When will my new house be ready?

Building a new home should be one of the most exciting times of your life.  It can also be one of the most nerve-wracking. New home construction can easily involve over 50 subcontractors and suppliers, 200 people and more than 10,000 pieces of material.  Although complex, the home building process is a carefully designed and managed process to ensure that you get the house of your dreams on time and on budget.

There are a number of factors that can influence a construction timeline such as weather, number of workers, special requests and the complexity of the design, but most new home constructions follow similar stages and time frames.

Here’s a basic timeframe to help you understand what typically happens and when.

STAGE 1: Site preparation

- Obtain municipal and provincial permits
- Begin site work and excavation
- Pour foundation or slab
- Frame floors
- Rough-in electrical and plumbing under floors
- Install first subfloor
Timeframe: 1-3 months

STAGE 2: Framing

- Frame interior and exterior walls including door and window openings, roof and ceilings
- Rough-in remaining electrical and plumbing lines throughout the structure
- Apply exterior wall and roof sheathing
- Install reaming subfloors
Timeframe: 2-3 months

STAGE 3: Exterior Finish and Inspection

- Inspect mechanical rough-in and exposed structural work
- Apply roof flashing and shingles
- Windows and exterior doors are installed
- Apply exterior trim
- Apply exterior wall finish material
Timeframe: 2 months

STAGE 4: Interior Finish

- Cabinets and countertops are installed
- Install ceramic tile in baths and other flooring throughout
- Complete plumbing and electrical work
- Complete sheetrock, paint and wallpaper
Timeframe: 2 months

STAGE 5: Finishing touches

- Install hardware and appliances
- Complete any landscaping
- Touch-up for final inspections by homeowner, contractor and building inspector
- Final payment to contractor
- Move in
Timeframe: 2 months

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What if the home you are planning to build could be your family home for the rest of your life?  What if, with a little planning, your new home could adapt to meet the needs of your family and change as your family does?

That’s the idea behind FlexHousing.  A FlexHouse is a home designed before construction begins to be user friendly to its occupants at all stages of their lives and to make future renovations easier and cheaper for the homeowner to complete.  FlexHousing can eliminate the need to move from house to house as the requirements of your family change over time.

WHY FLEXHOUSING

The first home for many couples is often referred to as a “starter” home, which is typically small and easy to maintain.  Then, as children come along the first home is too small and that requires the costly and disruptive choice of moving.  When the children are grown and on their own this second home becomes too large for only two people to take care of.

As the population ages, half of all homes in Canada will house people 55 yeas old or older by 2017.  Also, with a declining population, fewer new homes will be built each year.  So homes that are flexible will be in big demand.  This flexibility not only is beneficial to the home, but if families don’t have the need to move, they stay in the neighbourhood longer, creating a stronger sense of community.

PRINCIPLES OF FLEXHOUSING

A FlexHouse isn’t a type of home style like a bungalow or two storey, it is the way it is designed prior to construction and is based on four principles.

• Adaptability
• Accessibility
• Affordability
• Healthy Housing

Adaptability:  The home is designed to be renovated to suit changing needs.

A large bedroom can be made into two smaller rooms and used as either another bedroom or home office.

A space such as the basement can be renovated to become a separate apartment by roughing in plumbing for a kitchen and bathroom that will bring in extra income later on or be used by an aging relative.

Bathroom walls can be given extra strength during construction to allow for the installing of grab bars and other special items to assist less mobile residents.
Install counters and cabinets in the kitchen or bathroom that can be adjusted vertically on brackets or that can have sections that are lower so that people in a wheelchair can reach with them.

Building such features into a new home during initial construction saves time, money and inconvenience when changes are needed or desired down the road.

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As with music and films, house plans are protected by the Canadian Copyright Law, as specified in a section reserved for this at http://www.drummonddesigns.com/copyrights.html  Not many people are aware of this fact and this is why I wanted to make this the subject of my first communiqué.

To sum up, when you make the purchase of a home plan you cannot photocopy or resell it.  A construction contractor cannot build more than one home from a home plan and he cannot modify it without first obtaining a licence authorizing such modifications.  Moreover, no one can consult a designer, architectural technician or architect with a photo or an image of one of Drummond Designs’ models to have it reproduced or have a similar model drawn up, even with slight modifications.  I invite you to consult the PDF document included in the Copyrights section via this link.

Through our blog, I wish to address construction contractors as well as designers, architectural technicians and residential architects, who are numerous in visiting our Internet site; how can our firm enforce respect of its copyrights and allow you to legally serve your customers?  As you know, plagiarism is an immense grey zone in our line of work and copyrights are not well known in this industry.  Some will say that misreading copyright laws suits certain businesses, but we make it our duty to educate our customers on this subject.

I invite you to send me your comments and propose ideas which will make life easier for all parties involved who want to work honestly at improving our architectural heritage.  We have excellent lawyers who presently have several plagiarism pursuits in hand, but we are more inclined towards finding practical solutions with our eventual customers rather than to pursue each offender.

Thank you for your attention and I am eager to hear from you !

Yves Carignan
President and General Manager
Drummond Designs Inc.

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With the rising cost of heating your home, building a home that is as energy efficient as possible is becoming ever more important.  By using less energy in the day to day operation of your home, you not only save money, you benefit the environment as well.

Wherever you live, your home will be affected by its surroundings. Are your summers hot and dry or humid? During winter is the weather mild or are there long periods of biting cold? Your home protects you from these external elements and creates an environment on the inside at the same time.  Your home is really a combination of systems that must work together to be efficient.

R-2000

The R-2000 Home has been the Canadian standard for energy efficiency in construction for twenty years. The standards, for an R-2000 Home have been revised over time as new technologies and materials have become available in the industry.  The standards that have to be met to be considered an R-2000 Home are high, based on the amount of energy the house consumes and the efficiency of things like heating systems, insulation, air flow, ventilation, materials chosen and the amount of water used by the home.

HEATING SYSTEM

When considering what kind of heating system to purchase for your new home, don’t look at just the cost of the unit itself.  You should also consider the cost of installation and operation over the life of the unit.  A more efficient system may cost a bit more initially but will save you money everyday as you heat your home.  There are also a wide range of fuel choices available including electric, oil and natural gas.  Though not yet in the main stream, solar power is becoming more and more cost effective and is being used to support traditional systems more and more.  Along with fuel choice there is also the decision about the delivery of heat in your home.  Choices include forced air, electric or hot water baseboard or radiant heat.

Heat pumps are becoming more popular as well and offer the added benefit of providing air conditioning during the warmer months as well as heating during the winter.

INSULATION

Since you are trying to save money heating our home, you want to keep that heat in.  The R-2000 Home requires increased insulation in walls and attics and spaces where heat can escape.  That same increased insulation will help keep your home cool in the summer.

AIR TIGHT

Controlling the air that can escape or enter the structure is essential to reducing heat loss. An R-2000 Home is wrapped in a specialized plastic fabric on the outside (just beneath the siding) and protected again on the inside be a plastic vapour barrier.  Both plastic barriers are taped and sealed at the joints to maximize their air retention.  Since heat moves from warm to cold, small areas where air and heat can migrate such as around electrical outlets are sealed with expanding foam.

A major area where air and heat can be lost is around the doors and windows.  The air seals on these products have been greatly improved.  Long gone should be the days where you stand in front of a window and feel a draft.  Most quality windows now have double panes filled with gas to increase the R-value and they are coated with an ultra violet film to protect your furniture. Quality levels have increased to also reduce condensation and thus lessen the areas where mould or mildew can grow – a major health concern.

Weather stripping and construction on the doors you choose should be of the highest quality and many steel entry door systems have an increased amount of insulation in their core construction.

VENTILATION

With the focus on air flow management and increased insulation in new high-efficiency homes, a need for a system to change the air within the home becomes necessary.  If the air inside the home were too tightly sealed, a build up of moisture from cooking and taking showers would quickly cause mold to multiply and damage the structure of the home.  Chemicals present in common items like furniture, carpeting and household cleaners would pollute the interior air.

Mechanical ventilators are designed to run continuously and exchange a low amount of fresh air from outside with interior air.  Having paid to heat the air in your home, you don’t want to lose that warm air to the cold air from outside and so a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) is made with a series of filters and intake and exhaust fans to adjust the temperature of the air coming into the home.

THE MATERIALS YOU USE

There are several concerns to be aware of relating to the materials you choose to build you home with.

Are the materials made from recycled materials or by-products of the creation of other materials? Some strand boards and parallam beams can be manufactured from chips created as by-products of other process – reducing the need to cut down trees for these products.

Be conscious of the waste produced during construction.  Not only does maximizing the materials you are using reduce the requirement to cut trees to create more (and the quantity you have to purchase) but also reduce the waste produced which in most cases you have to pay to have removed from the job site. Can the waste material you are producing be recycled? While some may end up in the local landfill, much can be recycle if you are careful about keeping it separate. If metal is kept separate from wood from the start, it is little trouble to recycle it properly than if everything is thrown in a dumpster together.

In places where wood is used in your home consider using types that come from faster growing trees.  Spruce and maple can replenish themselves much more rapidly and will mature and will mature and be ready for the manufacturing process for more quickly than species like oak.

Some materials that you use to construct your home such as carpeting use chemicals in their manufacture.  Over time, these will emit small amounts of vapour into your home.  While your HRV system will assist in removing these vapours, try to choose alternatives that contain fewer of these chemicals.  Other products to be conscious of are some types of paint and solvent based surface finishes, some sheet materials, adhesives, preformed shelving and cabinetry.

Choose products that use energy efficiently.  Deciding on compact fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent can save you money over the life of the product. And don’t forget simple things like turning off the lights, radio or television when you leave the room.  If there are electrical appliances that are not in use for long period but still plugged in – unplug them. Many appliances draw a small amount electricity even when turned off. Over time this small amount adds up.

WATER

Conserve water in your home is just as important as conserving energy. When deciding on faucets, shower heads and toilets, look for those that use less water.

APPLIANCES

The appliances in our home all run on power that we have to pay for, so if you’re going to buy new appliances for you new home, make them as energy efficient as possible.  Not only will this save you money, but it will also help protect the environment.  The electrical power that comes into your home is generated be a variety of means from burning fossil fuels, hydroelectricity or even nuclear and all these methods have an impact. Whether it’s global warming, loss of animal or plant habitat or dealing with the waste products produced in generating power, when we waste electricity we waste more than money.

When buying new appliances, look for the Energy Star Symbol. Products with this symbol meet standards for energy efficiency that can help you save money and electricity over the years you use the appliance.

Refrigerators: Refrigerators use the most energy of any appliance in the home since it is running all the time, and by opening the door, you let out some of the cold from inside.  When designing your kitchen work triangle, keep the refrigerator as for away as is manageable from heat sources, light, the stove or direct sunlight.  Buy only the features that you will use.  It may be attractive to buy a model that offers an ice dispenser in the door, but this type uses more power so if you never use this feature it is wasteful.

Dishwashers: Your dishwasher uses the most power to heat the water during washing and the amount of water used can’t be altered, so to be most efficient, wash only full loads.  If you can, air dry the dishes after the wash cycle is complete rather than the dry mode. This reduces the amount of energy required to dry the dishes.

Laundry Washers: Energy Star washers use less energy than older models.  They also need less water and more water is removed from the clean clothes during spin cycle which reduces the time they need to dry. Like the dishwasher, you should try to wash full loads and cold water is best. New style front-loading tumble washers use less water than the more traditional top-loading models. Always remember that after the wash cycle is complete, the waste water goes out into the environment. Choose the detergent that you use carefully. There are several types that have less impact on the environment.

FINAL WORD

So now that you are in your new home with new energy efficient appliances, it’s the perfect time to make a few simple changes to your lifestyle. Participate in recycling programs in you community, include a recycling center in your kitchen to separate food waste from your garbage.  Have a place in the house to sort and store cans, bottles, paper and plastic for short periods until pick-up or taking them to a recycling centre.  If you are a gardener, the benefits of a composter can greatly improve the health and vitality of your plants and make your landscaping flourish.
 

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A Definition

The bi-generation house is the type of construction sometimes considered to facilitate access to property for young adults ready to assume responsibility, or oftentimes by parents or grand-parents who are in need of assistance (loss of autonomy or other reasons).Whatever the situation, this type of construction allows each to preserve their way of living and conserve a certain intimacy, all the while enjoying the advantages of co-ownership and the close proximity of family members.

The particularity of bi-generation homes is the combination of the practical aspect of two homes to appear as one single-family or conventional home.  This permits integration of this type of construction in sectors where conventional multi-family units are not permitted.

The main challenge in this type of design is to bring together two independent interior layouts to look like one single conventional home where both layouts need to be private and functional, while respecting the needs of all the occupants.  As we will see later, municipal regulations are also an important element with which people must deal, but the first thing to do is determine the needs which brought us to consider this type of construction.

Style and Design

The design of a single family home is a procedure which requires a lot of attention and comprehension on the part of the home owners as well as the designer who will accompany them in their project.  This step is even more important and the challenge greater when combining the needs of two families, including one or more family members with restrained mobility or loss of autonomy.

When considering such a construction, it is of prime importance to take the time to evaluate your requirements and to consider these from the family viewpoint as well as those of parents or grand-parents.  We must also take into account the years to come and possible future needs.  Aging home owners or those in need of assistance should evaluate what their situation may be in years to come and foresee now what type of layout will best suit their lifestyle for both today and future.  It is at this step that we must consider all the elements which will make this home a comfortable, peaceful and pleasing haven for its occupants.

The choice of a trusted professional is also a key element to success in this type of design.  You should ensure that all the needs of the future occupants are taken into consideration and that satisfactory solutions are put forth for each.  A good designer must equally be able to offer judicious advice to a future home owner while remaining within a pre-established budget.

Another of the many advantages is that even though it is a bi-generation home with the look of a conventional single-family home, it can be harmonized with a sought-after style.  Amateurs of Victorian-, manor- or contemporary-style homes, it is certainly possible to adapt this type of home to one’s preferences, to get away from the multi-family unit options which the future home owners may possibly have already considered.

Pooling together both families’ resources greatly facilitates the purchases and maintenance of such a home and the bi-generation home offers without a doubt tranquil proximity, security and well being, including the joys of family life.
 

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Single detached housing starts n Ontario dropped by 3%, while the more volatile multi-unit housing starts experienced a very significant increase of 94%.

media-release-significant-increase-in-multiple-housing.pdf

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Home Builders have been strongly opposed to the duplication of the provincial land transfer tax in Toronto that will double the current provincial tax rate.

To learn more, click on the link bellow 

Toronto Taxes

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Rightfully considered as the biggest investment that a person makes in his or her lifetime, buying a house involves a number of equally crucial steps, and this is especially true for a new-home construction project.  

In the few lines that follow, we’ve tried to compile the 10 major steps that comprise a construction project, from the initial idea to final delivery.  Please feel free to keep, and if need be, refer to this reference tool, which we hope will further raise your appreciation of the intricacies that such a development project entails and how important it is to be able to rely on top-notch professionals to make this as positive an experience as possible.  

The steps

Pre-building

1. Select a location that is in tune with the family’s priorities

In recent years, the availability of lots (make sure that the lot is debt- and defect-free) and their cost have had a direct bearing on buyers’ decisions. Thus, choosing a lot according to family needs (school, daycare, work) and/or recreational activities (municipal pool, bike path, etc.) is essential.

2. Choose a lot that fits your needs

Depending on what you plan to do with your land (gardening, swimming, using the barbecue, or other), it’s important to choose a lot that is most likely to get the amount of sunlight you’re seeking at specific times of the day. 

3.  Research and negotiate with a lending institution

Every dream comes with a price attached, so before venturing any further, you need to meet with a financial institution or mortgage broker to clearly establish that your dreams don’t exceed your means. 

4.  Research a house plan tailored to your needs

Home needs (space, facilities…) vary from one person to the next. That’s why it’s paramount, during the initial house-hunting, to be able to rely on an extensive inventory of plans, and have the flexibility of being able to change them, if need be, while continuing to respect standards and aesthetics. This is exactly what Drummond Designs offers, affording the possibility, at minimal cost, of adapting a home to a person’s lifestyle, using the original plan designs.

5. Select the entrepreneur/contractor

The ties that connect you with your contractor go way beyond simply building your home. Actually, the enjoyment derived from talking things over with your contractor will be borne out in those first few years after delivery of the finished product. An entrepreneur’s intrinsic workmanship, meticulous attention to detail, availability, receptiveness, and history of after-sales service, are all key factors that might attest to the type of buyer-builder relationship one might expect to have. 

The work site

In the following section, you’ll find the main things to look out for as your new home is being built. This is not a comprehensive list, but it’s a good overview of the key stages.

6. Foundation and structure

- Drainage system (ground absorption capacity) 
- Height of foundation vs. the neighbour’s 
- Street level vs. yard entrance
- Foundation dimensions in accordance with the plan

7. Insulation, electricity and plumbing

- Insulation: ensure the house is well insulated, properly done in all places, check waterproofing of various materials, doors and windows

-  Electricity: check your needs (electrical outlets, exit lighting, switches, thermostats, telephones, TV…), vs. furniture arrangements

-  Plumbing: check to make sure that the selection of equipment and accessories corresponds to your original selection,
check on location of equipment installation such as hot water tank, furnace, central air system, the future bathroom in the   basement vs. your future plan of finishing off your basement. Also, check location of outside water outlet, garage

8. Finishings

- Quality of the joints, select the various paint colours and determine where you want each of these paint colours to go, pick out wallpaper and other finishings. Quality of molding installations, floor covering (selection, quality of the installation…), staircase. Make sure the inside doors open and close properly. Cupboards and vanities, adjusting the doors, etc…  
Post-construction

9. Final approval visit & signing the contract at the notary

Draw up a list of work that is unfinished or needs adjusting, submit this list in writing to the contractor. Make sure that all the work has been done to your satisfaction before making the final payment. Gather up all the maintenance manuals and/or warranties on the various equipment (heating, central air …)

10. Guarantees

To find out more about the responsibilities of the various parties involved (contractor, sub-contractors, manufacturers and others) we strongly suggest you inquire locally through any builder association that may exist in your region.

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In recent years, the residential construction industry has undergone an unprecedented growth, and it’s noteworthy that the province of Quebec has contributed more than ever to the record construction surge.

The relentless pace, which month after month continues to confound the experts, will, sooner or later, experience an inevitable slowdown. There are some very simple reasons why this will eventually occur: the rise in the cost of labour and building materials, combined with the gradual hike in mortgage rates will prompt people in this activity sector to reconsider their strategy.   

While the phenomenon is still in its infancy stage, it’s been happening for the last few months from a Canadian standpoint. It’s the direct result of housing prices, which, since the beginning of the new millennium, have spiralled, often beyond 50%. Some people see that as nothing but a good thing, even though the real-estate value of their home is practically wiped out by the proportional increase in costs of buying or building a new house.   

A growing number of home owners, however, prefer renovating their home,  financing the work through the equity that has been built up in their property.  Consequently, they avoid having to pull up stakes to go and live in a residential area that is likely to take a decade to mature from an urban development aspect. 

There are myriad reasons for sake-of-change renovation, as opposed to a straightforward move into another home. Usually, the decision is made once the children have left the family nest. Then it’s a matter of re-appropriating space, with practicality and comfort of the occupants in mind, by enlarging the living room or bathroom to set up your own peaceful oasis, by adding on a solarium or by finishing off a spare room above the garage.  

As residential designers, our knowledge of the housing sector and the need to oversee each of the stages one goes through in bringing a project to fruition has led us, more and more, to contribute not only to the development of plans to carry out the work, but also to play an active consulting role, thereby providing support service throughout the project, if need be.

All the more true, the renovation projects are becoming more sophisticated and expensive as lands and properties value are increasing.

It is no longer uncommon today, to turn a bungalow into a cottage and double the floor space of a home in order to maximize the value of a property located in an area in demand or on the edge of a water-course, for example. This type of transformation, we understand, requests an excellent planning for future use of space.  This is the task that is increasing more and more the workload for designers and creators specialized in residential construction.

If we add other determining factors such as the scarcity of land and urban sprawl, it is likely that the decline in starts of new homes will be largely offset by the major renovation projects in the next following months.

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It is our pleasure to welcome you on our new Drummond Designs.com Weblog.

Conscious of the increasing need of our customers wanting a rapid access to an accurate and exact information on construction, Drummond Designs is proud to offer you this opportunity.

Drummond Designs has always been an innovative leader in its architectural firm and wishes that this new weblog will be a reference in the construction business in addition to arouse plenty of reactions and comments that will be shared with millions of our daily visitors.

You will find interesting articles linked to construction and design that will guide you in your steps towards construction, renovation or simply learn more about this field of work.

The construction business has increased phenomenally in the last years and this increase has caused many revolutions as much on the point of view of regulations, new methods and new materials provided.  Going green!  is only one of the subjects that has great influence at the moment on all aspects of the construction business.

Because of the price increase on of certain materials the industry has developed less expensive durable materials and new methods of labor.  The same thing is applicable in the energy cost which forces the owners to become aware of the maintenance cost of the home.

The styles and trends are also subjects that affect greatly our construction industry, from the concept of new architectural styles to the smallest finishing details and decorations.

Here is an outline of subjects that we want to share with you, if you have a building project, a renovation project or just fascinated by the architecture and residential construction just like we do at Drummond Designs.

We wish you very pleasant reading and wonderful discoveries!
 

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