Permits

Renovating tends to be a poorly regulated industry. If you wish to build a NEW house, there are permits, home builder's warranty and regulations to follow. If you wish to renovate your existing kitchen, people seem to be far less likely to take out a permit.

Here's why: we think it will be too much of a hassle to be worth it. This way of thinking, although understandable, is missing some very key points. First, If I was house hunting, walked in to an old house, with a stunning new kitchen, I'd be very worried if I found out that it was renovated without permits. I spoke with someone earlier  today who had a very hard time selling his home, because he completed some renovations without permits, and the purchaser wanted EVERYTHING inspected and brought up to code. The $350 in permits would have saved him this entire problem.
Second, permitting a renovation means that you value your health and safety. If you rip out your drywall without knowing that it's full of aesbestos, you are putting your entire family's health at risk. Even the best electricians make mistakes. Without a mandatory inspection, some of these errors could be overlooked, which could cause blown fuses, electrical fires, etc.
Third, it's the law. If you're renovating, you should know whether a permit is required or not.

Although municipal inspections can add an increased level of hassle, it is an inconvenience that is completely worth it.

Do yourself, your family, and the resale value of your home a favor. Get a permit.

Attack of the wet Attic.

This is the time of year that I like for some reasons (hockey season starting) and dislike for others (rain).

Every time this year, when the rain starts, we get calls from home owners who found a leak in their roof. Most of the  time they don't find it until the water makes its way through the drywall ceiling and ruins the ceiling and often the floor underneath.

I have a suggestion that will save you time and money in the long run. It's quite simple:

1. Get a step ladder
2. Grab a flashlight
3. Climb up into the attic, and look for black spots on the plywood roof sheeting, or wet spots on the insulation.

If you see any problems, call a roofing company, restoration company or renovator. You obviously have a problem here.Your roof may only be 10 years old, but if it was a lower quality product, or was installed wrong, it could be failing.

Just like cleaning out your gutters, or pressure washing, a trip to the attic once or twice a year (especially in the fall) is definitely worth the effort!

Crown Moulding

Crown moulding is beautiful stuff. I may be biased, but I absolutely love it. In my opinion, it will be your best visual impact for the amount of money and time spent.

I guess I should throw in a disclaimer here. Properly installed crown moulding is great.

Yes, it's harder to install than baseboard or window casing, but it's totally worth the effort.

Here are a few things to think of when considering crown moulding:


1. Ceiling height.  Yes, you may love the massive, 8" wide crown moulding that you saw in a show home, but if your house has 8' ceilings, it will make the room feel crowded. Look at a 4 or 5" moulding; it will look much better once on the wall

2. Style of Moulding (Profile): If you look at the two pictures above, they are both really nice mouldings, but each one fits a certain type of home style. Try to blend in your crown moulding with the look and feel of your house.

3. Layout:  While it may seem great to have crown moulding installed throughout the entire house, consider your layout first. Does your spare bedroom really need crown? Probably not. We often end up installing crown in the following rooms:
- foyer/hallways
-living and dining room
- master bedroom
- kitchen  (if there is not already crown on the top of the cabinets.

Keep in mind that bathrooms are really hard on mouldings. The moisture can cause expansion and contraction of the trim, so if i can avoid mdf trim in bathrooms, I will.