A good contractor will take the time to thoroughly review your plans and get an understanding of what you're looking to achieve. Image: njaj

We all want a great result when we undertake a home improvement project. Much of that result depends on three important things:

 1)    good planning
2)    a well prepared budget
3)    good workmanship

We as home owners can control the first two, but we trust our contractor to do the rest.

Good workmanship not only creates a better end result; it also serves to reduce stress and improve the renovation experience.  Below are a few tried and tested rules of thumb to use when hiring a contractor in Ottawa or elsewhere in Canada. While these indicators don’t guarantee that you’ve found the next Mike Holmes, they will help guide you through your selection process.

Signs you have found a good contractor in Ottawa!

Ask people you know. Does this contractor have a good reputation in the industry?
You can ask friends and neighbours to recommend good contractors, but a more reliable source of referrals may actually be other people in the trades. For instance,  a roofer you have worked with in the past may know a great carpenter for your new deck project, or your electrician may know a good general contractor. Asking these people will only help your decision making process because by recommending another trade, this person is actually placing his name behind the other. As such, they will only recommend the best.

Ask for a Business card. Is he from Ottawa?
A tradesman or contractor who provides a physical address that is in your community is far less likely to disappear on you than someone whose true locale is hidden behind a post office box. If he has a website and some links to photos of recent work, even better.

Check References!  Is the list of references a kilometer long?
Even terrible contractors have had a few happy clients along the way. The longer the list of references, the less likely it’s rigged.

“Contact at least 3 recent references and ask a number of questions about the work that was completed prior to signing any contract,” says Jeff Parkes from Bidmyreno.com. You can also use bidmyreno.com ’s  system to research contractors in Ottawa at no cost, or you can also post a project for free after a quick free registration here: https://www.bidmyreno.com/register_client.php

Signs to Watch-Out!

He drives a rusted-out  F150.
Sure contractors aren’t necessarily rich, but if he’s driving a rust bucket, what does that say about the attention to detail or fiscal responsibility of the person driving it?

He doesn’t carry insurance.
If your contractor or tradesman isn’t insured then you may be on the hook for injuries on the jobsite and you don’t need this worry.

He wants Cash.
A contractor who wants cash may be cutting corners, may not offer a warranty, and will certainly not be providing you a receipt.   You’ll pay more in the end if the workmanship is poor and you have no proof of payment to turn to if there’s a problem down the road.

And remember, no matter who you choose to work with, always ask your contractor to apply for a building permit well in advance of construction start.

See also:
Hiring a Contractor: Advice from the CMHC 

Paying for your renovation the smart way!

HST – Will it cause market shrinkage?

Watch episodes of Holmes Inspection online or search all Free TV.

The lobby of Carleton University’s new River Building is now home to this vertical garden - bringing life to the space.

With spring in bloom, the aromas of flowers and freshly cut grass are beginning to permeate through the streets of Ottawa. These scents alone are enough to ignite a green thumb in all of us.

Vertical Gardens

Landscape design is constantly evolving; producing new, unconventional gardening schemes each season. In recent years plant life has ceased to exist exclusively on the horizontal plane, with gardens making their way onto the walls.

Looking to start a herb garden but lacking the counter space? Incorporating a living wall is a great way to grow fresh ingredients!

Where to incorporate a garden wall

Living walls can be adapted to suit any space – whether it is interior or exterior. Commercial buildings were first to use vertical gardens in lobbies and as parts of their facades. With the success of these living walls, designers have begun intergrading them into residential spaces. For instance, you could introduce a vertical garden onto a deck or patio, or you could bring the outdoors in by adding a living wall to your family room.

ELT Easy Green's Double Living Wall Kit provides the atmospheric bonuses of having plants indoors, without taking up valuable counter space.

Home Depot's vertical garden. For step-by-step instructions on how to build one yourself click here.

The Benefits

Aesthetically speaking, vertical gardens serve to brighten the space while adding texture and visual interest. Beyond this, garden walls improve air quality and provide heat and sound insulation.
 

Making your living room home to a living wall

This DIY project uses recycled pallets to create a custom living wall. Source.

The large vertical gardens used in commercial projects tend to be rather pricey due to their size, materiality and built-in irrigation systems. At a residential scale there are a number of affordable options available that allow you to incorporate garden walls into your home without breaking your budget.

Garden Wall Kits
One option is to buy and install prefabricated garden wall kits. ELT Easy Green located in Brantford, Ontario makes easy to install panels that can be ordered online.

DIY Projects
Another option is to create your own custom system. If you are looking for some inspiration, see Home depot’s step-by-step instructions for Building a Vertical Garden Wall, or check out Design Sponge’s guide to creating vertical gardens out of recycled pallets.

If you’re looking for a contractor for a home renovation click here to sign up at bidmyreno.com and post your project. Signing up and posting your renovations are free.

Related blogs:
Landscaping and the Indoor Environment
Bunkies & Pre-fab Cabins
Textiles as Art

The large glass wall of this contemporary home is protected from the sun by strategically placed trees and shrubs.

Our northern climate is known for its constant shifts in temperature. With the coming of spring, weather conditions in Ottawa and Gatineau have gone from unseasonal heat waves to snow falls and back again. These fluctuating temperatures can have a big impact on your home’s energy usage and bills. If you are looking to cut heating and cooling costs there are a few simple ways to naturally moderate the temperature of your home. 

Passive solar landscaping serves to moderate your home's temperature throughout the seasons. For more information check out Passive Solar Landscaping for Energy Efficiency

Passive Solar Landscaping
One of the easiest ways to mediate temperature shifts in your house is through landscape design. Strategically placing certain shrubs and trees on your property can minimize your energy consumption by welcoming sun into your home during the cold months and providing shade throughout the summer.

Optimizing the Sun’s Power
Successful passive solar landscaping all comes down to understanding solar movement. The sun brings a great deal of warmth and light into your home. The trick is to find a way to utilize the benefits of the sun without suffering from its strength.

Orientation
When creating a passive solar landscape design it is important to get a sense of orientation. If you are unsure of your home’s positioning, simply take out a compass and map out your house accordingly.

Understanding Solar Movement
As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the east side of your home is most exposed to the sun in the morning. The west-facing side is shaded in the morning – receiving sunlight in the evening. The southern façade of your home is most significant in passive solar design because it is exposed to the sun all day. This all means that the north side of your home is essentially free from direct sunlight.

How the sun influences efficient landscaping

Deciduous trees leaf out in the summer, providing shade to cool your space.

When it comes to passive solar landscaping deciduous trees are your best friends. This is because deciduous plants leaf out in the summer, serving to filter light into your home while providing a great deal of shade from the sun.  As the temperatures drop in fall and winter, these trees lose their foliage and allow more solar heat to warm your space.

The height, diameter and form of a species are all important features when choosing the best trees for your property. The shape of your home dictates what plant life will work best for you. For instance, if your house is several stories high then you will need to plant species known for their height.

To find a contractor or landscaping specialist for your renovation, simply post your project for free at bidmyreno.com.

Related Articles:
The Many Aspects of Landscaping
Tasteful Over Tacky Garden Decor
Accessorize your Patio

These textiles serve as artwork - adding a hint of style and interest to the room.

Fabric Panel Wall Art

One unconventional way to bring textiles into a room is by stretching fabric over frames. The supplies required are basic and easy to find: fabric, wooden frames (available in varying sizes at Wallack’s in Ottawa or Gatineau, Michaels or Ikea) and a staple gun. The method for creating a fabric panel is straightforward: stretch the fabric over the frame and staple it in place.

For step-by-step instructions on how to create your own fabric panels see http://www.stylisheve.com/how-to-redecorate-your-home-walls/

Choosing a print to match your personality

This versatile technique can suit any style. For a minimalist aesthetic choose solid colours stretched over uniform frames. If you are looking to make a bolder statement, opt for brightly coloured prints with frames of different dimensions.

The ability to easily replace the textile component in these wall hangings makes them very adaptable. The look of these pieces can be changed seasonally or to suit any occasion.

Feel like welcoming spring into your home? Framing fabrics can bring some seasonal colours and textures into your space.

Framed Squares

Another way to make textiles a focal point in your space is by framing them. In this option the decorative nature of the frame plays a significant role. The fabric can either stand-alone or it can be centered in matt board. If you don’t feel like tackling this project on your own you can bring your cloth into any framing shop such as Bank St Framing in Ottawa, and they will take care of it for you.

Selecting your fabrics

Whether you’re looking for patterned, solid or striped materials, Ottawa and Gatineau have some great fabric boutiques that will provide you with a varied selection. In addition to carrying different textures and prints, many of these shops also offer in-store sewing services, custom orders and design help.

A few fabric boutiques in Ottawa and Gatineau:

•  C&M Textiles located at the Emerald Plaza
• Rockland Textiles in Ottawa South
• Fabricville in Gatineau

See Also:

• Green Renovations That Meet Your Style & Budget http://bidmyreno.com/blog/green-renovations-that-meet-your-style-budget/
• Tasteful Over Tacky Garden Décor http://bidmyreno.com/blog/tasteful-over-tacky-garden-decor/
• Crown Molding and Other Architectural Details http://bidmyreno.com/blog/crown-molding-and-other-architectural-details/

Choosing the right finishing material for your floors can give you a fresh look.

Hardwood flooring is known to add value to your home. The warmth and elegance given off by this natural material makes it a desirable feature in almost any space. While hardwood is known for its durability, these floors tend to wear over the years. At times weathered flooring acquires a charming, rustic aesthetic, but in other cases it demands a bit of upkeep.

When doing an interior renovation, installing brand new floors can require a great deal of time, money and resources. By giving your existing hardwood floors a facelift, you can refresh your space without overextending your wallet. If you are unsure of whether or not your flooring is an ideal candidate you can check out HGTV’s guide to refinishing wood floors, or you can arrange a home visit from a contractor who will layout what options would work best with your floor type.

Restoration

If you are looking to simply restore the original look of your floors, the most common solution is to sand down the hardwood and apply a finish. The choice here is in your finishing material. The level of durability, shine and moisture resistance that you’d like to achieve plays a significant role in selecting the ideal material. To help give you some insight into your options there are many websites such as this http://www.hardwood-flooring-expert.com/hardwood-floor-finish.html, which provide a summary of each material.

Adding colour to your space from the ground up

Bored of your existing floors? If you’re looking to make a more dramatic change to the colour, hue or style of your hardwood there are endless options. To make a subtle change to the pigment of the wood, you can have it stained. Or, to go one step further, you can introduce a painted floor into your space.

This painted wood floor gives a crisp and bright feel to this contemporary space.

Painted Wood Floors

When it comes to painting hardwood, your floor becomes a blank canvas. In most designs, a solid coat of white paint is applied to wood floors. This option serves to brighten the space – providing you with a fresh look. As an added bonus, the wood grain is still visible through the paint, adding texture and dimension to your floor.

If you’re looking for even more variety you can have a pattern painted onto your floor. Stripes, checkerboards, paisley prints and decorative designs are some of the options available for adding a new level of intricacy to a room.

A painted wood floor gives this victorian themed room a rustic appeal.

For a step-by-step guide to creating a checkerboard pattern on your floors check out House and Home’s website

Painted wood floors can also serve as a substitute for area rugs. This design done by Alisa Burke shows off some creative ways to add colour and texture to your space.

How To

There are differing opinions on how to properly paint your hardwood flooring. Some sites suggest simply priming or applying polyurethane to a cleaned floor before you start to paint, while others insist on first sanding the floor. For a more thorough description of how to properly paint your floor check out Elle Décor’s step-by-step instructions.

For more information about refinishing hardwood floors and for general renovation tips in Ottawa see also:

• Advantage Floor Care http://advantageclean.com/
• That Old House http://bidmyreno.com/blog/that-old-house/
• Paying for your Renovation the Smart Way http://bidmyreno.com/blog/paying-for-your-renovation-the-smart-way/ 

This photo, care of Apartment Therapy, showcases how incorporating chandeliers into the bathroom can add some sparkle and glamour to your everyday routine.

Creating Atmosphere Through Lighting:

Selecting the perfect lighting for a home or office can be tricky.  The fixture you choose goes beyond simply illuminating a room; it serves to redefine the space. Considering this, deciding on the atmosphere you’d like to create in a space can simplify the hunt for that perfect light.

New forms of lighting are constantly coming onto the market, but it seems that a classic is breaking new ground: the chandelier. In the past, chandeliers have been reserved for dinning rooms and grand spaces, however they have recently started branching out into other parts of the home. Kitchens, bathrooms, offices and bedrooms have now become home to these fixtures – adding a level of grandeur to more modest spaces. With new material palettes, colours and styles emerging, there seems to be a chandelier designed to suit any space.

This Mercer Chandelier screams style and glamour. Its crystal swags and drops reflect light throughout the room, paying homage to Venetian traditions.

The Lavish Look:

The classic chandelier – with its decorative glass or crystal hangings, carries an elegant persona. The pendants serve to refract light – adding some sparkle to your space. This style of chandelier tends to be a bit pricy, but there are wallet-friendly ways to achieve the same look. A less expensive option is to look into secondhand fixtures. Thanks to Craigslist and Kijiji, scouting out flea market finds can now be done from home. If there are any parts that you would like to alter, you can find replacements on ebay or at http://chandelierparts.com/.

This antique bronze chandelier with silk shades is part of George Kovacs' Kimono collection. Its geometric form makes it simple and elegant.

Informal Options:

If opulence is not for you, than there are more reserved alternatives available. There are two key factors to keep in mind when trying to achieve a more relaxed atmosphere: form and materiality. When it comes to the form of your chandelier, choosing a minimalist shape with fewer arms and less decoration creates a more casual space. In terms of materiality, you can abandon the gold, silver or brass fixtures and look instead into chandeliers made of darker, more rustic metals or wood.

Installation:

On the logistical side of things, the two features to be aware of when choosing and hanging a chandelier are size and height. Low ceilings do not necessarily imply that chandeliers are out of the question in your space. As long as you are sure to allow adequate head clearance below and around your fixture, a pendent light might be just what your room is asking for.

A great resource for those of you who might be struggling with the sizing or installation of a chandelier is Living Lighting Ottawa’s guide to determining diameter and height.

Faux Chandeliers:

If you love the look of chandeliers but hanging one is simply not possible in your space, there are a number of purely decorative options available. Designers have recently come out with lightweight faux chandeliers that can be easily hung just about anywhere. Or, if head clearance is your main concern, then you can achieve a similar aesthetic with chandelier themed stencils or wall decals.

Need a decorative piece to hang above your table? This lightweight faux chandelier from Pottery Barn Teen might be just what you're looking for!

Cutting Edge Stencils allows you to bring a chandelier into your room without worrying about head clearance.

See Also:

• Fun Fixtures for Inside Your House http://bidmyreno.com/blog/fun-fixtures-for-inside-your-house/ 

With environmental concerns becoming increasingly present in the media, one more disadvantage of carpeting has recently made it into the headlines. This point relates to the contaminants and toxins contained within the carpeting itself. As most carpets are made up of synthetic materials, they can be detrimental to a home’s indoor air quality by emitting VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

But alas, for every problem associated with standard synthetic carpeting there is a solution!

Mohawk, Smartstrand - Renuably Sourced Carpet

Natural Fibers

In combating the synthetic nature of most carpets, there are a number of varieties available that are made from natural fibers such as wool, hemp or nylon. These materials tend to be renewable, recyclable and biodegradable – scoring some green points for your home. If it’s indoor air quality that you are most worried about, simply make sure that the product you’ve selected has met the Green Label certification done by the Carpet and Rug Institute. To further avoid airborne contaminants, it’s also important to ensure that the backing and adhesives used during installation do not contain any harmful toxins.

Carpet Tiles

The Arabesque print from Interface's FLOR collection adds some colour to this room while making it feel more cozy.

Another way to eliminate some of the drawbacks of carpeting is through the use of carpet tiles. These tiles are easy to install and replace – making the threat of permanent stains less daunting. As an added bonus, you are free to customize your floor by designing patterns for the layout of the carpet tiles. Interface, a company known for its sustainable initiatives, has developed an expansive collection of carpet tiles. Through their interactive website you are able to lay out different flooring designs and see how they would work in your space.

Area Rugs

This modern area rug is a great way to add warmth and texture to a contemporary space

One more alternative to typical wall-to-wall carpeting is by adding area rugs to a space. This option allows you to isolate areas where carpet is most desirable without entirely eliminating other types of flooring. As well, since installation is quick and easy, you have the ability to change the look of your space more freely. With so many colours, shapes and sizes to choose from, area rugs give you the chance to individualize your space.

See also:

• Spring Bedrooms http://bidmyreno.com/blog/spring-bedrooms-2/
• Kitchen Counter-tops: Granite and More http://bidmyreno.com/blog/more-to-talk-about-than-granite/

The Nasa Blue Marble showing us something worth celebrating! Image by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

April 22nd marks our forty-second annual international Earth Day. Since it began in 1970, Earth Day gradually evolved to become Earth Week and now Earth Month.

Think Globally, Act Locally:
Canada is currently one of 192 countries that have joined the Earth Day Network, which works to raise awareness about our natural assets and ecological concerns. To up our nation’s involvement in the network, Earth Day Canada was set in place. This NGO’s goal is to inspire a sense of environmental responsibility in people of all ages.

At a smaller scale, communities around the world and throughout Canada have organized shows, exhibits, lectures and events in celebration of Earth Month. Since bidmyreno.com works out of Ottawa we thought we’d give you a short guide to the festivities happening around the Ottawa and Gatineau regions.

Museum of Nature:
Earth Month at Ottawa’s Museum of Nature began on April 1st and will continue until April 30th. During this time the museum will be hosting forums and exhibits. On Sunday, April 22nd the museum’s doors will be left open to visitors as they offer free admission to the exhibits.

The Museum of Nature is also home to the Environmental Film Festival, running between April 18th and the 21st. Each night features a guest speaker and a film selected from Toronto’s Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival.

Eco Expo: Ottawa’s Healthy Living Show:
On Saturday April 21st and Sunday April 22nd Ottawa’s RA Centre will be hosting the Eco Expo. With an extensive presentation series, exhibits and a Children’s Fun Zone, this showcase is designed to suit all ages. As an added bonus, Habitat for Humanity will have a station set up in the parking lot to collect and recycle any electronic waste you may have around the house.

Walk for Water:

On April 22nd Aveda will be hosting I Walk For Water starting at the Cartier Square Drill Hall

On Sunday, April 22nd Aveda will be bringing I Walk For Water to the streets of Ottawa. This 6 km walk is an annual fundraiser whose goal is to improve access to drinking water in developing African communities. Due to a lack of wells, pumps and irrigation systems, only 4% of Africa’s renewable water is presently being used. I Walk for Water strives to provide the technology needed to better access this vital natural resource.

Beyond Earth Month:
While many events focused on environmental awareness are concentrated in April, concern for our planet does not end there. The EDC (Earth Day Canada) network runs all year long, offering informative bogs, press releases, and event listings.

For the younger demographics they have developed the Ecokids program, designed for elementary school students. This program provides information about environmental issues along with games and activities, homework help, and tips for simple, sustainable solutions.

Related Articles:

• Reducing Electricity Consumption and Increasing Air Quality with Geothermal Pumps, http://bidmyreno.com/blog/reducing-electricity-consumption-and-increasing-air-quality-with-geothermal-heat-pumps/
• “Green” Tips for the Reluctant, http://bidmyreno.com/blog/green-tips-for-the-reluctant/

We are featuring spring green bedrooms today, but this great website offers ideas for any taste.   Happy Renovating and Decorating!

Traditional Green Bedroom

In the master bedroom of this Palm Beach home by designer Allison Paladino, a bed from Drexel Heritage’s Postobello collection and nightstands by Thomas Pheasant for Baker are “rich and elegant” against walls painted Benjamin Moore’s Mesquite. Settee is covered in Cowtan & Tout’s Trailing Leaf Linen.

A Bedroom with Spring Greens

This bedroom by designer Stephen Shubel is the very essence of spring: birds, flowers, and even Sherwin-Williams’s Springtime paint on the walls. Bedding and throw pillow fabric by Pine Cone Hill.

The Great Outdoors

For a Florida bedroom, designer Jennifer Garrigues set off Poter Paints’ Parsley Tint 6998-1 with Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White 967 on the trim. “This pale aqua green is like the ocean when it’s so clear you can see the sand through the water. It reminds me of holidays and sunshine and how calm you feel when you sit on the shore and watch the waves breaking,” she says.

"ICE SALT" - the ideal ingredient for hot tub margaritas.

Well, it’s official, it’s midwinter in Canada! Our driveways and sidewalks are caked in frozen snow and ice and of course SALT! Thanks to the salt stains on my shoes and the inevitable return trip to Canadian Tire for some de-icing salt for my own use, I thought that I’d do a little research on how best to apply de-icing salts (or Road Salts) in and around the house. And I am reminded about a long conversation that I had with an “expert” on road salts from a few years ago.

The conversation went something like this:

“Well do you know what’s in that stuff?  There’s an anti-caking mixture in every bag that once dried in the spring is a terrible carcinogenic (ie. Cancer causing)”.

The “expert’s” theory is that certain Cancer rates are higher wherever road salts are used more intensely. But we all need to keep our postal workers safe on our property, and our roads free of black ice, so with this in mind, here are two articles for our readers.

The first article offers tips on how to safely remove ice around your property using salts or plant fertilizers.  The Second article questions the safety of road salts use (similar to my ”expert’s” opinion) .  We offer no opinion one way of the other but it is important to know that some people are concerned about road salt.

1.  De-Icing Slippery Walks, by Ruth S. Foster

What are the choices?
There are two main ways. One is to melt ice down to bare surfaces. The other is to cover the ice with something gritty or not slippery. When ice builds up thicker and thicker, it takes a lot of time until it melts all the way down, so ideally one should try to keep it under control.

Melting is done with soluble salts which lower the freezing point of water. If it can’t freeze, it stays liquid and non-slippery, then evaporates when the air is clear.  The common salts are Sodium Chloride which is table salt, and Calcium Chloride because both of these have freezing points well below that of water. Plain water freezes at 0° C, while sodium chloride’s minimal freezing temperature is minus -29°C and calcium chloride’s is minus -48°C. The more salt, the lower the freezing temperature will be.

Calcium Chloride is less damaging to plants but costs considerably more than table salt. Cost may be an important factor if one is doing a huge area, but it doesn’t add up to much more for home use. Calcium Chloride is better at lower temperatures, while Sodium Chloride is generally used when it isn’t so cold. During storage, both absorb water from the air and can cake, especially the calcium. Occasionally potassium chloride is also used, too.

Other Salts suggested for home use which are better for grass and plants are fertilizers such as urea and 5-l0-5. Both are more expensive than calcium chloride, and urea is also much kinder to metals and concrete.

In one test, urea and sodium chloride were compared at the rate of l pound per l0 square feet. The urea worked well at just around freezing, while the sodium chloride was much more effective when the temperature was several degrees below.

One Important Thing in controlling ice is to shovel the walks as bare as possible. Then less salt will be needed to melt down the thin layer that’s left.

Gritty Substances, Like Sand, Ashes, and Kitty Litter form an abrasive surface which helps prevent slipping. The problem is that they freeze into the next snow or icy rain, and make a thicker layer. Ashes, being dark, absorb heat in sunlight and so hasten melting. They also have some salts which dissolve and lower the freezing point a little but not as much as sodium or calcium chloride. Kitty litter also has some salts which help it a bit.

Tracking These into the House All of these substances, both salts and abrasives, are carried indoors on shoes which ruin nice hardwood floors and carpets. Ashes and kitty litter are particularly bad so you may want to have an inside doormat . The Japanese give guests house slippers to protect their straw floor mats.

Environmental Landscaping Planning is useful, for it can reduce ice buildup, and the need for so much salt and shoveling . The winter sun melts ice, especially over dark surfaces. That is why blacktop is the preferred driveway surface in northern areas. If bushes or trees on the south side of paths or driveways block the sun, it may be worth cutting them low, or removing them to let the sunlight warm slippery places. Remember that the sun is very low in winter, so check it’s actual height at 9 AM first before you cut anything down. (The winter sun is warm only between 9 AM and 3 PM.) Sometimes just removing lower branches of trees will let the low sunlight through underneath instead of cutting them down entirely.

(The above article can be found at the following link: http://www.mothersgarden.net/content/0133_DeIcingSalts.html )

Now for one brief look at one man’s work on the subject of common road salts, health and safety etc…

2. Is Road Salt a Major Carcinogen? by Harold D. Foster, PhD
Since 1970, highway agencies in the United States have applied about 10 million tons of road salt each winter. Canadians also put down some 5 million tons annually. Sodium chloride is by far the most popular of the de-icers since it is inexpensive, reliable and easy to store and apply. Nevertheless, it causes enormous infrastructural and environmental damage.
To illustrate, its use is reducing water quality in many aquifers and lakes, killing roadside vegetation and wildlife and damaging soils, road surfaces, bridges, parking garages and automobiles. In the United States, it has been estimated that the annual road salt cost for motor vehicle and infrastructural damage is between $3.5 to $7 billion. These estimates do not include the costs of environmental damage to soil, vegetation or surface and groundwater.

There may, however, be an even more dangerous consequence of adding road salt to highways. In 1986, this author explored correlations between USA mortality from 66 cancers and groups of cancers and 219 environmental variables. In “Reducing Cancer Mortality: A Geographical Perspective”, we argued that these correlations were suggestive of potential protective effects by soil selenium and calcium and demonstrated elevated cancer mortality in states where soils contained high levels of mercury or where road salt was widely used. Subsequent clinical and/or field trials appear to have proved beyond reasonable doubt that selenium and calcium are protective against a wide variety of cancers. Mercury is a selenium antagonist, reacting with it to form insoluble mercury selenide that does not pass into the food chain. If, as the evidence strongly suggests, selenium is protective against cancer, mercury must promote it. This leaves road salt as the only potential major environmental carcinogen identified by this author for which the evidence is still inconclusive. Nevertheless, the geographical data and analyses currently available suggests that road salt may be associated with elevated mortality from cancers of the breast, lung, esophagus, throat, larynx, large intestine, rectum and bladder. It is impossible to apply the Bradford-Hill criteria to these apparent associations since, despite the fact it is so widely used, there is virtually no available literature on the health impacts of road salt. Cause and effect relationships, therefore, cannot be established without further study.

Canadians put down about 5 million tons of road salt annually.

How likely is it that road salt use increases cancer mortality? Environment Canada has evaluated the toxicity of a wide variety of sources of storm water and has established that the most damaging is run-off from de-iced, multi-lane divided highways with traffic densities over 100,000 vehicles per day. This is thought to be due to the quick contaminant release during snowmelt, the enhanced mobility of heavy metals caused by road salt and the presence of elevated concentrations of this de-icing agent itself. Most road salt contains sodium ferrocyanide as an anti-caking and corrosion inhibitor. Under acidic conditions, in the presence of strong sunlight, this compound is known to break down, generating toxic cyanide forms, including hydrogen cyanide. These toxins appear to have caused serious fish kills as the result of sodium ferrocyanide’s use by the BC Ministry of Forests in fire retardants. Recent animal studies also have shown chronic cyanide exposure may be deleterious to liver and kidney functions and causes both time- and dose-dependent DNA fragmentation, accompanied by cytotoxicity. Hydrogen cyanide in cigarette smoke also is known to be cilia toxic, and may act as a pacemaker for the action of some carcinogens, such as aromatic hydrocarbons.
Are you sure you want to inhale wind-blown road salt or drink water polluted by it?

(The above article can be found at the following link: http://www.elements.nb.ca/theme/transportation/salt/salt.htm)

Well Harold, you make some very interesting points.

So what should we do to de-ice around our homes?

Maybe we’ll listen to both Harold and Ruth and use a gritty sand (or pea stone) for traction and plant fertilizers for ice melting during this slippery time of year.  Happy de-icing everyone!

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!

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.