Home renovations often get the bad rap of not going as planned - going way over budget or not staying on schedule, or even the home owner paying for things that weren’t done or needed. Unforeseen complications do pop up unexpectedly but if you are prepared they don’t have to ruin the whole experience. With careful planning and decisions being made earlier in the renovation process most of these situations could be eliminated or be easier to deal with.

Below are a few things that are vital to think about before you begin your renovation.

Prepare a budget
Be aware of your local government regulations
Get some plans drawn up
Find the right tradesperson
Know your start and completion dates
Selecting Products is important
Purchasing products

The first thing to do is Prepare a budget:
Unless you have limitless funds it doesn’t matter whether you are getting a loan or paying cash, you need to work out how much you’re willing to spend on your renovation. You can’t start shopping for your new bathroom or kitchen before you know your spending limits. If you are hiring a contractor to do some or all of the work he too will want to have an idea of what your budget is.

You need to be aware of your local government regulations:
Most renovations, even small ones today must be approved by your local government (City Hall) before work can commence. Find out as much information as you can from them before you start talking to the tradesperson. You may even run into special situation were your home is heritage listed and if this is true you will need to meet very strict regulations. Let me also say though that it is often easier for the contractor if you are hiring one to actually get the permit just because he know all the things that need to be included the first time.

Get some plans drawn up:
It is important that you have plans drawn up even for a bathroom or kitchen renovation. You will need these plans so you can discuss them with your potential trades’ people. You should also let them know what sort of products you would like if you have some specific ideas, so he will know what work needs to be done.

Finding the right tradesperson:
It is important to find a tradesperson that you can both communicate with and have confidence will do the quality work you are looking for. This is not easy. Speak with friends and family who have had some renovation work done recently and find out who they used. Find out who will be able to do the work in your time frame. Quality trades people are often booked for weeks if not months in advance and so you will probably need to book them well ahead of time. Make sure you understand them and everything they are trying to tell you. You don’t want any surprises.

Know your start and completion dates:
After discussions with your tradesperson, come to an agreement on a realistic start and completion dates for your project. Be upfront with your tradesperson if you have a specific date that the job must be completed by, for example you have relatives coming to stay. This is both common courtesy and keeping good communications open. Keep in mind that unexpected problems can hold up your project, no matter how well it has been planned.

Selecting Products is important:
When you know the style you desire, (modern, heritage or easy living) this will narrow down your product choices. You may have to take a few shopping trips in order for you to decide on the products that give you the look you desire and are also practical for your needs. Write down any product specifications you decide on so they can be given to the tradesperson. Be sure that what you choose fits all size restrictions you may have.
Talk to your tradesperson about your choices. Don’t be discouraged if the tradesperson tells you that a product you have chosen is unsuitable, find out why. It may be because of quality of size but it could also be because it requires extra work which they don’t want to do. This is your home and you need to be satisfied with the completed job. When selecting products, find out how long it will take to get delivery on them. Some goods will be in stock, while others can be custom made and can take up to 1 month to order in. These custom made products are usually non-refundable so make sure your product choices are good by checking with your tradesperson before ordering.

Purchasing products:
It really doesn’t mater who buys the products but where style is concerned, make sure you purchase or at least choose these products for your renovation. This will ensure that you make all of the decisions and achieve the result you want. Another thing to keep in mind is that the contractor often can purchase products at a discount because of purchasing power. Also there could be things you will not think about when placing an order that the tradesperson will not forget. It is important though to make all decisions related to style yourself as they will affect the overall look of your project.

Renovations can be easy and many of these points may seem somewhat obvious, but problems can arise if you start taking things for granted. Make sure that you cover all your bases because when you don’t, you may find that you have invested a lot of time, money and effort in a renovation that you are not happy with.

home exterior, interior | 1 Comment »

Last time we talked about the basics of design for your deck, and the materials that you might use. The most common choice of materials is pressure-treated (P/T) lumber as we said but cedar or composite and vinyl are all being used. As a rule, pressure-treated lumber is the best and cheapest choice for the structure of your deck but what you use for the visible parts of the deck will depend on your budget and the look you are after.

The instructions below are generic and you must be sure you comply with all local building codes before determining your final design or doing any work.

Determining the position of the posts and beams:

You should determine the spacing between your beams first then you will be able to determine the position of the support posts and the joist size appropriate to that spacing. Depending on the size of the deck I prefer the beams to be no more than 8’ apart and then I use 2×6 joists, this meets most code requirements but sometimes it makes more sense to space the beam up to 12’ apart and then use the size joist size appropriate to that dimension. Often a deck will only need one beam along the outer edge of the deck with the other end of the joist supported be a ledger bolted to the house. These beams can be made many different ways, and the spans will vary by how you build it. I tend to use 2 - 2×6, one on either side of your support posts but doing this means you need a support post approx. every 4’.

Determining Joist Size:

2×6s through 2×10s are the most common sizes used for joists. Again I prefer using 2×6 joist set on 16” centers though with full 2” decking you can set them on 24” centers. If your span is greater then 8’ you will need to use a bigger joist and maybe even set them on 12” centers. Your local building center should be able to help you with what meets code in your area. Again pressure-treated lumber is generally less expensive and is used for the joist even when the decking and railing maybe of a different material.

Building your deck:

1. Position the ledger along the wall the thickness of the deck boards below the height you want your deck. The height you want your deck should be at least 1″ below the bottom of the door out onto it. Fasten the ledger to the wall with 1/2″ lag bolts or sleeve anchors in concrete. The ledger should be level, and the lags or bolts should be at least 3″ long and should be spaced no more than 3’ apart.

2. To establish the outside perimeter of the deck, measure out from each end of the ledger about 18″ beyond the outside edge of the deck. Set up batter-boards as shown or stakes then run taut strings from the ends of the ledger to the batter-boards or stakes to establish the sides of the deck. Then run a third string between the batter-boards to establish the outside edge of the deck. Check your strings for square making sure you maintain an equal distance between the strings.

3. Layout where the support post will be along the string. Then dig the holes for the footings which must be deeper than the maximum frost penetration in your area, approximately 3’, and deep enough to rest on undisturbed soil. Insert some cement about 6” then add your 4×4 support post making sure it is held plumb and in line with the string. Then add some more cement to approx 6” below grade. Then fill the rest with soil. Alternately you can fill the complete hole with cement bringing the cement to ground level and then insert a saddle to fasten your support post to.

4. Fasten 2 – 2×6, one on each side of your support posts with 6 - 3.5” nails through each 2×6 into the support post or 2 - 1/2″x8″ hex bolts. When the joist run across the top of the beam, as in this case, make sure you allow for the depth of the joist when determining the height of the beam.

5. Mark the layout of the joist on both the beam and ledger, either on 16″ or 24″ centers, as per your design. Nail the joists in place making sure that the crown is up. Now mark with a chalk line and cut the ends of the joist so they are straight and then nail on the rim joist across the ends of the joists. Don’t forget to use joist hangers on the ledger when butting the joist into the header.

6. At this point fasten the railing posts in place at equal distances around the perimeter of the deck, and on each side of the stairs making sure the spacing is no farther apart than allowed by local building codes (typically 6′, I prefer 4 -5’). We’ll do the rest of the railing later.

7. Fasten your deck boards to your joist with galvanized nails or deck screws making sure to stagger the joints of your deck boards so they don’t line up. Also make sure your decking boards splice on a joist at each end. You will have to notch the boards around your posts or other obstructions, leaving 1/8″ space for drainage. 5/4″x6″ pressure-treated decking may be placed with each board flush against the next; natural shrinkage will provide the proper spacing. Though with some decking material you may want to leave a nail thickness between each board. Each decking board should have two fastener (nails or screws) one on each side into each joist.

8. Let the decking run over the edge of the structure then after all boards are fastened down, chalk a line about 1” out at each edge and saw the boards off leaving that one inch overhang.

9. At this point you can build any stairs you will need and fasten them to the deck making sure you have equal rises for each step and no more than an 8” rise on each step.

10. Last but not least finish the railing by nailing the top and bottom railings to your posts and then add the balusters with a maximum of 4” centers in between. Finish it off with some caps for the posts to keep the moisture out and give it that finishing touch.

home exterior | 3 Comments »