The Finals Stage
Tim Dubiel
We are at the stage of your house that all the loose ends will be finalized. The mechanical trades will come back to complete the work they did at the rough-in stage described in our mechanical inspection blog. The finisher will come back and complete the scope of his job that was started in the finishing details blog. The fireplace was installed at the end of framing and is completed at this time. Mirrors and closet shelving are completed at this time.
The electrical contractor is usually the first of the mechanical trades to come and complete their work. At this final, all switches, plugs and lights are installed in the home.
The next trade to come back is the plumber. The plumber is scheduled for a day to complete all the bathroom and kitchen fixtures. Most plumbers will start by assembling all the fixtures. The toilets come in two pieces and must be put together and then installed in each bathroom. The sinks and taps are installed in the bathrooms and kitchen. The showers will be completed with the shower heads, trims and any other devices that might have been added at the mechanical stage. The dishwasher and hot water tank are installed at this time, also. On completion of installation of all plumbing items the plumber will turn on the water to the house. Each device will be completely tested by the plumber to make sure it works as per manufacturer’s specifications. The plumbing final is now complete.
The next trade into in the house will be the finisher. The finisher is responsible for hanging all the interior doors to ensure they open and close easily. The finisher will then install all the base board that was not installed at the initial stage of finishing. The last item to be installed is bathroom hardware. The finisher will install the toilet paper holders, all towel bars and all door handles as per the customer selections. This stage will take most of the day and once all the items are installed the finisher has completed his final.
The heating contractor will install the vent covers, cold air return vents, the humidistat, thermostat and HRV controller as the final step for their scope of work. After completion, they will test the home heating and ventilation system. For the customer’s convenience, our heating contractor will leave extra furnace filters on site for the customer use in the first few months of possession. The final step for this trade is a complete furnace and duct cleaning of the home for the customer. They will clean all of the ducts with a high power vacuum. Their trucks are equipped with large hoses that they attach to the furnace and will clean out any dust or debris from the ducts. After completion of cleaning the system, it is turned on and tested again.
The next trade to complete their final is the fireplace company. This process takes approximately one hour. They will unpack the log set, clean the glass, spray the interior and exterior frame of the fireplace with a high heat paint and install the switch for the fireplace. When they are complete your fireplace is ready to turn on.
The window final is also done at this time. All screens are installed, all exterior doors are adjusted, the weather strip is inspected (and replaced if needed) and the garage to house door will have a spring loaded hinge adjusted so it will close by itself when left open.
The final trade to complete the finals stage is our mirror and shelving company. Our contractor will come out on site to measure for mirrors and glass doors in your home to ensure a proper fit. The mirrors are attached to the wall with an adhesive designed for mirrors. The shower doors are installed and are attached with screws through the drywall and into the solid backing that was installed at the framing stage. This solid backing will give the proper support for the shower doors to always swing properly. The wire shelves for the pantry, laundry room and all closets will also be installed at this time. The main supports are screwed into the studs and the wall supports have a special screw that will keep your shelves attached to the wall and will support all the items you plan to store on these shelves.
That will complete all of your finals and your home is almost ready to move into....