shatter-proof
felt-lined
tinted
weather-sealed
design : lourvre, sliding, casement
Showing posts with label How-To-Choose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label How-To-Choose. Show all posts
How to Choose: Oven
Related Posts
1 How to Choose: Oven
2 Verdict: Rinnai oven RBO-7MSO
Coming soon...
In Brief: Our Criteria
1 Traditional Range Cooker or Built-in? Range has both oven & stovetop, dual energy, latest tech
2 Gas or Electric? If gas - LPG or Towngas?
3 Design Considerations for Built-in :
- Standalone vs Built-in
- Placement, why below stovetop, why not?
- Visible or covered up with matching cabinetry door?
- Controls
4 Ease of Maintenance: self cleaning vs catalytic vs continuous
5 Features
- 4 layer glass door
- slide out shelving
- rotiserie?
- programmable vs simple timer
6 Budget
7 User reviews
Related Posts
1 How to Choose: Oven
2 Verdict: Rinnai oven RBO-7MSO
1 How to Choose: Oven
2 Verdict: Rinnai oven RBO-7MSO
Coming soon...
In Brief: Our Criteria
1 Traditional Range Cooker or Built-in? Range has both oven & stovetop, dual energy, latest tech
2 Gas or Electric? If gas - LPG or Towngas?
3 Design Considerations for Built-in :
- Standalone vs Built-in
- Placement, why below stovetop, why not?
- Visible or covered up with matching cabinetry door?
- Controls
4 Ease of Maintenance: self cleaning vs catalytic vs continuous
5 Features
- 4 layer glass door
- slide out shelving
- rotiserie?
- programmable vs simple timer
6 Budget
7 User reviews
Related Posts
1 How to Choose: Oven
2 Verdict: Rinnai oven RBO-7MSO
How to Choose: Cooker Hood
Related Posts
1 How to choose: Cooker Hood
2 Fujioh FX-900: Butting the Head
3 Review: Fujioh Hood FX-900
4 Fujioh FX-900: Update
Our Criteria
To begin, here's our criteria for choosing a cooker hood:
1 Cooking Style and Cuisine
If you do a lot of pan-frying on your burner hob, and your cooking style fogs up with oily fumes and residues, look for a hood that is highly rated for oil absorption. Don't be swayed by good looks or design over engineering specs. At the end-of-the-day, if the hood you buy leaves oily residues on the stove top and cabinet walls, what good is the design if the hood does not perform?
2 Suction vs Absorption
Many hoods claim high suction power. And back up the claim with impressive specs of the fan motor unit. However, it is not motor suction power that determines how effective a cooker hood removes oily fumes. But another metric designed to
measure oil absorption efficiency. The metric measures the oil the filter absorbs during normal cooking, and was explained at the Fujioh website in 2008. The site since then has been updated to focus more imagery rather than explaining the technical and engineering specs, a serious serious flaw in my view. For what it's worth, here's the link if you wish to visit the site.
Here's a video comparing Fujioh's oil absorption vs a competitor
If you look closely you will observe the "other hood" fails to suck in much fumes compared to the Fujioh FSR-3000,though it would appear the pot under the FSR-3000 produces less vapor for the test than the other pot. Initially I thought the test might be biased in favor of the Fujioh but a later video segment showing a larger close view of the vapor and hood changed my mind. The FSR-3000 does suck in more vapor than the competiting product.
Video providing interesting information on Fujioh's hood
3 Paper vs Metal Filter
Look for a hood that uses a metal filter instead of a paper/carbon filter for oil absorption. That will save you money from having to buy and replace the oil-soaked paper filter every few months.
4 Ease of Maintenance
This is self-evident. Choose hoods that are easy to clean and require minimum maintenance. Sometimes it is not evident a hood requires a judicious amount of maintenance. My previous German hood, for instance, was easy to clean externally. But opening the casing to replace the internal paper-carbon filter was really troublesome. So ask sales personnel about these issues, read the product brochures. And check out the product on the manufacturer's web site for information and technical specs that the sales staff may have omitted to tell you.
5 Cost vs Performance
This is self-evident. Most cooker hoods are priced within a narrow range of $250-400 to attract buyers. Therefore you don't want to splurge on a hood that is out-of-sync with the market as far as price is concerned. If you go for more expensive designer hoods you are only getting diminishing returns. Such hoods tout its designer appeal to justgy its premium pricing, and don't have any bearing on the hood performance.
6 Standard dimension
Most brands offer cooker hoods with standard dimensions. Some however offer special (designer) models with non-standard dimensions. If such models break down in future and is no longer in production you would have a problem finding another
hood that can fit in exactly into the space vacated by your dead hood. That was my unfortunate experience with the German Bauknet hood, a story already blogged and posted. Lesson? Look for a cooker hood that has standard dimensions. You will then be able to buy and fit in a new hood if you have to get a different brand of hood in future.
7 User Experience
I have bought products that don't function as advertised or malfunction within 3 months of purchase. See my reviews, Bellari Soap Dispenser and Roddex Toilet Roll Holder. The two items were bought 'blind' as I couldn't locate any reviews from users who have bought the items. But those weren't the only ones! Recently I was at a Novena Square retail outlet that sells many useful and unique items for the household. Items like cotton water filter for basin taps, small muslin bags for spices, useful if you prepare Bak Kut Teh or some curries, tooth-picks, disposble plastic glvoes, etc. Supermarts and large dept stores don't normally retail these items. They have a low retail value (read: low gross margin), and don't justify valuable shelf-space. I bought a cutie knife sharpener for $2. Back home, I immediately put it to the test. "Scriiip, scraaaap, scriiip.." it scrowled as I deftly slide and grind the knife across the gears in the sharpener. *Sigh.. to no avail.* No amount of sweat could induce the blade to brighten up. It remained as dull as ever. Alamak, waste of money, greater waste of energy! I immediately bin'ned the sharpener.
Therefore reading up on user experiences is vital. Think - if the hood turns out to be a dud, can you get a refund? An ethical retailer ( = quite extinct species these days ) may offer to exchange it for a different hood. Even then, can the new hood fit? What if the dimensions are different? You would then have a headache trying to solve the problem.
All these can be avoided had you first read-up before you buy or have friends who could share their user-experience with the product.
Summary
Products don't seem to last these days. Computer hard disks, TVs, kitchen appliances, etc give up the ghost within 3 short years or less. About 3 years ago, for instance, I built 2 new PCs - one for self, another for third brother - and
recently had to replace the SDRAMs and graphic display cards. That didn't occur with PCs I built in the early 2000s. And not long ago the motor died on my premium-brand kitchen blender machine. On a side-note, that just as well, for I hate to use it. It was unnecessarily laborious to clean and took up a fair bit of counter space. I have now bought a new Bosch hand blender. And pleased as punch with it! Should have bought an immersion or hand blender long ago, read why here.
Yes, durability is a dirty word in many businessmen's dictionary today. Don't be shocked if the word is no longer in their vocab. Which makes it so important you know how to research, sift through the web trash, and read up how to choose products so that you will end up buying a gem, not an imitation.
Like my Maytag washer or GE Profile refrigerator. Both were bought in 1988 and are still serving me well today! Wow, what a gem they have both turned out to be!
Related Posts
1 How to choose: Cooker Hood
2 Fujioh FX-900: Butting the Head
3 Review: Fujioh Hood FX-900
4 Fujioh FX-900: Update
1 How to choose: Cooker Hood
2 Fujioh FX-900: Butting the Head
3 Review: Fujioh Hood FX-900
4 Fujioh FX-900: Update
Our Criteria
To begin, here's our criteria for choosing a cooker hood:
1 Cooking Style and Cuisine
If you do a lot of pan-frying on your burner hob, and your cooking style fogs up with oily fumes and residues, look for a hood that is highly rated for oil absorption. Don't be swayed by good looks or design over engineering specs. At the end-of-the-day, if the hood you buy leaves oily residues on the stove top and cabinet walls, what good is the design if the hood does not perform?
2 Suction vs Absorption
Many hoods claim high suction power. And back up the claim with impressive specs of the fan motor unit. However, it is not motor suction power that determines how effective a cooker hood removes oily fumes. But another metric designed to
Here's a video comparing Fujioh's oil absorption vs a competitor
If you look closely you will observe the "other hood" fails to suck in much fumes compared to the Fujioh FSR-3000,
Video providing interesting information on Fujioh's hood
3 Paper vs Metal Filter
Look for a hood that uses a metal filter instead of a paper/carbon filter for oil absorption. That will save you money from having to buy and replace the oil-soaked paper filter every few months.
4 Ease of Maintenance
This is self-evident. Choose hoods that are easy to clean and require minimum maintenance. Sometimes it is not evident a hood requires a judicious amount of maintenance. My previous German hood, for instance, was easy to clean externally. But opening the casing to replace the internal paper-carbon filter was really troublesome. So ask sales personnel about these issues, read the product brochures. And check out the product on the manufacturer's web site for information and technical specs that the sales staff may have omitted to tell you.
5 Cost vs Performance
This is self-evident. Most cooker hoods are priced within a narrow range of $250-400 to attract buyers. Therefore you don't want to splurge on a hood that is out-of-sync with the market as far as price is concerned. If you go for more expensive designer hoods you are only getting diminishing returns. Such hoods tout its designer appeal to justgy its premium pricing, and don't have any bearing on the hood performance.
6 Standard dimension
Most brands offer cooker hoods with standard dimensions. Some however offer special (designer) models with non-standard dimensions. If such models break down in future and is no longer in production you would have a problem finding another
7 User Experience
I have bought products that don't function as advertised or malfunction within 3 months of purchase. See my reviews, Bellari Soap Dispenser and Roddex Toilet Roll Holder. The two items were bought 'blind' as I couldn't locate any reviews from users who have bought the items. But those weren't the only ones! Recently I was at a Novena Square retail outlet that sells many useful and unique items for the household. Items like cotton water filter for basin taps, small muslin bags for spices, useful if you prepare Bak Kut Teh or some curries, tooth-picks, disposble plastic glvoes, etc. Supermarts and large dept stores don't normally retail these items. They have a low retail value (read: low gross margin), and don't justify valuable shelf-space. I bought a cutie knife sharpener for $2. Back home, I immediately put it to the test. "Scriiip, scraaaap, scriiip.." it scrowled as I deftly slide and grind the knife across the gears in the sharpener. *Sigh.. to no avail.* No amount of sweat could induce the blade to brighten up. It remained as dull as ever. Alamak, waste of money, greater waste of energy! I immediately bin'ned the sharpener.
Therefore reading up on user experiences is vital. Think - if the hood turns out to be a dud, can you get a refund? An ethical retailer ( = quite extinct species these days ) may offer to exchange it for a different hood. Even then, can the new hood fit? What if the dimensions are different? You would then have a headache trying to solve the problem.
All these can be avoided had you first read-up before you buy or have friends who could share their user-experience with the product.
Summary
Products don't seem to last these days. Computer hard disks, TVs, kitchen appliances, etc give up the ghost within 3 short years or less. About 3 years ago, for instance, I built 2 new PCs - one for self, another for third brother - and
Yes, durability is a dirty word in many businessmen's dictionary today. Don't be shocked if the word is no longer in their vocab. Which makes it so important you know how to research, sift through the web trash, and read up how to choose products so that you will end up buying a gem, not an imitation.
Like my Maytag washer or GE Profile refrigerator. Both were bought in 1988 and are still serving me well today! Wow, what a gem they have both turned out to be!
Related Posts
1 How to choose: Cooker Hood
2 Fujioh FX-900: Butting the Head
3 Review: Fujioh Hood FX-900
4 Fujioh FX-900: Update
How to Choose: Air Conditioner
Related Posts
1 Choosing an Air Conditioner
2 Energy Saving Tips for Air Conditioners
3 Installation & Placement of Air-con Units
4 Air Conditioner Cooling Algorithm
Basic Considerations
Inverters or Non-Inverters?
Some sales people will tell you that aircons using non-inverter technology are more reliable and/or cheaper to maintain and repair than inverter aircons. Or that R22-based aircons cost less to maintain because the R22 refrigerant is cheaper to refill than the new R410A refrigerant.
Don't believe them.
Inverter technology today is highly advanced and compressors with inverter operate more efficiently and at lower energy costs. Inverter air-cons are therefore more efficient in energy utilization and saves you money, an important consideration as oil prices and electricity rates continue to rise. Rather than repeat what the experts are saying, I'll give you the links so you can learn why you should buy aircons using inverter technology:
R22-based or R410A-based Aircons?
This is a no-brainer: go for the newer R410A-based aircons. Why? Simply because whether you like it or not, R22-based aircons are being phased out! The dealers
know that, and whether they admit it or not, they have to unload R22-based aircons on unsuspecting and ignorant consumers, otherwise they will incur huge losses on unsold old stocks. So they tell you half-truths like "...oh, the R410A types are more expensive to refill... R410A-aircon costs more to repair.. etc, etc..."
Sure, they may be more expensive to refill initially, but as time goes on with the phasing out of R22-based aircons by 2015, it will be prohibitively expensive (or even impossible) to get R22 liquid refrigerant for your R22-based air cons!
So don't be conned!
Energy Efficiency
Of all the major appliances in the home, aircons and refrigerators consume the most energy in the monthly electricity bill. Half to two-thirds of the energy consumption of a typical household in Singapore goes to operating air-conditioners and refrigerators, hence households are urged to choose energy efficient appliances when buying such goods. According to the National Environment Agency, a household choosing a 3-tick rather than a 1-tick air-conditioner can save about $500 annually through reduced electricity consumption.
1 COP 100% is defined as the ratio of total cooling capacity to effective power input at full load cooling capacity
2 For split (inverter) type air-conditioners, the model shall meet both the minimum COP 100% and weighted COP3 Weighted COP = 0.4 x COP 100% + 0.6 x COP 50%
Electrical Issues
Older flats built by the HDB have a limitation on the amperage of the aircons that can be installed. My flat has such a limitation, and the aircon load is limited to a maximum of 8.5 amperes only.
However, the dealer told me it is unlikely for multi-split units to hit the maximum amperage ceiling (i.e. power usage) and asked if I was prepared to authorize him to set the compressor
maximum current load to 11 amperes. Obviously I agreed because that would give me higher cooling capacity when the occasion demands it. I didn't think all 3 fan coils would be switched on at the same time as there are only two persons living in the hdb flat.
You would need to run the electrical wiring for your apartment before the installer comes to fix up the aircon. Without any source of electricity he would be unable to test the aircon for correct and proper operation after the installation.
Finally, you could locate the 15-amp socket for the compressor anywhere, as long as the socket is near the aircon trunking, so that the cable could run and be hidden inside the trunking itself. Thus I have the 15-amp socket located inside the MBR, although the compressor is placed outside the window of the dining room.
Cooling Capacity
OK, once you have decided what brand / type of air-con you want to install, you need to know what (cooling) capacity is required to cool down your space, be it the bedroom, dining, study or living room, etc.
Some dealers have their own formula. Obviously the volume of the space, rather than simply the area and outside ambient temperature, play a part in determining the cooling capacity required, but the following rule of thumb seems to work for me:
Area (Length x Width) X 65 = BTU/hr
E.g. Room size 10ft X 10ft = 100 X 65 = 6,500BTU/hr.
Coming soon..
Understanding the Technical Specs
i.e. How to Read the Starmex Technical Table
Related Posts
1 Choosing an Air Conditioner
2 Energy Saving Tips for Air Conditioners
3 Installation & Placement of Air-con Units
4 Air Conditioner Cooling Algorithm
1 Choosing an Air Conditioner
2 Energy Saving Tips for Air Conditioners
3 Installation & Placement of Air-con Units
4 Air Conditioner Cooling Algorithm
Basic Considerations
Inverters or Non-Inverters?
Some sales people will tell you that aircons using non-inverter technology are more reliable and/or cheaper to maintain and repair than inverter aircons. Or that R22-based aircons cost less to maintain because the R22 refrigerant is cheaper to refill than the new R410A refrigerant.
Don't believe them.
Inverter technology today is highly advanced and compressors with inverter operate more efficiently and at lower energy costs. Inverter air-cons are therefore more efficient in energy utilization and saves you money, an important consideration as oil prices and electricity rates continue to rise. Rather than repeat what the experts are saying, I'll give you the links so you can learn why you should buy aircons using inverter technology:
R22-based or R410A-based Aircons?
This is a no-brainer: go for the newer R410A-based aircons. Why? Simply because whether you like it or not, R22-based aircons are being phased out! The dealers
Sure, they may be more expensive to refill initially, but as time goes on with the phasing out of R22-based aircons by 2015, it will be prohibitively expensive (or even impossible) to get R22 liquid refrigerant for your R22-based air cons!
So don't be conned!
Energy Efficiency
Of all the major appliances in the home, aircons and refrigerators consume the most energy in the monthly electricity bill. Half to two-thirds of the energy consumption of a typical household in Singapore goes to operating air-conditioners and refrigerators, hence households are urged to choose energy efficient appliances when buying such goods. According to the National Environment Agency, a household choosing a 3-tick rather than a 1-tick air-conditioner can save about $500 annually through reduced electricity consumption.
The Tick Rating is defined by the NEA as follows:
Air-conditioners
Type | Minimum COP 100%1 (W / W) | ||||
No. of Ticks | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Casement, window, single-split (non-inverter) | <> | > 2.5 | > 2.78 | > 3.2 | N/A |
| Multi-split (non-inverter) | <> | > 2.64 | > 2.92 | > 3.34 | N/A |
Split type (inverter)2
| N/A<> | N/A> 2.64 | N/A > 2.92 | > 3.06 > 3.34 | > 3.34 > 3.76 |
2 For split (inverter) type air-conditioners, the model shall meet both the minimum COP 100% and weighted COP3 Weighted COP = 0.4 x COP 100% + 0.6 x COP 50%
Electrical Issues
Older flats built by the HDB have a limitation on the amperage of the aircons that can be installed. My flat has such a limitation, and the aircon load is limited to a maximum of 8.5 amperes only.
However, the dealer told me it is unlikely for multi-split units to hit the maximum amperage ceiling (i.e. power usage) and asked if I was prepared to authorize him to set the compressor
You would need to run the electrical wiring for your apartment before the installer comes to fix up the aircon. Without any source of electricity he would be unable to test the aircon for correct and proper operation after the installation.
Finally, you could locate the 15-amp socket for the compressor anywhere, as long as the socket is near the aircon trunking, so that the cable could run and be hidden inside the trunking itself. Thus I have the 15-amp socket located inside the MBR, although the compressor is placed outside the window of the dining room.
Cooling Capacity
OK, once you have decided what brand / type of air-con you want to install, you need to know what (cooling) capacity is required to cool down your space, be it the bedroom, dining, study or living room, etc.
Some dealers have their own formula. Obviously the volume of the space, rather than simply the area and outside ambient temperature, play a part in determining the cooling capacity required, but the following rule of thumb seems to work for me:
Area (Length x Width) X 65 = BTU/hr
E.g. Room size 10ft X 10ft = 100 X 65 = 6,500BTU/hr.
Coming soon..
Understanding the Technical Specs
i.e. How to Read the Starmex Technical Table
1 Choosing an Air Conditioner
2 Energy Saving Tips for Air Conditioners
3 Installation & Placement of Air-con Units
4 Air Conditioner Cooling Algorithm
How to Choose: ID / Contractor
Related Posts
1 How to Choose ID
2 Protect Yourself Against Unscrupulous Contractors
3 Engaging an ID
4 Our Renovation Cost & ID
5 ID Contact
6 ID Update
7 Renovation headaches
8 ID Topic Revisited
I benefited from the sharing of other forumers on RenoTalk.com in renovating their apartment, particularly their experience -- good and bad -- with their ID / contractor, and wish to pass on what I've learned and / or gained from my own experience working with a specific design firm and the ID.
My primary motivation is to assist those seeking to renovate their beloved apartment for the first time, particularly as
several forumers have shared horror stories of their renovation work outcome. To them I can only empathize, and thanked them for their sharing because I too benefited from their (bad) experience.
So I will tell it all -- where praise is warranted I will say it like it is, but where problems were encountered, I will not spare criticism, because in any renovation work there will always be issues and problems. It is how the ID / owner resolved the issue / problem that will determine the renovation outcome.
I have informed the ID of my intentions, and has his permission to tell it all, warts and acclaim, if warranted. He was game enough to permit me carte-blanche.
My ID was [ edited out on 2nd thought to make this a general posting and not a recommendation of a specific ID or firm ]. Of the 5 contenders for my job, he was my last choice (excl.gif) and how I ended up with him is another story.
But to start off, I will jump right in, and share how I managed to save some money engaging an independent paint contractor instead of waiting for my ID to do the painting / plastering after LNY.
It was a gamble that paid off.
***
This post deals with the preliminaries / preparation and choosing an ID / Contractor to handle your renovation.
Read forum postings to get an overview
First, go through this forum to read through experiences shared by forumers with their ID / Contractor. Get a good sense of the problems faced by flat owners when dealing with their ID and the standard of workmanship available / expected from photos posted by forumers.
Be aware that some ID posed as owners to "entice" business from forumers seeking
IDs or contractors, giving generally unashamedly strong recommendation on this ID or that ID. When you read these postings you can generally guess whether the recommendation is genuine or not. Why? Well, no ID or contractor is ever as good as some forumers have made them out to be. Almost all renovation works will encounter mistakes or the owner generally will have some unhappiness with the ID, hence any posting that praises an ID to the skies is generally suspect, in my books.
In my case, I decided to get a quote from an ID from this forum last Nov / Dec (you can search for that post), although I had felt the post could possibly be a self-promotion attempt, either by the ID himself or by his friend / colleague posing as an ex-client. So why did I still decide to get a quote from him?
Well, simply because the popular IDs recommended in the forum were being "chased" by almost everyone else and it took too long for me to get a timely response to my request for quotations &/or discussions from these IDs.
So I gave the newbie ID a try. After all, every ID needs a start on this forum, and I could give him a chance as I had some prior experience dealing with contractors and IDs in my work.
Next, prepare checklist and questions you may have
You should also prepare a list of questions you may have that you want to ask the ID. Further, you should have an idea of what you want for your renovation. Could be as simple as "I want a total makeover" or "I want to hack this wall to enlarge the living space", etc. Have some preliminary idea of what you want done before you contact the ID for quotations.
When I ask for a quotation, my prepared checklist of work I want done follows the same format (as amended to suit my own needs) given by most contractors/IDs when they submit their quotes. This way it is easy to make comparisons as how much each ID quote for e.g. "hacking the wall" or "Supply & lay homogeneous tiles to Living Room", etc.
Third, shortlist 4-5 IDs to obtain quotes
Once you have a shortlist of 4-5, contact them for their quotation, either by email
or in person. I drop those IDs who don't respond within a week, depending on how much I want him to handle my job e.g. give longer time for one who was genuinely recommended by people you know. I also drop those IDs who don't seem to be "hungry" for my job. Or who came across as "busy", "loftiness" or "exclusivity", because the truly good IDs -- in my experience -- are usually humble and down-to-earth.
Depending on the rapport you establish with the IDs, you may also ask to take a look at his actual work done for other clients, whether on-going or completed. That would give me an idea of his competence. [Note: This step should never be left out once the ID has given you his quotation.]
Some IDs only give you a show-around of his projects after you have accepted his quote, although some (the more confident Ids) may be willing to do that before you sign on the dotted line.
Bottom-line: Always ask to see an ID's work, whether he has been highly recommended or not. See for yourself the standard of workmanship done. Ask to see not only one job site but a few, to guard against "passing-off".
Generally if the owner of the flat is around when you see the project, you could ask the owner for his/her opinion of the ID too.
Next post: How do you protect yourself against unscrupulous ID/Contractor?
***
Q&A from forum (my id is Bluefly on Renotalk)
skyryen
post Feb 29 2008, 12:00 AM
Post #3
Newbie
*
Group: Members
Posts: 8
Joined: 22-February 08
Member No.: 8829
Hi Bluefly
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm also looking forward to renovating my new premium 4rm flat (just got keys last Dec).
This forum is a great resource and I'm still learning. So far I have approached 1 contractor and 4 IDs. Still waiting for quotes and also looking ard. I can only pray that my reno experience will work out well and not turn into nightmares that I have read so much here.
Hence the safer route I think is to go for those "tried and tested" ones. I would agree to drop if the ID is not hungry for my business or is not responsive. If now already bo chap me , I wonder how it will be like if I engaged their services. Maybe my 20k budget is really too small fry?!. Hmm.....
Please share with me your "checklist and format" for quotes that you have so that I can try to speak their language and the sort of questions I should be asking them.
If possible, can PM me your current ID too pls? All help is welcomed!
Great tips. I will look forward to your next post. Thanks!
***
Aiyo, Skyrren, I just saw yr post today 16-Mar-08 -- alamak excl.gif -- because I didn't check back on the thread. A thousand apologies excl.gif
PM sent on ID's contact.
Give me some time to share more thoughts / impressions on my renovation as I ran into problems recently,
- with the movers (had to use 3 different movers),
- was locked in for 6 hrs in my MBR and had to call police / civil defence for help (not a fault of the contractor but the lockset, more on that story later),
- waited for several weeks for the windows contractor to change the old iron windows in my toilet & bathroom, without which tilers and plumber could not complete their works.
I will put up my format, checklist, etc (and maybe this post) on my blog later, and to ensure I don't lose track of it!
Let me know if you need other assistance. yamseng.gif
Related Posts
1 How to Choose ID
2 Protect Yourself Against Unscrupulous Contractors
3 Engaging an ID
4 Our Renovation Cost & ID
5 ID Contact
6 ID Update
7 Renovation headaches
8 ID Topic Revisited
1 How to Choose ID
2 Protect Yourself Against Unscrupulous Contractors
3 Engaging an ID
4 Our Renovation Cost & ID
5 ID Contact
6 ID Update
7 Renovation headaches
8 ID Topic Revisited
I benefited from the sharing of other forumers on RenoTalk.com in renovating their apartment, particularly their experience -- good and bad -- with their ID / contractor, and wish to pass on what I've learned and / or gained from my own experience working with a specific design firm and the ID.
My primary motivation is to assist those seeking to renovate their beloved apartment for the first time, particularly as
So I will tell it all -- where praise is warranted I will say it like it is, but where problems were encountered, I will not spare criticism, because in any renovation work there will always be issues and problems. It is how the ID / owner resolved the issue / problem that will determine the renovation outcome.
I have informed the ID of my intentions, and has his permission to tell it all, warts and acclaim, if warranted. He was game enough to permit me carte-blanche.
My ID was [ edited out on 2nd thought to make this a general posting and not a recommendation of a specific ID or firm ]. Of the 5 contenders for my job, he was my last choice (excl.gif) and how I ended up with him is another story.
But to start off, I will jump right in, and share how I managed to save some money engaging an independent paint contractor instead of waiting for my ID to do the painting / plastering after LNY.
It was a gamble that paid off.
***
This post deals with the preliminaries / preparation and choosing an ID / Contractor to handle your renovation.
Read forum postings to get an overview
First, go through this forum to read through experiences shared by forumers with their ID / Contractor. Get a good sense of the problems faced by flat owners when dealing with their ID and the standard of workmanship available / expected from photos posted by forumers.
Be aware that some ID posed as owners to "entice" business from forumers seeking
In my case, I decided to get a quote from an ID from this forum last Nov / Dec (you can search for that post), although I had felt the post could possibly be a self-promotion attempt, either by the ID himself or by his friend / colleague posing as an ex-client. So why did I still decide to get a quote from him?
Well, simply because the popular IDs recommended in the forum were being "chased" by almost everyone else and it took too long for me to get a timely response to my request for quotations &/or discussions from these IDs.
So I gave the newbie ID a try. After all, every ID needs a start on this forum, and I could give him a chance as I had some prior experience dealing with contractors and IDs in my work.
Next, prepare checklist and questions you may have
You should also prepare a list of questions you may have that you want to ask the ID. Further, you should have an idea of what you want for your renovation. Could be as simple as "I want a total makeover" or "I want to hack this wall to enlarge the living space", etc. Have some preliminary idea of what you want done before you contact the ID for quotations.
When I ask for a quotation, my prepared checklist of work I want done follows the same format (as amended to suit my own needs) given by most contractors/IDs when they submit their quotes. This way it is easy to make comparisons as how much each ID quote for e.g. "hacking the wall" or "Supply & lay homogeneous tiles to Living Room", etc.
Third, shortlist 4-5 IDs to obtain quotes
Once you have a shortlist of 4-5, contact them for their quotation, either by email
Depending on the rapport you establish with the IDs, you may also ask to take a look at his actual work done for other clients, whether on-going or completed. That would give me an idea of his competence. [Note: This step should never be left out once the ID has given you his quotation.]
Some IDs only give you a show-around of his projects after you have accepted his quote, although some (the more confident Ids) may be willing to do that before you sign on the dotted line.
Bottom-line: Always ask to see an ID's work, whether he has been highly recommended or not. See for yourself the standard of workmanship done. Ask to see not only one job site but a few, to guard against "passing-off".
Generally if the owner of the flat is around when you see the project, you could ask the owner for his/her opinion of the ID too.
Next post: How do you protect yourself against unscrupulous ID/Contractor?
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Q&A from forum (my id is Bluefly on Renotalk)
skyryen
post Feb 29 2008, 12:00 AM
Post #3
Newbie
*
Group: Members
Posts: 8
Joined: 22-February 08
Member No.: 8829
Hi Bluefly
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm also looking forward to renovating my new premium 4rm flat (just got keys last Dec).
This forum is a great resource and I'm still learning. So far I have approached 1 contractor and 4 IDs. Still waiting for quotes and also looking ard. I can only pray that my reno experience will work out well and not turn into nightmares that I have read so much here.
Hence the safer route I think is to go for those "tried and tested" ones. I would agree to drop if the ID is not hungry for my business or is not responsive. If now already bo chap me , I wonder how it will be like if I engaged their services. Maybe my 20k budget is really too small fry?!. Hmm.....
Please share with me your "checklist and format" for quotes that you have so that I can try to speak their language and the sort of questions I should be asking them.
If possible, can PM me your current ID too pls? All help is welcomed!
Great tips. I will look forward to your next post. Thanks!
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Aiyo, Skyrren, I just saw yr post today 16-Mar-08 -- alamak excl.gif -- because I didn't check back on the thread. A thousand apologies excl.gif
PM sent on ID's contact.
Give me some time to share more thoughts / impressions on my renovation as I ran into problems recently,
- with the movers (had to use 3 different movers),
- was locked in for 6 hrs in my MBR and had to call police / civil defence for help (not a fault of the contractor but the lockset, more on that story later),
- waited for several weeks for the windows contractor to change the old iron windows in my toilet & bathroom, without which tilers and plumber could not complete their works.
I will put up my format, checklist, etc (and maybe this post) on my blog later, and to ensure I don't lose track of it!
Let me know if you need other assistance. yamseng.gif
Related Posts
1 How to Choose ID
2 Protect Yourself Against Unscrupulous Contractors
3 Engaging an ID
4 Our Renovation Cost & ID
5 ID Contact
6 ID Update
7 Renovation headaches
8 ID Topic Revisited
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