By: Ashley Munn

It’s summertime and there’s no better way to enjoy the weather than by relaxing in your backyard – next to the pool. Just imagine yourself floating in the cool water with a refreshing beverage in your hand as sweet music emanates from the bushes and dances through your head. The garden looks great and you feel amazing with warm rays of sunshine beating down on your face as the water cools your body.

You enjoy your day, going inside only to fix dinner (or remaining outside at your new outdoor kitchen). As the day fades into night, the lights kick on, not only in the pool but throughout your garden. Glows radiate from the bases of your trees and flowers to project a mood of serenity throughout the backyard. With the temperature dropping as the sun goes down, you turn on the Jacuzzi and slip into it, as you share the beauty of the evening with your friends and family.

Clearly, the picture we just painted in your head is amazing, but what decisions do you need to make in order for this tropical paradise to become a reality in your backyard?

The Pool

If the pool is going to be the centerpiece of your paradise – and it will be – then you’ll need to decide what type of pool you want – essentially how deep you want it?  This can be the most difficult question to answer because if you have small children, the prospect of a deep pool may frighten you.  However, it’s important to remember that your kids will grow up with this pool, and as they get older they will want to dive and do cannonballs, just like you did as a child. A common solution is to have a “deep end” where diving is allowed, with the pool starting shallow and sloping downward. The most common alternative to a pool with a “deep end”  is an “activity pool” where swimmers will be able to stand throughout the pool. Typically, it is shallow at both ends and gets slightly deeper in the middle.

The Ambiance

The key to a great experience in your backyard is turning it into an escape – a paradise. Showing off and enjoying that garden that you (or someone you hired) work so hard to maintain is imperative – even in the evening. You need lights to see at night, so why not let them serve a dual purpose and light up your beautiful garden at the same time? You can use soft, wide lights at the base of your trees, flowers and bushes in order to accentuate their beauty and create a cabana-vibe while you’re relaxing in your Jacuzzi or on your patio.

Lighting the pool can also create an aesthetically-pleasing environment while providing another measure of safety.  Lights can and should be installed in both the pool and the Jacuzzi so that swimmers can be safely observed at all times. The sight of the light passing through the water is a beautiful one at night, and gels can be placed over the lights in order to manipulate the color. Would you love a specific colored light to complement your flowers?  You can do that.

Just as lights can be placed at the base of plants or inside trees, so can speakers. Listening to your favorite songs while lying on a raft in your pool can take you away to your own tropical paradise in seconds. Speakers can be strategically placed throughout your transformed backyard. Treetops, inside lawn ornaments, nestled within bushes, or up against the house. With speakers in the right place, you can feel like your favorite artists are performing poolside while you soak up the sun.

A pool is a long-term investment. If you’re going to have it in your backyard for the next 15 years, it may as well be perfect.  With the perfect pool, you can be off to your own little paradise in no time.

This article was provided by Mr. Electric. For all your lighting, be sure to contract a professional electrician, such as those at Mr. Electric. While your Mr. Electric professional is installing all those lights, ask him to hook up your stereo system too. For more information, visit www.mrelectric.com.

by Benoit Maneckjee

Electric in-floor heating has become a popular upgrade for any kitchen or bathroom renovation project.  In this article, ThermAtlantic Energy Products’ president offers some useful tips and insight into what you should know before you decide to install this amenity into your home.

Have you experienced the delightful feeling of stepping onto a heated tile floor with your bare feet?  If you have then you probably promised yourself that you’d like to consider adding this amenity in your home the next time you renovated. However, now that the time has come to replace the flooring in your reno project you may be wondering what’s involved and whether you can do it yourself.

Floor heating can be accomplished either by circulating hot water under your floor or using an electric heating cable system.  Hot water or hydronic systems are ideal for heating an entire home but not something you would consider installing yourself when renovating a room in your home. We will therefore focus this discussion on the use of electric heating cables & mats which are better suited for DIY renovations.

Electric floor heating products can be used in under virtually any flooring but are most popular under tile and stone flooring which are normally quite cold and uncomfortable to walk on. The same property that makes tiles cold is what makes them the ideal flooring for use over an in-floor heating system. Tiles are fairly good heat conductors and therefore normally draw heat away from your feet. However, when the tiles are warm they act in reverse and easily transmit the heat to your feet and make you feel warm.  Floor heating can also be installed under other finish flooring such as hardwood, laminate, cork, vinyl and even carpet but won’t have quite the same dramatic effect as when used under tile or stone since these products act more like insulators and do not conduct heat as readily as their tile and stone counterparts.

When planning or considering an electric in-floor heating installation there are a number of factors to consider.  Below are some of the most important and common things you will need to consider:

Electrical Considerations

Before you start dreaming about your warm floors you better make sure you can get an electrical connection first.  Have an electrician come in and determine whether they can provide the room with a new or existing 120/240V circuit to where your thermostat will be located on the wall.  If you are upgrading a room where electric baseboard heaters were previously installed then most of the work is already done.  If you are heating a room much larger than 150 square feet then you may need a 240V circuit capable of handling twice the load of a 120V circuit.

Sizing the Heating System

Heating cables and mats come in a range of fixed sizes measured in Watts. The wattage you will need depends on how cold it gets where you live, whether the heated floor will be your primary heat source or used for floor warming only.  By default 12 Watts/square foot is the norm under tile or stone flooring but can go up as high as 15W/SF when used in cold climates or rooms with little floor space to heat. You therefore need to measure the exposed floor space in the room you will be heating and multiply this area by 12-15 W/SF to get an idea of what wattage you will need and pick a size that falls within that range.

Choosing between Heating Cables or Mats

Most vendors offer a choice of heating cables or mats for floor heating installations. Mats will cost more but should be easier and less time consuming to install than loose cable. However, mats are designed to cover exact areas at specific watt densities or W/SF.  Before choosing a mat you must ensure that you choose one either the same size as your heated area or slightly smaller – but never bigger. Cables on the other hand are much more flexible in that you can adapt them to fit any room by merely placing the loops closer or farther apart. Sometimes both can be used in the same room by using a mat to do the larger rectangular part of a room and then using a cable to complete it and used to fill odd shaped areas.

Sub-floor Preparation

If you’ve ever installed tiled flooring before you know that you need to strengthen the sub-floor or de-couple it before it is safe to install tile or stone. Normally this means screwing down an extra sheet of plywood over the existing subfloor so that the overall thickness is at least 1” thick or more.  Alternatively, diamond lath metal mesh and mortar may be used to strengthen a floor – especially when the floor is not level or needs to be raised more than ½”.  Before installing any type of floor heating system you will need to ensure that the floor is clean and secure.

Installing the Heating System

Each system on the market has different installation instructions which you must follow in order to ensure the system will perform as it was designed to, meet safety & electrical regulations and be covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. Low profile cables typically require plastic fastening strips or the use of adhesive tape to fasten them to a subfloor while some thicker heating cable types may allow you to use special staples to fasten them to wooden surfaces. The more powerful the heating cable the less cable is required to heat the floor and the farther apart the loops need to be. Sometimes it may be necessary to purchase a thicker, more powerful heating cable product which can be embedded in a thicker “dry-pack” or concrete slab installation. Most installations, however, are likely to be over an existing subfloor and can be covered in self-leveling cement or thinset mortar before flooring is laid.

Longevity Consideration

One thing most people don’t consider is how long they expect their in-floor heating investment to last. Left alone, most electric floor heating products should last as long as your home. However, their ability to survive future finish flooring changes is not likely unless special consideration is made to the heating product and installation method used. When taking-up an outdated tile floor you are almost certain to irreversibly damage any thin heating cables lying directly underneath. One alternative to traditional subfloor installation methods is to use thicker, tougher heating cables intended for interior use over subfloors and cover them with 1/8” thick diamond lath metal or plastic reinforcement mesh before embedding them in self-leveling cement. Reinforcement mesh is an accepted means of reinforcing wooden sub-floors under tile installations and should be nailed securely in place every 5-6” over the thick heating cables before embedding the whole works in at least 3/8” of self-leveling underlayment. This technique is recommended for new construction and some renovations but is not for novices.

Thermostat Installation

In-floor heating thermostats all require the installation of a small floor sensor in order to measure floor temperature. Try not to locate the probe where it may be covered by rugs, furniture or appliances since these will act as insulators and prevent the thermostat from working properly. All electric Floor heating installations are required by the electrical code to offer you protection from electrical shock in the unlikely event of a cable break. This is accomplished by using GFCI protected thermostats which automatically shut down the system if anything should go wrong. Note that the ground sheath surrounding the heating cable must be grounded in the thermostat box in order for the GFCI circuit to work properly.

Shop around for the system best suited for your renovation and make sure you follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions since not all systems are the same. Take care not to damage the heating cables before they are covered in mortar and be sure to test heating cables during installation and before finish flooring is finally installed.

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About the Author

This article was written by Benoit Maneckjee, president of ThermAtlantic Energy Products Inc. which manufactures the ThermaWIre™ line of heating cables and mats.  Benoit has over 10 years experience in this field and has overseen thousands of electric in-floor heating installations during his career.  You may contact him directly with any questions you may have by clicking on this link.

by Robert Wright

Many times I get asked about permits for a renovation project. Many people don’t want to spend the money or are private. They also don’t understand why they are needed and when.

It’s about your safety (and peace of mind).

I have again visited a renovation gone bad. As we discuss the various issues, I asked if they have had any permits pulled….the answer was “I don’t know”. This is the wrong answer. It also confirmed some of my thoughts about the project. Not a good situation all way round.

So how hard is it to get a permit? An electrical permit is done with a phone call to ESA. Homeowners can pull one as well as an electrician. ESA has been getting very tough on non permit installations. This is because too many people are getting hurt and houses are burning down. With current regulations, a building permit has to be issued in 2 weeks if there are no problems with the application and other documents. It usually takes the design professional at least 2 weeks to produce drawings suitable for the application process.

What about a building permit? Every municipality is a bit different about which permits are required when. When you are only changing finishes, usually no permits are required. You will need a building permit for most renovation work and usually also a plumbing permit. In addition, you may need a HVAC and gas permit.

The biggest expense for a building permit is not the fee. It is preparing the drawings and documents for the permit application. The architect, interior designer, and/or the engineer make sure what will work well for you and ensure it will stand up. The design fee can range from about $1k to many k’s. The permit fees can be less than $100.00.

So what does a permit give you? The biggest thing it gives you is peace of mind and safety. When you apply for permits the city confirms that nothing being planned has a code issue. When you have the new work inspected at the various stages, they confirm that the work is competed to code.

So how does this give you peace of mind? God forbid you have a major problem and you have to make an insurance claim. One of the first questions you will be asked is “Who did the work and was permit “pulled”?” The worse case scenario is the insurance company denies the claim or they pay out the claim and you can not get insurance in the future. As Clint once said, “do you feel lucky?”

About the Author

Rob Wright has grown up around construction and in the mid 1990’s, Rob joined and took over Citadel Renovations in Ottawa. Rob has presented seminars at the local home shows on various renovations subjects and is a contributor to the Home Renovation Guide. Rob has been active in the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association for many years and previously served as the Renovation Council Chair. For more information, visit CitadelRenovations.com.

Looking for a local contractor? Visit the Home Renovation Guide’s Complete Directory or Get a Free Quote.

image from www.ceilume.com

Want to leave your old tiles in place, but have a whole new look?

There is no quicker, easier, DIY room makeover than replacing your old suspended ceiling tiles, and Ceilume’s 60 second videos show you exactly how.

Visit Ceilume’s Customer Photo Gallery to see these smart ceiling tiles in action and hear from the customers who installed them, and for the DIY nitty-gritty, be sure to visit the their blog.

Many people have been wondering about the home renovation tax credit and just what exactly it entails.  Information is now available on the Canadian government website, including a pamplet with further details.

Below is a break down of the main points of interest:

What is the time frame during which the credit can be applied?

“…after January 27, 2009 and before February 1, 2010, pursuant to agreements entered into after January 27, 2009.”

For work completed and some necessarily obtained goods!  This credit is for new renovations and ongoing improvements on the residential structure itself, as well as the land it sits on.

What exactly can I get back?

It’s a 15%  credit which can be claimed on an amount which is more than $1000 and under $10,000. The maximum credit that you can obtain is $1350.

What Dwellings are eligible?

* houses

* cottages

* condo units

(must be inhabited or used by the owner)

What Types of expenses can be considered?

* projects (ie: finishing your basement or re-doing the kitchen)

* “associated expenses” (permits, rentals, labour, etc.)

Who is eligible to claim it?

“Taxpayers can claim the HRTC when filing their 2009 tax return…. Family members will be able to share the credit.”

The following are sizing and positioning guidelines to help you to select the correct chandelier.
When choosing a chandelier for the dining room: It should neither overpower your table nor look too small. Measure your table (if it’s round, measure its diameter, if it’s a rectangle, measure its width), and then subtract 12″ (30 cm) from that number. For example, if you have a 42″-wide (107 cm) table, your chandelier should be 30″ (76 cm) in diameter. A properly proportioned chandelier comes to within 6″ (15 cm) of each edge of the table. Using this easy formula will help you achieve that balance. Some manufacturers offer oval chandeliers for extra long rectangular tables.

Proper positioning is very important for a balanced look. Since a chandelier is the focal point in your dining room, it should hang over the center of your table. If the electrical connection in your ceiling doesn’t match up with the table’s center, insert a heavy duty decorative hook into the ceiling above the center of the table, then attach a length of decorative chain to carry the wiring from the electrical connection to the hook. The bottom of your chandelier should be 30″ (76 cm) above the tabletop if you have 8′ (2.4 m) ceilings. If your ceilings are higher than 8′, raise the chandelier 3″ (7.5 cm) for every extra foot (30 cm) of height.

Chandeliers for other rooms – the chandelier should be placed higher than 8 feet above the floor in the middle of the room. When placing a majestic chandelier in the foyer, take into consideration the height of the ceiling and size of the space. If there’s a window above the front door, you may want to center it in the window for maximum curb appeal and aesthetics. Optimal placement would be at least 9 feet from the floor.

Information on selecting the correct size fixture

Height – The distance from the top to the bottom of the fixture, not including the chain.

Overall Height – The total length from the top to the bottom of the light, including the chain.

Extra Wire – Every hanging light that we sell comes with more wire than chain.

Diameter – The width of the fixture.

Extension – The distance the fixture comes out from the wall. Top of Fixture to Center of Outlet – The distance between the top of the wall light and where the fixture attaches to the wall.

Visit www.lightingshowplace.com for a wide selection of beautiful chandeliers.

If you are considering renovating your home, buying a home to renovate, or flipping a house, this will give you some insight as to what it really takes to do a total home renovation.

Week 3 and 4
After gutting the entire interior of the house, the wiring, and plumbing, needs to be replaced. Seeming these are things that I am not willing to allow my husband to do, in fear that he might blow himself or the house up, we brought in the professionals!

After these two weeks, the stress scale hit a nine on the stress “o” meter. Some problems we came across were:

Issue #1 was finding a good plumber and electrician. No easy task! There are a number of excellent resources available such as the Home Renovation Guide that can make the search easier, but we knew that with the amount of work that was apparent, both these teams would be in the house for at least a week each.

The Plumber!
The plumber was great in the end. After 5 days they had completed all that was needed (which was everything!). Every pipe in the house was replaced, as it had been 80 years since anything had been. Additionally, the hot water tank needed to be move to open up the space in the laundry room, the basin sinks relocated to accommodate the washer dryer, and a drain needed to be dug up in the basement and run out side, to eliminate further water damage, and the list ran on, and on, and on.

Issues Encountered
The main pipe that ran from the basement, up through the kitchen, and then up into the bathroom, was rotten! This was something that we thought (the plumbers and us), would have been okay as it was the original cast iron pipe. Of course with replacement, come added costs, and more time. However, replacing this also eliminated the smell of urine that was so predominate.

The second major problem we ran into was in the basement. As mentioned earlier a drain needed to be created outside that would act as a place for the water run off instead of going into the basement. Once they began digging the way for the pipe, they realized that the pipe they were going to link to was broken. So add another day, and more money.

Over all because we supplied the materials, and were able to work out flat rates with them, we were only $245 over the plumbing budget, but still had significant savings from the original quote.

Electrical
Well, knob-and-tube is just as confusing as it sounds. Who really knows how it works, and why it was legal? With the condition of the knob and tube, the house would have burned down long before the breaker went … words right from the electrician.

Again, we supplied the materials, which helped save money, but it was also time consuming because there were things that we could not find easily. That said, here are some of the “fun” encounters we had:

• Time – these guys are not timely! As patience is a virtue, one in which I try hard to possess, without success, this was terrible for me! They make their own schedule, and seemed to have dragged things on for over two weeks, while it could have been done in 5 days if they worked consecutive days.

• Of course, there were problems! Trying to feed the new lines through the house prompted some harsh words under the breath of the electrical team. Because of the board and batten walls that currently existed, it was not easy to get the lines up. Moreover, the existing electrical in the house was sparse, so there were a lot of new light fixtures, switches and outlets put in to get the house up to code.

In the end, the electrician has to come back once more after the drywall is finished to put up the faceplates and futures.

Well, these two weeks were not as exciting as next week, when we stop demolishing and start rebuilding! Yep, the walls are going up, and the exterior is being started.

Suggestions
Here are a few suggestions to make sure that your stress “o” meter doesn’t hit the 10!

• Ask if you can supply the materials. This saved us a great deal of money by avoiding the mark-up of at least 10%.

• Ask if you can pay a flat rate instead of by the hour. That way they want the job done speedily as well.

• Get at least 2 quotes to hear out any suggestions that they may have. Contractors can tell you how to save space, money and time if you listen, and you can see what they offer that is different if the prices really vary.

• Lastly, you are going to have to interact with the people you hire, so like them! Money is not always the deciding factor, your sanity is too…

If you are considering renovating your home, buying a home to renovate, or flipping a house, this will give you some insight as to what it really takes to do a total home renovation.

Week Two

The homes interior needed to be completely gutted. After speaking to some of the neighbours, we discovered that there were 10 illegal immigrants renting small sections of a room, so they wound up dividing bedrooms into 2 or 3 very small spaces to rent out more spaces. Along the way there were some surprises; here is what happened.

Knowing that it was a physically challenging job, and that don’t come close to having my husbands strength, we started with the upstairs. This way the thinks that took the most energy I could do right away.

The small room on the upstairs addition previously used as a second kitchen to accommodate more people. We removed the sink, walls, and ceiling. One pleasant surprise was the ceiling under the pressboard. It was actually usable! Updating the windows to create a beautiful solarium looking over the back yard, this can be an office or baby area. The exposed brink will add a unique feeling to a small but great space.

The bedroom attached to this area was sectioned off, creating a walkway to the makeshift kitchen. We took down the way, and we very happy to see that they had not destroyed the hardwood floors that we are refinishing. They did however reinforce that wall into the molding around the door, so all of that has to be replaced.

Once we were able to open the room up a bit, we starting by demolishing the wall connected to the bathroom. Any stress that I had, I put to good use, as this wall was all board and baton plaster so required some serious strength.

One thing to remember when working with board and baton plaster, WEAR A MASK, or you get the black lung! It’s messy and not pleasant to breathe in!

Meanwhile, in the other two bedrooms, all the T Bar ceilings had to go. They are okay at an office, but not a home. Both the master and the larger of the other two rooms had limited closet space, so the master bedroom is getting a new wall-to-wall closet that is both functional and accommodating. The existing closet in the master bedroom now opens into the second bedroom so there is one large usable closet for added storage.

Now on to the fun stuff! The upstairs bathroom, in all its pink glory was completely town out, including the floorboards. This is where we noticed the weak floors that we need to replace. No light duty here, the tiles in the bathroom weighed a ton and was dragged down stairs and out the back into the dumpster.

After day one, the upstairs was finished and we were on to the main floor. In the front entrance, we decided that the hardwood was too damaged to repair, so marble tiles will be laid. Easier to keep clean and an warm welcome home. After removing the hardwood, we found more hard wood! Still too much damage from the 100+ nails per square inch, but it was a nice surprise that will save some money by not having to redo the entire area.

Next, we took out the living room doorway. It closed off the entire space and the fireplace in the living room can now be seen as soon as you walk in. Again, board and Baton plaster.

The dining room was already in good shape. Little needs to be done here so we were off to the Kitchen.

No small task, we tore out the kitchen. Cupboards, counters, and floor all needed to go. There was previous water damage so we took out some walls to ensure that everything was sealed up properly. We have yet to decide how to handle the century hardwood floors we found in the kitchen, originally we had intended on tile, however, the beautiful floors we discovered are priceless, and we hate to cover them up.

A small area of the kitchen converted to add a second bathroom, not a bad idea, however they had no lights so they added (and poorly) glass planes to allow the light in. Both the tub and toilet had to go. Its still a mystery where the sink was suppose to be. After much deliberation, we decided to move the bathroom into the back addition and make it a half bath, leaving much more room in the kitchen.

Day 2 was a long day spent mainly on the living room and kitchen, but will be worth it in the end.

By the end of the week we were tired, and swore, however the feeling of accomplishment was there making it worthwhile, and why the stress scale was only a 7.2.

Come back next week as we start framing and the electrical. Goodbye, knob and tube wiring!

Recently we heard from a new homeowner who thought they knew exactly what they were buying after having the house fully inspected by a home inspector. To their surprise, when they called in a contractor to do some renovations, the contractor found numerous errors and mistakes made by the home inspector.

Sadly, the house is going to be much expensive to renovate than was initially budgeted for.

In this blog entry, we try to give you some things to think about during a home inspection.

1. Seasonality of Inspection – When you have a home inspected prior to purchase, consider the season that the home inspector is working in . For example, if it is winter and the roof is covered in snow, how can the inspector properly judge the quality of the roof ? If this is the case, try and get documentation from the homeowner on the condition of the roof, the warranty, and the last time the roof was worked on.

2. Knob and Tube Wiring – It is very difficult for a home inspector to determine the extent of knob-and-tube wiring in a house. Often, you will get an estimate percentage from the inspector. Since the inspector can’t rip out the walls and actually see the knob and tube, their determination is made based on the plugs and switches.

3. Hiding the house’s faults – As a home inspector’s visit to your house is brief, often they can miss things that have been hidden from the inspection. A common example of this is when homeowners paint their foundation walls to hide mold and leaking.

4. Home inspection liability limitations – Remember that the inspector is not liable for missed items during an inspection. They are only liable for the amount of the actual cost of the inspection, so before you agree to the results of their inspection, make sure there isn’t anything you think they’ve missed .

5. Insulation in the Attic – This is one area often missed in an inspection. Due to the difficulty of getting into the attic, the volume, type and quality of the attic insulation is often not included on an inspection.

So what is the end result? Home inspection services are very useful and can give the homeowner peace of mind when making a decision on buying a home. However, given the nature of the job, it is important to choose a home inspector with experience, not just the cheapest one. There are some really great home inspection companies out there to choose from. Please try to keep in mind some of these lessons during an inspection.

For more information on home improvement visit The Home Renovation Guide – http://www.homerenovationguide.com – The complete guide to home renovation.

Soma sits in an old Riverside building on one of the east end’s busiest — and formerly one of its seediest — corners, in a neighbourhood with virtually no nightlife (besides the hard-to-miss Jilly’s strip club, of course).

The choice of location may seem like a gamble to some, but a recent boom in activity on the Queen East strip, and a desperate need for an upscale neighbourhood lounge, has enabled Soma to pack the house almost every night since its opening.

In fact, the building had not been upgraded since 1902 and had to be completely gutted to create Soma. Previously a martial arts studio, it had no plumbing and even had an asphalt floor, making it a bit of an indoor driveway. However, despite many people’s disbelief and a year of transformation, the owners of Soma built a restaurant and lounge from scratch and have unveiled one of the Toronto’s most stunning new lounges, designed with the building’s history in mind.

An original secret passageway at the side of the room was restored and is now used for service staff, so you never see a parade of dirty dishes or encounter what would have been congestion by the washrooms and kitchen doors. The exposed brick behind the concrete bar is the building’s original, and any bricks removed during construction were saved to use on the exterior of the building.

But as old as its history may be, the new definitely comes out with the rest of the place. A sleek, modern lounge area sits in the front, with comfy black leather couches and ottomans, and tables line the back for either drinkers or diners. Most of Soma’s decor is black, grey and white except for the occasional screaming yellow wall.

WHERE: 703 Queen St. E. Toronto, ON

WHO YOU WILL MEET: East-enders desperate for an upscale place to go without having to cross that bridge into downtown. A big part of their clientele comes from the film industry from nearby lofts and studios.

TIP: Check out Soma’s stunning light fixtures. They were purchased from Italy and installed by a local Leslieviller, and kind of look like exploding silver flowers. Very cool.