Expert Tips

The Top 5 Do’s and Don’ts of Home Renovations

If you are about to embark on the home renovations Ottawa residents dream of, then you’ll want to be certain you understand the do’s and don’ts to avoid disappointment. Take a look at these suggestions for the top do’s and don’ts of home renovations:

Do:


Create a Decorating Idea:
Going into even the simplest renovations Ottawa home owners undergo requires a good decorating plan to ensure the changes made reflect your sense of style.

Measure: It all boils down to the old adage, measure twice cut once. You don’t want to ruin your entire plans by being off by an inch on your kitchen counter measurements. This is frustrating and worse, costly.

Interview Contractors: You want to be certain you hire someone with the right skill set for your specific job therefore interviewing contractors is important in order to hire someone who can handle the renovations required.

Have Contingency Funds: Even the best contractor in the world cannot foresee every potential problem that might arise during a renovation. Therefore it is important to not only have a budget but a contingency fund to handle any surprises that might arise.

Organize: Make plans to work around the renovations so your family is still able to live as comfortable as possible until the work is complete.

Don’t:


Have Exposed Floors:
When renovating it is imperative that you don’t leave your finished floors exposed, as many things throughout the process can damage them. Workers boots, heavy products and materials, and dust are just a few of the things that can cause a problem. Consider laying down old blankets or tarps to ensure your floors are thoroughly protected.

Throw Out Receipts: Keep each and every receipt for everything you buy and every service you hire in case of conflicts or a change of heart.

Buy Your Own Materials: Your contractor will get far better deals than you on materials. If you see something you like let them know and they will get it for you.

Skip the Prep Work: Great renovations Ottawa home owners love start with great beginnings. Skipping the prep works just means you are starting with a poorly planned execution which can only lead to trouble down the road.

Ignore the Accents: Factor in everything from light switch plates to lighting, back splashes to door knobs and everything in between. You don’t want to run out of money because you forgot about all of the finishing touches you will need from crown moulding to paint.

Using these top do’s and don’ts of home renovations will help keep your renovations under control.  To get in touch to schedule renovations, you can fill out an online form or give us a call at (613) 727-9427.

The After Effects of a Bad Renovation

From DIY disasters to hiring a contractor without the required experience a bad renovation can leave your home in unlivable conditions with dangers you might not even know exist until a tragedy occurs. An inexperienced or really inexpensive contractor can leave you with a bad renovation that could not just be unappealing to the eye, but also do serious damage to your home putting your family in danger. Some of the after effects of a bad renovation can include:

Unplanned Costs


Going over budget is actually one of the best of the worst things that can happen. However, this will affect you financially and put a real dent in your savings, hike up your credit cards, deplete your line of credit and worst of all could have a negative effect on your credit rating which can stay with you for years. Even worse is having your Ottawa renovations performed so poorly you have to hire a second company to come in to fix everything at your expense. This is one of the most popular techniques used by shady contractors, get in the door with low pricing, then hit them with every additional they can think of.

Inconvenience


Hiring a contractor without the right experience can turn your Ottawa renovations into a never ending nightmare with you living in turmoil as your contractor stumbles through the job for months, imagine living without a functioning kitchen or bathroom for months on end and the stress it will place on your family. When you hire an inexperienced contractor they might have every intention of completing your project and may even do a good job but disorganization, lack of funds to hire the right people for the job and overall inexperience in time management can mean months of inconvenience. In even worse scenarios the job might be completed on time but performed so poorly you have to have the job redone leading to more inconveniences not to mention the cost.

Disagreements


An inexperienced contractor is more likely to run into disagreements with the way things happened which can lead to the wrong work being done, the wrong quote being provided and often the wrong decisions being made. Any of these scenarios can lead to disaster leaving you in the lurch with a job you are not happy with and a bill you do not want to pay.

Taking the time to do your research and being careful to recognize that the cheapest contractor is not always the best choice will help you avoid a renovation nightmare.  To get in touch to schedule renovations, you can fill out an online form or give us a call at (613) 727-9427.

Air Conditioning Tips

Happy Friday everyone! This weekend looks like its going to be very hot with a lot of humidity…I hope you have an air conditioner. Although, we focus on kitchen and bathroom renovations, I could not let these air conditioning tips go unread. Probably the easiest and most important tip is to make sure you change the filter…but please read-on and use these air conditioning tips and save your money!!

Air-Conditioning Tips: 9 Things You Need to Know


Keeping your AC in shape will help you stay cool and save dough

1. Dirty filters kill your AC’s efficiency, so install a new one every month during the cooling season for central and window units (or clean them if you’ve got the washable type). Look for the filter’s minimum efficiency reporting value, or MERV, which ranges from 1 to 12 for home AC units; the higher the number, the better filtration it provides (and the more energy needed to pull air through it, so balance air-quality concerns with energy costs).

2. Ducts can lose up to 30 percent of airflow through leaks, and window AC units are notoriously tough to seal properly. Find leaks using the old “smoke trick”: For window units, light a stick of incense and hold it where the unit and the window frame meet; for central AC, hold the stick near duct connections. If the smoke blows around, you’ve got leakage. For ductwork, use foil tape to seal small gaps and duct mastic for larger ones; for window AC units, stuff foam between the device and the window frame, taping as needed.

3. There’s no need to blast the AC at full tilt while you’re at work. For central units, install a programmable thermostat that lets you set higher temps when you’re gone and cooler temps when you’re home. Newer window units have built-in timers and adjustable thermostats, or you can buy a timer at any home store for $10 to $20; just make sure it matches your device’s voltage. Unless you’re going on vacation, don’t shut off the system; otherwise, the air compressor will need to work harder to cool your house later.

4. Ducts in hot attics or crawl spaces should be wrapped to keep the air within them cool. You can use spray foam, batt insulation, or rigid-foam insulation. Seal batt and rigid insulation with foil tape (not duct tape). For tight spaces, wraps like Reflectix offer some degree of insulation.

5. A central AC system’s air compressor and condenser are usually located outside the house, close to your foundation. It works best when there’s about 24 inches of clear space in all directions, so get rid of nearby shrubs, tall grass, leaves, and hanging branches.

6. Extend the life of your AC system by keeping blinds or shades down during the day; you can also install awnings to shield south-facing windows from intense sun. Consider running the AC in conjunction with floor or ceiling fans to circulate cooled air more effectively.

7. The dealer who installed your central AC (or one you find locally) should put you on a yearly cleaning schedule that goes beyond just cleaning the filters. Schedule this checkup before the cooling season starts (or do it now if you didn’t do it earlier this year), and make sure it includes the following tasks: cleaning and inspecting coils; cleaning or replacing filters; adjusting and replacing fan belts; lubricating motors and bearings; cleaning and checking blowers and fans; inspecting controls and safeties; checking refrigerant and pressures; and verifying operating temperatures.

8. Shutting too many interior doors causes central AC systems to go out of balance, meaning there’s less airflow in the entire house. If you want some privacy, keep doors slightly ajar instead.

9. Federal laws require AC units to be a lot more efficient than they were just 10 years ago. For central AC, look for the seasonal energy-efficiency ratio, or SEER; for window units, the measure is simply called the energy-efficiency ratio, or EER. The standards mandate a SEER of 13 and an EER of 8, but devices with higher numbers will cost less to operate.

Please don’t wait to give us a call at (613) 727-9427 , for your next home renovation project. You can also use this form to request a free in-home consultation and estimate.

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