Live Project Series (Ep2 - Four Weeks In)

In this 3-part series, Mike walks us through a complete main floor renovation. Episode 2 checks in on the project after 4 weeks of work.

At this stage of the project, you can really start to see the plan coming together. Four weeks into this Burlington renovation, the structural work, rough-ins, and major layout changes are in place, and the home is moving into the finishing stage. As a renovation contractor, Bosch Services uses this part of the project to make sure the structure, mechanicals, and layout are ready before the finishes go in.

This is one of the most important stages in a well-planned home renovation. A lot of the work isn’t decorative yet, but it sets the foundation for how the finished kitchen, family room, and stair areas will function for years to come.

The new family room is taking shape

Since the last project update, the windows in the family room have been raised and installed, and the new fireplace is now in place and ready for tile. Those two changes alone make the room feel completely different from where it started.

This area used to function as both a family room and kitchen before the renovation began. Now, with the layout reworked, it has become the new family room. The changes are already making the space feel more defined and more intentional, even before the finish work is complete.

The future kitchen is now fully roughed in

The area that will become the new kitchen has also come a long way. Since the last visit, all of the plumbing and electrical rough-ins have been completed, and the gas line is in as well. That means the space is now ready for the next phase of work.

In the return wall, there is now a column for the beam and a three-inch drain, both of which were required to support the new kitchen layout. The window in this room was also replaced and shortened so it now sits higher on the wall, making it the right height for kitchen counters below. These are the kinds of changes that are easy to overlook in the middle of a renovation, but they are critical to making the final kitchen layout work properly.

Why this stage matters in a kitchen renovation

At this point in the project, a lot of the visible progress is behind the walls. But this is where a kitchen renovation either sets up properly for success or creates problems later. The location of drains, gas lines, outlets, and structural supports all need to be right before flooring, cabinetry, countertops, and tile go in.

That is one reason a thoughtful kitchen renovation takes planning. It is not just about choosing finishes. It is about making sure the room is built around how the kitchen will actually function once it is complete.

Two new staircases are being built

One of the biggest changes in this project is the stair work. In this home, we are building two completely new sets of stairs. That is not always the case. In some projects, we re-clad existing stairs with oak caps, but here the better solution was full replacement.

The basement stairs have been extended further to reduce the tightness of the turn, making the descent feel more comfortable and natural. The stairs from the main floor to the second floor have also been fully reworked. We removed the gradual turn and created two landings, so the stairs now go up one run and then turn with two 90-degree turns on the way to the top. It is a major structural and layout improvement that will make a big difference in the finished home.

Ready for finishes

With the rough-ins complete, the gas in place, the windows updated, and the new stair structures underway, the next step is flooring and finishes. This is the point in the renovation where the big hidden decisions begin to show up in visible ways.

It is also one of the most rewarding stages for homeowners, because the rooms begin to look less like a job site and more like the finished home they have been planning for. But the reason those finishes go in smoothly is because the earlier structural and mechanical work was handled properly.

Thinking about a kitchen or main floor renovation?

If you're planning a renovation that involves moving rooms around, changing window heights, updating staircases, or building a new kitchen from the rough-in stage forward, it helps to work with a renovation contractor that understands both the big picture and the details behind the walls. Bosch Services helps homeowners in Burlington, Oakville, Milton, and Waterdown complete thoughtful interior renovations with a focus on trust, quality, and cleanliness.

You can learn more about our kitchen renovations, explore our broader home renovations, find out why homeowners choose Bosch, or contact Bosch Services to talk about your own renovation.