babyQ

hello hello, fellow Tampines forummer! we seem to have faced the same situation and challenges with our reno!! hahaha.. sekali our so-called ID is the same person! he can tell me it is NEVER the electrician's job to patch up. anyway, they are in cahoots with each other, so i give up on them BOTH. i got Nippon Professional painters to do my painting and they used white cornice plaster to seal all the holey holes and any chipped cornices. don't regret using them at all! all the best with your reno!

your thread is so timely! i am making do with leaving the dining table we were gifted with at 8-seater configuration in order to fit the glass on! MaCe, i was going to ask you also but got too many things to think about! Thanks for the Carlton Glass contact! i am thinking it's not going to be cheap coz they would have to come to the flat to get the glass back to their factory to cut (assuming it has to be brought back to their factory to cut) and then bring it back to the flat again...

love your cozy place! heehee, i chose the same laminate you have for your dining table for my wardrobe! in both black and white!

this is such an interesting thread! applefreak, you are so spot on with your "analysis"! can't remember who said this before: why waste time and money buying things you don't need with the money you don't have to impress people who don't care? my take is just be contented with what you have = happiness.

don't despair!! actually do you need an ID since it's hack and replace? why pay for jacked-up ID prices if you're not into much design? get a main con with his team of subcons or if you have time, can take up the challenge be your own contractor! but that is only if you really have the time to coordinate and oversee your whole reno process and be there on-site daily. if you need someone to run the show for you, i guess you gotta pay them for it. my place 5-I 128sqm and i also kena one subcon who can tell me it is a 6-room flat! first time i hear got 6-room flat built by HDB! they can say everything and anything when they want to charge you more lah. to date my reno plus all the aircon, electricals, carpentry, flooring is hitting $50K. so your budget of $25K will definitely be climbing upwards!! be prepared!

my electrician recommended from Yoong Shen at AMK Ave 10 for a better price. i think it is cheaper but not sure if it is the cheapest cheapest. 1-gang $1.90 ($2.03 w GST) 2-gang $3.80 ($4.07 w GST) 3-gang $5.70 3-gang 2-way $8.80 ($9.42 w GST) Heater switch $9.50 ($10.17 w GST) Doorbell switch $3 ($3.21 w GST) Yoong Shen Trading 531 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 #01-2449 Singapore 560531 Tel: 6556 0550 Fax: 6556 0500

for my case, the electrician came in to install the lights one day after the painters did the first coat of sealer and ceiling paint. the painters came back on the third and fourth day to finish up the painting. and the electrician continued with whatever they didn't finish the first day. i got Nippon Professional Painters and they took great care with my lights. even if they dirty it accidentally, they will clean it off. so your painters should do the same for you.

i am very thankful i discovered this thread and made my way to DK Lighting for all my lights! spent $900 on 16 lights. here are some pix to share: So pretty right?? got this specially for the children! It's bright too! 3-tube PLL 36W x 3 = 72W IC to control 2 or 3 lights This is our costliest light at $185 for the TV corner. This is with 2-tube PLL $100 ea 36W x 2 = 72W without LED (forgot to take pix) (Lumiere quoted $162.91 for this!) Butterfly tube 38W $45 Wall light 22W using T5 tube (instant on, no flickering) T5 tubes cost between $6 - $8 per tube $45 x 2 = $90 Extreme Lighting quoted $55 for similar Peanut light/Ice Cube 10W $35 foyer downlight $18 Silver Toilet Light $38 2 x PLC 13 Extreme quoted $48 I got my doorbell from DK too for $38 coz i couldn't find time to go to Kelantan Lane to get my Friedland Wired Big Ben doorchime. DK is next to the Esso Petrol Kiosk in between Lorong 38 and 40. i walked through 3-4 lighting shops in Balestier before getting my lighting haul at the best prices in Geyland. But i think Kelantan Lane is also a good place to shop for lights.

how big is your place? when my electrician (contractor's subcon) came for the first recce, he said not more than $2100 for 128 sqm 5-I. my total bill ended up almost $3K! but what to do... i seem to be a good candidate for chopping carrots. anyway, it was only MUCH later on that we found out this electrician does not even have a permit! should the maincon good good right? ahhhh.... but as i found out, i also have a maincon who will give sour face if i don't use his suppliers (like aircon man) so heng we decided to go with his no-permit electrician so it was relatively hassle-free. i went thru the electrical costings thread in August and did a comparison of a 3-4 quotes. this was the average price of the quotes: SCV/TV Point $90 Telephone Point $40 Single 3-pin point $40 Double 3-pin point $50 Doorbell $25 DB Box $280 Earthing $60 Aircon Point $80 Heater Point $80 Install Light each $8 Lighting Point each $30 2-way Light Switch $40 just to share, this is what i ended up spending on: Light Point $35 13 $455 Double 3-pin point $55 18 $990 Single 3-pin point $50 1 $50 15Amp AC Point $90 1 $90 Heater Point $90 1 $90 Earth Point $65 1 $65 Telephone Point $50 3 $150 New DB Box $280 1 $280 Install Light fittings $8 18 $144 2-way light switch $45 5 $225 Door Bell point $40 1 $40 SCV Point $100 3 $300 RJ45 Point $100 1 $100 $2,979 hope you have better luck with your contractor's electrician!

really appreciate this! thank you Bro MaCe!

haiz... i really dunno how. the installer's appt is Tuesday morning. like u say, it's a small job and other contractors may not want to do or may charge even more coz only doing one minor item. worse if the installer anyhow... leave more mess! i called KDK and they told me this fan costs $129 and the cheapest i can get it outside is $110 - $120! i mentioned to the installer i know a friend who got the fan from Jalan Besar costs only $50+. straightaway he said, that one is old model, old technology, RPM slow. the 15 whpa is new model, RPM is 1000x faster , new technology, bla bla bla. i just let him talk lah... he just did my friend's place and they are so happy with his workmanship and that their bathrooms are dry and no-smell now. confirm want to install. just dunno get who to do at a more reasonable price. Light, yours is very nicely done up. did your contractor install it for you? how much did he charge you? do u think he would entertain doing just the 2 toilets ventilation fan? as for the windows, the installer said he would remove two glass panes and need to have "wall spacers" to mount the perspex. i have no idea what those things are. my louvre windows are the 3-panes type.

hopefully he will have new stock. or else my rods i will all be "naked"! haiz... gotta go back and return all the finials to Ikea. pity coz they look quite nice!

this aircon blog is a MUST read to answer your questions! http://singapore-aircon.blogspot.com/ BCA-trained is for stainless steel bracket installation. mine is old flat, no aircon ledge, installer must climb out of window like Superman.

yr toilet door is from Besglas? very nice!! but clear means can see everything? the round round thing is supposed to be the handle? how u get yours to look so shiny! does it "move"/feels loose? oops.. sorry, eyes playing tricks on me. it's frosted glass!

found found! 122 Tembeling Road. u know why i cannot find last week? i went to tembeling LANE! *blur* the s/s pipe comes in length of 5.75 metres = 226.4 " $16 a piece for the 15 mm diameter. got 7% GST but uncle rounded down so i paid $50 for 3 tubes, all cut to length. now i got problem! the Ikea stoppers/finials/wahtever u call them cannot fit the 15 mm. very loose! Bro MaCe, what copper ends did u get and from where, your pix shows it fits exactly nice nice. i asked the uncle got copper ends, he show me plastic, all very big! ? thank you!!

gam xia Bro! i going now! hope i can find it. thank you very much!

Hi Bro MaCe, Question about S/S Pipes! SOS! Went hunting them at Tembeling/Joo Chiat and found only chrome pipes! Asked around, was directed to one C*t* harware shop located along the pub stretch. Hee... didn't dare to go! So I searched for their number and called, they say don't sell 20 ft pipes. Their pipe is only 5.75 ft and if i want longer, must join with socket?! AND it's $24 for that length!! I want to find the shop you bought from! Can pm me the shop name and address if convenient? Recall you said it's only $22+ for 20 ft and x 2 for 40 ft total you spent $44+ only! One more question: is the pipe diameter 15mm or 22mm? Many thanks!

wat do u mean by independent painting service? i got this from nippon website when i am doing "research" for home painting. and fron other threads here. so i am just cutting & pasting the info. those all caps not i shouting if u have re-plastered yr walls u need sealer b4 painting. WALL SEALERS ARE NOT MEANT TO SEAL OFF TRAPPED MOISTURE IN THE WALLS. SEALER SERVES TO GIVE BETTER ALKALI RESISTANCE AND STRONG BONDING FOR BETTER ADHESION. MORE APPROPRIATELY, THE SEALER IS AN ALKALI RESISTING PRIMER. • Alkalinity above pH 12 is not recommended for painting • Normal safe painting for walls is within pH 9 and below. • For alkalinity above pH 9 but below pH 12; a coat of alkali resisting sealer (Nippon Acrylic 5170 Wall Sealer) is recommended. • Wall Primers basically have higher binder content which are of alkali resistant grades. Eg: Styrene acrylics, Pure acrylics The particle size of these primers are much smaller which creates stronger bonding and allows deeper substrate penetration for better adhesion. sealer got 2 kinds: water based and oil-based. A water-based sealer that is suitable for interior masonry surfaces. It is formulated to prevent deterioration of emulsion paints by alkalinity of surfaces. • Good adhesion • Anti-fungus and algae resistance property • Fast drying for convenient re-coating and over-coating • Good alkaline and efflorescence resistance Oil-based wall sealer contains a superior resin/binder, effective in preventing the degradation of finishing coats by alkaline surfaces. It contains a blend of solvents that enables it to penetrate deeply and gives a firm base for subsequent coats. • Excellent alkaline resistance • Efflorescence resistance to prevent discolouration • Good adhesion on masonry substrates • Able to prevent resurfacing of strain marks on problem substrates • Fungus and algae resistance property hope this helps.

is this a straightforward job that ANY electrician can do? my electrician is the no-permit kind... i got the same quote $350 for the 15WHPA model, a piece of perspex mounted over my louvre windows and wire on the same circuit as the bathroom light. it is not the Sensu $400+++ i also feel $350 is rip-off but if i got a no-hope contractor that i have stopped using and my electrical work also completed and paid. seems like i have no choice but to get the KDK installer??

if u getting direct from NIppon/Self-fix, your contractor is out of the picture. i had a sub con who gave us all kinds of excuses for not letting us choose Nippon 3-in-1 Medifresh even after we had specified and topped up for it! really the excuses he came up with were just classic. we chose medifresh coz of the children and also coz friend's house had terrible leaking problem, the walls painted with medifresh did not grow mold. but the other wall without medifresh had BLACK fungus on it! my painting bill costs >$2K coz of my flat size, they consider >1300 sq ft as Executive and i had to top up for oil sealer and painting pipes. but i must say it is worth it coz they do a professional job. there is a 6 month warranty and the painters will come back and do touch-ups for any area you are not satisfied with. for the peace of mind i get and happy walls, it is worth every cent.

AHHHHHHHHHHH, that is my floorplan EXACTLY!!!! but i'm in Tampines! my reno is almost 100% complete. ahhhhhhhhhh..... continue dreaming about the fantastic layout u created!! !! that is really a dream house.... BUT i have 2 under 5-s, so i must 知足常乐 my reno was all done with them in mind. your gorgeous layout is very suited for young couple DINK wish i had known u sooner!

oh dear..... that is so terrible! yes, definitely should take your biz elsewhere! my aircon installation was just completed on Wednesday. i got the Mitsubsihi Starmex System 4 Inverter for $3.8K (MXY-4A28VA and 3 GA10VA and 1 GA26VA) from a shop in Hougang. the boss is also the installer, and his assistant is also local. when i engage this contractor, i didn't know anything about aircon and just went on trust since he was recommended by a friend. then i discovered this forum and http://singapore-aircon-materials.blogspot.com/ and thankfully, not too late! so after i find out about diff between 1/4" and 1/2", Class 0 and Class 1, G23 and G22, thankfully he provide what i asked for. i also went to BCA website to make sure he is BCA-trained. u can check from here: https://www.bca.gov.sg/academy/Trained_Installers.aspx wish you a much more pleasant experience with your next aircon contractor!

whoaaaa... your kitchen is really my dream kitchen! i shall just continue to dream now. your simple home is LOVELY!

yeah! MaCe $ no enuf blog also very bookmarked early early liao! i totally agree with u about why we're here on renotalk! save $! but during the process of reno, i think we all learn one thing especially when it comes to service - no such thing as cheap and good! gotta be really wary of cheapest quote contractors and so-called IDs!

thanks! the flooring can be taken out and moved to a new location. but i am really not sure how many of us will actually do that in Singapore where everything is "disposable". bigger pix: