Integrity contracting Blog about home additions & framing information

August 30, 2015 By Integrity Contracting

7 Things You Need to Know About House Framing

Everything in your home is dependent on the house framing. Everything. Without the frame there are no walls to protect you from the elements, no floors on which to place furniture, no roof to keep out the rain and snow. Getting the framing right on your new home or home additions is as important as laying a strong foundation. If it’s not done right you may be sitting in the kitchen one morning several years later and suddenly notice your prized marble countertop is no longer level, or that the wall and ceiling are separating above the sofa. If you don’t want that to happen, listen up.

House Framing Essentials

Though framing materials and techniques have changed, the need for a rock solid frame underlying your home has not. With that in mind here are 7 things we believe to be crucial to the successful completion of any framing project.

A General Contractor – On any building or renovation project scheduled to last more than a week or require multiple trades you need a general contractor. It might be tempting to think you can handle it yourself but it’s rarely the wise thing to do.
A Contract with Teeth – Before a single nail is fired from the nail gun make sure your contract with the framer specifies both start and completion dates. Make sure there are penalties that kick in if the completion date is missed and don’t pay the framer until the work is complete.
A Review of the Plan – If your plan entails features unique to your house you’ll want to sit down with the GC and the framing contractor before work begins to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Securing the Jobsite – It’s an unfortunate reality that building materials sometimes disappear from construction sites. Make sure the GC has taken measures to properly secure the site and that financial responsibility for lost material is covered in the contract.
Staying Alert – If you see things being framed out that just don’t look right, ask about them. Even if you reviewed everything before work started mistakes can still be made.
An Understanding of the Inspector’s Job – The building inspector is not there to put his or her stamp of approval on the quality of the framer’s work any more than the excavation contractor is. They’re there to check for code violations. Don’t count on them for quality assurance.
Beware of the Plumber – Or the electrician, or any other subcontractor who feels they have a right to hack up the house framing without clearing it first. Sometimes they’re just taking a shortcut through your home’s integrity so they can finish up early. If you see someone going to town on the framing call the GC.

The life of your home, and by extension the safety and happiness of yourself and your loved ones, depends on proper house framing. If corners are cut, design elements are missed or finished work is compromised by overzealous subcontractors you could wind up facing an expensive and time consuming redo. Follow these steps to help ensure your house framing stands the test of time.

Integrity Contracting is known for quality work, honesty and professional results that increase value to our customer’s properties. We know we can provide you with answers and solutions to your projects needs; we are qualified, licensed professionals – proven & trustworthy – who always deliver projects on time and on budget. We specialize in Home Additions, Framing, Basement Underpinning, Demolition and Excavation in Toronto. Visit us on Google+.

August 20, 2015 By Integrity Contracting

Mistakes That Are Commonly Made When Building Home Additions

More and more people are staying in the homes they have rather than buying new, larger homes for themselves and their growing families. This has led to a surge in home additions which in turn has led to a surge in the number of homeowners who wake up the day after their addition is complete and ask themselves: “What happened?” Unfortunately, these folks have made some common mistakes homeowners are prone to making during an addition project. Mistakes you don’t have to repeat.

Home Additions: Common Sense + Caution = Success

Before setting out on your home addition odyssey it’s helpful to compile a list of all the things you hope to gain from the project. This will help ensure things turn out the way you originally envisioned them. But just as helpful is a list of things to avoid during the process. These include:

Putting Yourself in Charge – The best way to ensure your addition is completed successfully is to hire a general contractor to oversee the project. You may be tempted to take charge yourself, and that is certainly your right, but think about it this way: the subcontractors will likely never work with you again but the GC is their bread and butter. Who do you think they are more inclined to try and please?
Building an Addition for Someone Else’s Home – Sure, that new addition is a sparkling example of mid-century modernism. Problem is, the rest of your home is a sparkling example of the beaux-arts revival movement. The point being this: the design of the current house must drive the design of the addition in style, volume distribution and materials.
Rushing to Get Permits – Leave the process of gathering the necessary permits to the general contractor. It’s their job. If you rush out and obtain permits before the design is finalized you could wind up having to apply for more or different permits before construction gets underway due to last minute design revisions.
Buying Bargain Basement Materials – The use of second rate materials in your home addition will only serve to drive down the value of your property rather than enhance it. Beyond that, you should not be the one purchasing house framing or other materials in the first place. That too is the job of the GC. They’ll know where to get the right material at the best price.
Building Too Small – In an effort to keep the budget under control some homeowners will scale back their plans to the point that the finished product doesn’t fulfill their spatial needs. This is the kind of mistake that has ‘lingering regret’ written all over it and may even result in a call to the demolition contractor and a reboot of the entire process.

Mistakes are a natural component of any complex process. Some are the result of forces beyond our control. But not all. Many common mistakes like the ones listed here can be easily avoided once you become aware of them. And avoiding them will give your home addition project the best possible chance of turning out exactly as you hoped it would.

August 10, 2015 By Integrity Contracting

What You Could Gain from Basement Underpinning

Underpinning of a basement is usually done for one of two reasons: either to strengthen the existing foundation of a home or to extend the foundation and basement floor downward to open up vertical space. Basement underpinning has been a common practice for well over a century and the basics of the process have not changed. What has changed over the past few decades (as much of Toronto’s housing stock has begun to age) is many people’s attitude toward the idea of underpinning. Once thought of as a messy way to address structural problems, homeowners are beginning to see the other substantial benefits the process has to offer.

Why You Should Consider Basement Underpinning

While basement underpinning is a well understood process you should always make sure it is done by an experienced, professional excavation contractor with a proven record of success and references. That said, here are some of the major benefits to be gained from underpinning your basement.

More Space – In the search for space many folks default to building home additions when they could gain the additional space they seek through underpinning. A typical home with two above ground floors and a low-ceiling basement could gain up to 50% more usable square footage by simply lowering the basement floor then building out.
Increased Structural Integrity – Underpinning the foundation, whether it’s to accommodate upper floor expansion or to create vertical space in the basement, will strengthen your home’s structural integrity, increase its curb value and extend its potential lifespan.
Added Value – By opening up your basement for practical use you increase the resale value of your home by a considerable margin and make it more likely to sell quickly, rather than lingering on the market for months or years. Studies show that no other form of home improvement creates the ROI of a basement renovation.
A Drier, Healthier Home – Many older basements suffer from seepage which not only undermines the integrity of the foundation but can lead to the development of mold and the generation of musty odours that make trips to the basement unpleasant. Recent research has indicated many types of mold can present serious health concerns as well. The process of basement underpinning will not only create new, usable space but afford you the opportunity to reset your relationship with your basement and start over with a dry, healthy environment.
Rental Income – If you install a new or expanded entrance to your basement during the underpinning process you open up the possibility of turning your new space into a rentable apartment. A great idea if you want to both increase the value of your home and recover the cost of the underpinning and build-out.

Whether you need to strengthen your home’s foundation, address leaky foundation walls, create usable space for your family or create an income generating apartment downstairs, basement underpinning is a smart, value-loaded proposition. You’ll wind up with a safer, more stable, more spacious and more valuable property as a result.

July 30, 2015 By Integrity Contracting

When a Demolition Contractor Might Be Your Best Option

If you own or have purchased an older house – perhaps one whose previous owner wasn’t scrupulous when it came to maintenance – you may be facing the tough choice between attempting a renovation and simply demolishing and starting over from scratch. This can be a particularly hard decision to make if the house has certain design or material aspects you find appealing or is one that’s been in the family for some time.

Calling the Demolition Contractor

There are many factors that contribute to the decision to hire a demolition contractor. Some of them personal, some pragmatic and some simply out of your control. In general though the decision can be justified…

When the Cost of Renovation is Simply Prohibitive – You may wish with all of your heart that you could preserve that Second Empire Victorian as is but poor maintenance may have left it in such a state that renovation would cost considerably more than simply starting from scratch.
If You Just Don’t Have the Time or Inclination to Oversee a Lengthy Renovation – Renovating an older home is a far more involved process than something like basement underpinning. If your lifestyle leaves you with little free time to oversee the myriad details of a home renovation you may want to go with a demolition and rebuild. Oftentimes it’s simply easier.
If Yours is Clearly the Sad-Sack House of the Neighbourhood – If your home’s value is a fraction of that enjoyed by the homes that surround it, no manner of renovation will likely restore it to value parity and it may be time to call a demolition contractor.
If You Bought the Lot and Not the House – Some folks will purchase a lot not taking more than a cursory glance at the house occupying it. That’s because their intention all along was to build from scratch, they simply couldn’t find an empty lot in their preferred neighbourhood. If this is you, you’ll be calling the demolition contractor before the ink on the purchase agreement is dry.
If Your Required Additions Will Cost More Than a Rebuild – Expanding families need more space. Sometimes however the cost of home additions can exceed the cost of simply tearing down and rebuilding. This is particularly true of smaller homes.
And Speaking of Smaller Homes… – Smaller homes tend not to be the best candidates for additions to begin with since they were designed around certain visual parameters and tacking a large addition onto the home can give it a strange, unbalanced appearance.

There are any number of circumstances that call for the hiring of a demolition contractor. But before you go ahead and hire one make sure the house is not protected by a heritage listing or other special designation. You could wind up in considerable hot water demolishing a home the government considers to be of historical value. You may also be constrained by land use rules or local building codes that restrict what can be built on the property and which negate your carefully crafted plans. So don’t take chances; always make sure to practice due diligence before proceeding with a demolition.

July 24, 2015 By Integrity Contracting

Questions You Might Forget to Ask an Excavation Contractor Before Your Project Begins

The pool you’ve been dreaming of is only weeks away now. You’ve got the plans, they’ve been approved and you’ve lined up an excavation contractor who came highly recommended by that guy you met at the auto show. He’s coming over this afternoon (the contractor, not the guy you met at the auto show) with a contract for you to sign and you’re pretty sure you’re going to sign it because he seems like a nice guy. But wait. Before you sign on the dotted line you should consider whether you’ve asked all the appropriate questions. Failing to get your ducks in a row beforehand could lead to costly dead-ends.

Put the Excavation Contractor to the Test

Your home is your castle, but your land is your slice of the terrestrial pie and you’re about to let someone with a huge, aggressive piece of machinery treat it like a chew toy. If you’ve racked your brain trying to think of things you may have missed here are a few more questions you might want to ask before the backhoe hits the lawn.

What Will Happen to All the Dirt? – Whether you’re conducting a basement underpinning, pool installation or home addition the excavation is likely to generate several times more dirt than you imagined it would or should. Make sure the contractor has a plan in place to deal with it.
What Happens if you Hit a Pipe? – All manner of pipes lie just below ground. They’re the vascular system of any civilization carrying water, sewage, gas, steam and more depending on the area. Your excavation contractor should have contacted all appropriate utility companies before digging begins and have a backup plan in place in case something was missed. Ask to hear it and make sure it’s also in the contract.
What Happens to My Yard? – You can pretty much kiss your beautiful lawn goodbye for a while and any contractor who tells you otherwise is not to be trusted. Get the contractor to open up about the impact their backhoes and dumptrucks will have on your yard. It won’t be pretty, but it’s better to know the truth up front.

Not asking the right questions before backyard excavation begins could leave you with a muddy pit, ruined lawn and a pile of dirt the size of Mt Etna in your yard with nothing to show for it. Make sure the excavation contractor is prepared to conduct a soil test and has contingency plans in place (expressed in writing in the contract) in case the unforeseen occurs before you put your signature on the contract and work begins.