The GVHBA Spring Renovation Seminar was held last Tuesday to a capacity crowd at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver. These seminars are a fantastic opportunity for the marriage of renovators and homeowners.  All who attended benefit from having so many qualified renovators and motivated homeowners in the same room as well as suppliers from many different categories. The 1 ½ hours before the speakers took the podium was a frenzy of information being passed from renovators to homeowners. The speakers were informative and gave homeowners an understanding of expectations, what to look for in a contractor and how to deal with a major renovation. We at Klondike Contracting are proud of our booth and look forward to many opportunities that usually come from such a forum.  We hope to see you there for the Fall Renovation Seminar.

Burton Hartmann
Principal / Project Manager

We’ve all heard of one or two horror stories when it comes to renovating and in most of these stories, the problems stemmed from a lack of a project manager or poor project management. Today’s video discusses the keys to succesful project management.  

You may know exactly what you want for your space but not everyone knows how to communicate this information to their architect/designer.  With our process, you have the time to explore different options and determine the best layout for your lifestyle needs.  

In order to reduce the amount of conventional fuel (electricity, gas, propane, wood, etc), we encourage you to consider using a solar preheat hot water system, which leverages the free energy from the sun.  Every home is different, so each system will be slightly different as it is dependent on your usage patterns.  It is recommended that you get a professional detailed assessment to make sure that your needs are met.  If done right, you can expect to see your return on investment (ROI) within 7-10 years.

If you have a swimming pool, you can expect even better ROI as the highest use often aligns with periods when the most solar energy can be captured.  

NR Can, Federal Home Tax Reno Credit, Solar BC, & Livesmart BC all offer incentives for installations of Solar Preheat Systems.

For more information & to get your assessment visit www.geosolair.com

Our design build process is designed to prevent any surprises and stress when it comes to renovating.  Learn what is involved and what you should expect to see with this process…

If you’re not sure what you should be paying for design services then you may want to educate yourself on what some design companies charge for their services before you sign a contract.

There are many interesting products available for countertop selection, many made from composite and recycled materials.  Typically, a recycled material, such as paper or glass, is combined with resins to form the solid surface.  These manufactured surfaces are harder than stone, scratch, stain, and heat resistant, and only a few require maintenance and re-sealing.  Most importantly, they are all incredibly eco-friendly.
A few items to keep in mind when sourcing green countertops: find products that use low VOC resins; consider locally-supplied products; and in the case of recycled paper products, look for FSC certification.

Here are a few products to consider:

Richlite is made of paper from FSC-Certified sources and/or recycled paper.  The paper is treated with resin then pressed and baked to create solid sheets.

IceStone is made with 100% recycled glass in a cement matrix to create a sustainable concrete surface.  It is incredibly durable, but requires sealing and waxing annually.

Vetrazzo is manufactured using a patent-pending composition that combines up to 85% recycled glass with Portland cement, water and proprietary inert ingredients such as minerals, pigments and other non-VOC substances.  This product also requires re-sealing when the finish begins to deterriorate.

EnviroSLAB are affordable and unique countertop slabs that are hand made with 100% recycled glass and porcelain mixed with color-customizable resin.  The EnviroGLAS product line also offers a number of other recycled products.

PaperStone manufactures three versions of its sustainable countertops.  All products are made using petroleum-free resin that contains natural ingredients, such as cashew nut shell liquid.  All product finishes are made from natural waxes.

EcoTop is formed from a 50/50 blend of FSC certified post consumer recycled paper and rapidly renewable bamboo fiber, then bound with a new 100% water-based system.

Squak Mountain Stone is a fibrous-cement material comprised of recycled paper, recycled glass, coal fly-ash and cement. The mixture is then hand-cast into slabs and serves as a great alternative to natural or quarried stone.

Above is a collage of the different countertop options.  Have fun & choose wisely!

Jacqueline Pasquali
Designer / Project Manager