Dear Remodel Client,

Thank you for choosing Carson's Cabinetry & Design, we sincerely appreciate your confidence in choosing our professional firm to work with you. Our greatest desire is to make you a part of our satisfied family of customers, so we put together some information to help you along the way. Remodeling central areas of your home is a monumental task that will require your attention and patience.

Please take a few moments to review the enclosed information. Hopefully, this will eliminate some of the surprises, frustrations, and possible misunderstandings often associated with remodeling by preparing you for what's ahead. This information gives you a checklist of what you need to do and what to expect during the job. Try to remember that the inconveniences you might experience are temporary; soon, the results will be well worth the disruption.

Should you have questions or need assistance, please call us anytime. Thank you again for your business.

Sincerely,

Steve Carson
President

Home owner to do list

1. Review Your Contract

First of all, review your contract. If there are any questions or concerns, please let us know immediately. Make note of the following:

• Changes made after the work begins will be more costly than changes made before. All changes must be signed off by both parties.
• Make sure the installation and tear out dates allow you enough time for any planned functions or special events.

2. Decide whether to stay or go

Ideally you might want to consider staying with friends, relatives, or take a vacation while the remodel is completed. You can also stay in your home and work around your remodeled areas. Should you choose to be far away, you must make sure that your contract depicts every detail you want done. Please don't assume it will be done unless it is detailed in your contract.

3. Take Some Pictures

We recommend that you take pictures before, during, and after the project is completed. Before and after pictures can be encouraging and great to show friends.

4. Appliances

Carson's Cabinetry & Design normally does not supply appliances. We can refer you to knowledgeable people in the area who can provide you with appliances at competitive prices. Here are a few things to remember:

• It is the responsibility of the appliance dealer to deliver the appliances to the kitchen being remodeled.
• Appliances must be selected before any cabinetry is ordered.
• We must have a list of your appliances with model numbers before we can order any cabinetry. If you have not yet given us such a list, it is imperative that you do so now if we are to stay on schedule.
• Make sure that the appliances you have selected will fit through doorways, elevators and hallways before placing your order.
• All appliances are covered by manufacturers' warranties not Carson's Cabinetry & Design. They will assume responsibility and send a service representative to resolve the problem.

5. Purchase new faucets and disposals

Your old faucets and disposals may perform satisfactorily prior to installation, but often develop leaks. We therefore it is recommended to only install new faucets.

Disposals use a rubber seal where they attach to the sink. These seals harden over time and may not re-seat properly to the new sink. Carson's Cabinetry & Design is not responsible for any reused product.

6. Get your drain lines cleaned

It has been our experience that residue, grease buildup, or rust may dislodge during the process of normal remodeling resulting in a sink that doesn't drain properly when the job is complete. We consider this a preexisting condition that we have no control over. We highly recommend that, prior to job start, you make arrangements with a plumber to clean your drain lines.

7. Pack up everything.

All shelves, drawers, cabinets, etc., should be empty.

8. Protect valuables

Protect furniture and carpets in adjacent areas that will be affected by dust. Remove paintings from walls and any breakables in pathways the trade's people will be using. Also remove any wall hung items that are in rooms that share the same walls as the kitchen or bath undergoing the remodel. Removing cabinets and reinstalling cabinets will cause these walls to undergo some movement. This movement can cause pictures and wall hung items to possibly fall and break. We can not be held responsible for items that fall from the wall or are in the pathway to the work area.

9. Set up a temporary kitchen

Set up a temporary kitchen near a water source if possible. Usually the refrigerator and microwave can be connected in this area. A coffee pot, hot plate and other bare necessities will see you through breakfast and other light meals.

10. Protect kids and pets

Work areas need to be off limits for kids and the pets.

11. Think about your craftspeople

Here are a few things to consider when the time comes for craftspeople to work in your home:

• They require concentration when performing their skills. A loss in concentration might cause an injury. Watching the crafts workers may make them nervous and cause them to lose their concentration.
• If parking is a concern, please make it clear to everyone where they should leave their vehicles. Remember, they will need to park as close as possible to the work areas.
• If you have questions or concerns about the work being done, please write your questions down and then review them when these trades' people are on a break, at lunch break, at the end of the day.
• They might need access to a bathroom.

What to expect

1. Color Samples

Carson's Cabinetry & Design assembles a variety of materials for your convenience and consideration from many manufacturers. We obtain samples from these manufacturers for your consideration, but color samples may vary. If you feel a color is not an acceptable representation of our sample, we can contact the manufacturer.

2. Interpretive Drawings

Hand or computer generated renderings are reasonable approximations of what your project will look like in a perfect world. Unfortunately, walls and ceiling are not always square; therefore details may vary. All dimensions and plans are subject to job site verification and adjustment.

3. Flooring

It is wise to work from ceiling to floor to minimize damage to new items. We recommend new flooring be installed last. Many of today's popular tiles are hand made with an irregular size and shape. This results in and irregular grout line that contributes to the informal charm. Uniformly sized tiles are also available that will offer a more formal and consistent look. Consult with your designer.

4. Wood Grains Color and Texture

Some woods exhibit wild grains and color variations while others are more subtle. Natural wood products will exhibit grain, color shading, knots and mineral streaks that can vary widely. Some natural woods will have many knots while other species will have few if any. The number of knots among a single species can also vary greatly. These non-uniform characteristics are all contributors to the visual appeal of natural wood cabinetry and furniture. Certain stains on wood will diminish some of these natural wood characteristics.

Cherry is a beautiful hardwood; however, the natural pigmentation in cherry reacts with ultra-violet rays in natural and artificial light resulting in an overall darkening of the original color. On rare occasions it might lighten. The phenomenon is known as mellowing.

Carson's Cabinetry & Design points out these characteristics of natural woods, because the effect of these variations in an entire set of cabinets or furniture may be different from what you visualize when viewing a smaller display or finish sample.

5. Scheduling

Before we start your project, we will advise you of a tentative ideal project schedule. Weather, delivery foul-ups, illness, scheduling conflicts with subcontractors, errors, and change orders may delay completion. We try to keep on schedule, but please be patient when other factors interfere with your progress. We will do everything we can to keep your job moving along.

6. Electrical and Plumbing

Carson's Cabinetry is not a general contractor. We are not responsible for any plumbing or electrical. Please contact your general contractor, plumber, or electrician for any concerns in those areas.

7. Counter Tops

Counter tops are typically templated one business day after the base cabinets are installed. Once templated, tops can take 7 days to fabricate and install. This will vary with availability of material selection. The supplier can help with verifying lead times. Remember counter tops made of laminate or solid surface materials are heat resistant; however they can be damaged by extreme heat. Your supplier can give you information on the care and maintenance of your counter top.

8. Progress payments

Our payments schedule is typically fifty percent deposit when the contract is signed, forty percent when the cabinets are delivered, and the final ten percent when the job is substantially complete. This is a standard in the cabinet industry. Please be prompt with your payments to avoid delays in installation.

9. Dust Control and Trash Pick-Up

Depending on the scope of your project, remolding will generate some amount of dust and debris. It is our responsibility to leave your house broom clean each day. Drop Cloths and plastic curtains will be used as necessary to minimize dirt and dust migration. Every effort will be made to minimize dust migration, but you can expect some migration into other areas of your home. Trash pick up is normally included in your contract.

10. Old Cabinets

Tear out is not included in installation. If you would like our installer to tear out and remove your old cabinets, there will be an additional fee. Please discuss this with your sales person. There are many people who might be able to use old cabinets, counter tops, appliances, and fixtures. You might want to arrange for Habitat for Humanity to pick them up. Unless otherwise stated, reinstallation of old cabinets in another part of your house is not included. If you would like this, please let us know and we will make the changes to your contract.

11. Drips under the Sink

Your sink is hooked up with new fittings. However, it is not unusual, due to initial expansion and contraction, for these fittings to require re tightening. Please check carefully for these the first few days for leaking. Wipe up any leaks immediately and place a drip pan under the leak and call your plumber immediately.

12. The Work Day

Our normal working hours are from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Please remember our workers have other duties to complete and may not be at your home at exactly 8:00 am. If it becomes necessary for us to schedule work after hours or on weekends, it will be with your permission and you will not incur overtime charges.

13. Missing or Damaged Items

Occasionally, missing items or damaged parts must be reordered please be patient while we are waiting for these parts to complete your project. We also want to finish the job as quickly as possible.

14. Knobs and Pulls

Carson's Cabinetry & Design normally does include knobs or pulls in our proposals. You may select and buy your knobs and pulls from us or you may buy from another source. In either case Carson's Cabinetry & Design will gladly install your hardware. There are a number of ways to install knobs or pulls; therefore please let us know how to install your knobs. Knobs and pulls should be selected before your job is contracted.

15. Final Payment

In the event the project is substantially complete, but is awaiting minor parts or pieces that were back ordered or defective, a prorated final payment will be arranged to cover the balance while awaiting their arrival and completed installation.

Thank You

We hope these explanations have helped you to understand more about the kitchen or bath remodel process. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

It is a pleasure to be working with you on this project. Thank you for choosing Carson's Cabinetry & Design.