Carpentry works chunk up more than 40% of the entire
renovation cost most of the time and it is definitely not cheap to customise
work to your taste. In Singapore, there is a lack of culture, time, space,
tools and skillset to DIY carpentry works. Thus, it is inevitable for you to work
with a carpenter at some point in time for your new or existing home. You may approach a main contractor with
beautiful shop front but comes with an expensive price tag or find a good
carpenter through various means that you think are reliable. Here are some
simple and easy-to-follow tips that will aid you in the process of hiring
quality carpentry service in Singapore without difficulty.
1.
Identify Good Carpenters
There are limited review sites on the
internet for carpentry services in Singapore. Thus, the best bet you have currently
is to ask your relatives, friends or colleagues. If you have good relationship
with a main contractor who is willing to reveal who they work with for
carpentry work, go for it! If not, ask about the workmanship (look out for the
minor details like the alignment, gaps, silicon patching and etc) and after
installation support (promptness in doing minor touching up and etc).
2.
Communicating with carpenters
Before committing to the one, talk to a few
to understand about their services and past projects. Share with them the kind
of carpentry works you are looking for including the design, usage and overall feel.
Professional carpenter will be able to guide you on the materials, difficulties
of the job and some may even provide a digital design layout of the final
product. Ensure that the carpenter is able to understand what you want and the
terms to prevent any future disputes.
3.
Selection of materials
Ensure that your carpenter not only shares with
you on the finishing materials that suit your design and budget but also the
type of timber products. These will ensure that the materials (timber products,
finishing, edge band and hinges) used are able to meet your usage requirement
and also a good gauge of the materials cost. The commonly used timber products
are Medium Density Fibre (MDF) board and particle board or chipboard that
contributes to a more affordable carpentry works. As for the finishing
materials, laminate is the more popular choice as it comes in various design
and colours. Do spend more time to look through the thick selection of
finishing materials and seek advice from your carpenter as it will determine
the feel of the end product and also fits your daily usage. For instance, you
may want to choose laminate if you have young children as it provides certain
level of scratch resistance.
4.
Project sequencing
This is critical if you choose not to
engage a main contractor for the renovation of your new home. You will have to
coordinate with various contractors to ensure that the installation sequence is
correct. For instance, do your painting prior to the carpentry installation and
request your painter to do the final touching up after. Installation of oven,
hood and stove after the installation of kitchen carpentry works. Thus, a good
carpenter will be able to advice on the sequences, commit
to the delivery and installation timeline and also provide additional services
like simple installation of kitchen appliances to ensure a smooth renovation.
5.
Building relationship
Ensure that you maintain a good relationship
with a good carpenter for future works or minor repairs. For instance, you have
decided to change the entire kitchen cabinets in the future. Instead of
removing all, a good carpenter will understand your design and also conduct an
inspection on the existing cabinets to determine the level of work required. It
may end up only changing the laminates, hinges and minimum new carpentry works.
This will save you a substantial amount of money.
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