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Posts
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Hey all,
I’m currently preparing myself as I was recently told that my company would like me to work in the install truck full-time within the next 3 weeks. I feel comfortable saying that installing is a breeze typically, but as we all know, every house is different.I’m trying to get my regain my comfort in daily installations as they are sending me on the road a couple days of the week, and I’m hoping for a smooth transition from fabricating daily, to installing daily. I truly enjoy my job and want to excel in every available area, so if anyone has any helpful hints or techniques they’d like to share, I’d greatly appreciate them!We install anywhere from 2-6 jobs daily, all around PA, up to NY, and down to OH and WV… So the workload is widespread but I’m looking forward to it. Just want to make sure that I am the best worker that I can be for my partner.Josh, I think that your attitude has already gotten you 90% there. The other 10% will be in the details.
- Show utmost concern for the home owners environment. Make a diligent effort to mitigate dust migration to the rest of the home.
- Floor protection
- Cover HVAC vents to prevent the spread of dust throughout the house.
- Use good dust extraction tools (Festool rules), and clean up as you go.
- Work efficiently. The customer notices.
- Never justify less than great because you are running out of time. Ask yourself this, would you be happy with the job if it was in your house?
Not a complete list by any means, but you get the idea. THE CUSTOMER IS KING!!
Johnny CIf you are running late, call ahead to let them know you will be late. Do not wait to call to tell them you are going to be late after the scheduled arrival time…they already know you’re late.
Cover every inch of flooring with tarps from the door to the work area. You will be amazed at how good an impression that makes on the customer. Tarps are cheap and makes cleanup a breeze.
I appreciate the feedback, guys. John, now that you mention it, that’s a pretty interesting idea of sealing any exits for the dust to travel. It’d come in handy on jobs with a field seam, I can imagine the customers becoming very comforted by that degree of precaution. We do use Festool, very convenient equipment. As far as quality is concerned, I work for many more reasons than just to “pay the bills”, so quality is very important to me! The “Would I want this in my house?” question is a quick fix if I ever second-guess my work, haha.
Another question… I’m feeling pretty comfortable with the belt sander, as far as scribing tops and and trimming anything else necessary. I feel almost as safe with a RotoZip for notching corners and other situations, but I also realize I have plenty of room for improvement. Knowing that these are going to be handy tools for me, are there any tips or techniques to keep in mind when utilizing these?
Again, thank you very much for the feedback!
A good caulk/silicone job will not be acknowledged, but a bad one (including one that isn’t the color that the customer expected) will detract from the look of everything and will be pointed out. Silicone is really hard to remove once it starts drying (from experience).
When you are installing a top between walls/cabinetry, stick a decent size piece of laminate at the end that you have lifted up so it doesn’t damage the wall/cabinetry when you lower it.
Some of our installers use electric planers to scribe measured window sills, etc. Really fast once you get on to it.
Posted By Seth Emery on 26 Feb 2013 10:14 PM
When you are installing a top between walls/cabinetry, stick a decent size piece of laminate at the end that you have lifted up so it doesn’t damage the wall/cabinetry when you lower it.
This is something I NEED to talk to my partner about. I love this idea, but have yet to witness anyone using it… Good call Seth!
We call those “slip sheets”. Don’t use a thin laminate, like backer or vertical grade. Use a good horizontal standard grade – 107 if WilsonArt, Grade 10 if Formica, etc.
Remember, if a customer sees diligence and professional behavior, you will always ALWAYS be in a better place if any issue does come up. If the customer has no sense of comfort with your actions, they will be much more alert to any issues – real or imagined.
Give them a great job from the start and you will never regret it.
Almost every recommendation letter, or Angie’s list recommendation I get talks about the installers. I make sure the installers see them. It is more than just pride. They deserve the praise and it’s part of what keeps us in business.
pet the kitty and dog if the opportunity presents itself. Customers love their pets.
nothing else i can add here, the masters have done a good job offering some great tips.
I appreciate the good attitude as well, installs can get frustrating do to unforeseen challenges, a customer hovering, a mistake and the schedule slipping. Keep positive!Tuck your shirt in at the door. Greet customer with your name, a hand shake and a business card. The business card will help them remind them of your name in case they forget.
If you take a break or lunch, let them know so they are not wondering what is going on.
NEVER whisper and NEVER say something is wrong. Just talk as if putting in a countertop is not an exact science and modifying and fitting is part of the installation.
Posted By Tom M on 27 Feb 2013 08:18 AM
We call those “slip sheets”. Don’t use a thin laminate, like backer or vertical grade. Use a good horizontal standard grade – 107 if WilsonArt, Grade 10 if Formica, etc.
I’ll have to keep that in mind as well. Thanks for the intel, Tom!
Posted By David Gerard on 27 Feb 2013 01:18 PM
pet the kitty and dog if the opportunity presents itself. Customers love their pets.
nothing else i can add here, the masters have done a good job offering some great tips.
I appreciate the good attitude as well, installs can get frustrating do to unforeseen challenges, a customer hovering, a mistake and the schedule slipping. Keep positive!Absolutely! That part comes instinctively for me haha :p
My partner tends to get heated at times, with justified reason, but I’m pretty light-hearted about it, plus any repair or scribing necessary is only more experience for me! …until I get sick of it down the road, haha. I’m hoping that some of my positivity will rub off on him over time. I appreciate the optimism, David!Posted By Andy Graves on 27 Feb 2013 02:20 PM
Tuck your shirt in at the door. Greet customer with your name, a hand shake and a business card. The business card will help them remind them of your name in case they forget.If you take a break or lunch, let them know so they are not wondering what is going on.
NEVER whisper and NEVER say something is wrong. Just talk as if putting in a countertop is not an exact science and modifying and fitting is part of the installation.
Luckily our company recently integrated that greeting into standard procedure, which I think will help us out with our customer feedback. Along with keeping the customer informed of what’s going on. Whispering is something I had a little problem with in the beginning of installing, but now if I see a problem, I normally silently point it out to my partner in absence of the customer. Thanks for your input, Andy!
Today was a smooth day of installing, another day of feeling good as we walked away from each job. I thought of a question for you SS Gurus!Typically on a sink top, after the backsplash is installed, you’ll find those gaps between the deck and the backsplash, bigger in some spaces than others… now when I run into a corner cabinet with a ceiling in it, where I typically see a larger gap, I can’t reach in there to shim the gap closed… Is there any remedy y’all have for this?Install the splash, put a suction cup on deck and pull tight to bottom of splash. Wick in a little super glue between the splash and the deck.
You will have had to put in some silicone to support the top in that area. The gap cannot be huge like a 1/16″.
It is not ideal but works pretty well in a bind. Do not make this a standard, it is best to shim the deck. When we dry fit the top, we quickly put the splash on just to check the fit. You can eliminate a lot of the gaps with a quick check.
Posted By Josh Williams on 27 Feb 2013 03:40 PM
Typically on a sink top, after the backsplash is installed, you’ll find those gaps between the deck and the backsplash, bigger in some spaces than others… now when I run into a corner cabinet with a ceiling in it, where I typically see a larger gap, I can’t reach in there to shim the gap closed… Is there any remedy y’all have for this?We run a screw in from the bottom up through the ceiling in the corner cabinet into the particle board build up strip. First the screw pushes the top up way to far and then as the screw starts to thread into the build up slow down and slowly pull it down right where you need it to be. If you pull it down too far you may have to take the screw out and try it again in a different hole.
Posted By Andy Graves on 27 Feb 2013 05:15 PM
Install the splash, put a suction cup on deck and pull tight to bottom of splash. Wick in a little super glue between the splash and the deck.
You will have had to put in some silicone to support the top in that area. The gap cannot be huge like a 1/16″.
It is not ideal but works pretty well in a bind. Do not make this a standard, it is best to shim the deck. When we dry fit the top, we quickly put the splash on just to check the fit. You can eliminate a lot of the gaps with a quick check.
Hm… funny you mention it, I was just talking today about how we should get some super glue for the install truck… Never know when you’re gonna need it. I like this idea, may take a little physical endurance as the super glue cures, but I will definitely have to implement this technique! Great, Andy!Posted By Shorty on 27 Feb 2013 06:33 PMWe run a screw in from the bottom up through the ceiling in the corner cabinet into the particle board build up strip. First the screw pushes the top up way to far and then as the screw starts to thread into the build up slow down and slowly pull it down right where you need it to be. If you pull it down too far you may have to take the screw out and try it again in a different hole.Another great idea! Is there a standard distance between the ceiling of a corner cabinet and the top of cabinets, so i can estimate the length of a screw I should use? Unfortunately, I have no prior cabinetry experience… I just worry about the head of a screw sticking out from the ceiling any further than necessary, for the homeowner’s convenience. If there isn’t a standard distance, I can always measure ahead of time in case the problem occurs later.
You guys are very insightful! I’m very thankful for all of the guidance I am receiving from all of you. Its a blessing to be among experienced minds like all of you.
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