Have Kayleen McCabe Rescue Your Renovation at the Home + Remodeling Show

This is a woman who knows her way around power tools. Kayleen McCabe, the star of DIY Network's Rescue Renovation, will headline the Home + Remodeling Show in the Washington DC suburbs at Northern Virginia's Dulles Expo Center January 22-24, 2016.

Kayleen is a licensed contractor who never met a trouble renovation she didn't like. The premise of Rescue Renovation is that she can take a terrible property and turn sad rooms into jaw-dropping spaces in seven days. She says she's willing to go to any length to bring out the existing charm of a home.

Kayleen's great endeavor is to bring young people into the trades. She is an industry leader, teaching kids how to pick up a trade and use it to create a better life.

Kayleen was featured last week in The Washington Post's live chat moderated by Post Home and Design editor Jura Konicus. Readers submitted questions and Kayleen answered dozens of queries within an hour. Here are some of the best excerpts from the chat:

Q: What's the worst room in the house to renovate?

Kayleen: "The worst room? The worst room is a space that was worked on by someone who did things incorrectly the first time. But the most challenging room to work in would be the bathrooms (because of space) followed by kitchens. In each of these spaces you have plumbing and electric and many other trades. In addition, a lot of coordination needs to be done to get the timeline as efficient as possible."

Q: How can you decide if your 80 year old wood floors can be sanded yet again without disappearing? How often do you really need to sand them?

Kayleen: "Old floors are commonly 3/4" thick, but that doesn't mean you have that entire space to use for refinishing. Floors go together in a tongue and groove style. That really gives you one third of that 3/4" to sand - roughly 1/4". When you sand past that you are likely to see larger gaps in the wood, possibly fasteners starting to show, and the integrity of the wood starts to decrease. There are a few ways to preserve them and not go through an entire refinishing process, but I would have to suggest you contact a local flooring expert for their best suggestions."

Q: Hi Kayleen! So excited you are coming to Northern Virginia next week - We have a kitchen floor problem. Bought the house with a tile floor in the kitchen and thought we loved it - until the tiles started to crack. Come to find out that it was a DIY job and the floor was not prepared correctly. Trying to figure out if we start over, use something different, or what? We are overwhelmed and can't seem to make a decision!

Kayleen: "I am very excited to be heading to the east coast as well! With a tile problem like that I would suggest starting over. You could patch it one tile at a time, but the problem might never be truly fixed. Starting from scratch will let you control the outcome, not trying to guess or work around what the previous DIYer did."

Q: It is such a pain to have a full bath redone. We only have one in our house. How long should a total gut of the room and rebuild take?

Kayleen: "A full gut and remodel of a bathroom could take on average 2-3 weeks. The process can go much faster if the project is properly pre-planned - like all of the materials are on the job site before the project starts, and the sub-contractors are scheduled."

Get all your renovation questions answered January 22-24 at the Home + Remodeling Show. Kayleen McCabe will be on stage Friday, January 22 at 6pm and Saturday, January 23 at 2pm and 6pm.

Don't have tickets yet? Buy in advance to save big and skip box office lines. Right now you can get 2-for-1 tickets when you connect with us on Facebook. Click here to take advantage of this exclusive offer.

DULLES EXPO CENTER
JANUARY 22-24 2016.

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John Gordon’s Top Tips for a Successful Contractor-Customer Relationship

It is easy to become overwhelmed when trying to choose a remodelling expert or contractor for your next home renovations project. Many homeowners have the same worries and reservations. First, it is hard to find an expert you trust and know can do a great job on your particular project. Second, many homeowners don’t know their rights in terms of what they should be asking for as they move along in the process.

John Gordon, Owner of Your Reno Guys, takes the guesswork out of starting your next renovations project, providing you with his top tips for a successful renovations relationship.

• Research potential renovation companies by using websites that rate and review contractors in your area such as the Home Stars Website and ask for recommendations from family and friends
• Meet with two to three contractors in person before choosing one for your type of renovation
• Ask about permit requirements in your area
• Inquire about qualifications and insurance of the people who will be doing your work
• Make sure the contractor has liability insurance in case of accidents or damage in your home
• Ask for a written estimate and accurate breakdown of what is included
• Obtain and call references and ask as many detailed questions as possible
• Once the written estimate is agreed upon, request a written contract
• Be sure to communicate about the progress of your renovation frequently
• Keep a record of the payments along the way
• Provide any final feedback you may have upon completion of the project
• Always be in control of the money; never release more money than the services or materials received

John Gordon will be sharing his tips and advice at the Ottawa Home & Remodelling Show, taking place January 21-24, 2016 at the EY Centre. Don’t miss his presentation “Building Permits: When Do You Need One?,” Friday, January 22 6-7 PM, and Sunday, January 24, 3-4 PM. John Gordon will also be available at the Your Reno Guys booth at the show to answer all of your questions. Don't have tickets yet? Get 2-for-1 on Facebook and treat a friend or family member to the show! 

EY CENTRE
JANUARY 21-24, 2016.

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Top 5 Tips for Building Consciously from Casey Grey, “The Conscious Builder”

Homeowners generally think of living “consciously” in terms of reducing their energy use with LED bulbs, or getting their family in the habit of recycling and composting. However, there are many more ways you can make environmentally conscious decisions in your home, especially if you’re starting a remodel.

Casey Grey is the owner of Cornelis Grey Construction: The Conscious Builder, which focuses on building homes “consciously,” and to a higher standard, using environmentally friendly and health conscious products. Casey shares his top 5 tips for building consciously in your next remodel.

Buy Quality Windows

The fact is, windows are the weakest point of your home. They have little thermal resistance and are often positioned in places that affect the performance and comfort of your home. When purchasing windows, be very wary of what manufacturers tell you. I’m not saying that they are lying to you but they may not be telling you the complete truth. For example, window performance is based on the complete window assembly. This means that the glass, spacers and frames all need to work together. Great glass and spacers with a poor window frames only addresses part of the issue. No matter what, I would always suggest triple glazed windows at the very minimum. Make sure to do your research or find a contractor who can help you with these decisions.

Insulation From The Exterior

If you have the opportunity to add insulation to the exterior of your home, DO IT! This will eliminate Thermal Bridges which will make your home much more comfortable and will help it perform much better. Understanding the difference between Effective R-Value and Nominal R-Value will help you with this concept. For example, a 2”x6” wood framed wall with studs every 16” and an R-22 batt will give you an effective R-Value of R-17. That same wall with an addition R-10 (2” of foam) on the exterior will give you an effective R-Value of R-27! Here it is in point form:

Wall 1 (Typical 2" x 6" wall)

• Nominal R-Value = R-22
• Effective R-Value = R-17

Wall 2 (Additional 2" of foam on the exterior)

• Nominal R-Value = R-32
• Effective R-Value = R27

Eliminate As Many Holes As Possible

The tighter your home is, the better it will perform and the more comfortable it will be. If anybody tells you your home needs to breathe, chances are they don’t understand the basics of building science. Yes, your assembly may need to have the ability to dry out or have vapour travel through it BUT you do not want air to travel through your wall. When air leaks into your home, not only does it make it less comfortable and less energy efficient, it also opens up the potential for major structural damage and adds to poor indoor air quality.

Think of this for a second. When you turn on your bathroom fan or your huge kitchen exhaust fan, where do you think the air is coming from? Air is being blown out of the house so it needs to be coming in somewhere, right? Well that air is going to come in wherever it can which usually ends up being through plugs, switches and other exhaust openings, such as those that are required for gas appliances. This means you have all the chemicals from your walls and potentially Carbon Monoxide coming into your home. The solution is to eliminate as many holes as possible and mechanically ventilate your home with an HRV or ERV. Any contractor or HVAC contractor who understands building science should be able to help you with this.

Think of Where Your Products And Materials Come From

When building consciously, we also want to think of where all the products and materials we purchase come from. Ultimately we want to purchase quality products but we also want to make sure we’re lowering the carbon footprint of our build. For example, if you’re thinking of a stone counter top, where is that stone coming from? Is it being cut out of the ground on the other side of the world, being packaged and shipped here and then cut and polished just for your kitchen? We live at a time when we have more options than we know of. You can get counters made from paper or recycled content now! They may even be made closer to your home than you think. You can do an easy online search or ask your contractor or designer for some other options.

Think of The Air You Breathe

You may have heard of off-gassing or VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) before. If you haven’t, I suggest you take a look. Unfortunately most homes have terrible indoor air quality and one of the reasons is because of off-gassing. There are many products out there that have many different chemicals in them and they often continue to off-gas for years to come. The most common ones you hear of are paints, stains, laminates and spray foam insulation. Be wary of other types of insulation and even your furniture as well. For example, fibreglass insulation and certain fabrics are sprayed with fire retardants that are full of hormone disrupting chemicals. Make sure to talk to your contractor about the materials that are being used in your home. Healthier materials may cost more but the health of you and your family is invaluable.

Casey Grey will be sharing his tips and advice at the Ottawa Home & Remodelling Show, taking place January 21-24, 2016 at the EY Centre. Don’t miss his presentation “Conscious Strategies For Remodelling Your Home” at the show, Thursday, January 21, 6-7 PM and Saturday, January 23, 10:30-11:30 AM. Casey Grey will also be available at the Cornelius Grey Construction booth at the show to answer all of your questions. 

Don't have tickets yet? Get 2-for-1 when you connect with us on Facebook. Treat a friend or family member to the show - we'd love to see you there!

EY CENTRE
JANUARY 21-24, 2016.

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Herb Lagois’ Guide to a Successful Remodel

Many homeowners find the thought of taking on a home remodelling project daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. If you do your homework, and find the right contractor for the job, a remodel can be a fun and exciting project. Herb Lagois, the President and Lead Designer at Lagois Design Build Renovate, provides his top tips for homeowners to keep in mind when taking on a remodelling project.

1. Excellent designs are the foundation. Make sure your design addresses your needs and solves the function or flow issues in your home. A beautiful design is nice, but maximizing functionality of your home for your current and future needs is paramount. A great design build firm will spend time understanding your family’s unique needs and their design should bring your vision for the space alive.

2. Plan for success. Selecting your materials, finishes, fixtures, and appliances for your remodeling project is great fun, but for some it can be daunting. Look for inspiring photos on Houzz or Pinterest and share them with your remodeler. If you don’t know where to start, allow your designer to guide you. Making all your decisions before construction starts will keep your project on time and on budget.

3. Work with a RenoMark Renovator. Why? Because these firms have been vetted and follow a strict code of conduct. RenoMark Renovators are licensed, offer warranties, and are members of their local homebuilder association. Always interview the firms you are considering, ask them about their process and check their references.

4. Get the contract in writing. Make sure that the project scope is explained in detail and outlines the price, payment and construction schedule. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or request more detail where needed.

5. Enjoy the process. Your dream is about to come alive before your eyes! Allow yourself time to make the proper decisions and celebrate the milestones along the way – framing, drywall, appliances installed! Take the time to envision yourself in the new space and how it will feel when it’s finished. It will be done before you know it!

Herb Lagois will be sharing his tips and advice at the Ottawa Home & Remodelling Show, taking place January 21-24, 2016 at the EY Centre. Don’t miss his presentation “Hiring the Right Contractor for the Job” Saturday, January 23, 12-1 PM, and Sunday, January 24, 1:30-2:30 PM. Herb Lagois will also be available at the Lagois Design Build Renovate booth at the show to answer all of your questions.

Don't have tickets yet? Get 2-for-1 when you connect with us on Facebook, and treat a friend or family member to the show. We'd love to see you there!

EY CENTRE
JANUARY 21-24, 2016.

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