretty
good at remodeling bathrooms,whether it's new construction
and just doing an installationfor new construction or doing
(02:55):
remodeling work or remodeling abathroom, going in assessing the
project, demoing the project,doing the put back for
everything.
What you need to know is theclient is the most important
piece to that A they're going tobe your best referral source.
If you maintain healthyrelationships with your clients,
(03:17):
they're going to refer you.
In word of mouth referrals arethe best referrals because there
that means that the client hashad a a good, great interaction
with you as the bathroomremodeler and they're going to
talk to their friends and family, which means that they're like
minded.
Most most of the times they'relooking for something similar.
(03:40):
Or if their family or friendsare over at their house and
they're talking about theremodel and and they want to
show them the work that you'vecompleted.
This means that the client isdoing the legwork and talking to
the potential client, theirfriend or family, on your behalf
about how their process went.
(04:00):
That means it's not going totake much for you to close that
deal, because they've probably,more than likely, have already
asked their friend well, how didit go?
What did you have to do?
How did you initiate contact?
You know what was the cost.
Trust me, they've already askedthose questions.
You're locking in a good dealif you get word of mouth
(04:24):
referrals because they'vealready talked about their
projects.
They've probably already talkedabout maybe even some of the
headaches that were carried overfrom their project and so
you're able to address thatupfront.
They know the the nothing'sperfect in remodeling and you're
able to talk to them about someof the hiccups and maybe even
(04:45):
prevent those on their friend orfamily's project.
Word of mouth referrals keepingthe client happy and forming
them during pre-construction ofa the timeline, the cost,
potential change orders,different things that could
happen during the projectPre-construction is super
important during a bathroomremodel.
(05:07):
Trying to make sure that theclient gets all the information
they need upfront duringpre-construction is a key
contributor to maintaining asuccessful relationship with
that client.
Making sure they understand thesteps, how it could get dirty,
how you are going to addressissues in a timely manner, how
there could be project delaysdepending on materials, weather,
(05:30):
different factors.
Making sure that thecommunication is wide open
during a bathroom remodelproject is another key
contributor to having asuccessful client relationship.
And then closing out theproject strong, allowing them to
do a punch list and making surethat they're happy, final
(05:51):
payments received and that youdo a follow up after the project
is done, call them, talk tothem and follow up on the
project.
How's everything going, andthings like that Make sure you
get good before and afterpictures, always get good before
and after pictures, and thoseall are contributing factors to
having a successful clientrelationship, which in turn
(06:15):
leads to good results for youand your company.
Word of mouth, referrals Numberone of the four relationships
you need to maintain as abathroom remodeling contractor
the client relationship.
And now we move into Shop Talk.
It's the portion of the showwhere I bring in a co-host and
we cover trending topics in homebuilding and remodeling.
(06:36):
Hope you enjoy.
Let's go.
Basically, stop the drain Now.
They make stoppers right, soyou're not just in there with
the hands on the cup.
Get a bag and come Right.
You want to do it.
The right way, though, is whatI'm saying?
You don't want to be in there?
No, you don't know, they slow arat in there.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
No, you're not going to know any, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
They, I think what's the forget the brand name.
But on depot lows they all havedrains.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Gotcha so, but drain, stop in, fill the shower tub,
whatever.
You don't have water on, howare you filling that tub?
Speaker 2 (07:11):
With a bucket.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Okay, you're going to get a bucket and fill it up,
it's a water and fill it up.
Okay, and being careful,walking in and out with that
bucket Right Be spilling it andstuff.
Okay, flood test passes, it'sgood.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yeah, so then we're going to start.
It depends.
Some guys like to start with afloor, some might start with a
wall Up and down, okay, Whateveryou prefer.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Do you like to start with the floor or the wall?
It's easier to start with thefloor, and why?
Why do you think this?
Because a lot of people don'twant to keep going on and off
that floor.
Right, because that floor istypically some sort of flex,
it's a mosaic or something right, mech or flooring, and so a lot
of the people have a hard timeto keep stepping on and off of
(08:03):
that which.
So I'd like to hear why youlike to to do the floor first.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And then do you.
I was taught to do the wallsfirst, okay, but you know what I
mean.
The easier route is to do thefloor first, and that way you
can lay right over the top of itinstead of shimming it off.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
But you know, really the best way is to do the walls
that way.
When you're working the wallsyou drop something set or what
it's going to floor top.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah Well, are you not protecting you, should
you're trying to protect?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
But I mean, you're walking all over it.
You got wet sponges.
That protection is going to getwet.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
I mean it's messy yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Honestly, okay, floor to wall, all right, but if
you're going the oppositedirection, if you're doing wall
to floor, okay, and we've talkedabout this.
I did a video with Jeremiahabout kind of he likes start on
the back wall at a certain spotand he'll do that back wall
first, and his reasoning forthat in which we got a lot of
(09:07):
back and forth conversation onthis was he was saying that he
starts on the back wall.
So when you're looking at theback wall, if you set the back
wall first and then do yoursidewalls, he's saying that your
grout line yeah, you don't wantto visible.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Do not ever do the back wall first.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Because if you do that, then your grout lines on
staring around as you from thecorner Right.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
And there was a lot of people going back and forth
when I did that video withJeremiah, saying, oh, it's going
to be the same either way, oryour grout, and it's not.
That's not true.
That's true.
Yeah, it's a clean area.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
So, looking at a wall , that's been done, the grout
line is going to be on this walland that wall Right.
And if you do that wall andthat wall, the grout line is
going to be on that corner.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Yeah, it's definitely going to be visible.
Gotcha, okay.
A lot of problems, a lot ofpeople who learn tile starting
and getting it laid out properly.
Especially on a shower, I thinkis the floor easier to lay out
than a shower or the floor isthe easiest part to lay out, and
how do you do so?
Speaker 2 (10:15):
There's food you don't have to put.
You can cut everything and layit in there, take it out and
then stick it up.
Yeah you can't drive a.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Wall shower.
So and that's where a lot ofthe people, especially the newer
people, you know, gettingstarted Takes a lot.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
The easiest thing for somebody getting started in the
shower system Buy you a laserlamp.
Yeah, and that will solve your.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
But talk about pattern though.
Okay, so some of the stuff wedo is so, some of the stuff we
do is a little bit easier, butyou know you're your larger
format and things like that, butPattern.
So there's a lot of differentways you can do patterns.
Right, talk to me about that.
(11:04):
Like if you were going to do aSmaller format tile, how do you
figure out how you want to getit laid out and gets?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
hardened.
So usually I Mean you usuallylay it out like different types
of layouts for the customer findout what they want.
Yeah and they can wear hair andbone.
They can want it likeVertically stacked, yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
I was only least that straight.
The straight stack is yes, butyou've got to be clean.
I mean it has to be precisewhen they take the light.
Yeah, actually, I mean that isstraight off that small on Each
other.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
So in all the corners meet up so you can really see
if you're off.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
So and your grout, and to the grout portion of that
.
Right, you could tell whereyour grout lines get fat skinny.
You gotta be that one groutcoverage is off like.
But some people like thestraight stack and if you've
been doing it for a while theycan kind of yeah, roll with it
right, but it's nobody'sfavorite yeah but then sometimes
(12:05):
too Okay, they want that upwhere it's Vertical right, so
they take the subway and insteadof going horizontal, it's right
one and turned up.
Okay, you lay it out.
You always kind of try to layit out for the client.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Let them pick, that way they, you know, I mean they
can see it Layed out how theywill yeah, I mean I just lay it
on the floor and be like hey.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Here's how it's go Now.
How do you determine patternstyle, though?
So they tell you, and then withif the wall is Square, fits
level, it's plumb your tile,your ends, right.
They're all gonna be Typical orno, depends on how you do your
layout for your tile.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
So like dearly like this, yes, usually, oh mine,
yeah, you want to.
You know, lay it out to likefind your center, yeah, in your
shower, and then work off of it,and that way everything's
consistent on either solve yeahand um.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
But it's not as just as simple as this, so you can't
just sit there and cut all yourend pieces.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
You can after you.
Can all right as you wererunning.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Level.
As long as you're running level, you should technically be able
to do that right.
All right, Okay.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
I just want to make sure that's the key part.
Before you're doing yoursleuther system, you should be
finding out if your walls arelevel.
Yeah and if not, you should beMaking them low.
Yeah, I mean you shouldn't getstarted without doing that, no,
and that way, because it makeseverything life easier once you
get to lay in top.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Now we're going to move into the portion of the
show where we talk interiordesign.
We're going to bring in aninterior designer and we're
going to talk trending designand products.
Hope you enjoy, let's go, allright.
So this month, the month ofMarch, the home building and
remodeling show is going to befocusing on doing a bathroom
(14:07):
remodel from the remodeling sideand also from the interior
design side, and our topic ofthe workshops that we're going
to put out, the topic of thepodcast, is going to center
around bathroom remodeling.
So I've got Courtney, ourinterior designer, with us today
, who specializes in kitchen andbathroom remodels and design,
(14:28):
and we're going to talk about 10bathroom remodel and design
ideas that can revolutionizeyour home.
All right, and I know you'vegot your list, and so we'll
start with your number one.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
So, speaking on the idea of revolutionizing, that
always applies to differentpeople in different ways.
So some of these can beconsidered trends and some of
them actually are revolutionaryto really anybody in any place
they're at.
So the first one that we'rereally seeing for 2024 is the
mixing of warm and cool tones.
As of recently, it's reallybeen more of that cool on cool,
(15:01):
the gray on white, kind ofcoloring.
Now it's becoming more of thericher, more saturated kind of
earthy feels to it, which allowsit to transition and then just
color in general, correct.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
So like neutrals.
So like who?
Or a contractor like me?
Everything's gray, the wallsand hair are gray, so gray and
white is a very typical.
It's a safe space.
Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
It's a safe space and there's nothing wrong with a
safe space by any means.
If that's something that bringsyou joy and happiness and it is
tone on tone, don't ever letsomebody tell you that's wrong.
It's not trends or trends for areason.
They're just things that comein and are over lies, just like
clothing.
They kind of preempt the marketto move for things, to create
different looks.
They're everything, remain thesame all the time.
Well, I would be out of the jobnumber one that's right, and
(15:49):
there wouldn't really beanything fun or visually
intriguing about where we'regoing in the future.
So color is actually one of theother ones on my list.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
So yes.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
April is going to be our paint month and we are going
to dive into color consultation, so this is good.
This is a good lead in for us.
So talk to me about color.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Okay, so color not only within tile, but also paint
.
I was recently just at theBiloxi flooring market and there
was just a plethora of reallycool, rich, saturated tones.
And we're not talking aboutyour bright, like Lego blues and
reds, I'm talking about more ofyour European influences.
That kind of mustardy colorpersimmons the real mustard Like
(16:30):
mustard.
Like mustard.
Now it doesn't have to beFrench as mustard.
We can go fancy and go likeright on, but yeah, mustard tone
Really.
Really big.
Same thing with the greens, thesaturated, all of the green.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
So and what about?
We have been in kitchens andour new construction site
especially, we've been doing alot of like a hunter green,
right, okay, all right, and Ithought again that's one of
those things that I didn't thinkhunter green or gold was going
to come back.
So these colors, just they kindof it's a big circle, right,
(17:02):
it's circle, yeah, sickly, thereyou go.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Blending these colors in a different way, if you
remember hunter green.
When it was first proven, itwas really mixed with cranberry.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Oh really.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Yeah, and cranberry and hunter green.
But I know you people out thereknow you brought it in your
home.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Yeah, no doubt yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
So now, instead of utilizing the cranberry tone as
the complimentary tone, they'regoing more into like a warmer,
topey tone.
Okay, that has a little bit ofa softer, almost a mink feel to
it.
Yeah, not a lot of yellow,that's still very neutral
feeling, but it's color, okay.
Yeah, so color Mixing metals.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Mixing metals.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Isn't that new.
It's still a trend because it'sbecoming a little bit more
involved in the fact that if youthink about a light fixture,
you generally think one color.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Well, now you may have a bathroom wall sconce or
even a kitchen chandelier wherethe main neck of that chandelier
wall sconce is gold, okay.
And then it has a wrap of ablack accent and then silver.
Well, guess what?
Okay, that means you get toplay with all those tones.
So if that light fixture hasthree different metals, my
hardware can be woosome.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
So let me ask you this In new construction, when
we're talking to the client, alot of times they want a
standard like brushed nickelthroughout, a gold throughout.
And now you're saying, not onlyare you mixing that, but the
actual fixture itself could bemixed metal.
(18:30):
Oh, that to me, that's cool.
Yeah, very cool.
That also is Pervolite in anindustrial look too right.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
It can get multiple ways.
Right now I'm doing one of ourclients.
It's a little more art deco.
Gotcha I'm sure it was a lot ofgolds and a lot of blacks.
I'm young.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
I love that.
Look too.
It's sleek.
It is right Okay.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
It's sleek.
It gives a little bit of amodern edge with like kind of
that retro twist.
The good thing is design.
You can blend designs together.
It's just all about continuity.
Yeah, I'm repeating the samething throughout the home, but
just in different ways.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Gotcha Okay, awesome.
So I.
And then let's recap.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
So number one was warm and cool tones were no
longer limit number two.
Color, color, color.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Yep and number three is Mixed, smells awesome.
Okay, and what's number four?
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Lighting lighting.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Yeah, so I know you know a little bit about this.
You all are trying to get me tocarry lighting in the showroom
because it's so prevalentVariations, conscious things,
that usually, from acontractor's perspective, we
weren't putting in.
Now we're putting them in.
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Lighting is kind of like the jewelry of the home.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Yeah, it really is the jewelry, got it yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
You know, you don't want to overdo it.
And like Coco Chanel said, youknow, before you leave the door,
take one thing off.
Same thing with the lighting.
You don't want to go overboard.
Yeah, lighting is reallyimportant for function as well.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
I mean as a woman, I absolutely.
It dries me up bananas when Igo in somewhere and I cannot
even see my face in the mirrorbecause the lighting is so Dill.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Well, when you go into somebody else's house, same
breath look, look Asia sittingin the back nodding their head.
I know it's nice to have to getdressed or put a makeup in the
dark.
It's not something you get inthe car.
I didn't know I was going as aclown today.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Gotcha, yeah, well, and to like, for me, in my home,
not only do we have differenttypes of fixtures, but like the
actual bulbs that they're there,yeah, absolutely yeah, they're
all different like.
So you know, our outside and Ihate this our outside lights
have that, that Very brightorange.
(20:37):
Oh, I can't stand that one.
So I've swapped a lot of thoseout.
But, like, in our living roomwe have an older fan, those that
light color is different thanthe LED light so and it messes
with your eyes, you know, notjust for a look and from the
interior design perspective, butI've noticed that when you go
from room to room with differenta light variance, yeah that.
(21:00):
So with me having glasses andgetting older, right.
Yeah, so, okay, so, but lightingokay, and that also goes back
to tying into the metal mixmetals, right, okay.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
It certainly so that's contention to lighting is
fun it doesn't need to be brush, nickel or black or gold
throughout the whole house.
We can fix it up but also tohow it functions.
That needs to have a function.
That's why you have lightingover your island.
That's yeah of lighting overyour dining table.
There are places that you needto be able to see what you're
doing and in part, of the joy ofWorking with interior designers
(21:37):
.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
As a builder, again, we care about what things look
like, we care about the qualityof what we do, but a lot of
times we're not thinking of theform, function, space planning
part that you do.
And you know Dependent lightsover the island aren't just for
looks, that's where the functionis.
(21:59):
Or you know the sconces, or youknow just different light
placement.
So as a part of a new build,you actually go through and and
do placement with the homeowner.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Okay, that's needs.
Yeah, you know, I mean late ina bathroom.
A lot of people don't know.
You know, having in it is kindof dependent on the space, but
it is ideal to have an overheadlight in two sidelines.
That's why it's framing yourface, giving you a little better
, more natural, almost outdoorlighting exposure.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Got you.
Thanks for joining us today.
As always, we are grateful forour listeners and your continued
support.
Please subscribe to our YouTubechannel.
Follow us on social media viaFacebook, instagram and TikTok.
Get more info at our website,wwwthethombuildingshowcom.
And, as always, remember who weare the home building and
(22:55):
remodeling show.
The Homebuilding and Remodeling Show.
Let's go.
Welcome everybody to theHomebuilding and Remodeling Show
.
My name is Chris Kirby and I'llbe your host.
(00:21):
I am the owner of threeconstruction companies on the
Alabama Gulf Coast.
The show is about residentialconstruction.
We're going to cover topics ofhomebuilding and remodeling.
Are you thinking of doing aremodel or building a home?
Are you a contractor looking toimprove your knowledge base or
grow your business?
Have you ever done a remodelproject or built a home?
(00:42):
There were so many things youwish you knew or that you could
have done differently during theprocess.
Then this show is for you.
We break down the process ofbuilding and remodeling and how
to have the best results duringyour project.
Whether you are a DIYer lookingfor tips, someone looking to
hire a contractor to do aproject, or a contractor looking
(01:04):
to expand your knowledge baseor your business, welcome aboard
.
Glad to have you.
Stay tuned.
We kick off the show with mythoughts on homebuilding and
remodeling.
I'll share best practices andtalk about some of our
experiences in business and outin the field.
These shared thoughts andlessons learned are meant to
help you on your very ownjourney.
(01:25):
Let's go Alright.
So the month of March isBathroom Remodeling Month on the
Home Building and RemodelingShow, and I wanted to talk about
the four key relationships thatyou need to maintain in order
to be a successful bathroomremodeling contractor, and there
is a difference between generalhome remodeling and being a
(01:48):
bathroom remodeler.
I'll touch on that first.
For instance, we do kitchen andbath home additions.
Those are our three favoriteprojects to take on.
Those are the ones that we havebuilt systems around, and I
recommend, if you're going to beany type of remodeling
contractor, that you incorporatesystems into your business as
you grow your business, and it'sgoing to help you to be able to
(02:11):
maintain things such asfinancials, how you estimate,
how you plan your project, howyou manage your project, the
timing of the project all ofthose things.
Processes definitely help withthat, and so, for a bathroom
remodeler, the number onerelationship for you to maintain
is the client relationship.
(02:32):
We've talked about it before onother shows that client
relationship management is ahuge deal.
When you, as an individualcontractor, start out, you're
taking on work and you figureout that you know you're pretty
good at remodeling bathrooms,whether it's new construction
and just doing an installationfor new construction or doing
(02:55):
remodeling work or remodeling abathroom, going in assessing the
project, demoing the project,doing the put back for
everything.
What you need to know is theclient is the most important
piece to that A they're going tobe your best referral source.
If you maintain healthyrelationships with your clients,
(03:17):
they're going to refer you.
In word of mouth referrals arethe best referrals because there
that means that the client hashad a a good, great interaction
with you as the bathroomremodeler and they're going to
talk to their friends and family, which means that they're like
minded.
Most most of the times they'relooking for something similar.
(03:40):
Or if their family or friendsare over at their house and
they're talking about theremodel and and they want to
show them the work that you'vecompleted.
This means that the client isdoing the legwork and talking to
the potential client, theirfriend or family, on your behalf
about how their process went.
(04:00):
That means it's not going totake much for you to close that
deal, because they've probably,more than likely, have already
asked their friend well, how didit go?
What did you have to do?
How did you initiate contact?
You know what was the cost.
Trust me, they've already askedthose questions.
You're locking in a good dealif you get word of mouth
(04:24):
referrals because they'vealready talked about their
projects.
They've probably already talkedabout maybe even some of the
headaches that were carried overfrom their project and so
you're able to address thatupfront.
They know the the nothing'sperfect in remodeling and you're
able to talk to them about someof the hiccups and maybe even
(04:45):
prevent those on their friend orfamily's project.
Word of mouth referrals keepingthe client happy and forming
them during pre-construction ofa the timeline, the cost,
potential change orders,different things that could
happen during the projectPre-construction is super
important during a bathroomremodel.
(05:07):
Trying to make sure that theclient gets all the information
they need upfront duringpre-construction is a key
contributor to maintaining asuccessful relationship with
that client.
Making sure they understand thesteps, how it could get dirty,
how you are going to addressissues in a timely manner, how
there could be project delaysdepending on materials, weather,
(05:30):
different factors.
Making sure that thecommunication is wide open
during a bathroom remodelproject is another key
contributor to having asuccessful client relationship.
And then closing out theproject strong, allowing them to
do a punch list and making surethat they're happy, final
(05:51):
payments received and that youdo a follow up after the project
is done, call them, talk tothem and follow up on the
project.
How's everything going, andthings like that Make sure you
get good before and afterpictures, always get good before
and after pictures, and thoseall are contributing factors to
having a successful clientrelationship, which in turn
(06:15):
leads to good results for youand your company.
Word of mouth, referrals Numberone of the four relationships
you need to maintain as abathroom remodeling contractor
the client relationship.
And now we move into Shop Talk.
It's the portion of the showwhere I bring in a co-host and
we cover trending topics in homebuilding and remodeling.
(06:36):
Hope you enjoy.
Let's go.
Basically, stop the drain Now.
They make stoppers right, soyou're not just in there with
the hands on the cup.
Get a bag and come Right.
You want to do it.
The right way, though, is whatI'm saying?
You don't want to be in there?
No, you don't know, they slow arat in there.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
No, you're not going to know any, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
They, I think what's the forget the brand name.
But on depot lows they all havedrains.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Gotcha so, but drain, stop in, fill the shower tub,
whatever.
You don't have water on, howare you filling that tub?
Speaker 2 (07:11):
With a bucket.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Okay, you're going to get a bucket and fill it up,
it's a water and fill it up.
Okay, and being careful,walking in and out with that
bucket Right Be spilling it andstuff.
Okay, flood test passes, it'sgood.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yeah, so then we're going to start.
It depends.
Some guys like to start with afloor, some might start with a
wall Up and down, okay, Whateveryou prefer.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Do you like to start with the floor or the wall?
It's easier to start with thefloor, and why?
Why do you think this?
Because a lot of people don'twant to keep going on and off
that floor.
Right, because that floor istypically some sort of flex,
it's a mosaic or something right, mech or flooring, and so a lot
of the people have a hard timeto keep stepping on and off of
(08:03):
that which.
So I'd like to hear why youlike to to do the floor first.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And then do you.
I was taught to do the wallsfirst, okay, but you know what I
mean.
The easier route is to do thefloor first, and that way you
can lay right over the top of itinstead of shimming it off.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
But you know, really the best way is to do the walls
that way.
When you're working the wallsyou drop something set or what
it's going to floor top.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah Well, are you not protecting you, should
you're trying to protect?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
But I mean, you're walking all over it.
You got wet sponges.
That protection is going to getwet.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
I mean it's messy yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Honestly, okay, floor to wall, all right, but if
you're going the oppositedirection, if you're doing wall
to floor, okay, and we've talkedabout this.
I did a video with Jeremiahabout kind of he likes start on
the back wall at a certain spotand he'll do that back wall
first, and his reasoning forthat in which we got a lot of
(09:07):
back and forth conversation onthis was he was saying that he
starts on the back wall.
So when you're looking at theback wall, if you set the back
wall first and then do yoursidewalls, he's saying that your
grout line yeah, you don't wantto visible.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Do not ever do the back wall first.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Because if you do that, then your grout lines on
staring around as you from thecorner Right.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
And there was a lot of people going back and forth
when I did that video withJeremiah, saying, oh, it's going
to be the same either way, oryour grout, and it's not.
That's not true.
That's true.
Yeah, it's a clean area.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
So, looking at a wall , that's been done, the grout
line is going to be on this walland that wall Right.
And if you do that wall andthat wall, the grout line is
going to be on that corner.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Yeah, it's definitely going to be visible.
Gotcha, okay.
A lot of problems, a lot ofpeople who learn tile starting
and getting it laid out properly.
Especially on a shower, I thinkis the floor easier to lay out
than a shower or the floor isthe easiest part to lay out, and
how do you do so?
Speaker 2 (10:15):
There's food you don't have to put.
You can cut everything and layit in there, take it out and
then stick it up.
Yeah you can't drive a.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Wall shower.
So and that's where a lot ofthe people, especially the newer
people, you know, gettingstarted Takes a lot.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
The easiest thing for somebody getting started in the
shower system Buy you a laserlamp.
Yeah, and that will solve your.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
But talk about pattern though.
Okay, so some of the stuff wedo is so, some of the stuff we
do is a little bit easier, butyou know you're your larger
format and things like that, butPattern.
So there's a lot of differentways you can do patterns.
Right, talk to me about that.
(11:04):
Like if you were going to do aSmaller format tile, how do you
figure out how you want to getit laid out and gets?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
hardened.
So usually I Mean you usuallylay it out like different types
of layouts for the customer findout what they want.
Yeah and they can wear hair andbone.
They can want it likeVertically stacked, yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
I was only least that straight.
The straight stack is yes, butyou've got to be clean.
I mean it has to be precisewhen they take the light.
Yeah, actually, I mean that isstraight off that small on Each
other.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
So in all the corners meet up so you can really see
if you're off.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
So and your grout, and to the grout portion of that
.
Right, you could tell whereyour grout lines get fat skinny.
You gotta be that one groutcoverage is off like.
But some people like thestraight stack and if you've
been doing it for a while theycan kind of yeah, roll with it
right, but it's nobody'sfavorite yeah but then sometimes
(12:05):
too Okay, they want that upwhere it's Vertical right, so
they take the subway and insteadof going horizontal, it's right
one and turned up.
Okay, you lay it out.
You always kind of try to layit out for the client.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Let them pick, that way they, you know, I mean they
can see it Layed out how theywill yeah, I mean I just lay it
on the floor and be like hey.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Here's how it's go Now.
How do you determine patternstyle, though?
So they tell you, and then withif the wall is Square, fits
level, it's plumb your tile,your ends, right.
They're all gonna be Typical orno, depends on how you do your
layout for your tile.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
So like dearly like this, yes, usually, oh mine,
yeah, you want to.
You know, lay it out to likefind your center, yeah, in your
shower, and then work off of it,and that way everything's
consistent on either solve yeahand um.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
But it's not as just as simple as this, so you can't
just sit there and cut all yourend pieces.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
You can after you.
Can all right as you wererunning.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Level.
As long as you're running level, you should technically be able
to do that right.
All right, Okay.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
I just want to make sure that's the key part.
Before you're doing yoursleuther system, you should be
finding out if your walls arelevel.
Yeah and if not, you should beMaking them low.
Yeah, I mean you shouldn't getstarted without doing that, no,
and that way, because it makeseverything life easier once you
get to lay in top.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Now we're going to move into the portion of the
show where we talk interiordesign.
We're going to bring in aninterior designer and we're
going to talk trending designand products.
Hope you enjoy, let's go, allright.
So this month, the month ofMarch, the home building and
remodeling show is going to befocusing on doing a bathroom
(14:07):
remodel from the remodeling sideand also from the interior
design side, and our topic ofthe workshops that we're going
to put out, the topic of thepodcast, is going to center
around bathroom remodeling.
So I've got Courtney, ourinterior designer, with us today
, who specializes in kitchen andbathroom remodels and design,
(14:28):
and we're going to talk about 10bathroom remodel and design
ideas that can revolutionizeyour home.
All right, and I know you'vegot your list, and so we'll
start with your number one.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
So, speaking on the idea of revolutionizing, that
always applies to differentpeople in different ways.
So some of these can beconsidered trends and some of
them actually are revolutionaryto really anybody in any place
they're at.
So the first one that we'rereally seeing for 2024 is the
mixing of warm and cool tones.
As of recently, it's reallybeen more of that cool on cool,
(15:01):
the gray on white, kind ofcoloring.
Now it's becoming more of thericher, more saturated kind of
earthy feels to it, which allowsit to transition and then just
color in general, correct.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
So like neutrals.
So like who?
Or a contractor like me?
Everything's gray, the wallsand hair are gray, so gray and
white is a very typical.
It's a safe space.
Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
It's a safe space and there's nothing wrong with a
safe space by any means.
If that's something that bringsyou joy and happiness and it is
tone on tone, don't ever letsomebody tell you that's wrong.
It's not trends or trends for areason.
They're just things that comein and are over lies, just like
clothing.
They kind of preempt the marketto move for things, to create
different looks.
They're everything, remain thesame all the time.
Well, I would be out of the jobnumber one that's right, and
(15:49):
there wouldn't really beanything fun or visually
intriguing about where we'regoing in the future.
So color is actually one of theother ones on my list.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
So yes.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
April is going to be our paint month and we are going
to dive into color consultation, so this is good.
This is a good lead in for us.
So talk to me about color.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Okay, so color not only within tile, but also paint
.
I was recently just at theBiloxi flooring market and there
was just a plethora of reallycool, rich, saturated tones.
And we're not talking aboutyour bright, like Lego blues and
reds, I'm talking about more ofyour European influences.
That kind of mustardy colorpersimmons the real mustard Like
(16:30):
mustard.
Like mustard.
Now it doesn't have to beFrench as mustard.
We can go fancy and go likeright on, but yeah, mustard tone
Really.
Really big.
Same thing with the greens, thesaturated, all of the green.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
So and what about?
We have been in kitchens andour new construction site
especially, we've been doing alot of like a hunter green,
right, okay, all right, and Ithought again that's one of
those things that I didn't thinkhunter green or gold was going
to come back.
So these colors, just they kindof it's a big circle, right,
(17:02):
it's circle, yeah, sickly, thereyou go.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Blending these colors in a different way, if you
remember hunter green.
When it was first proven, itwas really mixed with cranberry.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Oh really.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Yeah, and cranberry and hunter green.
But I know you people out thereknow you brought it in your
home.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Yeah, no doubt yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
So now, instead of utilizing the cranberry tone as
the complimentary tone, they'regoing more into like a warmer,
topey tone.
Okay, that has a little bit ofa softer, almost a mink feel to
it.
Yeah, not a lot of yellow,that's still very neutral
feeling, but it's color, okay.
Yeah, so color Mixing metals.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Mixing metals.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Isn't that new.
It's still a trend because it'sbecoming a little bit more
involved in the fact that if youthink about a light fixture,
you generally think one color.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Well, now you may have a bathroom wall sconce or
even a kitchen chandelier wherethe main neck of that chandelier
wall sconce is gold, okay.
And then it has a wrap of ablack accent and then silver.
Well, guess what?
Okay, that means you get toplay with all those tones.
So if that light fixture hasthree different metals, my
hardware can be woosome.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
So let me ask you this In new construction, when
we're talking to the client, alot of times they want a
standard like brushed nickelthroughout, a gold throughout.
And now you're saying, not onlyare you mixing that, but the
actual fixture itself could bemixed metal.
(18:30):
Oh, that to me, that's cool.
Yeah, very cool.
That also is Pervolite in anindustrial look too right.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
It can get multiple ways.
Right now I'm doing one of ourclients.
It's a little more art deco.
Gotcha I'm sure it was a lot ofgolds and a lot of blacks.
I'm young.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
I love that.
Look too.
It's sleek.
It is right Okay.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
It's sleek.
It gives a little bit of amodern edge with like kind of
that retro twist.
The good thing is design.
You can blend designs together.
It's just all about continuity.
Yeah, I'm repeating the samething throughout the home, but
just in different ways.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Gotcha Okay, awesome.
So I.
And then let's recap.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
So number one was warm and cool tones were no
longer limit number two.
Color, color, color.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Yep and number three is Mixed, smells awesome.
Okay, and what's number four?
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Lighting lighting.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Yeah, so I know you know a little bit about this.
You all are trying to get me tocarry lighting in the showroom
because it's so prevalentVariations, conscious things,
that usually, from acontractor's perspective, we
weren't putting in.
Now we're putting them in.
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Lighting is kind of like the jewelry of the home.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Yeah, it really is the jewelry, got it yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
You know, you don't want to overdo it.
And like Coco Chanel said, youknow, before you leave the door,
take one thing off.
Same thing with the lighting.
You don't want to go overboard.
Yeah, lighting is reallyimportant for function as well.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
I mean as a woman, I absolutely.
It dries me up bananas when Igo in somewhere and I cannot
even see my face in the mirrorbecause the lighting is so Dill.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Well, when you go into somebody else's house, same
breath look, look Asia sittingin the back nodding their head.
I know it's nice to have to getdressed or put a makeup in the
dark.
It's not something you get inthe car.
I didn't know I was going as aclown today.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Gotcha, yeah, well, and to like, for me, in my home,
not only do we have differenttypes of fixtures, but like the
actual bulbs that they're there,yeah, absolutely yeah, they're
all different like.
So you know, our outside and Ihate this our outside lights
have that, that Very brightorange.
(20:37):
Oh, I can't stand that one.
So I've swapped a lot of thoseout.
But, like, in our living roomwe have an older fan, those that
light color is different thanthe LED light so and it messes
with your eyes, you know, notjust for a look and from the
interior design perspective, butI've noticed that when you go
from room to room with differenta light variance, yeah that.
(21:00):
So with me having glasses andgetting older, right.
Yeah, so, okay, so, but lightingokay, and that also goes back
to tying into the metal mixmetals, right, okay.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
It certainly so that's contention to lighting is
fun it doesn't need to be brush, nickel or black or gold
throughout the whole house.
We can fix it up but also tohow it functions.
That needs to have a function.
That's why you have lightingover your island.
That's yeah of lighting overyour dining table.
There are places that you needto be able to see what you're
doing and in part, of the joy ofWorking with interior designers
(21:37):
.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
As a builder, again, we care about what things look
like, we care about the qualityof what we do, but a lot of
times we're not thinking of theform, function, space planning
part that you do.
And you know Dependent lightsover the island aren't just for
looks, that's where the functionis.
(21:59):
Or you know the sconces, or youknow just different light
placement.
So as a part of a new build,you actually go through and and
do placement with the homeowner.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Okay, that's needs.
Yeah, you know, I mean late ina bathroom.
A lot of people don't know.
You know, having in it is kindof dependent on the space, but
it is ideal to have an overheadlight in two sidelines.
That's why it's framing yourface, giving you a little better
, more natural, almost outdoorlighting exposure.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Got you.
Thanks for joining us today.
As always, we are grateful forour listeners and your continued
support.
Please subscribe to our YouTubechannel.
Follow us on social media viaFacebook, instagram and TikTok.
Get more info at our website,wwwthethombuildingshowcom.
And, as always, remember who weare the home building and
(22:55):
remodeling show.
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