DC Area Homeowners: What details should be paid attention to when decorating a whole house?

Whole-house decoration is a complex and systematic project, involving multiple links and details. A slight mistake may affect the living experience or increase the later maintenance cost. The following is a detailed summary of the key points to note from four stages: design planning, construction process, material selection, and acceptance and maintenance:

First, the design and planning stage

Clarify the requirements and budget

Functional zoning: Divide the space based on the living habits of family members (for example, in an open kitchen, the issue of cooking fumes needs to be considered; if there are children, an activity area should be reserved).

Budget allocation: It is recommended to allocate the budget in the proportion of "basic decoration (40%) + main materials (30%) + furniture and appliances (25%) + soft furnishings (5%)", and reserve 10% as emergency funds.

Spatial optimization

Circulation design: Reduce repetitive paths (for example, the distance from the kitchen to the dining room should not be too long).

Storage planning: The depth of the custom cabinet should match the size of the items (for example, the depth of the wardrobe should be ≥60cm, and the height of the shoe cabinet shelves can be adjusted).

Style and color matching

Color ratio: Follow the "7:2:1" principle (70% main color, 20% auxiliary color, 10% accent color) to avoid visual confusion caused by too many colors.

Lighting design: Adopt a combination of "basic lighting + key lighting + ambient lighting" (such as installing light strips on the kitchen countertop).

Second, the construction process stage

Concealed works

Water and electricity renovation

The water pipes are placed on the top for easy maintenance. The distance between the cold and hot water pipes should be no less than 15cm.

Wrap the intersection of strong and weak electricity with tin foil to prevent interference. The height of the socket is 30cm from the ground (1.2 meters for kitchen appliance sockets).

Waterproofing project

The waterproof height of the shower area is ≥1.8m, and that of the dry area is ≥0.3m. There is no leakage after 48 hours of water retention test.

Wall and floor

Tile laying: The hollowing rate should be ≤5%, and 45° corner or corner strips should be used at the corners.

Floor laying: Reserve 8-12mm expansion joints, and the moisture-proof pads need to be tightly joined.

Door and window installation

The gaps between doors, Windows and walls should be filled with foam sealant, and the sealing strips should be intact without any breaks.

Third, the material selection stage

Environmental friendliness

Select E0 grade or ENF grade for the board, and the formaldehyde emission of the floor should be ≤0.025mg/m³.

Durability

Choose glazed tiles with a water absorption rate of no more than 0.5% for the tiles, and select 304 stainless steel for the hardware.

Adaptability

Solid wood flooring should be used with caution in humid areas in the south, and natural stones with high water absorption rates should be avoided in dry areas in the north.

Fourth, the acceptance and maintenance stage

Phased acceptance

Water and electricity acceptance: Check whether the line layout is consistent with the drawings, and the water pipe pressure test pressure should be ≥0.8MPa.

Acceptance of masonry and wood: The flatness error of the wall surface is ≤3mm, and the verticality error of the corners is ≤4mm.

Paint acceptance: No sagging, sand holes, color difference ≤5% (indistinguishable to the naked eye).

Maintenance suggestions

The wooden floor is waxed and maintained every quarter, and the gaps between the tiles are reapplied with grout sealant every year.

Regularly check whether the pipe joints and hardware are loose.

Fifth, avoid common misunderstandings

Excessive decoration: Avoid complex designs (such as carved ceilings and parquet tiles), as they tend to accumulate dust and increase costs.

Blindly following the trend: The design of Internet celebrities should be combined with actual needs (for example, the design without a main light needs to plan the circuit in advance).

Neglecting contract details: Clearly define the construction period, payment method, and liability for breach of contract, and avoid oral promises.

Summary: The core of whole-house decoration should be "practicality, safety and environmental protection". It is recommended to choose a qualified decoration company, sign a detailed contract and conduct regular on-site supervision. Be present in person at key nodes (such as water and electricity acceptance) to ensure the construction quality.