We’ve all been to a friend’s home who recently had a renovation done and drooled over their beautiful backsplash which completes the entire space to perfection.  Here are a few expert tips to help you achieve a note-worthy backsplash that will leave your friends jealous!

1. Determine your budget because like everything else there’s a high and a low end.  Regardless of your budget though, creativity will take you a long way.
2. Determine the theme that you are going for.  If you are already doing a renovation then the theme most-likely has already been determined so this should be easy.  Whether it’s country, traditional, or contemporary it’s always a good idea to maintain a consistent theme.  However, as backsplashes usually cover a small area, you can definitely do something a bit different to add interest.
3. Continue your counter material up to the wall as backsplash to be consistent.  For those who have difficulty when there are too many choices, this is always a good option.
4. Define specific work areas by varying the type of material or colours used.  For instance, try stainless steel behind your cook-top and tile the rest.  Introducing different materials will make the space more interesting and allow you to highlight those big budget items, like your Wolf range!  Be careful not to overdo it though because it could end up looking like a mess.
5. Give you backsplash the same attention your cabinetry or countertop would get.  It’s at eye level, so most likely will be the first thing you see when you enter the room.
6. Do your research!  There’s a plethora of materials to choose from including, laminates, glass, ceramics, metal, and solid surface, so make sure whatever you choose is right for your needs.
7. If you are on a budget but still want something special, choose one area to install the very expensive recycled glass tiles (for instance), and use something more budget friendly for the remainder of the space.
8. Neutrals are pretty standard these days but for interest consider adding a colourful band or border for a punch of colour.
9. If you are a collector of tiles and have an interesting collection gathered through your travels, by all means use some of them to make your backsplash a bit more unique.
10. Seek professional help if you need it and when it comes to tiling quality can vary with each tiler so make sure you do your research.

Technology experts from the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association (GVHBA), in partnership with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), are presenting the winter session of What’s New in Homebuilding, a workshop for people considering having a custom home built for them.

The workshop will highlight the latest innovations in construction technology, design, indoor air quality and green initiatives.  Workshop topics include:

• Principles of durable building envelope construction
• Healthy housing tips for superior indoor air quality
• Ventilation systems
• Energy-efficient and green construction practices
• How energy choices affect costs

To encourage productive interaction between presenters & participants, registration is limited to 25 people so hurry & pre-register by Monday, February 1, 2010.  Cost to attend is $75 per person or $130 per couple (GST not included), and includes lunch, coffee breaks, and a wealth of printed material on new products & services.  Call 778-565-4288 to register or visit GVHBA.org for more information.

The first step to developing more sustainable water use practices is by assessing your current patterns.  Here are a few average water use data provided by the City of Vancouver to help you start making more informed decisions:

In home water use (average summer day)

• average toilet water usage: 76 litres per person per day – that’s 30% of household water
• low-flow toilets only use 6 litres per flush (compared to older toilets that use 20 litres or more
• a standard dishwasher uses 57 litres of water per load; waiting for a full load before running the dishwasher saves water
• clothes washer uses an average of 150 litres of water per load – that’s 23% of household water
• showerheads dispense anywhere between 5.7 to 18.9 litres per minute, which means a 10 minute shower uses an average of 130 litres of water – that’s 20% of household water

Outdoor water use

• average usage for a household is 40% of the total water usage
• a half hour of sprinkling twice a week is sufficient for a healthy lawn

We can all do our part to help save water in our homes and gardens.  From simple things such as shutting off the tap when the water is not being used to installing water efficient appliances, there are many ways to be more sustainable.  The City of Vancouver also offers a water saver kits (pictured below) to residents for only $12 (limit 2 kits/household).

Indoor Kit

Outdoor Kit

TOTO’s commitment to sustainability is one of the reasons why we are featuring some of the its products on our blog today.  If something can be reclaimed, recycled, or reused at a TOTO plant, it is.

At its Morrow, GA plant all grey water generated during operations is stored and reused.  TOTO recycles all pallets, aluminum and paper, and has also successfully implemented a closed-loop process with recycled cardboard.  Its forklifts use soybean-based hydraulic oil, and its imperfect and damaged china is crushed and recycled back into roadbed construction.

However, doing more with less doesn’t just stop at TOTO’s factory floor.  TOTO recently purchased 480,000 kilowatt-hours of Green Energy from Georgia Power, and all employees are encouraged to practice sustainability at home.  Incentives are offered to employees with hybrid cars, and if their town or neighbourhood doesn’t recycle, they can bring their recyclables into work to be added to TOTO’s plant recycling.

We love TOTO not only because it is environmentally-conscious but also because it leaves nothing to chance when it comes to design.  Holistic design principles are practised because performance, quality, functionality are just as important as aesthetics.  TOTO’s toilets, faucets, lavatories and showers perform smoothly without compromising on beauty. Here are a few of our favourites:

Aquia II Dual Flush Toilet

Axiom EcoPower Faucet

Single Lever Lavatory Faucet

Any household wastewater with the exception of wastewater from toilets (aka blackwater) is know as Greywater.  Typically, 50-58% of household wastewater is greywater from kitchen sinks, dishwashers, bathroom sinks, tubs and showers.  If you use a composting toilet, 100% of your household wastewater is greywater.

We highly recommend Greywater recyling for irrigation because of the following benefits:

• Reduce fresh water use – when the weather warms up, almost half of the water consumed by the average household is for outdoor use.  If we capture the indoor greywater for use outdoors, we can cut water usage in half.
• Reduce strain on septic system or treatment plant – Greywater makes up the majority of the household wastewater stream, so diverting it from the septic system extends the life and capacity of the system.  For municipal systems, decreased input means more effective treatment coupled with cost savings.
• Develop otherwise unsuitable real estate – a Greywater recyling system, along with the use of composting toilets, can enable the development of property that is unsuitable for a septic system.
• Groundwater recharge – Greywater recycling for irrigation replenishes groundwater, helping the natural hydrologic cycle to keep functioning.
• Plant growth – Greywater can support plant growth in areas that might otherwise not have enough water.
• Maintain soil fertility – the nutrients in the greywater are broken down by bacteria in the soil and made available to plants.  This helps to maintain soil fertility.
• Enhance water quality – The quality of groundwater can surface waters are much better preserved by the natural purification processes the greywater undergoes in the the top layers of the soil than by any engineered water treatment.

Before you get too excited, there are a few drawbacks to consider:

• If you soil is either too permeable or not permeable enough, you may not be able to recycle your greywater, or you may need a system with some modifications.
• You need enough soil to process the greywater and enough plants to use it.
• If it’s too wet to benefit from irrigating with greywater, there may be a better way to dispose of it.  If it’s too cold, you will only be able to recycle in the warmer months.  In colder climates, the heat in the greywater may be more valuable than the water itself.
• Many jurisdictions do not have clear guidelines regarding greywater processing.  With water shortages looming in the near future for many regions, this may change sooner than later.  Health concerns are often cited as the reason for not allowing greywater recycling, although there has never been a documented case of somebody becoming sick as a result of exposure.
• Where legal requirements dictate a complex system and there is only a small flow of water, greywater recycling is not economically feasible.
• If the Greywater system you are considering is more expensive and requires more maintenance than a properly functioning septic or sewer system.

For more information, please visit Letsgogreen.com

The City of Vancouver has designed and manufactured rain barrels (pictured below) for use by residents for garden irrigation. The City subsidizes the cost by 50% and has sold over 2000 to date and counting.  For more information visit vancouver.ca.

The City of North Vancouver approved laneway housing (coach houses) on Monday, Nov 16. Currently permit applications are not being considered as details are still being fleshed out and by-laws to be updated. However, if you are anxious to get started, please click here to view the guidelines: COACH HOUSE GUIDELINES. Please note that the District of North Vancouver has not approved LWH but will be reviewing it for the next community planning session in 2010.

For those in the City of Vancouver, please visit www.klondikecontracting.com/LanewayHousing for further information on Laneway Housing in the City of Vancouver.

As the owner of a home protected by home warranty insurance, you are expected to do a number of things to ensure that you do not limit or jeopardize your coverage:

• Be familiar with your home warranty insurance policy and maintenance manual (if provided), and keep these documents in a secure place.
• Know when the relevant warranty periods for your home expire.
• Carry out regular maintenance on your home in accordance with the maintenance information from your warranty provider or builder.  If you have not received a maintenance manual, ask for one.
• If a suspected defect arises with an item covered by your home warranty insurance, immediately report the problem in writing to the warranty provider and the builder.  Defects must be reported within the relevant coverage period.
• Take reasonable steps to minimize further damage to your home that may result from a potential defect.  For example, if a broken pipe is leaking into your new home, you may be able to minimize damage by shutting off the water supply until the warranty provider or builder can inspect it.
• Provide warranty insurance policy documents, the maintenance manual and other warranty information (e.g. for appliances, products or systems) to subsequent purchasers of your home.

Types of Protection

Mandatory home warranty insurance applies to all new homes offered for sale or under a construction contract with an owner unless there is an applicable exemption.  This warranty insurance is sometimes called a third-party warranty, the mandatory warranty or 2-5-10 warranty.

Mandatory home warranty insurance is for three different time periods, covering three different aspects of home construction: 2 years on labour and materials (some limits apply), 5 years on the building envelop, including water penetration, and 10 years on the structure.  This is often referred to as “2-5-10″ coverage.  The requirements for a minimum 2-5-10 warranty insurance policy cannot be waived by any separate contract between you and the builder.

Coverage period commences on the date of first occupancy, date of occupancy permit, or date the home was completed and ready for occupancy, which ever comes first.  If you buy an existing or resale home that is covered, the coverage remains with the new home until the expiry of the 2-5-10 coverages.  All of the applicable benefits under home warranty insurance that have not expired are available to subsequent owners.

For more information, please contact the Homeowner Protection Office (HPO).

Allergies are on the rise and exposure to synthetic materials are often considered to be the cause.  Wool fibres are too long and too course to be inhaled and, being a natural fibre, won’t give off harmful emissions.  Wool has a breathable fibre structure that does not promote the growth of bacteria or dust mites.

Wool is a naturally soil & stain resistant fibre.  Wool fibres have developed these properties over centuries to keep sheep clean in their harsh rugged environments.  On the floor, wool carpets repel stains and soiling, keeping them on top of the pile for ease of cleaning.

Wool is sustainable, biodegradable and a rapidly renewable resource that has the least environmental impact of all the carpet fibres.  Wool is the only carpet fibre made without petroleum; a finite and non-biodegradable resource.

Nothing compares to the pleasure of soft wool carpet under your foot. Today’s focus on the home environment means your customers are spending more time relaxing and entertaining in their homes. The continuing move towards an informal lifestyle means that feet are often bare and carpeted floor is for sitting and lying on to watch the big screen TV or read the paper.  Furthermore, the natural crimp of wool allows it to spring back quickly after compression and retain its original shape. The crucial performance characteristic ensures woolen carpets look good for longer, even in high traffic areas. Museums are filled with fine examples of wool rugs dating back to hundreds of years.  The natural crimp of wool also creates millions of tiny pockets that trap air and act as the ideal insulator. The trapped air helps maintain a constant temperature in both hot and cold weather in a way that no synthetic fiber has ever done. This phenomenal trait allows sheep to live in environments ranging from freezing mountainous areas to arid desert plains.  Those same millions of air pockets make wool a great insulator; look around next time your are in a concert hall and you will often see it used on floors, walls and seats to create the best acoustics. In the home, wool carpet minimizes sound transmissions between floors and rooms.

Bamboo flooring has been a huge trend in recent years due to it’s rapidly renewable characteristic.  Although we love bamboo, we thought we should suggest an alternative for those who prefer something a bit softer under their feet.  Nature’s Carpet is a fine carpet made entirely from wool, a rapidly renewable resource.  Nature’s Carpet offers you a great comfort in an attractive range of 100% natural, ultra-low toxicity floor coverings.

We’re in our new space but the renovation is still in progress.  In the next couple of weeks we will be dealing with some finishing details from millwork to lighting as well as any deficiencies (and this is unavoidable!).  Today’s tour will give you a very good idea of what the office will look like in 2-3 weeks time.  Stay tuned!

We are closing in on the February 1st deadline and thought you may benefit from a friendly reminder.

For those who don’t already know, a non-refundable tax credit is available to you for work performed or goods acquired in relation to a renovation or alteration to an eligible dwelling, after January 27, 2009 and BEFORE February 1, 2010.  The 15% credit may be claimed on the portion of eligible credits exceeding $1,000 but not more than $10,000, for a maximum credit of $1,350.  Eligible expenses for goods acquired during this period, even if they are installed after January 2010, will still qualify.  If an eligible expense involves work performed by a contractor or a third party, and the work is not completed by the end of the eligible period, only the portion that is completed before February 1, 2010 will qualify even if a payment is made.

A new schedule will be included in your 2009 tax package to allow you to list your eligible expenses and to calculate the amount you can claim.  Also a new line will be added to Schedule 1 to claim the HRTC.

Click HERE for examples of eligible and ineligible expenses.

For more information please visit Canada Revenue Agency’s website.

I am very excited to write our first post in our new showroom/office!  Although we are not entirely done with our renovation, we’ve made a lot of progress since our last video blog.  Our millwork experienced some delays and difficulties but with patient staff who were willing and ready to get their hands dirty, our team was able to move in as planned.  For the next few weeks, we will be working on some finishing details to get it ready for presentation at our grand public opening party in February.  Stayed tuned for your invitation to tour our space.  Here’s a sneak preview of the work in progress:

Slate stone to be installed to front of reception desk with stainless steel KC logo

Sabrina at her very new desk

Estimating powerhouses, Greg & Mikiko, in their new hub

Our Design Build Showroom - Doors for millwork are coming!