How “The Mock-up” process can set the way for a successful project – By Clyde Reid
Starting a sealant project on your property, big or small, can be a daunting experience. Drawings are sent, materials chosen, colours picked and written down in the contract, but how do we know that all these choices are going to work, look nice and make the residents happy? It’s just words on a page.
That’s where a mock up comes in.
A mock up is a request that can be made to relieve all the anxieties prior to starting a project. By requesting a mock up from the contractor, specifically on a sealant replacement project, a manager can see the product choices, colours and ensure that the installation is done correctly and in a visually appealing manner.
When should I request a mock up?
A mock up request is best made a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the project
starting. There are a few reasons why:
- This allows materials to dry, showing their true colours.
Sealants will initially have a sheen to them, appearing to be brighter than they are. This may lead to residents to question colour choice. This will also allow the weather and dirt to involve itself in the equation, giving you an idea of what it’s going to look like for then next 10-15 years. - An adhesion test can be completed, ensuring a long lasting seal.
An adhesion test is a simple test that can be requested at the time of the mock up. Once the sealant has dried, a representative from the sealant supplier will check to ensure that the caulking has adhered to their standard. By doing this you will also receive a warrantied product, taking some worry off your plate in the future. - The board, and residents, can look at the job for feedback.
An email or notice to the board, instructing them where the mock up was completed, allows the representatives of the property to come to an agreeance on the upcoming work. Not only can this avoid issues at some point in the project, it creates an environment in which everyone feels involved in the look of their property. - A standard is set in the workmanship of the work completed.
Have you ever walked on site and thought “I paid for this?”. A mock up takes that horrible feeling away. You will see first hand what the contractor can and will do throughout your project. If a “surprise” shows up in a last luster finish on site, by having that mock up to refer to you can communicate to the contractor that they need to complete all their work to the standard they set in the mock up.
The last thing we want on a project is surprises. So let’s eliminate them before they can show themselves. That’s where the mock up comes in.