Renovator's council chair favours renewing Reno Tax Credit

The proposed resumption of the Home Renovation Tax Credit was big news lost in the uproar that followed the unveiling of the Conservative Party's 2011 budget, but we are likely to hear a lot more about it.

The old program had been very successful, managing a rare marriage of stimulating an economy while promoting more earth-friendly ideals.

The Canadian Revenue Agency said more than three million Canadians -almost a third of the owner-occupied housing market -took advantage of the program, each saving an average of $700. Added to the 2011 budget ostensibly at the request of the New Democratic Party, the tax credit is a good bet to reappear when a federal budget is finally approved.
The chairman of the Canadian Renovator's Council, Mike Martin, was happy to hear it may be continued. "From what I've been hearing it's a great program. I am very happy they were going to extend it," he said.

In addition to chairing both the Canadian council and the Ontario Renovator's Council, Martin runs Luxury Renovations, an award-winning Ottawa-based company.
While the renovation program had been accused of not helping lower-class households or being too complicated, Martin said the program held no surprises.

"You have to go about it the right way, you have to follow all the guidelines to a tee."
Martin said there was benefit to making small changes as well as large ones.
The program would allow for up to 15 per cent of the cost of renovations to be claimed, to a maximum of $1,350, against a homeowner's taxes.

While the gain for the taxpayer is evident, Martin says the inherent structure of the program will provide a boost to the renovation industry.

"The best part about it is they have to show receipts from the contractor and that deters the underground economy," he said.

The council estimates 75 per cent of home renovations are done under the table, a fact he attributes to the implementation of the HST. "The underground economy is devastating our industry."


From the Ottawa Citizen




Dave Bennett
Owner 360renos
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

Renovation priorities are the first step

Article by Hammer & Nail 

For many homeowners, renovations can make for a long-term process that takes place in stages over a number of years. Decisions are driven by what needs to be done, how much money is available, and personal preferences.

If you will be renovating in stages, the Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association says it makes sense at the outset establishing long-term priorities. Among the considerations it recommends:

- Decide how long you plan to stay in your home. Five, 10 or 15 years? More? The answer to that question will influence the renovations you undertake, the time frame for the work and the amount of money you will want to spend.

- Evaluate your overall space needs, now and for the future. How will they change over time? Do you have children whose needs for space may change? Do you have aging parents who might move in with you in the future? Can you find extra space within the existing framework of your home, in the attic or the basement?

- Evaluate the condition of your house. Go through it with a renovator or home inspector, listing repairs and replacements that might be required over the coming years.

- Make a list of your renovation objectives. Divide the list between the things you need in the short term (a new bathroom, for instance) and the things you would like to have (perhaps incorporating a spare bedroom into the master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom.)

- Develop a financial overview. Your renovator can advise you on the approximate costs of repairs and renovations. You can also contact suppliers and subcontractors for information. Next, determine where the money will come from, and how much you can afford.

- Be prepared to make trade-offs. Experienced renovators advise homeowners to find the balance between lifestyle improvements and repairs/ replacements needed to keep your home in good shape.

For instance, you may want to redo the bathroom and include a skylight to brighten it. But if your roof is in poor condition, it may be better to repair it and install a skylight first, and renovate the bathroom later.

- Consider the impact of a renovation. If you plan extensive renovations over time, careful planning will help to minimize inconveniences and disruptions to your household.

- Build into one phase what you need in the next. By planning ahead, you will get the best out of your renovation dollars and save money in the long run.

For instance, for a few extra dollars, your renovator might be able to install the connections for a future bathroom in the basement while renovating an existing bathroom on another floor.

- Put your plan in writing.

© Copyright (c) The Province

Dave Bennett
Owner 360renos
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

Will Navan make it into the Top 5 Finalists?

KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE 2011  

Will Navan make it into the Top 5 Finalists?

Watch CBC Hockey Night in Canada 

Saturday March 19th 10:30pm for the revealing of the Kraft Hockeyville Top 5 Finalists

IF WE MAKE IT

VOTE FOR NAVAN

(Unlimited voting and calling)

from Saturday March 19th11:00pm to Monday March 21st11:59pm

Toll free # 1-866-533-806

www.krafthockeyville.ca

KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE 2011

KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE 2011

NAVAN MADE IT INTO THE TOP 10 FINALISTS

Let the voting begin!

from Tuesday March 8th 9:00pm

to Sunday March 13th 11:59pm

VOTE FOR NAVAN

Vote often…voting is unlimited!

Call toll free # 1-866-533-8066

or online www.krafthockeyville.ca

Be part of the team! Let’s win this together!

Hockey Day in Navan Feb 27th

Choosing Glue

As 360renos owner and contractor there is a wide array of glues and adhesives available that can be daunting. Use the wrong one on a project and it may not work as intended or worse yet ruin  the materials your are fastening.

A little help form and a great article courtesy of Jon Eakes

Choosing Glue: 

Before you_buy any glue you need to consider the following questions:

IS THIS GLUE_JOB STRUCTURAL OR NON-STRUCTURAL?
Some glues are rigid after curing while others remain flexible.  No flexible glue should be used for a structural joint as it can slip.  Hence no flexible glues like silicone or contact cement for building the structure of a chair. 

WHAT ENVIRONMENT ARE YOU IN WHEN YOU USE THIS GLUE -- TEMPERATURE - HUMIDITY - WATER?
All glues have upper and lower temperature limitations, read the labels. 
Some glues evaporate off solvents or water to cure -- too high humidity in the_room can slow or stop such evaporation.  Some glues have chemical reactions that cure differently with different air temperatures but humidity has no affect on the cure -- like the epoxies.  Other actually require humidity and will not cure without a minimum of humidity -- like silicone and polyurethane.  In really dry environments, like Calgary, you may have to mist the surface first or mist the glue or sealant after application to start the cure.

HOW WELL DO THE TWO PIECES FIT TOGETHER?
Some glues are able to fill gaps and still be strong, like PL Premium (Polyurethane) and epoxies -- while others require a very tight fitting joint, like white glue, contact cement and super glues. 

DOES THE GLUE YOU CHOOSE ADHERE TO BOTH THE PIECES TO BE JOINED?
Only contact cement will glue leather to glass well, white glue can do it fairly.  Foam insulation will not accept any solvent based adhesive.  Check compatibility.

HOW FAST DO YOU NEED THE GLUE TO GRAB, THEN TO CURE?
This is the basic difference between white and yellow woodworking glues.  If you need a lot of time to put several pieces together, use the White glue -- if you need to liberate your clamps quickly, use the Yellow glue.  Yes Yellow is stronger than White, but both are stronger than wood so strength is a non-issue.
Some glues are really instant -- like the super glues -- others have a quick grab and then a longer cure, like the thick glues for attaching molding without nails -- some are actually timed for the grab, like 5 minute or 60 minute epoxy, both of which require 24 hours for cure. 

MUST IT BE WATERPROOF AFTER THE CURE?
Most glues cannot hold up to a lot of rain, but some are made for outdoor use and others even for underwater applications.

Answer all of those questions and your choice for the proper adhesive will be quickly narrowed down.  Yes there are some almost universal glues, but these never do the_job quite as well as a specialty glue made for what you want to do.

Some Important Glues: 

Although I was showing about 20 glues at the Laval show, here are the ones that caught people's attention:

Quick Grab glue for moldings -- with "Quick Grab" or "Instant Grab" written on the container, these adhesives are specially formulated for putting on moldings with few or no nails.  They are very thick and create great suction when pushed into place.  Unlike regular construction adhesives, they do not slip or pull away, unless the wall or molding is very crooked.  Usually one or two nails, or wood supports for about an hour is all that is required to get them to hold.  Give them 24 hours to totally cure before playing with the molding.  Prior to these glues coming on the market we could only do this with contact cement, and that was touchy because you cannot reposition to get it in exactly the right place.

They even have a clean "Quick Grab" double sided tape available.

Water based contact cement -- Speaking of contact cement, water based contact cement is thinner than solvent based, doesn't smell (or_burn) and is actually stronger than solvent based contact cement.  It costs more per can but less per square inch because it spreads further.  For some reason people always think that the old solvent based contact cement is better -- not true.  Always prime the edge of particle board with a coat of water based contact cement several hours before trying to apply iron on tapes to the edges.  It will soak deep into the fibres and present an ideal anchored surface to the tape iron on adhesive -- never to come off again.

Underwater glues -- Yes you can fix things in the rain, or inside the swimming pool.  Although some Marine epoxies are now in the stores, the best formulations I have ever found are only found on the web,www.MrStickys.com with rigid and flexible formulations that really work.  There are two important details to working underwater -- use steel wool to clean and scrape the surface first, otherwise you are trying to glue to the algae -- work the epoxy mix onto the surface, slowly pushing away the water.  At first it "skates" across the surface and then it begins to adhere because you are pushing the water out of the way.  You can see and feel when you are getting adhesion.  Without that "working in" there is water between you and the surface, and no long term adhesion.  The water won't bother the epoxy but you do need to squeeze it out of the clean joint.

PLPremium vs PLPolyurethane -- PLPremium adhesive (we tend to call it an adhesive not glue when we get to construction applications, but the two words are really the same) is considered the Cadillac of construction adhesives.  Waterproof when cured, it cures rock_hard so it can fill gaps or even support objects, is sandable and paintable and now comes in an "extreme" formulation 4 times stronger again!  So what is PLPolyurethane that looks the same?  This is the same basic material, but formulated to cure like a piece of flexible rubber.  Although it adheres magnificently like glue, its flexibility makes it unsuitable for any structural use -- but it is the best of the caulkings (also called sealants) when used to seal up a building gap because it can stretch with building movement without breaking loose and will last 50 years. 

Dave Bennett

Owner
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

"Everything you can imagine is real" - Pablo Picasso