How to keep track of renovation materials: paint, tiles, wallpaper, product codes
To buy the same paint, tiles or wallpaper a year later, you need to know not just the brand but the exact code: the product code, the colour or tinting code, and for tiles and wallpaper also the batch number. The easiest way is not to copy this out by hand but to photograph the label, tin or packaging before it goes in the bin. In the Doma app, such a photo goes with a stage item or into “Documents”, and when you export the property passport, the app's model reads the brand, product code, colour code and batch itself and adds rows to the property passport.
Why you need it
A year or two after a renovation, one of three things usually happens:
- a scratch or a chip - you need to touch up the paint or replace one tile;
- a leak or a replacement - you need to redo a piece of floor or wall;
- a warranty claim - the seller needs the receipt and the exact product name.
“White matt paint” or “grey tile 60 by 60” won't help: one manufacturer has dozens of similar products, and the shade can differ between batches.
What to record for each material
Paint
- the manufacturer and the product line;
- the colour code from the catalogue or the tinting code - it's printed on the sticker put on the tin in the shop;
- the base and the sheen level, if given;
- which room and which wall.
Master Kistya's tip: keep a little paint after the renovation. Pour what's left into a small airtight jar and label it with the room and colour - a year later you can touch up a small scratch with the same material.
Tiles and porcelain stoneware
- the manufacturer, collection and product code;
- the size;
- the batch number and, if given, the shade or calibre - they're printed on the box.
In the app's route, tiles are ordered with a 10-15% margin from one batch. It's worth keeping the leftovers - a couple of whole tiles: then you'll have something to replace a broken one with.
Wallpaper
- the manufacturer, collection, product code;
- the batch number - it's on every roll.
The route's hint for hanging wallpaper - check the batch number on all the rolls: rolls from different batches can differ in shade.
Flooring, grout, sealant
- laminate, parquet, vinyl - collection, product code, batch;
- grout and sealant - manufacturer and colour code.
Appliances and fixtures
The nameplate - the plate with the model and serial number - and the warranty card. Photograph them right after installation, while the nameplate is easy to get to.
How to save it with a photo in the app
- Photograph the label, tin, tinting sticker, box or nameplate. The photo should be sharp, with the numbers in the shot.
- Put the photo with a stage item or as a file in documents - the options are below.
- Open the property passport: “Documents” → “Property passport export”. The app shows “Recognizing photos and documents” and adds what it finds to the “Recognized in photos and documents” section: item, brand and SKU, details, serial number.
- Check the rows. Remove an extra or wrong row with a long press - it won't be in the export. Removed rows come back with “Restore all”.
Where to put the photo:
- with a stage item - the “Stages” tab → stage → in the item's card, the “Photo records” block → “Camera” or “From gallery”. That way the paint photo ends up next to the item “Paint the walls”;
- as a file - the “Documents” tab → a folder, for example “Spec sheets”, → “Add to the folder”.
The photos and documents don't go to third-party services: the app's own model reads them.
How to find it later
- The property passport is visible to all property members, and you can export it to Excel or PDF: “Export to Excel”, “Export to PDF”. It's handy to keep the export separately - for example, print it and put it with the apartment documents.
- A photo by name. Each photo has a name - the stage item and the date. Rename the label photo, for example “Bedroom paint”: “Documents” → “Photo records” → press and hold the photo → “Rename”. To find it, use the search field in “Photo records” or “Find a file” in “Documents”.
How many recognitions a plan gives
Property passport recognitions are counted for the property's payer: on the Free plan - 30 in total, on “Home Archive” - 100 a year, on “Team” - 500 a month, on “Team PRO” - 3,000 a month. Till receipts for the budget don't count towards this. If recognitions run out, what's been recognized is saved, and the app recognizes the remaining photos when the limit resets. More in Plans and their limits: what “Free”, “Team” and “Team PRO” give you.
When to take the photo
Best of all - on the day you buy or the day of the work:
- paint - when the tin is tinted in the shop or opened on site;
- tiles, wallpaper, laminate - when they're delivered, before the boxes and rolls are thrown away;
- appliances and fixtures - right after installation.
Any member with access to photo records can do it - for example, the contractor on site, while the packaging is in their hands.
Checklist
- Every visible material has a photo of its label with the product code and colour code.
- Tiles and wallpaper have their batch number recorded.
- Leftover paint and a couple of tiles are kept and labelled.
- Appliance and fixture nameplates are photographed.
- The property passport is opened, the rows are checked, extra ones removed.
- The Excel or PDF export is saved separately.
How property documents and the export work is in Property passport and documents: how to store files and export the property passport. What else to keep after a renovation is in Which documents to keep after a renovation, and for how long.