Category Archives: renovations

EcoEnergy Retrofit Rebate Program Returning?

Posted on June 16, 2011 | Leave a comment

The proposed federal budget before the recent election on May 2nd included a $400 million grant to reinstate the ecoEnergy Retrofit program for another year. The program, which expired on March 31st of this year, gave homeowners who renovated to make their homes more energy-efficient up to $5,000 in rebates.

Homeowners had to undergo a Home Energy Audit, where an auditor would come to the home and determine what energy-efficient renovations could be done. Homeowners would then make the renovations and undergo a second Home Energy Audit to qualify for the rebates. Provincial governments also had similar programs, and those who live in Ontario could have gotten up to a combined $10,000: $5,000 from the federal program and $5,000 from the Ontario Home Energy Savings Program.

The budget has already made it through the House of Commons, so it just might pass without a hitch.

Homeowners can also boost their home’s value in order to sell it at a higher price with these programs.

The Hamilton Spectator published an interesting article this week on the energy retrofit programs and the benefits and drawbacks the programs have to the renovation industry. For example, the program provides a lot of work for contractors and renovators, but the unreliable income for a Home Energy Auditor position (especially since the federal program was axed ahead of schedule last year) has sent some auditors to other jobs with more stable income.

This site is owned & operated by: Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd Johnston & Daniel Division,477 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, Ontario, M4S 2L9, 416.489.2121. The content is provided by a number of sources as referenced in the contribution list.

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Home Renovations 101

Posted on February 6, 2011 | 2 Comments

By Myles Slocombe

Whether you’re in the midst of a reno, considering doing some home improvements yourself, or planning on hiring professionals, it goes without saying it’s important to know some of the terminology used to help ensure a clear understanding on all sides when communicating and building your vision. Renovations can be a complicated matter, and the language can seem so sometimes as well. Here’s some basic reno lingo to help you along the way:

Apron: the trim below a window sill or table top.

Batt: a section of fibreglass or rock-wool insulation.

Beam: the main, load-bearing horizontal supports for everything from decks to houses.

Bearing Wall: a structural wall that supports the load above it (such as a roof or floor system).

Brown Coat: coat of stucco that’s troweled over the primary or scratch coat. Its primary purpose is to provide a smooth surface for the finish coat.

Cantilever: a beam or beams that projects beyond its support.

Casing: the frame which surrounds a door.

Caulking: a seal for seams and joints against weather and insects. Caulking can also be used to fill gaps before painting.

Centre Bearing Wall: a structural wall that is normally built along the centre of a building. It supports the weight of the above floor system.

Chase: to allow for pipes and ducts, a chase is a grove cut into a wall or floor.

Corner Bead: used to protect the corners of external plastered walls, a corner bead is a strip of metal or wood.

Cornice: horizontal trim where the roof and wall meet. A cornice is strictly decorative and made of stucco, plastic, metal or wood.

Crown Molding: trim placed over the corner formed where the wall meets the ceiling.

Drywall: used for interior walls, drywall is made of plasterboard or gypsum board and used in place of wet plaster.

Finish Coat: the third and final coat of stucco. The finish coat may or may not contain pigment. If it doesn’t, it will need to be painted. The term if also used generically for any final coat placed on a surface.

Floor Trusses: unlike joists, floor trusses allow heating, plumbing and electrical material to run inside them rather than below. Trusses are generally deeper and more expensive then joists.

Footing: sits on soil and is the base for the structure and supports all of its weight.

Foundation: usually made of block, concrete or treated lumber, the foundation sits on the footing and supports the floor system.

Grade Beam: unlike a footing, a grade beam is supported by columns underneath it rather than sit directly on the soil.

Header: horizontal pieces (usually two nailed together) laid on their edge to provide support over a window or door.

Joist: parallel lumber that constitutes the bulk of the framing for a floor or ceiling.

Load-Bearing Wall: a support wall capable of bearing weight.

Moisture Barrier: treated paper that is used to keep moisture from seeping into floors or walls.

Molding: decorative strip often used to mask gaps where walls meet.

Mortar: mixture of cement, sand and water that is used to bond bricks together.

Non-Bearing Wall: a wall that is used to section off rooms or for privacy and does not support any load above it.

Plan: usually provided by an architect, a plan is a series of diagrams that depict a particular project from different views. There are five main views.

1. A floor plan gives you a bird’s eye view assuming the roof has been taken off. It shows walls and fixtures such as stairs and doorways. The floor plan may also give you dimensions.

2. A section view is basically a dissection of the building. If you imagine a home sliced in half vertically so that you can see what’s inside, you have a section view.

3. A detail view is a blow-up of a particular part of a section view and gives a better idea of how pieces fit. If you’ve ever assembled furniture using instructions, the detail view shows you what screw to use and how to insert it.

4. A plot plan shows the structure and the entire lot that surrounds it.

5. The elevation view is just that: the building from the outside at eye-level.

Plaster: made from concrete, water and sand.

Plate: a support structure used to hold studs in place.

Plywood: is made up of an odd-number of layers (each layer is called a “ply”) that are glued together.

Post-And-Beam Construction: foundation or wall that are constructed from posts and beams rather than smaller studs. To keep the posts vertical, diagonal supports are used.

Pressure-Treated Lumber: chemically treated wood to make it more moisture resistant.

Rough-In: construction done for any electrical/plumbing work needed. Rough-ins are hidden by a wall, floor or ceiling.

Scratch Coat: the first coat applied when applying stucco and adheres to a mesh covering placed on an outside wall. It’s followed by a brown coat and then the finish coat.

Shingles: overlapping outer covering of roofs or an external wall.

Sill: the boards at the base of a window or door opening.

Struts: beam or piece of wood used to keep two others apart at equal distance; thereby giving them more strength.

Stucco: an exterior finish that is hard and concrete-like.

Studs: vertical beams placed 16 or 24 inches apart to which horizontal pieces are nailed. Studs give strength to the wall and provide a solid background for nailing in other pieces.

Vapour Barrier: waterproof material that blocks the transfer of moisture in a wall, floor or ceiling.

Veneer: thin sheets of wood applied to the surface of furniture

Tongue-And-Groove: type of joint or edge where one piece has a long “tongue” that fits in the “groove” of an adjoining piece. Its main purpose is for strength.

Wainscoting: decorative wood panelling that only covers the lower section or a wall.

Weep Holes: small holes that allow water to drain to the outside of a foundation wall.

Myles Slocombe is a Sales Representative with Royal LePage R.E.S./Johnston & Daniel Division. Myles is also a regular contributor to the Muddy York Blog.  Myles’ web site is located at www.keystoneconnect.ca

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Posted in Home Inspection Information, renovations

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Renovation Contracts In Toronto: Making Sure Everything Goes Smoothly

Posted on December 31, 2010 | Leave a comment

A handshake isn’t enough these days to solidify a deal. Getting everything hammered out in writing is as important for working with contractors as any other business transaction, especially if you’re paying for a portion of the work upfront – and you shouldn’t be paying for all the work upfront in any case.

Homeowners should never feel shy about asking for an air-tight contract, and if the contractor balks at the idea, it’s time to walk – or run – away. The contract is there to protect both parties – not just the homeowner – and any good contractor will know this.

Timelines and “Payment Milestones” in a renovation contract

Canadian television renovator and Not-Getting-Ripped-Off guru Mike Holmes recommends creating a payment plan that uses five payment milestones instead of an estimated time frame. This method begins with a down payment, which Holmes says on his website should not exceed 15% of the total cost. Then, four more payment milestones can be determined. One example is during a large job, 25% of the remaining amount can be paid when one portion of the job is complete (like the electrical) and then another 25% can be paid when another part of the work is done (such as the plumbing). These payment milestones can be different depending on the job itself, and this payment plan should be incorporated into the contract.

More resources for creating renovation contracts

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has a sample renovation contract on their website that can be used as a guideline for drawing up your own.

The Canadian Home Builders’ Association also has a lengthy overview of all of the things that should be included in any renovation contract.

Finally, make sure that either you or the contractor takes out the proper building permits for the renovation job at hand if necessary (it is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure that they are obtained). More information on the City of Toronto’s Building Permit Requirements is available in our blog posting here.

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Why renovate your Toronto home?

Posted on July 12, 2010 | 1 Comment

The end of last year and the beginning of this year saw some serious renovation hysteria gripping the province. There were a ton of rebate and incentive programs, and whether homeowners were claiming energy-efficiency rebates or government tax credits for renovating to stimulate the economy, the renovation industry in Canada saw a rise of around $4 billion over much of 2009 when compared to other years.

There are a few home renovation perks still available, but they’re either winding down, near the end of their qualifying period or soon to be cancelled. However, one of the best reasons to renovate always has been and still is to boost a home’s value. Currently, renovations are more valuable than ever because they can also improve the aesthetic appeal of a home, not to mention energy and resource savings. Curb appeal renovations were the most valuable renovations for 2009 with regards to the return on the investment, and nothing is hotter than going green to save money on energy bills.

If you plan on moving within the next few years, renovating to increase your space or add another room might not be as practical. However, overhauling the kitchen and bathroom can be a big selling point and provide a return of up to 100% of your initial investment. Smaller changes like interior and exterior painting can also provide a similar -sized return.

When renovating, consider implementing healthy housing principles. It’s the perfect opportunity to do so, and all healthy housing means is creating a home that is geared towards energy-efficiency, water-conservation, indoor air quality and sustainable materials. This can be as simple as installing EnergyStar appliances or choosing different types of materials that don’t contain volatile chemicals and are safe for the environment.

Despite the current lack of government benefits and those that are soon to disappear, if it’s financially feasible for you, renovating can boost your home’s value in several different ways by appealing to buyers’ wants.

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Home renovation spending increased by $4.5 billion in 2009

Posted on June 13, 2010 | 1 Comment

The renovation hysteria that hit Canada in 2009 increased renovation spending by $4.5 billion according to survey data released by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

The CMHC’s Renovation and Home Purchase Survey was released at the beginning of June and found that the average cost of each household’s renovations was around $12,000.

“More than $25.8 billion was spend on renovations in 2009 across the 10 major surveyed centres, and increase of about $4.5 billion compared to 2008,” said the senior economist at the CMHC. “As well, when Canadian homeowners were asked about their renovations for this year, 43 per cent indicated that they intend to spend $1,000 or more by the end of 2010.”

Toronto was one of those major urban centres, where the lowest number of respondents (five per cent) said that they had purchased a home in 2009. The same number of respondents across the board said they were intending to buy a home in 2010.

A total of 76 per cent of the households in major urban centres that underwent the renovations used their savings as opposed to credit, and a whopping 52 per cent renovated in order to sell their homes or add value.

The top three renovations across the country in were remodeling rooms, painting or wallpapering and new flooring, either hard wood or carpeting. St. John’s led the renovations with the highest number of households renovating for more than $1,000 at 59 per cent, while Montreal was the lowest number at only 45 per cent.

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Developing an air-tight renovation contract

Posted on February 17, 2010 | Leave a comment

Even though the Home Renovation Tax Credit recently ran its course, several new programs have been established to encourage homeowners to renovate with energy-efficiency in mind. These include the Home Energy Assistance Toronto (HEAT) program, the Ontario Home Energy Savings program and the Government of Canada’s Retrofit Rebate program. Under all three, Toronto homeowners can receive up to $11,000 in combined grants and rebates when they renovate their homes with more energy-efficient appliances, systems and materials.

While all of the programs leave provisions for having a handy relative come over to help out, many homeowners will be using professional companies or contractors to get the job done.

No matter what the size of the task you’re looking to have completed, always have a written contract before you begin. Without a proper contract, risk of problems developing for both parties involved is endless.

Your contract should:

  • Include all applicable addresses, phone numbers and the names of all parties.
  • Demand that any work done will comply with any applicable codes, regulations and laws.
  • Cover any permits that will be required.
  • Mention any work that is to be subcontracted and to whom.
  • Include step-by-step, thoroughly detailed instructions on what is expected.
  • Cover any warranties, in detail, on the work done.
  • Include a firm start and completion date.
  • Incorporate blueprints or drawings if the project is vast and complicated.
  • Be signed and dated by all parties.

As a reminder, always be sure to:

Not fall for any proposed agreement in which you would receive a discount for paying cash with no contract, and be cautious working with someone who seems offended when you propose one. Legit companies and individuals know that the inclusion of a contract is to protect themselves as much as you.

Hire insured contractors who can show proof of registration for worker’s compensation, as well as their proof of property damage and public liability insurance. Otherwise, you could find yourself on the bad end of a lawsuit if a worker hurts themselves while working on your property.

Research the company thoroughly. Google is a valuable tool when it comes to researching companies and individuals for past complaints and transgressions, or on the other hand, recommendations and praise for a job well done.

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Renovating before Selling

Posted on January 7, 2010 | Leave a comment

Renovate, renovate, renovate. Just before the Gosselins and huge family circus spectacles became the number one way to waste valuable chunks of people’s lives on every other channel, home renovation shows were like a virus infecting the airwaves. Holmes on Homes, Trading Spaces, Flip This House, Flip That House, Family Renovation, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – they were everywhere.

Many of these shows provided valuable information to viewers with regards to renovating. It increases your appeal to buyers, updates your home and can be an interesting and profitable project to undertake. Improving your home can show buyers you care and take pride in the upkeep of your house, and if it’s in your budget, a renovation can really pay off later down the road.

Repainting: This is probably the least expensive of any kind of big change you can make. It brightens, refreshes and can drastically change the mood of any room in your home. If you’re not handy, this is the easiest thing you can do for your home without hiring a professional. Wallpaper is generally pretty outdated-looking, and stripping it and painting the walls instead can also give your home a more modern feel.

The Kitchen: Moving on to the more costly projects, it’s said the kitchen is what sells a home, so make it count. Families gather, meals are cooked and traditions are born here. Updating old appliances, countertops and floors can add sleekness to the room that could make your sale.

The Bathroom: Despite what many people might say, this is where the magic really happens. It should be of comfortable and clean-looking design. Spa-like bathrooms are increasing in popularity like crazy, and new tiles, basin sinks and contemporary glass showers can help achieve this look. If it’s possible, heated floors or additional bathrooms can really push value higher.

Floors: Carpets are pretty standard as far as typical flooring goes. Most of the time, it looks boring and is sometimes only appealing when covered in those fresh vacuum impression lines. Tiles and hardwood add impressive elegance to rooms and can make areas look more spacious.

Interior designers can be a valuable investment when it comes to renovating your home, but some of the ideas above can help you decide for yourself if you’d like to spruce up before putting your home on the market.

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Staying Green while Renovating

Posted on December 6, 2009 | 2 Comments

By Heather Rose

Going green is one of the most talked about movements of late, and possibly for many more years to come. It means being more environmentally responsible, creating a healthy environment for you and your family, and encouraging energy efficiency while conserving natural resources.

The changes that need to be made to reduce our ecological footprint are relatively easy, and what better opportunity than when renovating your home? Every time you add or change something in your home you have a chance to do it in an environmentally conscious way, increasing the resale value of your home at the same time.

First, when removing anything old that can be reused such as doors and fixtures, consider donating them to Habitat for Humanity. They can sell them and use the proceeds to build houses for people in need.

When buying new appliances, be conscious of energy efficiency. Look for an energy star label but be sure to do your research – the cheapest appliance might not always be the most energy efficient.

Know your lumber: most pressure treated lumber is full of pesticides and chemicals like arsenic. You can purchase woods that are still pressure treated but without these chemicals, just look for CA-B pressure treated lumber. Selecting materials that are recycled, reclaimed or sustainably farmed can go a long way. Also, try buying paints or other finishes with less toxins like water-based polyurethane or low VOC (volatile organic compound) paint.

One of the biggest steps a household can take when going green is the conservation of heat in the winter. Ensure you have energy efficient windows or pick up some extra caulking so you can seal problem areas yourself to retain heat and use less energy. Another way of warming up your home is to consider into cotton insulation. It’s effective, safer than fiberglass and is more environmentally friendly. Spray foam insulation is also an option.

To improve overall air quality for yourself and your family, consider replacing your furnace and a/c filters with high efficiency particle air (HEPA) filters. They will also extend the lifespan of these appliances.   Going green doesn’t always mean going more expensive. Some materials may cost the same or a little more, but the indirect savings will make up for it over time and your home will be a lot healthier.

Heather Rose is a Toronto based Journalist, who is a regular contributor to the Muddy York Real Estate Blog.  Heather website is located at heatherroseportfolio.squarespace.com.

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Posted in Green Energy, renovations

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Common Do-It-Yourself Mistakes

Posted on December 1, 2009 | 1 Comment

By Julian Merry

Completing small renovation projects around your home can be a great way to show off your skills and save money. However, not everyone has the knowledge to undertake such projects, and here are some very common mistakes to avoid:

“What permit? Oops.”

Permits exist to ensure things are done properly. Permits also keep your insurance company updated with any necessary information to keep you covered. Contact your local building department to see whether you need one or not before you take on a new renovation. If you are going to renovate and the finished job is of questionable quality it can hurt your home’s value rather than add to it, and the delays and costs that will later result, including having to have the renovation professionally redone, aren’t worth the original do-it-yourself savings.

“Of course I know what I’m doing!”

Books can impart a lot of do-it-yourself knowledge, but that might not be enough depending on how much you’re starting out with. Watching videos or contractors on the job will let you absorb some more information and techniques to apply to your project. Start small before diving in, or ask any friends who are professional contractors to lend a hand. Many home improvement stores offer workshops that are both fun and educational. If you still don’t feel confident enough, there’s no shame in hiring someone else. Working beyond your scope leads to many of the construction accidents seen in Canadian hospitals each year.

“Old Rusty is the perfect tool for this job.”

That hammer or power drill you’ve had for years or that spectacular saw you still can’t believe you scored at the dollar store might not be the best tool for the job. Renovations are rarely one tool fits all, so buying quality tools that will last and doing the research to make sure you have all the necessary equipment will lead to less headaches down the renovation road. The same goes for building materials – saving a few dollars here and there is what so-it-yourself projects are all about, but don’t sacrifice quality if it means using thinner or weaker materials that you’ll have to replace sooner. Haggling can be your best friend when shopping for supplies.

“What could go wrong?”

Ensure you have the proper safety gear for any project. Proper clothing, tools, eye protection or masks if necessary. You wouldn’t want loose clothing to get caught in the table saw or have an errant metal shaving land square in your eye. Research the area thoroughly that you’re working in. Is there a possibility of any venomous spiders or snakes? Rattlesnakes aren’t solely residents of the dusty desert, and renovating that old shed in the backyard might lead to an encounter. Ontario’s native rattlesnake species, the Massassauga rattler, is found in the southernmost areas of Ontario and its range includes further northern areas. The Massassauga is a protected species and cannot be whacked over the head with a shovel (but you wouldn’t think of ever doing that, right? They’re endangered and the fines for harming an endangered species in Canada could buy you a decent new shed anyway). Basements are havens for spiders, and the black widow spider is found in southern Canada. Bites from black widows are extremely painful and can be fatal to children, the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. Research any critters you might encounter and have some phone numbers handy for exterminators or pest removal services.

Sometimes admitting defeat can be your best option when it comes to tricky projects that involve plumbing or wiring. Some jobs were just meant for a professional, and attempting these by yourself might hurt you, your family, or your wallet. Enter do-it-yourself renovations with confidence, but stay practical. It will pay off in the end.

Julian Merry is a Broker with Royal LePage/Johnston & Daniel Division.  Julian is a regular contributor to the Muddy York Toronto Real Estate Blog.  Julian’s website is located at www.julianmerry.com.

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