One man show or a small renovation company

When making the decision about who to hire for a small to medium size home renovation project, usually the idea of hiring a single man ( jack of all trades ) that will carry out and perform the complete scope of work could seem a simpler and a more economical approach, but as it is in almost everything in life, it depends.

There is no doubt, that there are few renovators out there with enough experience and qualifications to complete this kind of project with a decent quality, but there is pro and cons to the “ one man show” path.

TIME is the number one challenge, there is so much for so long that one single man can do and in a one month long project, daily life will eventually interfere at some point with the steady progress of the project, creating delays and moving further away the previous set complexion date, that is almost an inevitable result of the one man approach.

In the very unusual case where the home owner can offer an open complexion date, this approach can work for both parties, the home owner can negotiate a better price in exchange of an open time table for complexion and the renovator can use this specif project as work filler between projects or as a side job for the weekends.

In my personal experience, I know that an open time table for complexion is a chimera that disappears sooner than later, as soon as the home owner writes a couple of cheques, the desire to see the fruit of his payments take over and the urge for a finished product becomes a reality.

Also good trade people are always busy, no need to settle for sides jobs at a discounted price.

TIREDNESS ( home owner ) is the number two challenge. There is a time limit in how long a person or even worse a family can put up with the inconvenience of a renovation project, it does not take to long for any one to get fed up with the noise, the limitations of space, the dust, the lack of privacy, etc....

WORKMANSHIP We can usually master and become extremely good in some aspects of a renovation project but its impossible to be good at very single task involved in one of this projects, so when we have to perform these tasks, we have no option but slow down and put extra effort to master this particular part of the project or settle for an amateurish outcome.

LACK Of SUPPORT or assistance with secondary chores as cleaning or materials shopping and deliveries. All scope of work is rated at the same pay scale and organize and executed for the same person.

A well organized renovation company, with experienced trade people, can target and finished the same size project in half the time with higher workmanship and without a significant price difference. Its up to the home owner to weight the pros and cons and choose wisely.

Dust control, just one of the many details to pay attention to during a renovation

A real successful renovation project involved a lot more than knowledgeable trade experience and workmanship, There are lot of details that indirectly will affect the results of what we would call a successful renovation project.

Trust and respect on both sides of the contractor ( trade people ) and client ( home owner ) relationship will influence results and decide if the final product could be define as a successful renovation project where both sides had a pleasant experience.

A good contractor must recognize the significance that represent for a home owner embarking in a renovation venture and take every necessary step to establish a healthy relationship right from day one.

Once a renovation or building contract is agreed, signed and initial payments fulfilled, the ball is on the contractor side and he should act accordingly, given the client a great deal of consideration and working to consolidate the trust that the home owner has deposit on him at the moment of choosing the right person to execute his project. ( hopefully the client decision was not only based on price, but that is another topic to comment in a different post ).

Trade knowledge and a high workmanship are definitely factors that will make a construction process a good one, but the small details are the ones that make that good solid construction project in a well rounded experience.

There are big differences between new builds projects and renovation projects ( also a good topic for another post )

Renovations projects are a different and harder type of task among all building projects, even more so when you are required to carry out construction tasks in occupied homes where a family is trying to continue their daily routines while the renovation takes place. Only experience contractors with extreme attention to details will be able to transform this stressful scenario into a more satisfying one for everyone involved.

When facing this type of project we ask our clients to previously fill out a form that will provide us with the right information to organize the way we will carry out our work while complying with his preferences as far as logistic, hours, parking, use of bathrooms, materials storage, garbage and debris collection, etc.

These are pictures of a proper built dust barrier to keep dust from flying into the living spaces in one of our current renovation projects

Spray Foam Insulation

Spray foam 

SPF is a spray-applied plastic that can form a continuous insulation and air sealing barrier on walls, roofs, around corners, and on all contoured surfaces. It is made by mixing and reacting unique liquid components at the job site to create foam. The liquids react very quickly when mixed, expanding on contact to create foam that insulates, seals gaps, and can form moisture and vapor barriers. SPF insulation is known to resist heat transfer extremely well, and it offers a highly effective solution in reducing unwanted air infiltration through cracks, seams, and joints.

Types of Spray Polyurethane Foam

There are three primary types of SPF that can be used for insulation and other specific purposes:

High Density: often used for exterior and roofing applications 3 lbs./cubic ft., closed-cell foam

As its name implies, this foam has a denser structure than either of the other SPF types. Therefore, it does not expand as much as lower density foams and requires more material to cover and insulate any given space.This spray foam is an excellent choice for roofing or otherexterior insulation because of its seamless, monolithic nature, in addition to its thermal resistance properties. In roofingapplications, its thermal- and vapor-retarder qualities provide great benefit, while its strength provides load support. High-density foam can help reduce energy costs significantly over a roof’s lifetime, while also offering high protection against heat and water infiltration.It also strengthens the entire structure to which it is applied. The bond that SPF forms to the roof can increase a building’s resistance to wind uplift, which can help reduce damage experienced during periods of high wind.

Medium Density: often used for continuous insulation, interior cavity fill, and unvented attic applications 2 lbs./cubic ft., closed-cell foam

Low Density: often used for interior cavity fill and unvented attic applications 0.5 lbs./cubic ft., open-cell foam

Also known as open-cell-foam low density spray polyurethane foam is applied as a sprayed coating to provide a continuous insulation and an air-sealing barrier. The foam’s open-cell structure gives flexibility to the hardened foam. Low density SPF is also called ½-pound foam, as it weighs almost 0.5 lbs. per cubic foot.
Due to its relatively large cell structure, low-density foam stays soft and flexible after curing. This increases the likelihood of its continuing to provide high insulation value even as the building settles and shifts over time. Low-density SPF provides effective heat insulationand seals air flow through cracks, joints and seams by filling the cavities. In addition, this foam can absorb sound thanks to its soft texture and open-cell structure.

Spray foam helps minimize air-borne sound transmission. Open-cell foam can reduce high frequency noise, and closed-cell foam can reduce low-frequency noise. A combination of open- and closed-cell foams can help maximize noise reduction.

Open cell spray foam costs roughly $0.80 per board foot to insulate a 2×4 wall. The walls are overfilled with foam and then shaved flush during installation to maximize thermal resistance. This means that some material must be wasted, which will effect the final cost.

Closed cell spray foam costs from $1.20 to $1.50 per board foot. To reach thermal resistance rating of R20, it needs less than the full depth available in any 2×4 wall cavity, meaning that no material will be be wasted. It’s more expensive because it acts as a vapour barrier, which eliminates the need for a polyethylene sheet.

These materials can survive wetting and drying and may be successfully cleaned after a flood to render them free of most harmful pollutants. In addition, spray foam prevents moisture and condensation throughout the building envelope, thereby helping to prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Applying closed-cell spray foam in the cavities of the walls increases durability of the wall system because of the foam’s ability to mold and adhere to the surface. upon which it is sprayed. 

When buying a new toilet, not an easy task.

Replacing an old toilet or installing a low-flow or a high efficiency toilet after a renovation will not always work as planned and could be different reasons why the new models can plug more often or required double or more flushes.

We have to remember that the new toilets models are all tested on modern plumbing, usually pipes with less diameter than the older 4” to 6 inches cast iron pipes we still found in many renovations. After the toilet is flushed will be little water at the bottom of a 6 inches pipe to move waste along, that's maybe one of the main reasons why low-flush toilets work better in new built homes.

From the plumbing point of view and design is always a good idea to have toilets in a position where other plumbing fixtures ( showers, sinks .. ) will contribute to wash down the drain pipes with their black water.

That's also the reason why others toilets in the house tend to plug more often than the master bathroom's toilet where there is a shower washing the drain down.

Options in what type of toilet to buy are as diverse as companies who manufacture them, in north America ( USA and Canada ) MAP ( Maximum Performance ) is an online database with results and evaluations about some 2800 tested toilets and a good reference guide when in need of some info to decide what type of toilet is best for your home.

Jam Switch

A jam switch is a light switch mounted flush into one of the doors jams, it activates when the door is opened and closed, turning the light on when the door is opened and shutting the light off when the door is closed.
These switches are normally used in places where people want lights to activate instantly when people access a space for convenience or safety reasons.
In custom built homes these switches are common in closets and pantries.

 These are pictures from the jams switches we are in the process of installing in what is going to be the bedroom's walking closets in one of our renovations projects.


Please notice these are pictures of work in progress and they do not represent in any way finished work.