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.

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.

Deck Boards

Yes, fall (and winter) are right around the corner, but as it stands right now, it's absolutely gorgeous outside, and I want nothing more than to be sitting outside on a deck. 

I'm not the only one, as many of our clients are building new decks or renovating their existing ones. When renovating decks, there are so many options, and narrowing it down can get a bit overwhelming, so here's a start:

1. Pressure Treated decking: ( $)
essentially, this is regular lumber that is dipped in a pressurized chamber filled with a preservative, that is forced into the wood to help it last longer.


Pros: - it is the cheapest, and lowest cost deck board available.

Cons:
        - it can "bleed" the preservative resin out for up to two years, making it hard to stain or paint

        - it is prone to cracking over time.
         - The chemicals injected in the wood are artificially created, and aren't great for the environment.




2. Cedar:  ($$)
Cedar has a naturally occuring protective resin which allows the wood to last a very long time.


Pros: - It looks beautiful, is long lasting, and natural.

Cons:
- around twice as expensive as pressure treated
- can give some nasty slivers
- fades to a dull grey over time (which isn't a bad thing if you like the look).




3. Trex, Timbertech, or other composite deck boards. ($$$-$$$$)
Trex and Timbertech (which I prefer) both offer composite decking boards which range from a wood-composite material to a pvc deck board.

Pros:
- incredibly low maintenence
- fire resistant
- 25 year warranty on most products
- easy to install



Cons:
- to get a true, wood-looking composite, you'll need to buy the higher end, pvc wrapped products.
- still doesnt look exactly like real wood.






4. Brazilian Ipe "Ironwood":  ($$$$$)


Pictured at the top of this article, this Brazilian hardwood is dense, durable and gorgeous.


Pros:
- will literally last a lifetime if cared for properly. It is dense and very tough.
-beautiful, rich grain
- rarely causes slivers, or cracks.

Cons:
- one of the more expensive decking options
- timely (costly) to install
- made of a foreign wood; not the most local or environmentally friendly product possible.



When looking at what deck boards for your decking project, consider the initial investment, but also look at the care, maintenance and longevity of the product. A pressure treated deck may be the cheapest option right now, but in 10 years, when it's time to be replaced, or requires plenty of maintenance, will you be wishing you had invested a bit more in cedar, Timbertech, or even Ironwood?
There are plenty of other types of decking out there, but I thought I'd review some of the more popular choices.

Check back later this week for tile/rock and vinyl decking options.