E-Z Touch Home Improvements and Remodeling, Inc.
Call the office718-416-2446Call Free Estimate
Back to E-Z Touch

Inside a gut renovation

Most people only ever see the finished kitchen. Here's what the months before it look like, stage by stage, on our own jobs.

Work shown
Whole home renovation
Scope
Three floors
Trades we run
Plumbing, electric
Contractor
E-Z Touch
01

Plans go up on the studs

Once the demo's done, the house is back to its bones and you can see every decision. The drawings get taped up on the framing where the crew can see them, because right now a wall is still just a line on paper that somebody's got to put in the right spot.

This is also when the problems show up. Old joists aren't level, old walls aren't square, and the pipes are never where the last guy said they'd be. The fixes you make here are the ones nobody ever sees and everybody feels.

Floor plans taped to exposed framing during a gut renovation, with an E-Z Touch crew member alongside
Second and third floor framing plans, taped up where the crew can see them.
02

Rough work, while the walls are open

Wiring, plumbing and insulation all go in while there's nothing in the way. We use licensed, insured electricians and plumbers we've worked with for years, and we schedule them so nobody's standing around waiting on somebody else.

Spray foam goes in the exterior walls. Boxes get set at the right heights. It's the ugliest week of the whole job and it's the one that decides how the house lives afterward.

Exterior wall with spray foam insulation, new framing and an electrical box during rough-in
Spray foam, new framing, and rough electrical on an exterior wall.
03

Board, tape, and level

Purple board goes up in the wet areas because it handles moisture better than regular drywall. Then it gets taped, spackled and sanded until the walls and ceilings are actually flat.

This is the step everybody wants to rush. A wall that's close to flat looks fine until the tile goes on it. Then it looks close to flat forever.

Bathroom with purple moisture resistant board installed and a new window
Moisture resistant board in a new bathroom.
New window installed, with the E-Z Touch truck parked on the street outside
New window set and framed. That is our truck outside.
04

Tile and stone

We lay the floor out dry first so the cuts land where they should and the pattern runs right at the doorways. Large format tile doesn't forgive anything, which is exactly why the flat walls and level floors from the last two stages matter.

On stone we template and dry lay it so the veining carries around a corner instead of dying at it.

Wood-look plank tile floor installed in a room with taped and spackled walls
Plank tile down, walls taped and ready for primer.
05

Millwork goes in before the walls are finished

Cabinets and built-ins get set and scribed to the walls while the room around them is still raw. It looks strange in pictures and it's the right order to work in, because getting a cabinet plumb and tight to the wall is a lot easier before the finish work closes everything up.

Custom dark painted pantry cabinet installed against unfinished walls
Built-in pantry set and scribed, with the room still unfinished.
06

Finished

Navy shaker cabinets, quartz counters and a full quartz backsplash, a custom riveted stainless hood, a pot filler over the range, and large format porcelain on the floor. The appliances are built in, not dropped in, which is why the refrigerator sits flush with the cabinets instead of sticking out past them.

Everything you're looking at here is sitting on the work in the five stages above it.

Finished navy blue kitchen with built-in stainless refrigerator, Wolf range and custom stainless hood
The finished kitchen.
Custom riveted stainless steel range hood over a quartz backsplash with a pot filler
Custom hood, quartz backsplash, pot filler.
Built-in refrigerator trimmed into navy cabinetry with crown molding
Refrigerator trimmed in flush with crown above.
Finished living space with recessed lighting, ceiling speakers and a door out to the deck
Finished living space, lighting and HVAC in the ceiling.

What clients say

Twenty years, every job.

“I never worked with a contractor that does everything the right way, until I met Larry and his team at EZTouch.

  • An honest approach
  • A written contract
  • Always calls you back
  • Shows up when he says he will
  • Finishes the job before moving on to his next client

He is a Home Improvement contractor that is actually reliable and knows what he is doing! You can't say that for many others in the business, unfortunately.

And he'll never cover something up that needs to be fixed. Instead, he will tell you what needs to be done now, so that you won't have to fix it again next year!

Larry and his EZTouch team have exclusively done all of my Home Improvements over the past 20 years, and my Mom's house too. Windows, doors, tiles, bathrooms, kitchens, radiant heat, laundry room, garage, you name it. I will not work with anyone else!”

Enrico Madonna, client for twenty years

Efficient, fastidious and accessible.

“We hired EZ Touch, owned and operated by Larry Viggiano, to do a complete renovation of our two bedroom, two bathroom co-op apartment in Queens, NY. Larry was incredible. His knowledge of construction and renovation made what could otherwise be a daunting experience one that was rewarding and exciting as we saw our new home become a reality.

Larry is so knowledgeable in this field that he adeptly navigated and found solutions to any potential obstacles raised by the co-op or NYC rules and regulations. His extensive contacts in the industry meant that we worked with some of the best subcontractors in the business.

Larry is efficient, fastidious and accessible. The home he helped us create is beautiful, reflects our design aesthetic, and embraces the highest standards in quality. Even when the project was over, Larry made sure that any small unresolved detail was addressed by him personally.

We have recommended Larry to friends and family who have been equally satisfied by the quality of his work. Through this process Larry, a consummate professional, has become a friend because he is personable and engaging. We highly recommend EZ Touch for all of your construction and renovation needs.”

Alan and Danielle, co-op renovation, Queens

A whole house, three floors.

“In 2022, my wife and I made the decision to completely renovate our entire home, all three floors. From the very beginning, Larry and the team at EZ Touch were thoughtful, patient, knowledgeable, and incredibly skilled.

A project of this size can be overwhelming, but Larry took the time to make sure things were done the right way, not just the easy way. Everything EZ Touch did was meticulous, from making sure our floors and ceilings were perfectly level to the countless details that ultimately make a home look beautiful and function properly.

Years later, we continue to appreciate the quality of their craftsmanship.”

Neil Hube, whole home renovation, three floors

Professional. Reliable. Flawless work.

“E-Z Touch Home Improvement has been one of the best choices that I've ever made as a homeowner. Larry Viggiano has completed jobs both big and small with incredible attention to detail and provided guidance and suggestions that often made the outcome better than I originally envisioned.

If you want a regret free experience, make E-Z Touch your choice.”

Dominick Bortone, homeowner, Middle Village

Thinking about a renovation like this one?

Estimates are free, and we'll tell you straight what the job involves before you commit to anything.

Call 718-416-2446 See more of our work