Materials That U Regret Using/ Installing

[st002 1]

Hi, just curious what are the materials u regret using/ installing in your house?

Maybe it's extremely difficult to maintenance or spoilt very easily.

Anyone have trouble with glossy laminate for cabinets? eg. white color laminate, will it turn yellowish after some time?...Which kind of glossy material is best?

Want to gather some info first before I start my renovation. Thank you.

[lawry 3]

I used white glossy laminates, so far still white.

As for the insides of the cabinets, try to see if you can get grey or black instead of the common white.

REGRETS

----------

1. Anything -stainless steel- from IKEA, they either tarnished or rusted! I can provide you with all the photos if needed.

2. Fountain tap, it's a hassle to keep it clean and shiny all the time, too much surface area. But if you're diligent in keeping it clean, that's fine.

3. Sink with an attached dustbin compartment, unless the dustbin area is rubber sealed tight, if not please don't get, water will seep through the gaps.

4. Tell your ID you are getting your own switches and door knobs/lever handles, minus off the cost of those from the quote. If not, they must let you choose, they don't suka suka install some cheap ugly ones for you. For switches, you can buy nice clipsal ones at wholesale prices at Choo Chiang (Veerasamy Road)

5. Open concept walk in wardrobe, this can be a nightmare for maintenance. I didn't do this, but some of my friends did, it was right outside their toilet, moisture attack, dust attack. I had my close door walk in wardrobe outside my toilet also. Some of my things turn mouldy. One tub of hungry hippo once a week is not economical.

6. Window grills, largely redundant, it restricts your view. Unless it's facing corridor, then it's needed for security purposes.

7. Some so-called energy saving ceiling lamps, uses 2 tubes of 36W each. If you have 2 of such lights, it's 144W if you switch both them on at the same time. Even switching on 1 is 72W. Hmm?

8. I'll add on if I can think of more.

Lastly, get a proper ID/Contractor with good workmanship, that's one regret you can't afford to have.

[TYM 0]

1. Kind of regret getting my clear glass top study table, can easily see smudges and dust.

2. Regret getting the stainless steel bathroom accessories from Poh Joo (not to say that their ss products are lousy), rust set in within 3 mths. Given another chance, will buy Welmi brand.

3. Regret not getting the 1.6m dining table. My ID advised 1.5m but after looking at the space, 1.6m can fit in nicely also. Somemore, 1.5 m cost the same as 1.6m.

[Yang Guo 7]

Tips:

1) Try not to get so many chrome stuffs. It will tarnish very easily.

-Bathroom accessories most are chrome, but no choice cos stainless steel is super super ex

-Avoid chrome legged computer table / study table / dining table.

2) Depends on your likings. Cove light is v nice, but maintenance wise is jialat. Imagine a dead insect died inside your cove light area. You need to sweep it down and throw away. It also attract alot of bugs. I didnt do cove lights but this is what my friends told me

3) If on budget, dont really need kitchen sliding door actually. I cooked often, i didnt have any kitchen sliding door. My living room is not affect at all

4) Try to do a built in oven in your kitchen cabinet. This save space

5) Remember to leave some space beside your stove for you to pour your food from your pan/wok

6) Try to do L-shape kitchen if possible. I mean your kitchen top need to be as much space as possible for you to do your cookings

7) Dont do roller blinds. I bought my roller blinds at Ikea. Roller blinds is quite troublesome when compared to curtain. Maintenance also more difficult

8) Hack 1 bedroom for a bigger living room if possible. I regretted so much that i didnt hack one of my bedroom. My living room is so small that each time only can accomodate abt 12pax. So sad.

9) Change change change. Change your toilet sink. Dont use HDB provided sink or from previous owner. Its better you get a sink suitable for your height and size.

10) No need to do any shower curtain. I did shower curtain, and didnt use at all. Lol. Waste $ and now the shower curtain becoming dirty

11) When you do custom-made feature wall, try to do the feature wall on "complicated wall". Dont do it on straight nice wall. Get what i mean? Example, my hse has a beam in the bedroom. Its advisable that you do the feature wall on that beam area. Maximise your $. Do feature wall on straight wall is too easy for the carpenter. Give him some difficulty level

[Yang Guo 7]

12) If using instant heater, get only 777 brand.

Dont "Gey kiang" get other brands. I bought dono what brand, its more expensive than 777.

So whenever if turn off the heater to apply shower foam and on it again, my heater suddenly turns v v hot and go back to normal.

Bought this heater for 2 of my bathroom and both are the same.

13) Dont buy carpet. After a while because of maintenance, i keep my carpet already lol. Waste $ again

14) Grossy white laminate is good. I used 1 year already and my laminate still as new.

15) Dont buy blackout curtain. This will make your room v v dark.

Disclaimer: Above are all personal preference.

[lawry 3]

Tips:

7) Dont do roller blinds. I bought my roller blinds at Ikea. Roller blinds is quite troublesome when compared to curtain. Maintenance also more difficult

12) If using instant heater, get only 777 brand.

Dont "Gey kiang" get other brands. I bought dono what brand, its more expensive than 777.

So whenever if turn off the heater to apply shower foam and on it again, my heater suddenly turns v v hot and go back to normal.

Bought this heater for 2 of my bathroom and both are the same.

Totally agree with 7 & 12.

7) Mine was IKEA blinds, it's nonsense. The white has yellow spots growing all over it. The mechanism was a bit stuck, can't pull up and down. But I have monsoon windows, so I thought blinds might be a better option.

It was much cheaper compared to tailor made curtains, so I bought those, but regret. I might have to change them or paint over them...

12) Same here, my heater is Amasco I think. Initially, it takes a while to warm up, after I turn off the water to soap myself and turn it on again. I got scalded by the super hot water, there seem to be a small storage tank within where the hot water is reheated and kept ... then slowly it goes back to normal. And that was at the lowest setting.

[st002 1]

Thanks everyone for the valuable feedbacks so far.

Do add more to the list if u have more to share...i'm sure others whom are doing reno for the 1st time will find these info very useful too.

Btw, when u do glossy finish for kitchen cabinet, do u just specify as glossy laminate or is it something else?

I read in a chinese book, piano finish is more lasting and scratch resistant, anyone knows if piano finish is a laminate or a paint with special coating?

[rummi 0]

this thread caught my attention immediately. i diy-ed reno, so these are my own mistakes in selection

1) Ditto mentioned above on chrome toilet fittings n accessories. tarnish within the year.

2) Stainless steel pipes are big effort to keep shiny. in the end i had them all painted over.

3) White bathroom floor tiles gets dirty too quick. note tat we dun wear slippers at home.

4) Designer switches n sockets are waste of money. i dun remember even taking a second look at them after moving in. its just a fantasy-item during reno and reno-shopping. (note: very expensive mistale given the number of switches n sockets installed).

5) 1x1metres glass coffee table is great to admire, but a pain to clean everyday if u hv a pet (like mine) who luv to go sit/sleep on it cos its cool surface.

6) White/pale seat covers are challenging with pets ard. paws marks!

Misc : Despite all the concerns i read on tis forum abt white glossy laminates in the kitchen, none of the probems accur in our white-glossy-laminated kitchen. so go ahead, do it

[Yang Guo 7]

Totally agree with 7 & 12.

7) Mine was IKEA blinds, it's nonsense. The white has yellow spots growing all over it. The mechanism was a bit stuck, can't pull up and down. But I have monsoon windows, so I thought blinds might be a better option.

It was much cheaper compared to tailor made curtains, so I bought those, but regret. I might have to change them or paint over them...

12) Same here, my heater is Amasco I think. Initially, it takes a while to warm up, after I turn off the water to soap myself and turn it on again. I got scalded by the super hot water, there seem to be a small storage tank within where the hot water is reheated and kept ... then slowly it goes back to normal. And that was at the lowest setting.

haha...!! we have exactly the same problem!! lol

7) Ya the Ikea blinds's mechanism is $%^#$. Cant easy pull up and down. I may have to change this in future to curtain

12) same!! me and my wife always got scalded by the super hot water. sighh this heater is bad buy. btw mine is a german brand. At first, i am very proud of the brand, ahem, germany water heater lehh..

then after use, lol, kns

Later i go home to check what is the brand name, forgot liao

[hihihi 0]

1) Toilet. Tiles supplied by HDB is those small piece + light colour. Alot of grove lines and being light colour, stain is very easily visible. Soap scum are a pain to brush.

[yokine9a 1]

1. Go for grossy kitchen floor tiles if you have no old folks living with you. It is highly unlikely that you will have pools of water on the kitchen floor. Matt floor tiles are so hard to maintain.

2. Tell your ID/contractor the exact location you want your toilet handspray to be installed, so that you don't need to bend your body down just to take that stupid handspray.

3. Tell your ID/contractor to lay your water pipes further away from the floor. Mine were just 3" high from the floor in the bathroom. They get wet everyday & become dirty easily.

[vex 0]

my biggest regret is having laminated flooring in my three rooms. i strongly advise everyone NOT to do it. it is a matter of time it will warp, because when wash floor the water will sip in inevitably and then the pieces will slowly and surely start to become uneven.

[Starscream 0]

Very informative thread and for us the answer is basically whatever that is hard to maintain for the long run.

[Honeygal 1]

excellent thread! why didn't anyone start this earlier?? ..... now i am getting worried about my chrome taps and Ikea stainless steel items going rusty.

[CutePinkElephant 0]

Very Regret! use made in china white homo tiles