Having The Cutout Work For You #1
The tolerances for an accurate cutout are small; usually no more than 1/4” top-to-bottom if you want to make an outlet work without a lot of extra fuss. Cut one wrong on a stone that flows from the base piece into the full-height backsplash and you could be replacing the base as well as the splash.
Outlet cutouts can also be time-consuming if they’re not done efficiently, and tough on the bottom line if not included properly in a bid. On a kitchen with one or two cutouts, an inefficient method may not adversely affect your schedule or profit margin. But, I once installed a kitchen with 31 outlet cutouts. Overlooking that would have been giving away a long day of labor, not to mention the risk involved in measuring that many cutouts. Forgetting to add the labor cost and time for one or two outlet cutouts in each unit of a large condo project could really throw off your schedule and margin projections. In order to be successful with outlet cutouts, you’ll need an efficient and accurate cutting method as well as a good way to track labor costs. With the proper tools, training, and a little thinking ahead, this can be accomplished with relative ease.
The first decision to make when dealing with outlet cutouts in full-height backsplash can also be the most-costly. As Shakespeare might’ve said if he’d based Hamlet on top-polishing: “To return or not to return, that is the question.”
In other words – do you make a single trip to a jobsite, bringing along slightly oversized backsplashes to be cut onsite? Or, do you set the base pieces and measure for full-height backsplashes, returning later to install pieces that are cut-to-size and complete with outlet openings already cut in?
As a rule, the strength of your staff and the size of your business area should determine your strategy. If the majority of your jobs are within reasonable driving distance, and you have a strong fabrication staff, you may want to consider taking measurements and having the backsplash work, including the outlets, done in the shop. If you have a client concerned about noise and dust on a job site, or you don’t have a good place to set up your cutting equipment, working in the shop becomes your only option.
If your work area is spread out, the expense of windshield time may make it impossible to return to a job and still make money. In a competitive market, you may not have the luxury of padding your bid for a second trip either.
The two biggest risks involved with in-shop fabrication of full-height backsplash from field measurements are bad communication and poor piece management. For most companies, the installers are not the same workers templating the job on the front end.
Because of this, an installer who has to measure for outlet cutouts and splash height is also going to have to communicate those measurements back to the shop in a clear and concise way, and be comfortable with the process. A quick sketch with a few numbers on it may work for him in the field, but when it comes to getting accurate pieces from the shop guys he’s going to need to present them with something a little more legible.
The best way to avoid communication problems is to create a method for your installer to transfer his information into shop tickets that the fabricators understand. In many cases, this means bringing a CAD guy into the communication chain. If you do, make sure he clearly understands what’s needed in the shop drawings; his technical skill set may not include installation of full-height splash or cut outlets. An installer/templater needs to spell out every measurement and double-check them, as a CAD tech may not be able to spot when something isn’t right and avoid a costly mistake.