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INHERENT
PROFESSIONALISM
Good tradespeople deserve our respect
From 'DesignMuse'
e-newsletter
© Jacqueline Hosford Interior Design
Working as a high-end
residential construction project manager for many years,
I have encountered innumerable tradespeople, from plumbers
to French polishers, electricians to custom mirror/glass
installers. Here, the golden qualities of reliability, promptness,
thoroughness and fine workmanship are treasures to be discovered
and once found honored with appreciation and respect.
But sometimes I've encountered
clients who look down their noses at the tradespeople I
bring in to work on their home redesign or renovation. Let's
take a look at this more closely, and consider how best
to view, and treat, this great asset—the tradesman
or tradeswoman who turn renovation designs and concepts
into reality.
Consider plumbers.
The good ones are incredibly smart. They have to consider
the project broadly, not just focus on the plumbing. Like
any person good at his or her work, a smart plumber considers
how the job impacts the whole project. They are the first
trades to establish where the sink, the toilet, the shower
will go. Are there issues with the framing, the proposed
electrical, the proposed ductwork? He’ll figure it
out.
I always feel it is
my job to encourage fine craftsmanship in tradespeople.
Part of my philosophy of life is that without competent
tradespeople, our civilization—and your project—takes
a nosedive.
We take so much for granted without thinking for a moment
that turning on that light switch is not possible without
the knowledge and skill of the electrician. Or the toilet
flushing and emptying without backflow is evidence of a
plumber who well knows how to pitch the waste lines and
run the vent line.
Properly done, work
is done to code with no shortcuts so that the work product
will last as long as it is supposed to and won't cause damage
and harm down the line. This means that your home will not
suddenly erupt into flames because a nail penetrated the
protective cover of electrical wiring and caused sparking,
which over time one day suddenly became a fire that burned
down the house. (If your contractor uses nail guards inside
the walls where electrical wires run, you won't have this
problem.)
Or, you won't discover
that you have leakage under your house because of some jury-rigged
set up. I have heard stories too innumerable to tell of
horrors encountered by home inspectors, architects and competent
contractors. A cheap solution, a shortcut, a do-it-yourself
novice job, can be dangerous to your home and your health.
And, yes, most often you get what you pay for.
The tradesperson that
you hire, or hire through a professional interior designer,
is an investment in yourself. You are paying for knowledge,
skill and professionalism.
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