Toronto Renovation Stories & Expert Advice

Interior Design Show 2008

The Interior Design Show is on this weekend (February 23 and 24th, 2008) at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition place. If you’re looking for some inspiring decor ideas or just interested in the current trends in home interiors head on down and take a look.
For more information, click on the link below:

http://www.interiordesignshow.com/2008/

Labels: IDS 2008

Posted by Cathy
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drywall horrors

Last summer we moved into a brand spanking new house. Until now, all of the houses we've lived in have been a minimum of 50 years old. In fact I got very used to hearing "wow, I've never seen plumbing/electrical work/heating and cooling systems like this," from the tradespeople. I was looking forward to a new home with all the modern conveniences including insulation, Energy Star appliances, high efficiency furnace and water saving toilets....I dream big, don't I?

After being comfortably settled into our new home for a few months, our contractor told us that some of the drywall needed attention. Apparently that bump in our stairwell wall wasn't exactly normal; drywall homes have straight walls. I was used to plaster walls which are often curved and bumpy, so I just thought it was normal. As the dry wall contractor showed me all the deficiencies the last team (now a defunct business) had left, the pit in my stomach grew. I knew that "nail pops" were a normal part of new build or addition (part of the "settling" that occurs once you're living in a house), but I had overlooked the taping ripples in the corners, the gouges in the skim coat and the evident joins between pieces of drywall in the ceiling (one ceiling was so bad they had to redrywall over it to get it smooth).

Now, if you're like me, you might be asking yourself why does it matter if gouges or tape ripples are showing? I could barely see them until they were pointed out to me. But it turns out that once you paint and it has even a touch of gloss in it or apply any colour darker than white, the deficiencies in the drywall become a beacon of poor workmanship. So we agreed to live through the dust and the inconvenience and have the walls redone -- at the builder's expense.

It took four weeks and we ended up moving out for ten days, but when it was over the walls really did look good...nice and straight and smooth. But it was a hassle for everyone.

Our "Hindsight" lesson:

We had decided not to do a home inspection before we'd moved in given that it was a new house. That was a mistake. An inspector would have caught this problem and the builder would have been able to fix it before we moved in instead of us having to live through it and their having to work around us and our furniture. My advice to you is even if you've bought a new home and you have a preinspection set up with the builder before you move in, hire an independent inspector and get a second opinion. It could save both of you a lot of headaches in the long run.

Labels: drywall, home inspections

Posted by Cathy
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Contractor a no-show?

I received a call from Stanley Funes at the City of Toronto Licensing Department the other day. He'd come across our site and told me it was great and long overdue (hey, we think so too!). It turns out, there is a complaints department at the city for delinquent contractors in the remodelling, heating and plumbing businesses -- unfortunately the department is not as well known as it should be (I tried to look it up online without success). People only hear about the department through word of mouth.

If you're having problems getting your contractor to finish a job, there is recourse before taking him to court. The City of Toronto complaints department acts as a mediator between licensed contractors and clients, usually with a successful outcome. Stanley did tell me, however, that in cases where the gap between the contractor and client is too wide to bridge (usually over $10,000 in dispute), litigation tends to be the next step. Since the city has the ability to revoke a contractor's license if necessary, the contractor is motivated to negotiate with the client.

In the event that the contractor isn't licensed, the contractor will receive a fine from the city, and you, as the injured party will have done your job exposing them. I'm not sure how much more you will get out of them without pursuing legal action. However, writing a review on Homestars will help others avoid this contractor in the future.

The phone number for the complaints department at the City of Toronto is: 416-392-6148.
They handle complaints for licensed remodelling, heating and cooling and plumbing contractors.
In this case, "complaints" is defined as contractors not adhering to City of Toronto by-laws.

Labels: City of Toronto complaints department, general contractors

Posted by Cathy
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Carbon monoxide detectors also detect paint fumes -- BIG time!

Last winter, in preparation for putting our house on the market, we recognized that a few things needed some updating -- the first of which was the "Wayne's World" knotty pine wood panelling in the basement. The painters suggested I use a special primer which prevents knots from showing through the paint which I thought was a good idea since we were painting the room white.

What the painters failed to mention was that the primer stinks to high heaven, and the basement wasn't exactly a well ventilated area (one small window and that was it). At the end of the first day of painting, the kids and I came home and felt like we'd just walked into some sort of chemical factory. About five minutes after the painters had left for the day (naturally) there was this long, hysterical, high-pitched, beeeeeeep coming from the basement. So I traced it -- right to the carbon monoxide detector.

That very afternoon I had also had some work done to the furnace. Had the furnace guys accidentally caused some sort of leak?

No, in fact, that wasn't the problem at all. I called the gas company who said it was probably the paint fumes. They asked me if I was experiencing any symptoms such as nausea or headaches. Well of course I was, I had a splitting headache, but I knew it had nothing to do with carbon monoxide and everything to do with those vicious paint fumes, and high-pitched beep wasn't helping matters any. However, the minute you admit to experiencing any symptoms, the fire department is obligated to come and take a look. So, less than ten minutes later a firetruck with sirens blaring and three enormous firemen show up at my house. They go to the basement, wave their special CO detector around, tell me the CO levels are non-existent but the paint fumes are something else.

So here was an important lesson for me: it turns out that all kinds of strong fumes can set off a CO detector, not just carbon monoxide. To make me feel better they told me I wasn't the first house they'd visited that day for CO detectors going off. They also told me if a detector ever goes off and you're not sure why, unplug it, stick outside for 15 minutes to clear it out. If, when you've plugged it back into the same spot it goes off again, the fumes are still there, and you should call your gas company or the fire department and tell them about it.

I was a little embarrassed at having wasted the fire department's time, but the guys told me it wasn't a waste and that I did the right thing by calling them. So if you're painting close to a carbon monoxide detector, you might want to think about putting a fan in the room and opening the windows to get some proper ventilation in there. I guess that's why most people paint in the summer (d'oh!).

Labels: Carbon monoxide detectors, paint fumes

Posted by Cathy
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DIY Gone Wrong

I am a lover of Do It Yourself projects. Anything that will save me a few extra dollars has my attention. The only thing is, I keep forgetting that those people on TV have years of training under their belt and that's why they make whatever they're doing look so easy. Take home improvement for example; last year we had our bathroom painted. Now, I know what you're thinking: you're thinking that if I'm such a fan of saving a few dollars why didn't I just paint the bathroom myself? The answer is because it was the ugly old gray ceramic tile (rusted and stained in places) and I knew at least that that was one job I couldn't handle. Anyway, in order to save myself an hour on the painter's clock I removed the pedestal sink and toilet tank myself. Ha! That wasn't so hard, I thought. Bob Vila, eat your heart out!

Putting the sink and toilet back, however, was another story. When I was reattaching the water pipes to the toilet tank, I had a little trouble with the 50 year old tap that fed into the toilet. It wouldn't budge without a monkey wrench. So I used one and it moved, really, really easily, until, poof! It broke off. So I stood there with a monkey wrench clamping a tap realizing with that sinking feeling I couldn't turn the main water supply on until it was fixed. Do you think I learned? Of course not. I actually attempted to fix it myself with the sage counsel of our local hardware salesman. I won't go into the details, except to say that eventually some welding was required and I didn't think my creme brule torch would do the trick.

DIY is great, until you realize you that there's a reason for those licensed contractors. I needed a plumber - and fast! I found one on HomeStars (naturally) who was able to come that day. Needless to say, he knew what he was doing and the water was back on three hours later. Whew!

What's your "DIY Gone Wrong" story? How far did you let things get before throwing in the towel and calling a professional? We all have these stories. Write a review and title it "DIY Gone Wrong." The top 3 stories will be published in next month's newsletter, and the top 10 stories published on the Toronto and Boston Blogs. From comic to tragic, we all have our DIY Gone Wrong stories, so share yours now!

Write a review.

Labels: DIY gone wrong, painting, plumbers

Posted by Cathy
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Improving Your Home's Energy Efficiency - Part 2

Insulating your home:

So, you've had your home energy audit (see previous post), and found out you need to insulate. Oh, if only it were as simple as calling up your local insulation company and blowing some cellulose into the attic! Yes, that will help, and of course we have a directory full of insulation companies that will assist you in your quest for winter warmth and summer cool. But, it's a bit more complicated than that. It turns out that insulation works in conjunction with three other components in your "building envelope."

Specifically, the four factors that affect how warm and cozy you are in the winter are:

• Insulation
• air infiltration
• moisture and
• ventilation

Because each component affects the others as they are modified, a contractor should take what is known as "the whole house approach" when insulating a home. For instance, if, after a home become has been insulated and air leaks have been plugged, the home could be too tight, producing poor indoor air quality - like those "sick buildings" that were common in the '70s and '80s. If this happens, mechanical ventilation will need to be added.

Familiarize yourself with the different types of insulation available and which one would work for the areas that need it. You can do this by talking to the insulation professionals, but having a smidgeon of knowledge ahead of time will help the whole process go faster.

There are three common types of insulation:

• fiberglass,
• cellulose and
• sprayfoam

(There are other types, such as mineral wool and denim scraps, but the above are by far and away the most common.)

There are four different forms of insulation:

• bats or rolls,
• loose fill,
• rigid board and
• spray foam.

Insulating your home is not your typical do-it-yourself project. Licensed technicians have the equipment and knowledge on how to install the insulation and understand how it affects your home. They will also be aware of moisture issues, air and vapor barriers and how to install them along with the insulation.

Grants for insulation: Both the Canadian federal and provincial governments have rebate programs available. Be aware that the grants are only valid if you've done an energy audit before you've done the work. Below is a link to the ecoAction website which explains how much you'll get back depending on the work you do.

http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/retrofit-qualify-grant.cfm?attr=4#eligible

Labels: ecoaction grants, energy audits, home insulation

Posted by Cathy
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Improving Your Home's Energy Efficiency - Part 1

Home Energy Efficiency:

According to meteorologists, this winter was supposed to be the coldest in 15 years. While December was certainly the snowiest I've seen in awhile, I wouldn't exactly say it's been bitterly cold out there (okay, so as I'm writing this it's -10 and with the windchill it's -18 so what do I know?). However, with all our temperature ups and downs, and we humans being the root cause of them (not really disputed by many anymore), not to mention oil hitting the magic $100/barrel mark, one thing you can do for wallet and the planet is increase your home's energy efficiency. As gas and electricity prices continue to rise, making your home use less electricity and gas all around is a sensible thing to do.

Where to start?

Your home is freezing in the winter and boiling in the summer. You can hold a Kleenex in the air and watch the breeze push it away from the window. You know you need insulation, drafts caulked, and windows replaced, but you're not exactly sure how to go about it.

A home energy audit will help you determine where the drafts are coming from and what areas of your home are lacking in insulation. It will also identify other energy wasters such as your furnace's efficiency, old appliances and whether they need replacing and how well your windows are holding up. However, in order to qualify for an "EcoAction" grant (that's the Federal grant program) for your home improvement projects, you need to have an energy audit performed by a federally approved and licensed agency. Not sure where to find one? Funny you should ask! We have a list of federally approved energy auditors in our directory. Already had an energy audit done? Share your story and help out those who are just venturing into theirs.

For more information on the EcoAction grant and qualifications go to:
http://www.ecoaction.gc.ca/ecoenergy-ecoenergie/retrofithomes-renovationmaisons-eng.cfm

Labels: energy audits, energy efficiency, retrofit grants

Posted by Cathy
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Useful Links for Home Renovation

Renovation Research Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation - For Consumers An indispensable resource for your home needs whether purchasing or renovating. It contains advice on improving energy efficiency, financing your renovation, and hiring your contractor.

Canadian Home Builders Association Provides information on factors to consider when designing the kitchen. Fantastic worksheets to prepare you for the renovation ( see: "Resource Centre" in the Index ).

Plumbing Mart Detailed kitchen checklist as well as construction and contractor tips along the way. See especially the link "planning to renovate your kitchen".

Rona Has an excellent planning guide to help you with your kitchen renovation as well as an article on standard measurements for cabinets and appliances.

The Office of Energy Efficiency Government of Canada Information on how to obtain energy efficiency grants, how to improve the energy efficiency of your house, and Energy Star appliances.

Rescue My Home Excellent information on measurements for planning your kitchen.

This Old House Great articles on kitchen design and function. Green Products Urban Tree Salvage A local "eco-flooring" company that offers hard maple and soft maple floors from old Toronto city trees. The Office of Energy Efficiency Government of Canada Lists all the qualified Energy Star appliances in Canada. Greenfloors.com A US-based site, with great information on renewable flooring products ( most products like cork, bamboo and linoleum available in Toronto, but just not in one specialized store ). Silkroadflooring.com Sells bamboo flooring. Our favorite websites for planning: www.moneysense.ca Things to consider when budgeting for your renovation. Canadian Home Builders Association Tips on hiring a renovator. City of Toronto City of Toronto website, when and how to apply for building permits. Holmes on Homes Mike Holmes' tips on hiring contractors and when to get building permits. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation - For Consumers Information on hiring a contractor. Ontario Association of Architects Information ( including duties and fee structures ) on hiring an architect in Ontario. Fixtures About.com, Interior Decorating Factors to consider when looking at kitchen cabinets. BobVilla.com The basics on the three different kinds of cabinets. Kitchens.com A great overview of the different kinds of countertops available. Note, this is an American site. FranklinReport.com A great website for hiring professionals in home renovation, but it is specific to cities in the US. However, it gives a good overview of the different types of stone and tile, millwork and cabinetry, available and information on what to look for in a good installer. Kitchens.com A great overview of many different types of flooring and what to consider in choosing it. Lowes.com US-based website, buying guide for faucets. Consumer Reports If you are a subscriber to consumer reports it's a great way to narrow down the choice of appliances. Whether or not you are a subscriber, there are good articles on how to choose a new appliance. HomePortfolio.com Look in the kitchen section for information on sinks, faucets, cabinets, appliances and countertops. Construction HomeTime.com Great overview on demolition and framing of a new kitchen. The Office of Energy Efficiency Government of Canada Lists the different types of insulation and how and when they're used. Services Our favourite websites: The Office of Energy Efficiency Government of Canada Information on the different types of heating systems. Includes how a renovation affects heating system. The Office of Energy Efficiency Government of Canada Information on different types of cooling systems. Includes how a renovation affects the air conditioning system. HomePortfolio.com Information on different types of lighting, and new products on the market. US-based site. The Franklin Report A US-based site, but great tips on hiring an electrician. How your House Works by HomeTips.com A good diagram of the pipes ( and what they're for ) under the kitchen sink. Finishes Our favourite websites: Benjamin Moore All about types of paint and colour. Kitchens.com Different types of mouldings and trim. Kitchens.com Different available wall coverings from tile to pressed tin.

Labels: Links

Posted by Nancy Peterson
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6 lessons on hiring a contractor as determined by YOU

Everywhere you look these days there's an article on how to hire a contractor. While the available information is essential reading before you embark on your renovation adventure, we thought, "what the heck, let's give our advice too!" Only here's the thing...it's not our advice, it's yours, based on your experiences working with contractors, day in, day out, often for months, even (heaven help those of you in this situation) years! But, you've been there, done it and come out the other side and many of you have kindly shared your stories with us.


So we've gone through all your reviews on general contractors to find out just what it is that makes a good contractor and we've boiled it down to six essential points:



1. "On time, on budget." When reviewers have been happy with a job, one of the first things they mention is that the job was on time and on budget. Some contractors have been able to come in "under time, under budget" which is almost unheard of in this day and age.


2. "A pleasure to work with." Getting along with your contractor is a key to success of the project. You are talking to him on a daily basis so you'd better like and trust him -- and vice versa. If you don't think that's going to happen, no matter how far his reputation has carried him, it's best to find someone else.


3. "He's more expensive but the quality is worth it." People will pay more for exceptional quality.


4. "A great problem solver." Getting through a renovation without any unexpected problems is almost the same as winning the lottery: sure it can happen, but it's only a one in a million chance. The bigger point is, how does the contractor handle a problem when it arises? Is he proactive? Does he seek your input, does he offer several different solutions.


5. "Excellent subtrades." You can always tell a good contractor by the company he keeps. In this case, if the subtrades he brings in are experienced, on-time and as professional as your contractor, you know you are in good hands.


6. "Service, service, service." Follow-up service after the job was completed is always a winner. It is clear from the reviews we've read that reviewers were skeptical, and therefore pleasantly surprised, that a contractor would come back and fix anything that had shifted with time or was broken and still under waranty.

Labels: general contractors

Posted by Cathy
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Prepping a house for sale

In this day and age where image is everything, getting your house ready to sell is more work than actually moving. No longer is a simple clean up job going to do the trick. Now people get rid of furniture and knick-knacks, repaint, and hire a "stager" to make their house look magazine perfect. How much you do to sell your home really depends on the amount of time and money you can realistically invest in getting it ready. In a perfect world we'd all like to be able to stick the "for sale" sign in the lawn the day we've decided it's time to move on, but if you're like me, life usually gets in the way and the little things like a broken door knob or a loose stone in the walkway get ignored. While you may have learned to live with your home's quirks, prospective buyers don't have any interest in them.



If you are thinking of selling, there are certain steps you need to take before you can put that "for sale" sign in the lawn. See below for a list of suggestions and links to HomeStars categories for businesses who can help you cross "to do's" off your list.



1. Repair anything that's broken or not to code. Call in plumbers, electricians, and furnace specialists to fix leaky toilets and taps, light switches and furnace or air conditioning problems you might have. Fix doors and windows that may have been painted shut. Contact a stone mason to repair loose or missing stones in your walkway.



2. Paint. How are your walls holding up? Are there scuffs marks or little hand prints all over the place? Did your cranberry dining room actually turn out raspberry and you never bothered to change it? Now is the time to give your house a fresh look. Paint is the most cost effective way of improving your home's appearance. If you're doing the job yourself, take fabric swatches into your local paint store for colour advice. If you can't spare the time, hire a painter and ask for their advice on colour. But remember, a neutral colour scheme is best and attracts the widest audience.



3. Declutter. Less furniture and knick-knacks add up to a more spacious feel in a room -- that also goes for the basement and storage closets. If you're not sure what to do, hire an organizer. Book a storage locker or hire a portable storage container (the container is dropped off at your door and picked up when you've filled it), sell anything that's too good for a garage sale via newspaper classifieds, consignment shops, craigslist, ebay or other on-line auction houses. Give away goods and clothes to rummage sales, Goodwill or other community reuse centres. For junk that is truly unuseable use a junk hauling company or a moving company to take your stuff to the dump. Hold a garage sale if it's during prime season (spring or fall), but don't expect to price your items too high, garage sales are really more about getting the stuff out of your house than making money.



4. Clean, clean, clean. Now you can clean your house from top to bottom, including the basement and the attic if they have usuable space. Hire a cleaner if you're worn out from all the prep work so far. Don't forget about getting carpets cleaned, windows washed and the garden spruced up. The outside of the house reflects the inside and should be as impeccable as indoors.



5. Hire a stager. Depending on what your goals are, how much time and money you are willing to invest and what the maximum return will be on your house will help you determine whether or not you need a stager. If you're unsure, ask your real estate agent. An agent will advise you as to whether it's necessary depending on factors such as your neighbourhood, your target market, and the current state of your home.



So, you've finished prepping your home, the open house is coming up, you're completely exhausted and frazzled from all the work you've done. If you can in any way swing it, take a mini holiday or go stay with your parents or other kind-hearted souls for a few days -- especially if you have kids. Imagine trying to keep your now picture perfect home clean and tidy with your little darlings under your feet. Being out of the picture will take an enormous stress off of you and the family.

Labels: electricians, plumbers, preparing a house for sale

Posted by Cathy
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Home Shows are a useful tool when planning a renovation

Finally Spring is here. The snowdrops have bloomed and next will be crocuses and grape hyacinths. I love this time of year -- except for the mud, I could definitely do without the mud. But other than that I love Spring. Spring also means the National Home Show (April 13-22, 2007). Home shows are a great way to seek out a lot of information in a short amount of time. The exhibitors are more than willing to answer your home renovating and decorating questions and tell you about the latest and greatest new products on the market. The last home show I went to I discovered a few neat products and companies I'd love to share with you.

Aya Kitchens and Baths. I am a sucker for anything environmentally responsible that's also good looking and Aya has captured both qualities in their new "green design" cabinetry. Their new line is formaldehyde-free while the cabinets are made out of 100% recycled and recovered particle board. Aya has reduced its waste by cutting the cabinets in such a way that minimizes off-cuts and has achieved a 55% waste reduction in 2006 alone. We have one review on Aya Kitchens, so far. If anyone else would like to post a review, we'd love to hear from you.

Roche Bobois, an upscale French furniture store, opened a store in Toronto a few years ago. It launched its "eco" line of furniture, which not only is made primarily from Burgundy oak, "a sustainable species of oak grown in certified forests," but the designs themselves reflect the connection between man and nature.

Be the first to review Roche Bobois and let other readers know what you think of this store.





An interesting exhibit was the National Home Comfort Centre. As well as offering traditional gas and wood fireplaces, the company offers an "eco smart" fireplace. It's a fireplace that can be installed anywhere, including as a coffee table insert or a room divider (see photo, right). It doesn't need a venting system and uses denatured ethanol which burns cleanly and efficiently.


Be the first to review National Home Comfort Centre.




Chair Source had a fun exhibit, using the same "Louis XIV" chair upholstered in different and funky fabrics. They had a selection of modern chairs and tables as well all upholstered in bright colours -- something cheerful for these grey rainy days.

Be the first to review Chair Source.







I saw a beautiful flooring company called European Flooring. They offer a variety of wood flooring options, including several varieties which are certified as either "PEFC" or "FSC." These designations (the former is European and the latter North American) ensure that the wood used is from sustainably managed forests. The company offers locally grown woods such as Canadian Maple and exotic African varieties, many of which, but not all, have a PEFC designation.

Be the first to review European Flooring.

If you have questions, comments, or reviews of any of these companies or ones from the National Home Show, we'd love to hear from you. Share your thoughts and views and particularly reviews and thanks for using Homestars.ca

Labels: aya kitchens, chair source, european flooring, green home decor, national home comfort centre, roche bobois, toronto home shows

Posted by Cathy
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The most painless kitchen renovation I've ever encountered

Labels: kitchen renovation, montclair construction, taylor hannah architect

Posted by Cathy
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A geothermal furnace in the city?

Whether you call it geo-thermal, ground-source heat pump or an earth-energy system, it's a heating and cooling system that uses very little electricity and no gas, oil or propane. Whatever you call it, the system starts with pipes that are laid in the ground and a liquid circulates through them drawing heat from the ground and taking it into the house. In the past geothermal has been common in rural areas where a gas connection was non-existent or outrageously expense. Also, pipes are laid horizontally on large expanses of lawn or field something that isn't very common in the city.

Last year when I was at the Metro Home show (and I'm back there again now actually) I spoke with a man who installs these systems (Unfortunately I don't remember his name or company). I asked him how much lawn space he needed as I'd read on the internet that you needed a 75 by 75 foot expanse to install one. He said not at all. Now they can be installed in the driveway. Vertically.
Well, that makes sense, I thought. "But what happens if there's a leak in one of the tubes?" I asked.
"The pipes we use are guaranteed for 50 years."
"So how much is this system?" I asked.
"Depending on the size of your house and its HVAC system, how airtight it is...(etc.) about $9000 for the pipes and $6000 for the unit. It's a better deal if you have to replace both your air conditioner an your furnace."
"Yikes," I said, and felt my mouth go dry.
The man shrugged, I guess he'd seen this kind of reaction before. "Think about it though," he continued, "that's your cost forever. You never have to worry about soaring gas or electricity prices. It's a fixed cost. If you spread that out over ten years it's $1500 a year. I'll bet you pay more than that in gas right now." It was a good argument, since in fact I do pay more than that for gas. But he hadn't finished with the sales pitch. "If you're replacing your furnace and air conditioner anyway you're going to be shelling out somewhere around $6000 so you can look at the installation of the pipes as your only additional cost. It pays for itself before you know it." I thanked him for the information and went on to the next booth and my adventure in geo-thermal heat pumps came to an end.... Or did it?

Now, I'm not one to keep things to myself, and I'm a pretty enthusiastic environmentalist (sometimes too much of the 'armchair' variety than actual activist, but I try), so I started chatting to people about this geothermal system. Of course no one I knew had one...or so I thought. It turned out someone I know does have one! So I said, "Lisa, can I come over to your house and take pictures of your furnace?" (how exciting, a furnace!) She was kind enough to say yes so that's how the pictures you see below ended up here.

When Lisa and Herman first talked about installing a geo-thermal furnace in their soon-to-be renovated house there was a lot of skepticism on the part of their friends. After all, how effective could a furnace be that used heat from the ground, particularly in a cold Canadian winter (this winter doesn't count). "Our friends told us that if our house was ever too cold, we could stay at their place for the night," says Lisa. Their friends were skeptical that heat from the ground could keep a home warm. However, seven years later, Lisa and Herman are more comfortable than they ever were with a conventional system. "The system heats and cools evenly, and there are no jumps in temperature. It's the most comfortable house we've ever lived in," she says.

Lisa and Herman have installed what might be considered the "Lexus Hybrid" of geo-thermal systems. To make the system even more efficient, their HVAC designer added a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) which transfers the heat from the used, outgoing air to the incoming fresh air. The HRV warms the fresh air before it even gets to the furnace (compressor system) making the furnace's job that much easier. They also hooked up their hot water tank to the system which cuts down considerably on their hot water costs.

The geothermal system also replaces a central air conditioner. In the summer the system reverses itself and warm air is extracted from the house and carried by the pipes back to the ground, it's the same principle as a refrigerator. In fact, their system is so automatic that even in our currently unpredictable spring temperatures where it can be 25 degrees Celsius one day and 4 degrees the next, the system will adjust to cool and heat.

Hindsight is 20/20: As with any new application, there were certain drawbacks with the system's installation. The system's size was much bigger than Lisa and Herman anticipated, especially the venting system, so they ended up forfeiting space in the workshop in order to install the furnace. "If we were to do it again, we'd have definitely dug out the basement to provide the extra room for all the vents," says Lisa.

Another glitch they ran into was finding qualified people to maintain it. Initially, there were problems maintaining the pressure in the pipes that carried the liquid anti-freeze to the compressor unit. The installation of the pipes was fine, but the connection to the compressor unit wasn't done properly. Air became trapped in the system and it wasn't working as efficiently as it could have been and the pumps circulating the antifreeze liquid through the pipes burned out. "When we put the furnace in seven years ago, there were very few people who were familiar with geo-thermal units in the city. It took us awhile to find the right company, but now that we have, we're really happy. Chris comes to maintain it about once a year now and the pressure in the pipes is fine," says Lisa.

The technology is only getting better with age, and now, as people are beginning to retrofit homes, the manufacturers are making specific models adaptable to many different situations; units have been developed that can be installed outside like a central air conditioner, added to a current furnace to heat an addition, hooked up to a boiler, etc....

There is more detailed information available on how a geo-thermal system works if you check out the websites I've linked below. The Climate Master site is the manufacturer of the unit that Lisa and Herman have installed (in fact they installed the "Ultra Classic Series" by Climate Master. The distributor in Canada is Next Energy Solutions).
Climatemaster.com
CanRen.gc.ca

Reviews:

Vision Energy:

Chris Cody maintains our furnace and he does an excellent job! We had a lot of difficulty finding someone who understood the finer points of a geo-thermal furnace, but now that we've found Chris it's been a cinch to maintain. Chris comes and makes sure it's working well about once a year. We're really pleased with his service and we've finally found someone who knows what they're doing with ground source heat pumps. Thanks for the great work Chris!

Groundheat Systems:

Gino's company took care of designing our geothermal system and installing it. Overall we were happy with the work, the system design in particular. An HVAC specialist came into our house and calculated the system size, the size of the vents needed, the air leakage, and how to best optimize the installed system. The HVAC specialist added a Heat Recovery Ventilator, air purifier and humidifier to the system. We also hooked up our hot water tank to it, and that also has helped reduce our energy costs. The installation process wasn't quite as smooth. Gino sub-contracted the job to a company that's now out of business. They didn't hook up the system properly and we had pressure problems for years. He did however, recommend Vision Energy for maintenance, and since they've taken over, we haven't had any more problems.

Labels: alternative energy, geothermal, heating and cooling

Posted by Cathy
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Lori and Paul Build a House

One of the things I love about this job is that I get to see beautiful homes that are beautifully decorated. Of course the corollary of that is that when I get back to my own home I take a look around and get thoroughly depressed. In my rational state I know our house is actually quite nice looking - until you look at a "new build" -- especially one that's been done by completely put together people like Lori and Paul.

A few months ago I visited Lori, who, along with her husband Paul, built a stunning English Manor style home (well their builder actually built it, but you know what I mean). Now, this couple is incredibly decisive; they knew exactly what they wanted and presented very specific ideas to their architect Gary Stein, which made his job a lot easier. To give you some idea of what I'm talking about, the architect designed the house in just three weeks and the builder constructed it in less than a year, which included a three month break for winter! In fact building the house was obviously the enjoyable and fun experience that it's supposed to be, because Lori said she'd build again, "in a heart beat."

So, what's their secret? How come the project turned out exactly the way it was supposed to? Where were the delays, the workers not showing up on time, the delay in permit granting and every other thing you always hear about when someone builds a home or renovates?

For one thing, hiring a talented and reliable architect and builder is essential. An architect who produces detailed plans and drawings makes the builder's job easier (which means the job can move along a good clip). Lori and Paul hired a builder who only works on one house at a time so you know that he's never off at another job site. The couple had interviewed the builder and had seen several examples of his work before they hired him. Now that their house is built, his follow-up service has been just as good.

"Personality fit is another key factor to building success," says Lori. You are working with your contractor on a daily basis, so you'd better get along from the very beginning or you will find it a tiresome experience where you can't wait to get to the end of it, instead of enjoying the process itself.

Another factor in moving the project along quickly is the ability to make decisions. Questions are flying at you from every angle. Lori says, "you have to remember that 80% of the decisions you make you will never think about again, so make them and get on to the next thing."

Finally, Lori is one of those women who hates to shop. What does that mean when you're buying finishes for a new house? You go where your contractor has discounts. Period. It makes life easier and it saves you a lot of time and gas. Also, if you don't use an interior designer to help you with your finishes, use the experts in the stores. If you bring along samples of materials you have already chosen, they can help you match them with other products.

If you recognize that you are the kind of person who cannot make a decision about which toilet and tile look good together, then Lori suggests you hire an interior decorator or designer to help you. In the end you will save time and money, as they will be able to put together a palette with the right finishes for any room much quicker than you would on your own.


Paul and Lori's favorite companies:

CIOT Tiles and wood flooring:
CIOT is a dream!
The service here is exceptional. We worked with one person on all of our bathroom tiles and countertops and another for our kitchen. Together were able to come up with beautiful looking rooms.

Quan Appliances (400 and highway 7): Wonderful service at great prices.We've bought all our appliances here and are happy with the prices and the follow-up service. They have a wide selection of products in all price categories.

Pella Windows (Bayview and Eglinton):
We would use Pella again in a heartbeat! We had such a wonderful experience with Pella. The person we worked with helped us with our decisions, the design of the windows and doors, the choice of materials based on style of our house. He was very attentive to our needs.

Your Sweet Home Bath Bedding and Decorating Centres:
A gem in North Toronto! Helen is very professional. She came to my house, took measurements and made helpful suggestions on style and fabrics for our window coverings. We are very pleased with the results.

The Door Store:
Sam is the man! "Sam" at the Door Store is the man! Incredible selection of very interesting stuff. We "scored" on some absolutely one-of-a-kind lighting fixtures. "

Carrocel Restorations:
Excellent service! We found a beautiful commode for the powder room at Carrocel. This is a wonderful family-run business, where they really care about their customers. They called us after our commode was installed to ask how everything was. If you have a specific piece of furniture in mind and they don't have it, they will try to find if for you. The service is top notch!"

Labels: Renovation Stories

Posted by Cathy
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Take-a-boo Emporium

Last Thursday I was running around trying to get in a few last minute errands before I picked up my three kids from school (as usual I got half as much done as I expected). I ended up at Take-a-Boo Emporium on Avenue Road. It looks a bit like one of those stores that's been there forever: old chairs and tables are piled to the ceiling waiting for refinishing, and you think, "if I go in too far, will I make it back?" But you do, and let me tell you, it's worth it -- especially if you're an antiquer! I initially went in because I saw a beautiful chest of drawers outside the shop, but I kept finding all these great things the farther I ventured inside.

Right now Martin and Andrea (the owners) have these really unique Christmas decorations, many of them have stories behind them. For instance, there's an ornament of a spider in a web ($12) from the Czech Republic: legend has it that in the old days people decorated their Christmas trees by putting spiders in them to spin their webs because they were too poor to have any store-bought decorations. There's another of a pea pod, representing fertility, and some gorgeous faberge style eggs. I could go on, but you get the idea.

Martin is an expert on antiques. He takes pieces on consignment, but also restores furniture. He writes a column that appears in The Daily Mirror, as well as it being syndicated across the United States.

But one of the most remarkable things about the shop is the fishtank at the back near Martin's desk. There is a pair of "side-twisted neck turtles" from west Africa (I think that's the right name) -- the only breeding pair in Canada and an endangered species to boot. The Toronto Zoo vets come in to make sure they're healthy and monitor them. Martin plans on donating the pair's eggs to zoos across Canada.

If you're in the neighbourhood (Avenue Road north of Brooke) you should drop by. If you're not in the neighbourhood but want to learn a few things about antiques you can visit Martin's website.

Take-A-Boo Emporium 1927 Avenue Road Toronto, ON M5M 4A2 ph 416-785-4555
email swinton@takeaboo.com website www.takeaboo.com blog: http://takeaboo.wordpress.com/

Posted by Cathy
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Pam and Ted's Renovation

This summer Nancy Peterson (Homestars' 'Grand Fromage') and I saw a fabulous renovation not too far from where Nancy lives (okay, so Pam lives across the street, what do you want from us? We're just starting out...). The point is, although the renovation looked like your typical "blow-out-the-back-addition," there were a lot of features that are worth sharing.

When Pam and Ted had bought the house they knew that one day they would have to renovate. But after three years of living with the house's shortcomings, they decided enough was enough. The basement flooded after every rain storm, a fuse blew when the oven and vacuum were on at the same time and the insulation was non-existent so they had the choice between freezing every winter or taking out a second mortgage to pay the gas bill.

So, with a renovation a must, they hired Thur Construction and off they went. Needless to say, the priorities were the very unglamourous but oh so critical wiring, plumbing, heating and insulation. In fact, the wiring job is so gorgeous, I think they should remove the closest doors and display it as a piece of art! Pam disagrees with me and prefers it stay out of sight... go figure.

Here are the "unglamourous" things they did that we loved:

Electrical wiring: Clearly labeled, not only in the basement by the fuse box, but also on the main floor where it is easily accessible. Further, they took the opportunity to install built-in speakers and hide all the computer wires behind the walls. Their electrician also installed "cat 5" (hard-wired) a security feature preventing would-be hackers sitting outside your home from tapping into your wireless system while you are online.

Plumbing: The plumbers used flexible silicone tubing instead of copper or PVC pipes as it withstands up to 200lbs of pressure. Basically that means no more burst pipes. They also installed a hot water circulating pump so hot water is available on demand. One last plumbing feature they installed was a stopper on the drain to the sewer. If sewer water ever backs up to their house the stopper will flip to the other side to stop it from entering the house.

Waterproofing and insulation: Not one drop of water will ever enter this house again except through a tap (or a child's bucket when he comes in to show mom the rock he just caught... I'd say frog but we're in the city here). They have waterproofed and insulated the foundation both inside and out, and they have insulated every nook and cranny in the old section as well as the new. You will be hard-pressed to find a drier or warmer house in Toronto.

Two furnaces and air conditioners: All right, this feature may sound luxurious, and I suppose it is, but it will pay for itself in a few years through its efficiency. One heating and AC unit heats and cools the basement and first floor and the other was placed in the attic to heat and cool the second floor. Think of the efficiency of that: during the day when the main floor is used the most, the upstairs furnace can be set at a much lower temperature and vice versa at night. Plus, the units will be much smaller as they do not have to heat and cool the entire house.


The Renovation Process

The contractor: You are working with your contractor every day so making sure there is a personality fit is important. When you are interviewing contractors get a sense not only of what you like about his work (and make sure you see some of his work), but also, if you can get along with this person. Be aware that they will be looking for the same thing in a client. Pam cannot say enough good things about Thur Construction (see Pam's review below). The company was on-time, excellent at communicating what was happening at the time and what was the next thing to be done. The workplace was kept neat and clean and swept up every night. The project was only slightly behind schedule, but that was due to a delay at the millworker's with the client before Pam. In the end it was sorted out and Pam and Ted were able to move back into their house just a little later than expected.

Organization is key: Pam told us that before the project began, she and the contractor went through the list of finishes that she would be responsible for choosing. Since the list was long and Pam doesn't consider herself a naturally organized person, she developed a worksheet with details of what she needed on it and when; then she colour-coded each sheet in order of priority. (I don't know about you, but this sounds like an organized person to me!) She even cross-referenced items that went together, as in "baseboard trim selected" and "paint colour."

If she were to do it all again: Pam felt that she spent too much time sourcing her finishes. For example, she said that basically the same products are offered at most of the larger stores, if you find what you like at your contractor's stores, you should just be happy with that. Which brings us to another point: many contractors have discounts with certain stores, and they are usually willing to pass along their discount to you. If you are choosing all the finishes yourself, definitely check out those stores first as your allowance (given to you by your contractor) will go further than where he doesn't have a discount.

There you have it -- a brief sketch of Pam and Ted's journey through a renovation and some of the unique features of the renovation. Below, Pam's given us reviews of stores where she purchased her finishes, as well as her contractor, landscaper and pool company.


Company Reviews

Thur Construction:
Barry is meticulous, organized and a pleasure to work with. When you work with Barry you WILL be on time... or as close to it as humanly possible. He gives you due dates for the items he needs from you so you are always prepared. He has an excellent relationship with his trades so you are guaranteed that they will show up on time and do the job. He directs you to the shops where he has discounts and passes the discounts on to you. He assures you your home will be maintenance free when he's finished. He is more expensive, but he is also completely reliable.

Ridley Windows:
Outstanding service and quality! Ridley offers outstanding service and product! Doug Bannon from Ridley helped us choose all of our windows and doors. He offered us exceptional service and expertise, from assisting us with choosing the colour of our windows, right down to designing the mullions on the back windows so they looked even from a distance (the windows aren’t the same size). We couldn’t be happier with our windows and doors!

Tasco:
Everything's perfect with Tasco. Easiest experience ever! I told Anna Binetti what I needed and she told me what I could choose. In a store seemingly filled with hundreds of different choices Anna narrowed it down for me based on my requirements.

Finer Edge:
Shane is terrific!
Finer Edge was very careful and clean with their painting. I was hesitating a bit on colour choice for some of the rooms and Shane helped me decide. They were a pleasure to work with.

International Tile Gallery:
Such helpful service!
They have unique and unusual tiles that other stores don't carry. Their prices are fair and they will install as well. Mike was helpful in matching flooring to the entire colour scheme of the bathrooms and helped coordinate the tile with the other fixtures. Mike has a great eye.

Floor Shop:
Wonderful flooring company.
Did all my wood floors and laminate floor. The floors turned out beautifully, the service and price was terrific. We're really pleased with this store.

Amati Plumbing:
Great Service! Amati carries some products that other companies don't so I ended up going there for everything, and am I ever glad I did! The service was excellent. There was a mistake on one part of the order and they took care of it immediately.

Royal Lighting:
Great service at great prices. I found the prices at Royal Lighting to be better than at other stores I looked at. Also, the selection was good, and Co was very helpful. My order was ready and shipped on time. I will definitely shop here again!

Union Lighting:
Good selection of lights, reasonable priced, especially when there's a sale.

Fausto Presta Designs:
What a wonderful service this is! I love my garden, the plants are beautiful, the work is meticulous, the people are so friendly. We have had a wonderful experience with this landscaping company.

Todd Pools:
The best pool designer and builder ever! Todd pools had finished building the pool in three weeks! Every day I was told what was going to happen and at what time. They also recommended the fencing and landscaping companies for me. We started the job in mid-April and were using our pool by mid-May. Impossible, but true, and the result is fabulous!

Labels: Renovation Stories

Posted by Cathy
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