When clients want to expand their space, basements tend to be the first place they consider.  A basement renovation can be quite simple and an inexpensive way to add extra living space, while increasing the value of your home.  However, it can be costly and stressful if not done with proper planning.  We recommend that you consider the following items for your upcoming basement renovation:

1. Inspect your basement for signs of moisture or mould, cracks in the walls or floor, or areas where you have to stoop to avoid bumping your head.  If your basement isn’t high, dry, and structurally sound, be sure to include the cost of fixing those problems in your renovation budget.
2. If you intend to alter the structure of your house, increase the size of any windows or exterior doors, or add a self-contained apartment such as a “granny flat,” you must obtain a building permit from your municipality before beginning construction.
3. To prevent heat loss, most exterior basement walls must be insulated for most of their height.  Make sure your plan also includes measures to control air leakage and moisture protection to help keep your basement warm & dry.
4. Make sure your basement has a good quality heating system.  Finished basements can also benefit from continuous or intermittent ventilation.  Operation of the furnace fan, heat recovery ventilators or central exhaust systems can provide such ventilation.
5. Make safety your number one priority.  Install fire & smoke detectors on every floor of your home.  Have electrical fixtures & wiring installed by a certified electrician.  Make sure the basement has a safe path of exit to the outside in case of emergency.  Protect your family by using low-pollutant emitting coverings & finishes.  And when in doubt, hire a qualified professional to tackle any projects or deal with ay issues you are not comfortable handling yourself.

One of the reasons for disputes over renovation work is the lack of a contract.  To avoid this, make sure you have a contract agreement that clearly defines the scope of work and the cost of the work.  Before signing your contract, go through it thoroughly and make sure you understand everything.  According to CMHC, your renovation contract should include:

• correct & complete address of the property where work will be done
• your name & address
• the renovator’s name, address & telephone number
• a detailed description of the project, plus sketches & a list of materials to be used
• the type of work that will be subcontracted
• the right to retain a construction lien holdback as specified under provincial law
• a clause stating that work will conform to the requirements of all applicable codes
• start & completion dates
• an agreement stating whether it is the homeowner or the renovator who is responsible for obtaining all necessary permits, licenses, and certificates
• the requirement that the renovator be responsible for removing all debris as soon as construction is completed
• a statement of all warranties, explaining exactly what is covered and for how long
• a statement of the renovator’s public liability and property damage insurance
• price & terms of payment

The FSC is an international non-profi organization founded in 1993 as a voluntary and market-based mechanism for ensuring that the world’s forests are managed in an environmentally responsible, socially acceptable and economically viable manner.

FSC certified companies are independently audited to meet the FSC’s strict forest management standards.  Beyond the forest, all producers along the supply chain must be chain of custody certified.  At every stage of manufacturing or distribution, the fibre going into a product is tracked and identified.  The FSC system not only makes certain that virgin fibre used in a product is from a sustainable source, but it ensures that claims regarding the recycled content of products are verifiable.  In an unbroken chain of commitment from forest to consumer, the FSC label carries the promise that a product comes from a forest friendly source.

Why should you choose an FSC product?

1. FSC prohibits the conversion of natural forests to plantations, except under extremely limited circumstances.
2. FSC requires forest managers to protect threatened High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF).
3. FSC requires that Aboriginal Peoples right are respected.
4. FSC prohibits the use of Genetically Modified trees.
5. 100% of the fibre in FSC-certified products comes from an FSC approved and independently verified source.
6. FSC sets a common level of performance that companies must meet in order to be certified.
7. FSC is the only forest certification system supported by major international, national and local Aboriginal, Environmental, and Social groups
8. FSC has strict requirements for tracking and labelling products from FSC approved sources.
9. FSC is an international standar for forest certification that accredits regional standards developed by local stakeholders to reflect the environmental and social realities of those regions.
10. FSC standards, certification processes and governance require equal, balanced and extensive participation from representatives of Economic, Environmental and Social interests.
11. The North American and global marketplace recognizes FSC as the most credible and effective forest certification system.
12. FSC is a transparent and independent verification of the source of forest products.

Green roofs are vegetated roof systems that passively perform no less than 8 highly beneficial and cost-saving functions, including stormwater runoff reduction, heating and cooling load reduction, and extending the service life of the roof by 40 -60 years.  They also mitigate urban heat island effect, absorb carbon dioxide, sequester air-borne particulates, provide urban wildlife habitat, reduce noise pollution, and other services that not long benefit the building but also the surrounding community.

Due to the many benefits of green roofs, many municipalities offer incentives to make the initial cost of a roof compatible to a conventional roof.  Some examples are:

• Faster approval/construction permitting process
• Reduced stormwater/wastewater system development charges
• Reduced stormwater/wastewater usage fees
• Reduced size of stormwater management ponds or cisterns
• Grants rewarding energy efficiency or economic and environmental objectives
• Density bonus / larger floor area ratio
• Satisfy minimum parkland / green space requirements
• Greenhouse gas emissions trading credits, stemming from energy savings

It’s never pleasant to discover mold in your home but no need to waste time mulling over the issue.  It’s there, now let’s get rid of it!  Here’s how:

1. If the area is still wet, allow it to dry.  In fact, aid the process with fans.  Ideally, drying should be completed within 48 hours.
2. Wet items that cannot be salvaged should be removed.
3. Once it is dry, ensure everyone’s safety by sealing off the area from the rest of the house.  Wear protective gear (ie, masks) if you are doing the work or will be in contact in any way.  Do not transport moldy materials through your home without first sealing it completely. Use only fragrance-free detergent to clean up the area.
4. Reinspect to make sure you have removed everything.
5. Make sure you contact your insurance brooker right away & keep them informed of the process.

As you know the City of Vancouver Council members met on June 16th for a public hearing on changes to Single Family Zoning.  For the video clip of the hearing click here.

The Council has approved the following changes to Single Family Zoning to enable more functional and liveable basements:

• more floor area overall
• less floor area agove grade
• more floor area in the basement
• a smaller house footprint
• a basement higher out of the ground

Ames has branded certain lines of tiles “EcoTiles” to make it easier for consumers to identify products that have been produced by environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.  These processes include:

• 90-100% of water used during manufacturing is recycled & reused; no dirty water is flushed into the sewage system.
• Factories are equipped with dust control vacuum systems to avoid health hazards as well as reduce emissions into the environment.
• Dust captured is recycled back into the manufacturing process.
• Kilns are equipped with dust control and filter systems to reduce toxic emissions.  In some factories the excess hot air from the kilns is then recycled and used to heat common work areas.
• 90-100% of soft & hard waste (pre & post firing) is recycled back into the manufacturing process to create other tiles.
• Tile surface glazes are free of toxins such as lead, cadmium and selenium, reducing air emissions from kiln firing.

Renovations are fun ONLY after the project has been completed and all the bills paid for.  Unfortunately, many homeowners have found this to be true.  In fact, many speak of the relief they experience after holding their breaths (hoping that there will be no more surprises) for months.  We know the feeling and can certainly empathize with you.  As professional renovators, we too have found that even with the most thorough planning, surprises will present themselves.  However, it doesn’t mean that planning doesn’t work.  Planning will help you to avoid 99% of the problems and for the last one percent, it will leave you with something to address anything that does come up.  So where should we start our planning?

1. Discuss, in detail, your scope of work with your contractor.  There is no need to belabour the topic but do if it will make you more comfortable (and knowledgeable) about what your project entails.
2. Verify that all applicable permits have been obtained and clarify if you or your contractor will be responsible for permitting.
3. Discuss your budget in detail.  If anything is not included, your contractor should clearly communicate this and determine the next course of action for any items that have been left out.  Consider including a contingency in your budget for those unforeseen problems we all love.
4. Discuss your schedule with your contractor.  They are responsible for meeting deadlines and should there be delays, expect them to provide adequate explanations for the delay. Ensure you have a contact person (a project manager or site supervisor) to keep you updated on all changes.
5. Determine the rules of the house for the work crew.  This is your home and also a temporary construction site so there should be compromises on both ends.  For example, if you have multiple bathrooms, specify which bathrooms the crew may use, etc.  Specify areas that are off limits. Establish your smoking policy and any other behavioural expectations.  Be firm and clear to avoid miscommunication.
6. Clear work areas of any personal/fragile/valuable items to avoid damage.  Your contractor may include this in your budget if you wish to have them do it but we highly recommend that you take on this responsibility so you may have the comfort of knowing you stored everything away safely.
7. Expect your contractor to clean up the work area (and any affected areas) at the end of the work day. Ensure that a cleaning allowance is in your budget.  No one wants to come home to a renovation mess.
8. If you are expected to make product selection (eg. tiles, paint finish, millwork finish) do so as soon as possible, and prior to when the product is needed on the job.  Allow time for delivery as well.  If you don’t finalize your decision on time, you could cause budget increase & delay to schedule.
9. Refrain from making too many changes (this is why planning is so important).  Your contractor can certainly accommodate changes, but it can be costly to your budget & schedule.
10. Be available to your contractor.  Sometimes your approval is needed ASAP or you could see further delays.
11. Discuss any concerns as they arise so your contractor can address them immediately.  The “right moment” is NOW not later.
12. Provide payment as agreed upon in the payment schedule set up in your contract.  You may hold back as required but be sure to inform your contractor.  For more on hold backs, please click here.
13. Accept the unpredictable.  Your contractor cannot control the weather, product availability, unforeseen complications or illnesses.  They will address any problems that come up in a professional manner but if your renovation requires sunny days and it is pouring rain, there is nothing to do but wait.

With today’s technological advancements, there are a plethora of opportunities to make environmentally-friendly choices for your renovation.  Thus, excuses not to be environmentally conscious are harder to come by.  Whether it is building products, appliances, or fixtures, many of today’s products deliver better performance with less environmental impact.  With this in mind, consider the follow 3 steps when planning your renovation:

1. Increase the energy & water efficiency of your home,
2. Ensure clean indoor air, and
3. Choose resource-smart materials & products.

The Board of Variance is an appeal body that hears & decides upo appeals regarding zoning, development permit, signage and tree by-law matters.  Board members are appointed by Council, but they are very much independent of City Council.  No appointed or elected City official can sit as a member.  City committees or Council may provide information to the Board on appeals, but they cannot direct jurisdiction or whether or not an appeal is granted or denied.

An appeal may be filed by the property owner or an agent (general contractor) on their behalf for any of the follow purposes:

1. To remove/alter a condition of development application approval or to reverse a decision refusing a development application, where the decision was made by the Director of Planning;
2. To reverse/alter a development application decision by the Development Permit Board, to the extent that the decision dealt with matters of “relaxation” of zoning by-law provisions as opposed to the exercise of broader discretionary authority;
3. To obtain an exemption from any provision of a zoning by-law affecting the siting, size, shape or design of a building.
4. To obtain an approval for:

• re-establishing a non-conforming use which has already been discontinued for 90 days (but not more than 180 days);
• any addition or structural alterations to a building which is non-conforming as to use (eg, one that was permitted when it was established but does not meet a subsequently amended by-law);
• any repairs to or reconstruction of a building which is non-conforming as to use where the building suffers from damage or fire loss (60% or more of its value above its foundation); and
• If unable to obtain a permit authorizing tree cutting or removal, or if unable to comply with the requirements of the Private Property Tree By-law No. 7347.