Gotta love stock photography: if your contractor shows up dressed like this, it's probably not his day job.

Hiring a Contractor

(original article)

At some time, most homeowners will hire someone for repairs or renovations. Even a homeowner experienced in home repairs may have to hire a contractor or renovator because of the size or level of difficulty of the job. This fact sheet will help you choose a contractor and work effectively and fairly with the contractor to achieve the results you desire.

Who Do You Hire?

Once you have decided to renovate and know, or at least have a good idea of, what you want, choosing a contractor or renovator is a crucial decision. It’s not something you should rush into.

The contractor you hire should have the technical, business and interpersonal skills, the tools and the experience needed to do the job you want done. Hire a contractor who has experience with projects similar to yours. This contractor will know what materials and techniques are needed for your work; and even better, about problems with similar work — and how to solve them.

For large renovation projects, you can hire a renovator to take charge of the whole job since many renovation contracting companies are set up to handle both design and renovation work. You may hire an architect, architectural technologist (depending on the size of the project) or a designer to prepare your project’s plans for permit application and then invite contractors or renovators to submit a quotation based on these plans. These professionals may also provide their services to oversee your project, which may include obtaining all necessary permits, hiring a contractor(s) and the supervision of the work.

Finding and Choosing a Contractor

Start by looking for several suitable contractors. A good source of referrals may be a family member, friend, or neighbour who has had similar work completed. They can tell you about the dependability of the contractors they worked with, the quality of the work and their overall experience with that company. Other sources are your local homebuilder and renovator associations; local building supply stores; in some municipalities, your local building department; and through contractors’ websites on the Internet.

Discuss your project with a few potential contractors to get their advice and suggestions on how they would do the work. At the first meeting, some may give you a rough estimate of costs, depending on the project’s scope and complexity. The first meeting is usually more to get to know the contractor and the contractor’s work. Unless you have been able to check out the contractor ahead of time you should not sign anything or pay anything at this stage.

You want to find out as much as you can, so ask a lot of questions, such as:

• How long have you been in business?
• What work are you, or your subcontractors, licensed to do, e.g., electrical, plumbing?
• What kind of work do you specialize in?
• Have you done a similar job before?
• Will you use your own crew for the work or will you subcontract all or part of the job?
• How would you handle a specific problem related to this project (e.g., installing kitchen cabinets on your sloping floor)?
• How will you deal with the health and energy efficiency aspects of the job?
• How and when do you clean up, particularly fine dust?
• What work schedule will you follow?
• What kind of warranty do you offer and what does it cover?
• Do you carry workers’ compensation and liability insurance?
• Will you provide a written contract?
• Will you take out all required permits (e.g., building, plumbing, electrical)?

You won’t offend reputable firms with questions. If a contractor doesn’t seem to know much about the technical details of the job or doesn’t want to talk about them, you may have the wrong contractor.

If the contractor plans to do the whole job alone, make sure he or she has all the necessary skills and qualifications.

Most importantly, be sure you can get along with the contractor. If you cannot communicate effectively with the contractor, things can get very tense in a lengthy project. You want a contractor who will explain what’s going on as the project takes shape, who will discuss problems reasonably and who will work with you to make the result as good as it can be.

You also want someone who’s willing and able to help you refine your plans where possible, resulting in a more desirable and cost-effective project. A contractor who is knowledgeable about the type of work you’re doing should be able to suggest ways to get what you want and meet your budget.

The best proof of quality is satisfied customers. The contractors you decide to meet with should have references from at least three previous clients who have had similar work done. Don’t accept the references at face value. Phone them and ask about their experience with the contractor and their tradespeople and ask them if they were satisfied with the quality of the work. Were there any problems? Did the contractor keep them informed throughout the project? Did the contractor’s crew keep a clean work site? Was the work done on schedule? Were there changes to the scope of the work and if so how were they handled? Would they hire the contractor again or recommend the company to friends or family?

If the previous clients are willing, visit them to see the finished job. Their willingness itself is usually a sign that they were satisfied. Check with your local Better Business Bureau. It records complaints about contractors in your community.

Getting Estimates or Proposals

How many estimates do you need? There are no hard and fast rules here. Some consumers prefer to get a number of bids before making a decision. Others find that after the interview process, there is one contractor they strongly prefer and only ask that contractor to submit a formal written estimate or proposal. What really matters is that you end up feeling that you have adequate information to make the right choice of contractor.

As a general rule, with the proper drawings and specifications, three estimates will usually provide sufficient information for you to make a decision. To get estimates, especially for substantial projects, you’ll need good-quality drawings and detailed specifications. You can either use an architect or designer, or you can hire a renovator who offers design services as well as renovation services. In this latter case, the drawings can become part of the overall contract if you hire the renovator for the entire job. But you don’t have to use the same renovator for the work. Should you choose to use the set of drawings provided by this renovator to obtain other estimates, you may be required to pay for them.

Even with a small project, a set of written specifications is needed. Be as specific as you can: what type of flooring, what kind and brand of doors and windows, what kind of finishes you want.

For a large project, it can take two to three weeks for a contractor to prepare an estimate. Ask the contractor to submit it in person so you can discuss the estimate with them. Compare the estimate carefully and make sure that everything you ask for is in the estimate. It should include everything that the contractor will have to do to complete the job. Assume that anything not listed is not included in the price. As well, make sure the contractor provides you with a construction schedule.

In some cases, a contractor will give you a “fixed price” quote. A fixed price includes all the materials, labour, equipment and fees, plus contingencies, overhead and profit. In some cases allowances are established for items which you have yet to select, e.g., flooring and light fixtures. The allowance, which is only an estimate, is later adjusted once you have made your final selection.

If it is difficult to estimate just how much the job will cost — for example, for an old house that might need extra work — you can use the “cost-plus method” for contracts.

In a cost-plus contract, you pay the contractor the actual cost for labour, materials, equipment and a percentage for overhead and profit. Cost-plus contracts leave costs open-ended, so it’s best to set a limit so costs don’t get out of hand.

Remember, renovation may uncover hidden problems, so make sure you include a contingency budget to cover unforeseen costs.

Another option is a design-build contract, in which a renovator designs and carries out the whole project. You can use either a fixed price or cost-plus contract, again with a set cost limit.

Don’t automatically choose the contractor who gives the lowest estimate. It may be unrealistically low. The contractor may not have understood the project, may be underestimating what it will take to complete the work, or simply trying to get a price advantage over the competitors. In any case, you could risk unexpected and additional costs, or you may end up with a job that leaves you unsatisfied.

Look for a fair price. Factor in any differences in what the contractors are offering and the skills they bring to the job. Then add the intangibles: reputation, willingness to make suggestions and offer advice, the likelihood of standing behind the work. Choose the contractor you feel will give you the best overall value for your money.

Get it in Writing

Do not be tempted by a contractor who doesn’t have an address, doesn’t want a written contract and offers a discount if you pay cash. This type of underground economy transaction involves many risks and pitfalls that offset any savings to the homeowner.

For example, contractors who insist on cash may be unlicensed and uninsured; and without a written contract your cash advances are unprotected. They could neglect to get the required permits or inspections. Product warranties may not be valid if a recognized contractor does not install the items.

As well, an underground contractor may do poor work and create health and safety problems. If one of the contractor’s crew is improperly trained, is injured on the job or damages your property or a neighbour’s property, your homeowner’s insurance policy might not cover you and you could be liable.

A cash deal may leave you with no legal recourse if something goes wrong or the work isn’t satisfactory, or if the contractor walks off the job without finishing it. In fact, it makes it difficult for you to prove the contractor was ever there. And after you have paid the contractor, you may find that materials haven’t been paid for or workers haven’t been paid — and you are responsible for the bills. For your own protection and peace of mind, it’s best to deal in a legal and responsible way — always get it in writing.

The Contract

A detailed written contract between you and the contractor you hire is essential to any renovation or home repair project, no matter its size. Even the smallest job should be put in writing. For detailed information as to what should be included in a contract, making payments and to see an example of a contract refer to the About Your House titled “Sample Renovation Contract“.

Completion Certificate

When the job is finished, the contractor may ask you to sign a certificate of completion. Don’t sign it until you have thoroughly inspected the work. If the contractor has to return later to finish a few minor details, you should note this, and if appropriate, hold back a portion of the payment to cover the outstanding work.

Professional contractors offer a warranty on their work and will come back if something goes wrong.

Holdbacks

There are three types of holdbacks:

1. Builders Lien Holdback — This type of holdback is intended to provide homeowners with protection should subcontractors or suppliers place liens against the property to secure payment for work performed, and who may not have been paid by the general contractor, for their services. This allows a period of time, after the project is substantially completed, for them to make any required claim. At times, the general contractor will arrange for these funds to be held in trust by a lawyer. Where there are no subcontractors or suppliers involved with the project, this requirement will not apply.
   Note: The Builders Lien Holdback funds cannot be used to correct deficiencies. Each province has its own regulations regarding this type of holdback.Verify with your provincial authority for such rules or regulations in your area.
2. Deficiency Holdback — When a project is substantially complete, there will often be a number of items that are incomplete and/or which may need to be corrected. It is a standard procedure to hold back a reasonable amount of money (e.g., cost per item or a percentage of the total cost of the project) to cover the cost for these items. Once these items have been satisfactorily completed, complete payment is forwarded to your contractor.
3. Seasonal or Delivery Holdback — Depending on the time of the year (season) that your project is carried out, there may be items that cannot be completed (i.e., exterior painting, landscaping, etc.) and/or there may be products/material that are not readily available. In these situations, it is standard procedure to hold back payment(s) equaling the cost of the items remaining to be completed.

Working with your Contractor

Once the job is under way, you’ll see a lot of your contractor and the crew. The job will go much better if there is mutual respect and you co-operate with them. Talk with the contractor, so you know what’s going on and what might be needed from you — an empty driveway so the delivery van can bring in the new bathtub, for example. But don’t call every five minutes. Make a list of your questions and save them for a time which you are both available.

In spite of a clear, detailed contract, disputes can, and occasionally do, arise for any number of reasons. Good communication can go a long way in settling any disagreements between you and your contractor. As a first step, you should sit down together to discuss the problem calmly and seek a solution that you both can live with comfortably. This is usually the fastest, least expensive and ultimately, most satisfactory approach.

Try to be reasonable. Don’t overreact if something is wrong. Allow sufficient time for a response. As well, things the contractor can’t control, like bad weather and backordered components, can delay the job, so leave a little leeway in your schedule for them.

If these steps have not helped, you can follow the dispute resolution method, or mediator as identified in the contract. Architects and construction arbitrators are often used to settle any disputes.

As a last resort, and in cases where things are going so badly that the project seems unworkable, you have the option of cancelling the contract. This is why it’s wise to put a termination clause in the contract. You’ll likely have to pay to get out of the deal, so it’s best to agree on the cancellation penalty before you start.

If you think that some of the work is not up to local building standards, report it in writing to the appropriate inspection department, with a copy to your contractor. If the work doesn’t meet building code requirements, the contractor should have to correct it at his or her expense.

Also, you can report poor workmanship and unsatisfactory business practices to the government department that granted the contractor a business licence, where applicable.

Consumer Protection Laws

There are several laws protecting consumers. Provincial and territorial consumer affairs or consumer relations departments usually administer consumer protection laws. They can help you resolve problems between you and your contractor. Sometimes a phone call is enough, but a letter outlining the problem (giving names, dates, addresses and details) is often required before any action can be taken.

The consumer protection authority may send a building inspector to examine the work. The inspector’s report may be enough to settle the dispute. If not, the consumer protection office may provide mediation. The power of a government consumer protection office is a strong incentive for settlement. If it isn’t and legal action is required, the consumer protection office will give you further advice and assistance.

The Better Business Bureau, a monitoring agency maintained by the business community, will also handle consumer complaints and mediate disputes and try to get a fair settlement.

If legal action is necessary, you may be able to take the contractor to small claims court without having to hire a lawyer or the complications and delays of a formal court case. Although small claims court is relaxed and informal, its decisions are binding. The size of the claim you can make depends on the province or territory where you live. Your local courthouse can give you this information and direct you to the office that handles small claims cases.

About Insurance

It’s important to make sure the contractor has workers’ compensation and third-party liability insurance for all the people on the job and damage they may cause ($2 million is standard, this may not be the case in rural areas). Your local homebuilders’ association is a good source of information for what is standard in your area. Don’t just take the contractor’s word — ask to see a certificate and check to make sure it’s current. Don’t accept or assume any liability for the contractor or trades people.

As for your liability, your homeowner’s insurance policy may cover you during a project done by a renovator but you should always advise your insurance provider of any renovation work ahead of time. However, if you’re acting as your own general contractor and employing trades people, your policy won’t automatically cover you. You’ll have to ask your insurance company for temporary coverage, which will likely involve a small extra premium. Again, make sure any tradespeople you hire have their own insurance.

Checklist — Hiring a Contractor

"Meet Nick", in the video, he's drawn as a young apprentice, but the photo they show of him makes it clear that the video department at CRA isn't on speaking terms with the stock photography folks.

“Meet Nick, Nick’s a tradesperson…” and Nick is about to save big on taxes this year when buying new construction equipment thanks to Canada’s “Tradesperson’s Tools Deduction“. Deduct the cost of eligible tools you bought to earn employment income as a tradesperson (or as an eligible apprentice mechanic) with this deduction.

Do you want to save like Nick? Check out http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/trades/ for direct information and http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/nwsrm/vdcsts/2011/menu-eng.html?vclp=v110321-5-eng for more information!

Most renovators turn to financing their renovation using credit cards and personal loans. This can become quite costly as interest rates on these types of financing are typically higher (typically 6 to 21%).

The best way to save on your renovation is using the equity you already have in your house.  The main value in doing this is that your average interest rate then drops to around 4%.

To see the savings over a year lets look at a $30,000 renovation.

OPTION 1: Using a personal line of credit at a rate of 10% will give you a total interest paid over the year of $3000

OPTION 2: Using a Home Equity Line of Credit at a rate of 4% will give you a total interest payment over the year of $400

As we can see option 2 offers a dramatic savings in your interest.

The representatives at with the Mortgage Specialists Direct Team are excited you help you with your renovation process. We work with over 50 lenders and pride ourselves on offering the most competitive rates in the industry and a large variety of financing options including secured line of credits, mortgage add-ons, refinancing and more!

We understand the importance of convenience so our entire process can be done online. However, if you feel more comfortable speaking to someone on the phone or in person please call us anytime to assist.

We look forward to talking with you soon!

Mortgage Specialists Direct Team with Mortgage Architects
Brokerage #10287
Local: 613 699 2006
Toll Free: 800 592 1601
Facsimile: 866 590 8738
Sales Team: sales@mortgagespecialistsdirect.com

• Ensure the earth around your basement is graded away from your house – very important!
• Install or clean gutters to make certain water from the roof is falling away from the basement walls
• Double-check that window wells are properly sealed
• Don’t place shrubbery too close to the foundation wall…water can travel down the root system into the basement
• Make sure any pavement, or patios, adjacent to your basement walls are not cracked
• Be certain that your irrigation system, if you have one, has not been installed too close to your foundation, and that it’s not programmed to turn on when there’s been a lot of rain

If you’ve checked everything off this list, and you still have an issue, call your contractor.  It’s vital that you divest yourself of this problem.  Excessive moisture can cause mold to build-up, which in turn, can respiratory issues for you and your family. If you ultimately end up having chronic basement flooding issues, install easy-to-clean-up materials, such as ceramic tiles.

Water in the basement

OK, painting white paint on a white surface isn't so much of a challenge, but there's no better "painting in winter" stock photo to be found, anywhere.

As if painting was not difficult enough…
The most common difficulties encountered during the winter while apply quality acrylic latex paint is an uneven look due to roller marks, curtaining and picture framing (when cutting and rolling looks different).

There is a very simple explanation for this and it has to do with drying time. In the winter when temperatures drop below -10C it becomes extremely dry inside your home causing the drying time for quality acrylics to be reduced from 20 to 30 minutes to under 5 minutes, sometimes when it is extremely cold out it can take less than 2 minutes!

When this occurs and if no action is taken to slow down the drying time, back-rolling becomes nearly impossible and you are in essence putting 2 coats in some areas and 1 in others causing a very uneven look on the walls. This problem becomes more noticeable with darker colors.

What can be done?
Reduce the temperature and air circulation in the room by closing doors and vents while the room is being painted. This will allow the paint to flow and level better as it will slow the drying time.

Floetrol can be added to wall paint to further slow the drying time and improve flow and leveling of the paint.

A top quality roller with the proper nap (10mil) will also aid in achieving an even finish.

The proper amount of paint needs to be used on the walls. Stretching out your paint will exacerbate the problem by reducing the flow and leveling of the paint coat.

The reason this problem is not as significant in lower quality paints is due to the fact they have higher solvent contents while Quality Acrylics are much higher in solids.

This is one reason why the experts at 360renos use only quality paints such as C2 and Pratt and Lambert.

613-429-5000
Cell 613-282-2124
dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

*** If you are a contractor on bidmyreno.com, contact us and let us know if you’d like to submit an article! ***

Hey, that actually looks a lot like a modern pop can dispenser...

More info here:

"Hey Jim, pass me your iPad for a second, willya?"

If you’re like me, even if you hire contractors to do all of the dirty tasks, you are still going to pitch in here and there to do some renovation work such as patching, sanding, cleaning, painting, demolition etc. During the beginning of winter, when the air turns most dry and we use hotter water to wash our hands, it is especially true that this sort of activity is murder on the skin of our hands. Mine have recently taken on the appearance of a 100 year old washerwoman’s, complete with cracks, roughness and the other nouns and adjectives skin lotion companies have listed on speed dial. That’s usually par for the course and here in Canada we kind of look past other people’s scaly hands and understand that sometimes handshakes will be like touching dry leaves or alligators’ paws (which, regardless of the commercials, I assume are likely smooth and soft) EXCEPT in the case of those stalwarts who incessantly moisturize with skin cream, in which case you might instead walk away with a dripping palm smelling of “Sea Island Cotton”. I’m certain that even now Canadians are bringing home a tub of “Sea Island Cotton” hand lotion from their big box store of choice, saying things like “crack that sucker open, I need some for the drive home”.

So it’s an endless cycle: Canadians working on menial tasks using vast quantities of increasingly powerful cream to battle against itching, redness and dry skin. So what could change all that?

Well, for one, I’m typing this blog entry on an iPad, and every day I exchange multiple emails using my touch screen-enabled smart phone and use a touch-interface PC… And several times today I was ready to apply some skin cream to my hands (which are now the texture of sidewalk cement, and twice as durable) but instead said “no, that will just make a mess on my phone screen” and “I’ll put some cream on my hands after I type this one note on this screen” and of course never do… So that I’ve noticed that my hands look ridiculously scary and the hand lotion supplies in our house and in the car are suspiciously not running dry (so to speak). This leads me to believe that this is likely to become a common phenomenon: people allowing their hands to become plasterboard dry rather than sully (or smell up with “Sea Island Cotton”) their glossy, touch-sensitive 21st Century handheld computers.

The fact is, it’s not just apple Computer customers (and specifically iPad and iPod Touch) users who are walking around with the modern day equivalent of fisherman’s hands; iPad competitors are coming out of the woodwork, like this, and this one, and this one, and this one and this one, too (oh, the heck with it, http://www.pcworld.com/article/192496/slate_wars_15_tablets_that_could_rival_apples_ipad.html coming out). Laptops are including touch screens, all-in-one touch screen desktops computers are becoming more popular and people are demanding touch screens on their cell phones and their hand-held video games. Chances are very likely that within a couple of years, if you don’t already have one, you will be owning or using a touch screen-enabled device.

And your hands – and the fortunes of the lotion companies – will suffer as a result.

(note: I predict that we will start seeing skin creams featuring “grease-free, iPad-compatibility”)

I'm gonna disagree with Ijeoma Ross on this one: new siding is just plain sexy.

Ijeoma Ross has put together a great article that lists and explains the Top 10 renovations that give you the most bang for your buck (10 renovations with big returns).

Here they are:

1. Bathrooms

Renovators can get 90% – 105% of their bathroom money back when they sell their house. Adding an extra bathroom will get 81% to 85% back as well. There’s more information about bathroom renovations here. Need a basement renovation contractor? Click here to find contractors in your city to renovate your basement!

2. New siding

With a 90% to 100% return on what you spent residing your house, it also helps with curb appeal selling your home faster! Interested in hiring a contractor to improve your outdoor spaces and work on the exterior of your home? Click here to find a handy man in your town!

3. Painting

If you’re preparing to sell your home, you can’t go wrong with lighter, more neutral colors.  Click here to find a painter in your town!

4. Kitchen

Although the really expensive jobs tend to recoup less of their cost, a new or updated kitchen usually fetches between 80% to 90% of what you spent on it. Don’t forget you’ll need a permit to renovate your kitchen. Believe it or not, if you’re only moving a sink, updating or changing your electrical, you’ll need a permit. Click here to read all about getting a kitchen renovation permit. Check out our professional contractors located everywhere across Canada. Need your kitchen renovated? Interested in hiring a contractor in to renovate your kitchen? Click here to post your kitchen renovation project and have qualified contractors in your area bid on it!  Click here to find contractors in your city to renovate your kitchen!

5. Bedroom addition

Apparently you can expect to get back about 83% if you add another room to your house.

6. Two-storey addition

A two-storey addition gives you a return on investment of about 78%, which basically means that it’s not likely to make you money in the short term (if you’re selling) unless you think it will at least help sell an expensive house. Check out local framers located everywhere across Canada.

7. Family room addition

We’re talking about places they film those Wii Party commercials in. Family rooms return 75% to 85% of the cost. Wiimote not included.

8. Master suite addition

Recoups about 75% to 85% of the cost.

9. Deck

75% ROI for decks. Hey, we all love decks, so why the 25% depreciation? Weird.

10. Basement

Ironically, I saw a house for sale today that the seller claimed had a “value-added basement”. If you count “time warp as a “value-add” then yeah, he was right. Although it easily increases your livable square footage, you can “only” recoup about 70% of the cost of a finished basement. Don’t forget that bathrooms in basements can add to your tax bill. Check out our professional contractors located everywhere across Canada. Need a basement renovation contractor? Click here to find contractors in your city to renovate your basement!

"2 bedrooms and 1 bath with unrenovated kitchen for $700,000??? Ouch."

Fall season home improvement “must do” projects around your home

With cold weather approaching and heating bill season here for a while, we have some suggestions for this fall season.

1. Get your furnace cleaned, whether hot water, forced-air or other, dirt and grime greatly affect your furnace’s efficiency
2. Replace your furnace air filter.  Forced-air needs to flow well, and some studies calculate upwards of 40% lost efficiency due to poor air flow
3. Caulk your windows from the outside
4. Weather-strip your windows from the inside, tiny openings add up.  Weather-stripping is an easy application.  Your local home improvement store stocks all kinds of options.
5. Remove leaves from your eaves troughs to ensure water drains well away from your roof line and foundation
6. Contact your snow removal contractor and speak to your neighbour about combining your contracts
7. If you have a fireplace or wood stove in your home or cottage, have your chimney swept.  Your insurance will ask you to do this, but it’s really a good idea for your family’s safety as well.
8. Remove debris and leaves from the outside of your home, much easier now than in the spring melt off!
9. 9. Change your smoke detector batteries!

Fall season home improvement “optional” projects

1. Replacing sod, and if you have any trees to plant, the fall is the best time to do this work for long-term results
2. Remove dead limbs from trees and plants/shrubs; it’s much easier now than in the busy spring season.  Your property will look best in the spring with this work done!
3. Remove any dead/weak trees from your property. Heavy winds and snow will eventually cause weak trees to fall over, so removing them this fall would be a great idea
4. Plant your tulip and spring bulbs!  If you want to keep the squirrels away, stake down chicken wire over the planted area.  Pesky squirrels are busy in the fall season!

Not all siding is created equal.  Most of the time, a little extra money gets you much greater value.  Keep this in mind now that residing your home is one of the best ways to improve the value of your home.

A short list of siding includes vinyl, wood, stucco, brick, rock, aluminums, galvanized steel, and concrete.  More and more common is concrete board siding.  Here are some of the advantages.

Concrete board siding main advantage is durability.  Well, it is concrete.  It is hard, does not keep moisture very well and is relatively easy to work with.  Some brands come with baked on colour and coatings which further repel moisture.  Many have impressive warranties and attractive styles and colours. 

While just about anyone can put vinyl siding on with only a bit more skill for wood siding, you may need just that little more skill and know how for concrete plank siding.  Not as much as stucco or brick or rock and not the specialty tools for steel.  If you are comfortable working with wood, by taking your time, you should be able to work with concrete plank.  If you are not, find yourself a capable contractor.

Geothermal heat exchange is like stealing from the earth below you, you rebel!

After working for several years with geothermal energy pioneer James Bose at Oklahoma State University, entrepreneur Gerald McClain has developed a new geothermal heating and cooling unit suitable for homes that uses up to 2-3 times less power than conventional electric heaters.

Heat pumps work as a fridge in reverse

Heat pumps work as a fridge in reverse they use electrical power to transfer heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly. A geothermal heat pump is a central heating and/or cooling system that pumps heat to/or from the terrain. It uses the earth as a heat source (in the winter months) or a heat sink (in the summer months). You’ll probably see similar units being touted in new LEEDS-certified construction.

The installation prices are higher than conventional systems (close to $45,000 decreased by a 30 per cent with federal tax credits), but the difference is usually returned in energy cost savings in three to ten years. The geothermal pump units are among the most energy efficient technologies for providing HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) and water heating.

The Gerald McClain’s prototype geothermal system is based on:

• Six one inch diameter pipes sunk 300 feet into the soft red clay below his home
• A water antifreeze mix in the pipes that picks up the ground’s constant 62 degree F. temperature
• Three heat pumps in the attic that use a small electric powered compressor to heat or cool the home

The electricity for the pumps costs about $100 monthly, much less than the normal heating and cooling costs in the area.

A well-controlled heat pump unit not only will help save energy and will not blow dust into the house too, improving indoor air quality. Indoor dust can pose health risks, in particular to young children. New data (As published in the epa.gov site in September last year) shows that indoor dust is highly polluted by persistent and endocrine disrupting chemicals (such as poly-chlorinated biphenyls).

Heat pumps get energy performance by transferring heat around as opposed to liberating it. This is not to say there is no air motion with a heat pump, but the heat transfer minimizes that process. So does the lack of a cold-cycle as it exists in many common furnaces, which also acts to blow dust through the house.

The author – Lorie Wampler publishes articles for the residential heat pumps blog. It’s a non-profit site concentrated on her personal knowledge with ac to reduce energy consumption and improve indoor air quality. With this she would like to increase the awareness on eco-friendly tips for the home and change the public conception of energy efficiency.

End of Summer Sales: Time to buy that Lawn Mower, BBQ, Chainsaw, or Outdoor Furniture?

End of summer also means sales for BBQ’s, landscaping items, tools, and other home improvement items. Keep an eye out for that lawn mower, power washer or lawn sprinkler system that you’ve had your eyes on. Some of the biggest retailers will be discounting these warm weather items shortly. Web sites are often the easiest way to research the best sales in your city, but we’ve noticed that some retailers resort mainly to traditional advertising, so it may be worth leafing through the flyers on the weekend.

Home Improvement tip, keep an eye on Home Depot, Rona, Home Hardware, Canadian Tire and Costco sales…

Have you ever been asked for your email address while paying for your items? We’ve noticed that it’s worth giving your email address to retail stores since they often send you discount coupons by email for free! So keep this in mind next time a retail store asks for your email address. Savings sent for free are a good thing!

Fall Landscaping Tips for home owners

Did you know that fall is the best time to landscape? With the end of the drought season arriving, some plants and most trees, shrubs and grasses (especially sod) are best planted in the fall. Of course, don’t forget the tulips, crocus and daffodils either! If you want your home to look great next may, start planning now.

Landscaping Planning, is it too late to hire a landscape architect?

In a case of a major project, September is not too late to hire that landscape architect or qualified designer to plan your landscaping project. Since most landscaping projects do not require a building permit prior to start, home owners and contractors can often get to work within a few weeks of agreeing on the plan of action. And yes, having a plan in writing is important! Otherwise you and your contractor won’t know exactly what the job entails.

"Dammit" muttered Bob the contractor as he realized that somewhere buried under those leaves was the missing crucial fastener.

Landscaping is very important, get it right and get a plan drafted prior to starting any major work. Landscaping is often the hardest part for a home owner to visualize, so it’s best to hire an expert to design this space for you. We have had this experience in the recent past and all we can say is What a Difference it makes to have a good plan…and hiring a good landscape architect is the fist step. Money well spent to say the least.

Happy end of summer and plan your next project using our service, we’re here for you!

bidmyreno

So many people are opting for composite deck.  The belief here is that they are maintenance free.  That is what the sale people will tell you.  The fact is, even the best composite decking needs to be maintained.  You will have to wash, even scrub it from time to time.

Another belief is that composite will outlast its wood counter parts.  Well, not if you are lax on maintaining the composite.  The pressure treated wood decking will last many years with the same sort of maintenance schedule as your composite and will be cheaper.

Sure, ultimately composite will last longer.  It can never have the same characteristics as wood.  Can you imagine any composite being as beautiful as a nice clear cedar?  It certainly would not smell as good.  A light scrub and oil each year gives cedar unparallel beauty, in my oppion.

Composite is also riding the way of the green movement.  While it does for the most part use recycled material, which is good, trees can be replanted to help the environment in the long run.  They are a renewable resource, while much of the composite comes from the petroleum industry via recyclables.

Just some things to think about!

Ted's ex-wife wanted the Jag after the divorce. Ted took steps to ensure that wouldn't happen.

You know, when you have a blog and you start posting on a regular basis, you start to get a lot of spam comments. I have friends who actually don’t bother using any captcha heuristics or even filtering comments for spam on their blogs, they just let everything through. The problem is, blogs become a target for companies and folks trying to push links and unfortunately those spammers don’t really care about your web site. There are several tactics you’ll find spammers using, including:

• being completely irrelevant (i.e. posting about some off-topic item in the news or sports)
• automating simple sentences, substituting key parts with the title of the post or blog
• making generic comments, thanking the blogger for his article
• taking it way over the edge with effusive praise for how! amazing!  your! blog! is!
• complete gibberish that was literally written by someone banging their head against the keyboard and
• the typed equivalent of foreign call-center speak, complete with the kind of hilarious errors you’d only get from someone who’s working from a badly photocopied boiler room script

Still, you get some magic in these spam comments: items that stun in their wackiness, anti-lucidity or just plain abuse of poetic license. We’ve saved the 10 best, and now we’d like to share them with you.

Bear in mind, bidmyreno.com/blog is a blog about home renovations:

Crazy Comment #1:

The Moon is in the Seventh House, and the Baseboards Are Aligning with Mars.

I saved his life in Afghanistan, and now he owes me. Big time.

Seriously, if she offers you food, don’t eat it. Just pretend you already ate.

You bloody English, you are all liars. If you spoke Transylvanian, we might start taking what you say seriously, however.

Um… maybe a year after your 49th birthday? Actually, since when did doing laundry and cooking dinner qualify you for middle age???

We’ll be right over with a bucket of your favorite fried chicken and a handful of cash.

How can anybody be so vague about someone being so specific?

I’m a big fan of lithe, unambiguous artists and designers… however, I take offense when people deviate from selecting papers that allow them to bump into a rendezvous with the expectations of parallels. It just doesn’t fly with me.

Hey, if you can run Google Chrome on a “cell phone browser”, you sure as heck don’t need my help getting it to run properly. Actually, if you are running Google Chrome on your cell phone, contact Google, you probably just saved them a couple of million bucks in development costs.

I like BMX. Used to race BMX as a kid. My 8 year old son just started racing BMX. I think I speak for all BMXers out there… WTF???

So there you have it. We’re going to leave the comments open for this page, so unless it violates some kind of law, we’ll let it slide and hope that we’ll see some even more beautiful examples of the art.

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"Yup, that's a Skittles leak..."

That old house, best opportunity?

I have renovated 3 early 20^th century houses in the past 10 years.  Beautiful, disgusting, challenging and financially rewarding, each of them!

My first home was called the “Money Pit”, named so by a friend I invited over for a demo party, where we were tasked with taking down partition walls on the main floor of the sagging house.  My second home was the “Pot Grow” home, in the same neighborhood, a converted duplex where the previous tenants had apparently used the basement for profit.  My third was the rental, the best house, but in bad repair, but on an established street in the same neighborhood.

Reno lessons:

Each home was in very poor repair, each one was listed for sale for months in a hot market prior to my purchase.  Each one was renovated and sold for a six figure profit.  Most of the work was hired out to a general contractor, with some basic work done by myself (DIY).

If you have the patience and a good bank manager, these disaster homes offer the best returns on investment, especially if you are prepared to renovate and move in prior to selling back to the market. Why?  Because as Canadian home owners, “profits” from the resale of our primary residences are not taxed!

As a young professional couple, these homes are often the only opportunities to enter established neighborhoods at reasonable prices.  You need a strong heart and a good engineer to feel comfortable in many cases.  Sagging floors, poor foundations, bad layouts, wet basements are all common sights in these disaster homes.  In some cases, homes that were once single family homes, were then converted to duplex and triplexes. In other cases, simple upkeep did not happen and homes were left in disrepair for too long. All cases are challenging, all rewarding if approached well.

In each of my experiences, the homes that I bought were in such disrepair that most of the market turned away at first glance, and the homes did not sell.  Keep an eye on these listings, even when they have been conditionally sold.  In all cases it took patience even for someone like me with some know how.   In each case, I was looking for a project home, and in each case I had to wait for the market to establish the home’s proper value prior to making an offer.

Know the market well and profit when you can.  My best advice is to look at each project as an investment, make decisions with future profits in mind, and enjoy the homes while you can.  Each time putting some money in your pocket moves you closer to the home you can enjoy for a lifetime with a lower or hopefully no mortgage!

Happy investing and please post your next home renovation on-line.  Save your time and save your money!  Trust bidmyreno, we’ve worked hard to help our customers.

Regards,

bidmyreno

Do not forget about grading for rain around your house.  With all the rain this country has been having, I though a little reminder and some tips would be appropriate.

What may happen, if you have a negative grade away from your home is the accumulation of water.  Even newer homes with the gravel and weeping tile to code may have problems if they are not graded properly.  If you happen to get water damage in your basement and you have not updated your grading properly, your insurance company may decide not to help you out.

Make sure you put your water spouts down for the storms.  For god’s sake, if you do not have eve troughs, install some.  Clean your troughs as well because clogs will simply make the water spill over like you had no troughs.

Let’s hope the summer clears up and has sun where it needs it and rain where it needs it.  Until then, give your local landscaper a call to help you decide if your grading is right.

ducts, why did it have to be ducts?

Just a reminder to everyone, since I’m having this done: have your heating ducts cleaned.  This is slow season for all the operators and prices tend to be lower.

We do not usually use our furnaces in the summer, (unless you have spent some time in the prairies this summer) so it is a fine time to do some house work.  Dust from the spring flowering, pet hair and dander will be ripe for the sucking.  You will likely be able to get a furnace and duct cleaning unit even on the weekend.

While you are getting a jump on the duct cleaning, it is a good time to change your filter.  You may even want to have a maintenance check up on your furnace.  The better you furnace runs, the more efficient and cost effective it will be.  Why wait until something goes wrong.  Just like your car engine, take care of your furnace.

It can be helpful to give your duct work a check too.  If any seems have opened up, or tares in the current tape have occurred, you could be lowering the efficiency of your entire system.  You can have your furnace maintenance person take a look.  They usually have a ready supply of duct tape with them to be able to fix any of these types of problems

hide the kids and the dog: we're painting!

How do you increase the value of your home?  Renovations seem always to be the answer.  If you are careful they will bare fruit.

Typically, lipstick and rouge are common short term answers if you need to sell your home quickly.  By this I mean paint.  Clean neutral tones please.  Everyone loves the current styles this year but don’t forget about next year.  Not everyone will have a pension for red or chocolate.

Now on the other hand, if you are in the market to by a home and find one you like, but it has a chocolate or red wall, don’t fret.  You can handle the colour change.  I’ll give you a little hint I was given when I was a young contractor.

We know these and other colours like purple and orange are notorious to cover up.  Start with silver paint; one coat then your primer.  This will save you headaches even if you do not want to spend the money on the extra gallon of silver paint.  You will be able to use a lighter colour if you wish on that fuchsia wall.

Hand and hand with good colour judgement goes quality paint and skill in application.  You should not feel intimidated by updating your paint yourself, but be realistic.  If you are trying to increase the value of your home, a sloppy paint job will not help.  Know your limitations.  Contact a professional for help.

The HRTC did not specify that trades should be used to renovate homes.  Fair enough that the consumer makes the decision how to use the credit.  Some people chose to use qualified, skilled trades to do the work, some did not.  In those who did not use skilled contractors and did the work themselves, I am seeing problems.

I was recently contracted to fix some work a couple did on their own to their home.  They used the HRTC as motivation to re-do their laundry room.  They did not have the knowledge or skill to take on such a project.  It was only drywall, taping and mudding and painting.  They put the drywall on backward!

Now, sure, they saved money via the HRTC the first time.  The value of their home did not increase though (as a matter of fact, it decreased due to the terrible job of dry walling) as they hoped.  Further, they will now have to pay more money than that which the HRTC would have offset.

If there is a moral to the story, make sure you know what you are doing.  You would not ask a mechanic to do open heart surgery; they fix cars.  Let the surgeons do the surgeries; they are trained for it.  If your intent is to make a job look professional, maybe a professional should do it.  It takes years for trade’s people to get fantastic at their jobs.  This is just something for you to consider.

Only the really "green" grow moss on vertical surfaces

“Green” is now such a loaded word it immediately makes you think of… well… politics, consumption (like sometimes spending more to save more) and opinions less than our impact on the earth. “Thinking Green”, “Going Green” and “Green Movement” all should mean the same thing: doing things more efficiently, with less materials and less or no waste and toxins. So even if you’re not into being “green”, being more efficient means more self-sufficiency, often a higher resale value, reduced costs to live in your home, less exposure to toxic materials and due to economies of scale your little change actually might make a difference. Here are some ways your next home renovation could grudgingly make your home more efficient:

1. Your home’s interior environment (temperature, humidity and air quality)

There are several ways you can improve the efficiency of your Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, all of them co-dependant, but as always, your #1 bet is to seal your house as tightly as possible. Try to think of the structure of your house as a Thermos: the better sealed off it is against the elements, the less you’ll be experiencing them indoors. This includes making sure you have weather stripping around all exterior doors, your home is adequately insulated, you draw your blinds down in summer, seal up cracks and holes in the walls, check for leaks in your air ducts and if you have older windows, install storm windows or cellophane insulation. If you have the money, replacing windows and doors, having insulation added or blow in and upgrading old heating and air conditioning appliances will also help keep your home at a sane temperature without breaking the bank. Speaking of money, there are government grants and tax breaks available (they differ in some states and provinces) for energy efficient home improvements.

Natural solutions include growing some shade trees around the house to block the sun off of  your roof (a tree’s shadow can knock upwards of 25% from your cooling costs in summer) lightening the color of your roof (lighter colored shingles and surfaces reflect light) and growing plants on a flat roof (this helps insulate as well as converts some Carbon Dioxide to Oxygen (***just be sure to consult with a qualified contractor for this one, you need proper structure and water drainage***)).

Optimize your system by installing ceiling fans and ensuring they’re blowing in the right direction, depending on the time of year. Be familiar with your HVAC system and – if necessary – manually adjust the humidification/dehumidification to suite the season. Have your system audited: air circulates in your house, so your vents should include proper returns, your ducts should be clean and your filters replaced. In summer, close any A/C vents in the basement to help boost cold air flow to the upstairs (being under ground, basements are naturally cooler anyway) and install a solar-powered vent in the roof to vent out hot air. If you don’t have air ducts and rely on window air conditioners in summer, be sure to use fans to help circulate the colder air and close the doors of rooms you aren’t using. If you have a smaller home, you can easily get by with one or two small AC units per floor (they have great new low-wattage 6,000 – 10,000 BTU units nowadays) and enjoy a cool house with very low energy consumption. Don’t forget to add a programmable thermostat! This will allow you to reduce the heat or air conditioning when no one is home or everyone is asleep.

For those enthusiastic about radically reshaping the way in which they heat their properties for maximum performance, radiant heating systems – that carry out heat directly through your property’s walls, floor, or ceiling – are way more ecologically aware than traditional air-circulation strategies of heating.

Use low-VOC paints and carpeting. This will help maintain healthy indoor air quality.

The cheapest way to keep warm/cool in your house? Wear a sweater in winter, walk around naked in summer… or spend more time at the mall (which, frankly, aren’t as air conditioned as they used to be).

[also read: Keeping Cool with HVAC]

watering the lawn, needs kids

2. Reducing your water consumption and water heating costs

Regardless of  some reports that in specific municipalities, reduced consumption of water and electricity is actually causing prices to rise, you’re still saving money if you use and waste less (possibly with the exception of Québec, where water seems to be considered an endless resource). Still, no matter where you live, hot water isn’t free, so your first step might be to replace your water heater with an on-demand system or a solar water heater. In addition, insulate any pipes and – again – ensure that our house is tight against drafts and cold air. The dirt cheap solution of installing low-flow shower heads and faucets might have been solved by your local utility sending you a shower head in the mail for at least one bathroom, but really, you’ll only notice serious improvement if you limit  the time you spend scalding yourself in the shower. If you MUST use hot water to warm yourself, take a bath.

Switching to low-volume toilets and toilets that have different “#1″ and “2″ buttons and upgrading old dish and clothes washers will also save on water.

Yeah, it’s sad that folks in the Victorian era were allowed to have nicer greener lawns than we see today, but there were less of them back then and somehow a lush, green lawn has become the “wearing fur” of the enviro set. So buy some drought-tolerant plants, bushes and trees and consider installing buried soaker hoses and a timer for your watering system. If you already have an automated watering system, be sure to check that it’s properly working and isn’t watering your neighbour’s composte centre instead of your plants. Remember that ye olde sprinklers throw water into the warm, sunlit air, virtually guaranteeing that a large amount of that water will end up evaporating before it even hits the ground, so turn down the sprinkler as low as you can so that the water spends the least amount of time flying as possible. You’ll have to move it around more frequently, but you’ll get better coverage and use less water. This tip obviously doesn’t apply as much if you water at night.

In the old days, they heated up dirty tungsten filaments in a vacuum by running an electric current through it. The resistance in the filament caused so much friction and heat that it glowed enough to give off light. Crazy 20th Century fact.

3. Reducing your electricity consumption

Hey, it’s the 21st Century, excuse us all for naively assuming that electricity would be free by now. While nature practically throws magnetism and electricity around like girls throw their phone numbers at Justin Bieber, it’s still a lot of engineering and effort to get it to your house in a form suitable for firing up your high definition television and there are likely a LOT more people using a lot more devices in your town than there were even 20 years ago. Let’s just say then, that reducing electrical consumption will allow you to save it for splurging on using your high-speed blender or cooling down water in trays so that it forms “ice cubes”.

All joking aside, apparently there are still people who haven’t replaced all of their incandescents with ghostly CFL bulbs to greatly reduce heat generated and electrical consumption. If you must use “warm light” then consider some of the coloured LED laternatives, halogens and using a dimmer. Even if you have to add a skylight, bring in natural light wherever you can, as using a lamp during daylight hours will shrivel eco-conscious folks’ skin worse than a vampire at daybreak.

Look for Energy Star rated appliances. Upgrade old appliances to them. Apparently you will save tens of dollars a year in electricity. Use the money you saved to consider installing solar panels. They look cool and during those interminably dark winter days, they make great conversation pieces. The federal government will give you a tax break – and states and local municipalities often have their own programs, too but the real boos they’ll give you is when you want to turn up the A/C. If it helps you avoid brown outs and the dreaded utility-controlled “smart meter”.

Try to use radiant heat whenever possible, especially from the floor, as heat rises and if you’re feet are cold, your whole body feels cold (actually, there’s increasing evidence that keeping your feet warm can help ward off winter illness, this is being medically-studied, we’re not making this up). Space heaters can be major energy consumers and electrical baseboard heat can be really expensive; consider upgrading your heating system (and while we’re at it, insulate).

Vroom vroom screech ... beep beep beep beep... mjvwaaaaaaaaarrrmmmm *bang* *bang* beep beep beep beep beep vroom (repeat)

4. Reducing waste

If you’re like me, the night before garbage day is like playing “Tetris” with maggot-infested game pieces. See if you can Freecycle or donate unwanted items rather than throwing them away and it might help to reduce the number of garbage cans you use to one, just to force yourself to recycle.

Surprisingly, you probably might be impressed by recycled glass materials for tiles, countertops, and floors. Recycled aluminum and paper products are also available for various home uses in ways that won’t make you feel like a road side attraction. From the simple such as recycled tire door mats (likely the door mats, once recycled, become tires in an endless cycle) to the expensive, you’ll be able to feel good about your purchases because they look good and were designed well, not just because it’s saving a landfill. You can also build your deck from recycled plastic or composite materials – decks made of plastic tend to look more uniform and last longer.

Consider renewable resources such as bamboo or cork for flooring and cast-off shredded jean material for insulation; they’re materials that are relatively quickly and easily replaced and if enough people demand these products, the more large, mature trees abound, and that’s a good thing.

Visit flea markets and yard sales – or check out Freecycle and Craigslist – to find old materials – doors, lamps, etc. that you can re-use in your house.

Compost your organic waste.

So, there you go, something to think about and comment on!