learned that the hard way with a bathroom window that ended up looking like a mail slot for a week.
That mental image cracked me up—been there, sort of. When we did our kitchen, the window was so off-center it looked like we were prepping for a drive-thru. I kept joking about serving coffee out of it to the neighbors.
On the dust: I’m convinced it multiplies when you’re not looking. Taping drop cloths helped a bit, but somehow I still found drywall dust in my sock drawer three weeks later. At this point, I just accept that there’ll be a fine layer of “renovation seasoning” on everything for a while.
The alarm wiring thing is a whole saga. The crew that did ours had that same “don’t worry, we got this” vibe, which made me immediately start worrying. I tried to give them a rundown of where the sensors were, but they mostly nodded and then did their own thing anyway. Ended up with one sensor dangling by the wire for a day until I called the alarm company to come fix it. If I ever do this again, I’ll probably label every wire with neon tape and leave passive-aggressive notes.
On measurements—yeah, double-checking is key. Our living room window was supposed to be “just a touch bigger for better efficiency.” Well, it was bigger, but not in a way that made sense. Had to get extra trim to cover the gap, and now there’s an odd little shelf where cold air likes to sneak in. Energy savings are great, but only if everything actually fits.
One thing I wish I’d known: ask about low-e coatings and whether they’re right for your climate. I got super excited about all the energy savings, only to realize my plants don’t love the new light situation. Tradeoffs everywhere.
Curious if anyone’s found a way to keep installers from “winging it” on the wiring. Or is that just part of the experience?
I tried to give them a rundown of where the sensors were, but they mostly nodded and then did their own thing anyway.
That’s classic. I’ve seen crews just shove wires wherever’s easiest, then act surprised when something doesn’t work. Honestly, labeling helps, but sometimes you’ve gotta hover a bit or take pics before demo. And yeah, dust just *finds* its way everywhere—no matter how airtight you think you taped things off.
Had the same thing happen with my smart thermostat sensors—marked where they were, even put up sticky notes, but the crew still pulled a couple out by mistake. Ended up crawling around in the attic to reconnect wires after they left. I get that everyone’s in a rush, but it’s wild how fast things can get lost or buried. And yeah, the dust... I’m still finding it weeks later behind furniture I thought I moved.
I get wanting to mark everything, but honestly, sticky notes and tape never held up for me—especially when the crew’s moving at their own pace. What’s worked better is actually disconnecting and removing anything sensitive before the work starts. It’s a pain upfront, but I’d rather spend twenty minutes labeling and pulling a few wires myself than hours after, crawling in the attic. As for the dust, I’ve learned tarps and painter’s plastic over everything you can’t move... still a mess, but at least it keeps cleanup manageable.
Yeah, sticky notes are pretty much useless once the dust starts flying—found that out the hard way last spring. I’m with you on just disconnecting anything important, even if it’s a hassle. One thing I underestimated was how far that dust travels, though. I swear, I had grit in my silverware drawer for weeks. Next time, I’ll probably just take the extra step and seal up the kitchen cabinets too... live and learn.
Totally get what you mean about the dust—it’s wild how it finds its way into every corner. When I had my windows done, I tried taping off vents and door gaps, but I’m still not sure if it made much difference. Did you notice any impact on your HVAC system after all that dust? I had to swap out my filter way sooner than usual...
I had the same issue—thought taping would help, but honestly, dust still got everywhere. My HVAC filter was clogged way faster than normal too. I’m not convinced taping vents makes a huge difference unless you’re sealing absolutely everything, which is nearly impossible. Ended up just changing the filter right after and doing a deep clean... probably the only real solution.
That sounds about right—no matter how careful you are, dust just finds its way in. I tried the whole taping thing too, but maybe I missed a spot or two because I still had to vacuum every corner. Changing the HVAC filter right after was a lifesaver though. Honestly, sometimes it feels like these “prep” tricks aren’t worth the hassle unless you’re okay with spending hours sealing everything up. At least now we know for next time… if there is one!
Changing the HVAC filter right after was a lifesaver though. Honestly, sometimes it feels like these “prep” tricks aren’t worth the hassle unless you’re okay with spending hours sealing eve...
I hear you on the dust—no matter how much prep you do, it gets everywhere. I remember thinking the plastic sheeting would help, but it barely made a dent. Did anyone else have trouble with fine grit in the vents? Changing the HVAC filter was key for us too, but I still found dust in rooms we didn’t even touch. Makes me wonder if hiring a pro cleaning crew after big jobs is actually worth it...
I still found dust in rooms we didn’t even touch.
Same here. When we did ours last fall, I was shocked at how much dust made it into the closed-off bedrooms—door shut, towels stuffed under, the works. I swapped out the HVAC filter twice in a month and still kept finding grit on shelves. Honestly, pro cleaners might be worth it, especially if you’ve got allergies. I tried to save money by DIY-ing the cleanup but ended up spending way more time than I expected.