Integrity contracting Blog about home additions & framing information

November 20, 2014 By Integrity Contracting

Why Framing Contractors Play Such a Vital Role

framing contractor toronto Constructing your own custom home or building a home addition are stressful—and exciting—projects for any homeowner. It’s difficult, if not downright impossible, to complete such a large project without the help of a professional. The question is: Which professionals do you need to hire for your home improvement project? Although many homeowners are not familiar with framing contractors, they are imperative to the success of your new home or home addition.

What is a Framing Contractor?

Unlike general contractors, who oversee the entire construction process from pipes to wires and materials, and custom home contractors, who specialize in custom homes, framing contractors focus on the, well, frame of your home or business. Framing contractors understand how buildings fit together and how they interact with the environment around them. They are essential to marrying your vision with physics to make your dream home or commercial building become a reality.

Five Reasons to Hire a Framing Contractor for Your Home Improvement Project

Frames are Not Something You Want to Mess Up – Frames are perhaps the most important part of your building. They provide its structure and set the tone for its design. If the frame is off, the whole building is off as well.
It Takes an Army to Build a Frame – Unlike some DIY remodelling jobs, framing requires a whole team of talented construction workers to execute correctly. Framing contractors know the best people in the industry who will show up to work on time and get the job done right with minimal disruption.
Framing is a Complicated Business – It takes framing contractors years working in the construction business before they’re ready to manage their own projects. They have to know about everything from subflooring to roof structure, floor systems to walls, and exterior house boxing as well as the best materials, the best methods of installation, the most advanced technology, and what to do if something unexpected turns up in the process.
Budgets, Permits and Paperwork, Oh My! – Most homeowners don’t spend their limited and precious downtime writing out schedules and crunching numbers for fun. Nor do they have extensive knowledge of their area’s codes and regulations. After all, they have a life and their own jobs to do. Luckily, framing contractors make it their job to know all of these things. They handle the building permits, they understand the regulations, and they’ll take care of the paperwork for you, making sure the project stays on schedule and on budget.
Construction Sites are Stressful – When you’re away from your home, which you are most of the day, it just feels better to leave someone in charge whom you can trust. Framing contractors excel at multitasking—managing conflicts, problems, and disruptions as they occur. They look after your home so that you can go on with your daily life.

Looking for a reliable framing contractor in the Toronto area? Contact Integrity Home Additions for the best service and highest-quality framing professionals in the Toronto area.

Contact us today for framing contractor in Toronto

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. Visit us on Google+.

November 15, 2014 By Integrity Contracting

The Top Mistakes Our Home Addition Contractors Have Seen

Home addition contractors Toronto For most homeowners, home additions are a truly satisfying investment. More space for a home office, kids’ bedrooms, luxurious master bathroom, or house parties can never be a bad thing, right? Well unfortunately, shoddy work, bad planning, or unscrupulous people can turn what should be a wonderful project into a disaster. Our home addition contractors have had to clean up more than their fair share of home addition disasters in Toronto and Etobicoke. When any type of home improvement work goes awry, it not only damages your home’s appearance and function, but also drastically cuts down on your property’s market value while costing you a pretty penny. Take it from our home addition contractors, here’s what not to do when expanding your home.

From Our Home Addition Contractors: Avoid These Common Home Addition Mishaps

Spending Beyond Your BudgetAll of our home addition contractors are eager and able to help you estimate costs and plan out your budget. But before you come to us, do a little research of your own. All too often, homeowners’ design plans have to be changed significantly or scrapped altogether because they were far outside of their budget. It’s a good idea to look up costs for materials, labour, appliances, and utility work in your area before you hire a general contractor.
Dedicating Yourself to DIYDo-it-Yourself is great for fixing small things around the house or interior design, but we do not recommend tackling a home addition without professional assistance. Oftentimes, DIYers overestimate their skill set and underestimate the complexity of their task. Home addition contractors have the specialized tools, equipment, and expertise to get the job done right.
Hiring the First Contractor on the SpotUnfortunately, not all general contractors are created equal. Some are less experienced and less professional than others and will leave you with little more than poor craftsmanship and a huge bill. Like for any job opening, several applicants should provide references, show their portfolios, and be interviewed about what they can do before you make any decisions.
Not Matching Your Home Addition With Your HomeWhen designing your home addition, keep the structure, layout, and style of your home and the surrounding landscape in mind. Your new addition should blend in seamlessly, almost as though it’s always been there. Home additions that contrast with your home might be a turn-off for potential homebuyers in the future, and your neighbours now.
Paying Too Much UpfrontOne of the best ways to get scammed when building a home addition is to give your contractor little to no incentive to produce quality work. Although all contractors require a percentage of payment up front, never pay them too much, too quickly. Hammering out a payment schedule in advance will help to keep your business relationship professional and uncomplicated.

With a little planning and research, your home addition project is more likely to stay on schedule and on budget with a beautiful end result.

Contact our Home addition contractors in Toronto today

May 23, 2014 By Integrity Contracting

Our construction program package offered to our customers includes

Our Demolition Program. This is a comprehensive package that oversees all the actions and stages that take place in a full or partial home demolition scope type project including: precipitation control, collateral damage prevention & mold prevention.
Our Safety Program. This is mandatory to all Integrity Contracting management, staff and sub-trades to abide-by. We transmit the importance of what safety does for us and for our customers and their property, our training includes: Health & Safety Policy & Program, Policy Statement, Responsibilities, Safe Practices & Procedures, Emergency Procedures, First Aid Requirements, Workers Orientation & WHIMIS.
Work Ethics Program & Procedures. This is also mandatory to all staff and sub-trades. We provide and encourage an environment of respect for our co-workers, our trades and customers and their property.
We come in, clear the lot if required, set the foundation and frame for a complete and fast “Close-In” experience! We are experts on construction structure; our staff is knowledgeable and service-friendly, our many years of experience at building and dealing with all the different steps and city inspections involved in getting your project on track sets us apart from the typical service subcontractors who often are just fast and sloppy with making money as their bottom line.
You don’t have to hire ‘5 or 6 trades’; you don’t have to worry about delivery dates and materials, our vendors know us well and we have set up accounts with some of the best material providers in the industry all over the GTA. We take care of all takeoffs, logistics, debris disposal, etc.
We are building code knowledgeable and are licensed to take a number of projects under our supervision. We don’t take things lightly when it comes to our customer’s property and investment, and the safety of our own crews; we carry and maintain our General Liability Insurance and cover all elements of your most important investment: your home!
We provide and maintain our own heavy equipment to keep the high costs of renting on the low side for our customers. We also pass on to our customers our many years of experience, dedication and care when contracted to construct your new home or addition.
We associate ourselves with the best institutions the Canadian Construction Industry has to offer; we are members of Reno Mark (Renovator’s Mark of Excellence), Building Industry & Land Development Association (BILD), Better Business Bureau (BBB), Ontario Home Building Association (OHBA), Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA) & Workers Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB).

Contact our general contractors in Toronto today to find out more about our packages

March 18, 2014 By Integrity Contracting

Where Do You Start with a Home Addition Project?

home addition

Building a home addition to your home’s current design is not exactly the same as other smaller home improvement projects, such as replacing the front door, renovating the kitchen or having new windows installed, the start of the process is very much the same. The first step is always to sit down and think. A home addition is one of the biggest projects a home owner can commit to but it doesn’t mean that the first steps are any different than other projects. Before you get in touch with custom home builders capable of building your home addition, you need to think about what you actually want. What type of features does the addition need to have? Who will be using the space created? By answering those questions you can take the first steps to a successful home addition project. Integrity Contracting has been helping clients in Toronto, East York and Etobicoke plan for designs and build beautiful home additions that have not just added additional space to existing homes but we have done so in a way that meets the client’s needs and preferences perfectly. During this article we are going to explore some of the other questions you should ask yourself sooner rather than later if you are thinking of investing in a home addition.

Questions to Answer Before You Start a Home Addition Project

Many people get in touch with custom home builders either the same day or a few days after deciding that a home addition is a project they may like to pursue. What these people forget is that while a contractor will be able to share their expertise, no-one knows the requirements and preferences of a project quite like you do, so consult yourself before anyone else. Answering these questions will usually provide you with more direction before you get too heavily involved.

Can You Get What You Want for Less Money?

This is a great question to ask yourself in order to determine whether a home addition is the right choice for your particular circumstances. Why do you want to add space to your property? Is your family growing and your current living arrangements are somewhat overcrowded? Or are you looking to add extra space for entertainment purposes? Do you have an attic or basement space that could be renovated to provide what you want? Often this existing space is overlooked and not considered by clients as potential living space.

Look Past What You Already Have

It can be hard to come up with design ideas and imagine how you would want the home addition to look like, when all you can see now is a “dead-end” in your home. Forget that; in fact don’t even look at what you already have. Try to visualize the home addition as a separate building right now and come up with your perfect design. Think about the design styles you would like to incorporate and the features that absolutely must be present.

Are You Sure You Don’t Want to Move?

Moving is usually the main alternative to a home addition and you need to be sure that moving is not a better option before you commit to a home addition. When moving, you will be uprooting your family from a place they know extremely well and are perhaps attached to (especially in the case of young children), but it does offer you the chance to find a home that has everything you need. The downside of course is that you will hardly ever be able to get the layout of a home exactly how you want when buying an existing property, whereas a home addition can be customized to your specific needs. Having a home addition built makes no sense unless you are thinking of staying in your current property for at least several more years.

Think About the Money

Ask yourself whether you’re prepared for the financial commitment a home addition requires. That extra space comes at a cost and you need to make sure you are in a position to afford it. The exact cost will depend on the size of your addition as well as the features that you would like included, In a rough estimate you should be prepared to pay anywhere from $100 to $200 per square foot.

The last thing you want to do is end up regretting your choice when you’re halfway through the project and contracts have been signed. By asking yourself these questions you can rule out other options that could potentially meet your needs and you can sleep easy at night knowing that the best decision has been made. The next step is to get in touch with custom home builders, tell them about your requirements and then get a quote.

Talk to our team about your home addition, please call 647-738-4395.

June 3, 2013 By Integrity Contracting

Six Questions You Should Always Ask a Framing Contractor

Deciding to build your own home from the ground up can be exciting and daunting all at once. It is a huge investment, and you know it needs to be done right. Besides the contractor who will build the foundation of your house, the framing contractor that you end up hiring is perhaps the most important person who will work on your house. Framing contractors are responsible for building the structure of the house, and their work needs to be accurate, leveled, and true. The quality of their work will impact the overall quality of your home.

At Integrity Contracting we provide a comprehensive range of services, which include everything from framing to architectural design to tiling and carpentry work. Our framing package is in fact done not just by any framing contractor, but by the experienced owner of Integrity Contracting, Daniel Vaqueiro. While you can contact us for a consultation at any time, you should also know the most important questions to ask other framing contractors when you are considering them for the job.

Are you licensed and insured? In order to protect yourself and your investment, you need to make sure that your contractor has a license to operate in your state or region. If the potential contractor is also accredited by a reputable professional organization, that should be a further sign of their expertise and reliability. Checking that their company is insured will also ensure that you will not be liable should a worker get injured on the job site.
How long have you been in the business? Find out how much and exactly what kind of experience your potential framing contractors have. Framing is a trade that can be learned on the job, but you want to make sure that your contractor has sufficient formal training and all the necessary skills and experience.
Can you show me similar projects that you have worked on? If they cannot, or are unwilling to provide examples of previous projects, then this is a sure sign that you should be scouting around for a more trustworthy framing contractor!
Can you provide me with a fixed start and completion date? Having a timeline is important. Experienced framing contractors should be able to give you a decent estimate of how much time they will need to complete the work on your house.
Will you be working on the project yourself, and/or supervising at all times? Sometimes framing contractors might use subcontractors, or have all the physical labor done by a team of workers. Will there be a reliable supervisor present at all times? Is the contractor’s team skilled and efficient? Are the subcontractors trusted colleagues of your main contractor?
Can I get that in writing? Ask for an itemized estimate for the entire project. Cost of labor, materials and other costs all need to be accounted for. Compare the estimates you receive; a lower-than-average estimate could be a signal for cutting corners or hasty work, while discrepancies in the prices of materials are often signs of untrustworthy and unprofessional framing contractors.

Use these questions and tips to your advantage, and you will be on your way to finding a solid framing contractor that you can trust.