Our building looks like it is well-maintained and we all have gained from this project in terms of value.
Mr. Chris Tesseris and his crew have done a phenomenal job, they were quick, excellent quality, professional, very kind to all of us and performed their duties as expected.
A Chronicle of the Project
The project started mid-June. The first task was to install drywall on the ceilings to make them all look uniform. The next task on hand was to remove the carpeting from the walls and patch all the uneven surfaces. At the same time the crown molding was being installed. The crown molding alone was enough to give new life to our hallways by adding a level of height and width perception while covering the ugly cable conduits.
Drywalling and taping was completed a few days later which was followed by sanding. At the same time the tile replacement on the side foyer started. At the time when the stairwells were being painted, the hallways were being primed and prepared for painting. The painters were asked to repaint the master stairwell to match the color scheme of the hallways. It was soon decided that the secondary stairwell had to be painted as well to match everything.
When the hallways started being painted we had some mixed reactions to the color, but soon we all got used to it. Having the old ugly carpeting there didn't help us visualize the end result.
The front and side entrances were painted brown to match our color scheme and looked great immediately. Soon after the paimter was asked to paint the inside of the front doors to match the outside.
The front and side entrances were painted brown to match our color scheme and looked great immediately. Soon after the paimter was asked to paint the inside of the front doors to match the outside.
The light fixtures that were originally chosen were emitting really bad lighting and were running too hot. They would had tripled our electric bill since they used 215 Watts of power for each light fixture. We decided to purchase more of the old lights and go with all compact fluorescent bulbs through out the building. Our new light fixtures burn 32 Watts per light which is considerably low, good for our check book and for Mother Earth.
The installation of the carpeting in the end of July marked the completion of the project. The final result was stunning. For the first time since 1994 when I moved in the building I feel that the hallways are as nice or nicer than my home.
Photos
Here are some photos showing the completed project:
Front Entrance
Side Entrance
Side Foyer Tile
The Hallways
Crown Molding
The Carpeting (Tiger Lily)
Cost
The final cost of the job is $31,500. Originally it was quoted at $30,000, but Tesseris had to purchase the light fixtures and fluorescent bulbs which cost around $600. Furthermore, the carpetting that we chose was higher quality than originally quoted and cost an extra $900.
We asked Tesseris not to replace the front foyer's tile which saved us about $1,000 but added painting the secondary stairwell with the same color which cost an additional $1,000.
I hope everyone enjoys our new hallways and I also hope that we all do our part to prolong their lifespan to the maximum possible thus protecting our investment.
