End of Sixth Week On-Site

So much has happened this week - it is unbelievable. We have new windows, some plumbing, new ductwork, more framing, etc, etc.

The first photo is of the new supports/beams in the basement. There are also more holes in the floor but the photos don't do it justice. We ended up taking out half of the centrebeam in the basement (I can explain in person if you are curious). The other photo captures another moment of there being a hole in the side of the house. This is the view from the small bedroom upstairs down to the backyard and the street. Thank you for everyone that worked really hard this week (and to our patient neighbours).

Small Success Story for Waste Diversion

Because of the first Ottawa Citizen article, we connected with someone that needed old glass for his own house renovation project. When Amsted was removing the old windows, the deal was for them to put them on the front lawn. NP came by yesterday and took all of the windows and hardware that he could use. He was interested in the large pieces of ripply glass and some of the old window weights. Now that he has gone through the pile, the remaining frames (wood and aluminum) are going to go to scrap, etc. Our front yard now looks like a window graveyard (the photo is from before NP came by).

It sounded like an adventure trying to fit the largest frames in his car. If you want to check out his renovation blog, go to http://www.bytownhouse.blogspot.com/

More Golden Moments

Let the Light in

Our Golden Windows arrived on site on Wednesday. The difference in the amount of light in the house is amazing and the outside of the house looks great (even with the rest of the yard and house looking like a construction zone).

The smaller window in the photo is for our kitchen (replacing a smaller one) and the larger window is a brand new window in our house from the dining room with a view to the park!

Bunny rabbits chasing small children

I was walking down the street yesterday and turned the corner towards the house and looked up to see a hole in the side of our house. The windows are coming today so I guess it is time to create the openings! The house looks amazing with the old siding peeled back and all this light streaming into the kitchen.

While trying to leave a message on Rob's cell about the big hole in our house, I noticed a bunny rabbit bounding down the street behind a woman, a stroller and a small boy. Rob has a funny message on his machine as it is me trying to get the lady's attention. The image of the bunny bounding down the street was enough to make me start to yell "lady, lady" trying to get her attention. I thought that it would make the little boys day but the time they looked the bunny was gone.

Rob got a second voice message explaining the situation and more importantly, the list of changes in the house in just two days. The old insulation is now gone upstairs from the rafters and the small bedroom closet is framed. The basement is full of support posts and then of course the new light source. Seeing the progress helps make all of the effort feel worth it.

Friendly Advice

I had fun speaking with a friend last night about her plans to renovate her house. She is at the early stages of the planning process and has the benefit of not having the time pressure like we have. Here are the top three tips I had for her about picking a contractor:

(1) Read Mike Holmes "Making it Right." This will help with learning about the different elements of a house (plumbing, electrical, remodelling) and the book gives you specific advice about hiring a contractor.

(2) Be prepared to not have things happen right away. The most popular contractors don't call you back instantly when you show interest in them as right now a lot of people are calling with home renovation plans. When you call, tell them more than "yellow pages or the web" when you indicate how you learned about the company so that they will call you back faster. Also, good contractors won't have crews available to start right away so build this in to your plans. More importantly, it takes time to put together a design and scoping document.

(3) Think about how you want things to happen. You can do the design part separately and then worry about finding a contractor or go with a design-build option. There are benefits to both. Also, there is a big difference between the contractor that is going to fit you in when they have time versus a company that is going to be there every day until the job is done. Another factor is what you think you are going to be able to do yourself. All options have their merits so it is good to consider this before you start.

Good luck!

Exterior Decisions

I love it when friends and neighbours walk up to me and say "so is it going to be blue?" with big smiles on their faces. So, for those of you that have been waiting patiently, here are the exterior colours:

Canexecl wood composite siding in Granite (translation is a grey blue)

Canexcel trim in Sand

Window trim in Taupe.(from Golden Windows)

Cedarwood roof (already done) with Metro Brown flashing

Nailite Dormer shakes in Wicker (also on upper stories of front and rear elevations)

Stone porch columns in Bucks County Ledgstone (from Merkleys)

Porch columns and lattice work painted to match sand trim

Porch railings in a natural cedar colour

And yes, the decorative gable ends and supports are back in as part of the Arts and Crafts feel (you're welcome Chuck)

Door colour = undecided - Maybe this is where I am going to get my blue!

Granite, sand and cedar. Are these influences from my geological engineering days? Can you tell we are outdoorsy people?

If you want to learn more about Canexcel or see the siding colour, visit http://www.lpcorp.com/sidingtrim/lpcanexel/productinformation/productinformation.aspx

Hopefully this is the right link. The second article in the Ottawa Citizen had the wrong blog address (it is missing the "dash"). If you select the one they published, it takes you to another house renovation project. Funny.

End of Fifth Week On-Site

I know that these are confusing photos. The first one is not of a puddle. It is a photo of one of the holes dug in our basement floor. You can see the existing sewer pipe in the hole and then the old laundry sink in the distance. This photos represents the structural work they are doing in the basement. We are going to get some new structural supports down there.

The other photo is also confusing. I included it to show the combination of the old and the new. To the left side of the photo is new support posts and beams in the second floor associated with the new dormer (look for the orange). The rest of the old wood is part of the inside of our existing roof including the rafters. You can also see the old insulation (essentially the only existing insulation in our house).

In terms of other work undertaken this week, the chimney is now gone. It was falling down anyway and we would only have wanted to repair it if we were keeping the mid-efficiency furnace. The roof is also close to being done. Our windows arrive this week so big changes are to come.

Ottawa Citizen this Thursday

The 2nd article in the Ottawa Citizen series is coming out this Thursday. I had a fun time doing the interview with Pamela. I don't get to know what was written though until the article is published..... curious....

End of Fourth Week On-Site

The work on the roof started this week. Because we don't have to wait for the new windows to arrive, Amsted could get started. We went with 25 year Rampart Cedarwood.

Work is also underway for the new dormer. Upstairs looks really strange right now - it is fun seeing things come together.

As for selections, we spent more time with Jerry at Marchand on light fixtures. In the end, we decided to purchase the potlight housings that are compatible with LED lights. We also finished off tile selections with Vince at Ceratech. All the work we did in the fall paid off!

There is a hole in our roof

I ran by the house tonight to find that there is a hole in our roof. I guess they started the upstairs dormer today!

P.S. If you have any venue suggestions for a fall wedding reception, feel free to post them........ something not too fancy and maybe in the Ottawa Centretown / By-ward market area (and that might still be available). Just a thought.....

End of Third Week On-Site

We came to the house today to find the front steps gone. They have finished insulating the basement from the outside on three sides of the house. Now they have to bring a special machine to go under the porch.

As for inside, it is all about framing. One photo represents the new supports for the second floor. The other represents the kitchen wall being gone and how the new entrance from the dining room relates to the centre hall. If I had good photos from upstairs I would show you the exterior walls for the dormer that are being built inside ready to go up after they punch a hole in a roof this week!

The other event this week was the Ottawa Citizen photo shoot. Rob and I had fun with the photographer trying to find fun ways to show the house in this state.

Fan/Light Options

I am really just posting these images so that Lindsay can see them at work on Monday. These fans are the right size for the master bedroom - one has the light below the blades and the other one is located above. Decisions, decisions. The chandelier is for the octagon (otherwise known as the downstairs centre hall). Any suggestions?

Thank again to Jerry at Marchand Electric. Staying open for us on Thursday night was really helpful.

End of Second Week On-site

Amsted is moving through the demolition phase to now focus on framing. It is so much fun seeing the inside of our walls! The photos show all of the old knob and tube wiring which will soon be gone. They also show what is under the lathe and plaster.

Earth Energy Solutions

We decided to go with the company Earth Energy Solutions for our geothermal system.

I am going to cheat and post some information directly from their website:

"While traditional geothermal systems rely on ground source water and even more recent developments have introduced self contained or closed loop systems, eliminating the need for water, the revolutionary “DX” direct expansion system, developed in Scandinavia and now manufactured in Canada, goes much further. A closed copper loop, filled with an environmentally safe, non-toxic refrigerant, that changes to vapour when heated, is installed into the ground either horizontally or drilled vertically. This “closed loop” connects directly to the DX box in your home. It is this “DX” or Direct Expansion technology that offers the several advantages that make it superior to conventional geothermal heat/cooling pumps of both the “open loop” and “closed loop” variety.

DX is more efficient

The direct expansion principle allows the energy transference medium to come into contact with the earth through pure copper, ensuring maximum energy delivery. This efficient transfer is one of the principle reasons why DX systems get so much energy so easily. The DX system also requires no circulating pump, which saves on electricity. In addition, our “Energy Star” rated systems operate at peak efficiencies while using an absolute minimum of external power."

http://www.earthenergysolutions.ca/

I will post more specific information about the system for our house soon.

Golden Windows

Our order has been placed with Golden for the new windows in the house. We made the deadline for decisions in order to get them in 4 weeks or so.

Golden Windows are made in Kitchener. Besides the energy efficiency side of things, we went with Golden because of the level of service. Paul Leduc of their Ottawa office was great. Thank you Paul for all of your help and patience considering all of the details that have to be worked out with a window order.

In the end we went with double hung windows in recognition of the style of the house. We also picked wood, aluminum clad windows. A lot of our decisions on windows are in light of the fact that windows are not something you go cheap on now and replace later.

One photo is the existing dining room window (notice the kitchen wall is gone). The other photo is the top of the landing upstairs (lathe and plaster everywhere).