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Now that the weather is cooling off and our harsh winter weather is coming, it is a great time to have a look at giving your home a maintenance check. Keeping up with the maintenance on your home can save you money in the long run.

Roof:Give your roof a visual inspection from the ground. You want to look for missing or loose shingles, curling on the edges of shingles, and cracks in roofing cement- especially around chimneys. If you note any of these conditions, or if it has been 20 years or more since you re-shingled your roof, you may want to have a professional take a look.

Siding: Look for cracked, loose, or missing pieces of siding. If you have wood siding, look for cracks in caulking or between joins. For vinyl siding, check for cracked caulking, damaged pieces, and for areas that may have loosened up from the wind. Any damaged or loose pieces should be replaced as soon as possible to avoid further damage to the remaining siding. Your siding is your first level of protection from the elements- make sure it is properly sealed.

Eavestrough and downspouts: This is a maintenance area that frequently gets neglected. Trough should be free from leaves and debris in order to work efficiently. It should be cleaned at least twice a year- once in the spring and once in the fall before winter, especially if you live in a heavily treed area. Trough blocked with leaves and debris will prevent the water from flowing, which can cause the build-up of ice/ snow near the eaves. Downspouts should also be inspected for breaks, leaks and loose straps. They should be diverting water away from your foundation.

Windows and Doors: Check windows and doors for cracked caulking around the perimeter, and also check for glass with broken seals. Once the seal has been broken, you will see condensation build up between the two panes of glass, which means the window has lost its efficiency. If you have wood framed windows or doors, inspect for peeling paint, and rot in the wood. Broken seals, rotten wood and cracked caulking are a good sign of water infiltration. If your windows or doors are showing signs like this, it may be time to call in a professional to determine if they should be replaced.

Patio Decks, Steps and Landings: Inspect for loose handrails and guardrails, rotten wood, and general sturdiness. If it has been painted or stained, check for loose or peeling paint- it might be time for another coat, so the wood is protected from the elements. Decks that have been fastened to the house should be checked where they join. Make sure the caulking in that area is well sealed- this is an area that is prone to leaking if it’s not done correctly.

Foundation: It is critical that your foundation be well cared for. You are looking for cracks or deterioration in the foundation wall on the outside. If you have an unfinished basement, you may want to inspect your foundation from the inside as well. Very small hairline cracks are relatively common but should be sealed from the outside using a high-quality exterior caulking to prevent further damage. Large cracks, or excessive deterioration of the concrete should be taken very seriously and should be checked by a professional to repair those areas.

HVAC System/ Furnace: Your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system or HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator) are basically the lungs of your house. It is important to make sure the filters inside the unit are kept clean. Filters should be removed and cleaned according to manufacturer specifications. Typically, every 3 months they will need to be cleaned to ensure good air quality. Instead of a HRV you may have a furnace, in which case you will need to have a qualified furnace technician inspect and clean the unit periodically.

Indoor maintenance: Now is a good time to give your home an inspection indoors, as you will likely be spending a large amount of time indoors over the next few months. Look for items like leaky faucets, loose door handles, cracked caulking around showers and tubs, and squeaky door hinges. Most of these items are relatively easy to remedy without the help of a professional, but if you are unsure on something it’s always better to ask. Some things are better left for the professionals to handle.

Did you know that hiring a Contractor without the proper credentials can expose you, as a homeowner, to legal responsibility if something goes wrong or someone gets hurt on your property?

All legitimate Contractors working on your property should have the following items at minimum:

1. Workplace NL coverage
2. General Liability Insurance coverage
3. HST number in the province of NL

If your potential Contractor does not have all these items, you could expose yourself to risk.

Additionally, to these items here are a few Bonus credentials to look for:

1. Member of a professional organization such as the Canadian Home Builders Association Newfoundland and Labrador (CHBA-NL)
2. Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation and rating
3. Voluntary professional programs such as CHBA’s RenoMark certification

Although there are many articles available on finding the right contractor, many fail to encompass all the aspects that a homeowner should be looking for. In order to properly sift through the endless list of contractors in hopes of finding the one that best suits your needs, you need to be armed with the right knowledge that can be used to differentiate the good from the bad. Things are not always the way they seem. We have all heard the horror stories of bad contractors coming into homes and one of four things happens; they complete the job- but hand you an unexpected bill at the end of the project, they complete some of the work and then disappear, they make a complete mess of your home and leave you holding the bag, or they take the money and you never hear from them again. These situations are mostly all avoidable- if you ask the right questions and make good choices. After reading this article, you will have the right knowledge about hiring a contractor so that you will be able to tell the difference between a good contractor and a bad one.

Find a specialized contractor

The first place to start is narrowing down the type of work that you want completed. For example if you are looking to do interior renovations to your home, you should start by calling interior renovation contractors . Most contractors specialize in some way- you should start with the contractors that specialize in what you need completed. Not only will you get the best finished product, but it will usually save you some money, as those contractors are doing the same tasks and dealing with the same suppliers over and over.

Make contact by phone or meeting

Once you have discovered those contractors that fit your scope of work, start making some phone calls- skip the email route, and pick up the phone. You can learn a lot of information about a contractor by how they handle phone calls. After speaking with some contractors, just wait. You may be surprised by how few will even return a phone call, get back to you with an estimate or to set up a meeting. This is another indicator. A good contractor will return all phone calls- even if they are calling to let you know they are too busy and won’t be available to take on your work.

Ask the right questions

The contractors that cared enough about your job to call you back can now progress to the next step of the process. During this process you should ask lots of questions, and a good contractor will be happy to answer just about every one of them. Ask questions regarding their insurance- Do they carry liability insurance? Do they have workers compensation coverage? Will you be on the hook if something goes terribly wrong with your home, or someone gets hurt? These are all things that real professionals will have covered and won’t have a problem proving it.

Get references

Ask if they can provide references. Contractors who take pride in their work will be more than happy to show off some past projects, and probably have a good working relationship with their past clients. Ask previous clients about the contractor’s cleanliness. A good contractor will respect your home and keep things neat and tidy on a regular basis. Have a prospective contractor explain his process, and how the project should progress.

Ask about the contract and change orders

When you have narrowed down your contractors of choice, you should ask more detailed questions. How are changes to the contract made? How does the payment schedule work? What happens in case of a disagreement? A good contractor will have a solid policy in place for dealing with changes on a job. Changes are rarely anticipated and usually result in arguments and problems or extra costs at the end of the project, unless a change order policy is in place. A detailed payment schedule is also very important. A good contract will outline exactly when payments are due and should match up with the progress of the project.

Price

Many homeowners use the price as the main factor when deciding which contractor to work with. This is an unfortunate reality, because the price should only be part of the criteria when selecting a contractor to work with. Remember- the contractor you select is someone you will need to trust and develop a working relationship with over the course of the project. Depending on the size of the project, this could potentially be months, or years. The money you ‘save’ by working with the lowest priced contractor will likely not be worth the aggravation when you have a difficult time establishing communication, or when the quality of work is less than what you had expected.

After selecting a contractor to do the work, keep in contact with them to stay current with the progress. Contractors that are good at what they do will be happy to keep you informed on what is happening and will make every reasonable effort to ensuring your satisfaction. Remember, a contractor is mainly providing a service, and you usually get what you pay for. Unfortunately, the stories of renovations and construction projects gone bad by shady ‘contractors’ have tarnished the image of the good ones. The word ‘contractor’ has taken on a negative overall meaning, and many homeowners don’t want to get involved with contractors because of that. With the information given and some background research, you can make an informed decision on who you trust to handle your home improvements. There are a lot of good contractors out there that do great work- you just have to know how to find them.

Renovating your kitchen is one of the most rewarding improvements you can make to your home. A well- executed kitchen renovation will add more value than any other room in your home. This is achieved both on a financial level, but also on a quality-of-life level as well. Many homeowners spend much of their time in the kitchen- cooking, time spent with family, or entertaining friends, the kitchen is the place to be.

When planning a kitchen renovation there are a few points to consider.

Finding a Temporary Place

A kitchen renovation will naturally disrupt your typical daily routine in one way or another, and for many weeks in most cases. It is a good idea to plan prior to a kitchen renovation for where you will set up temporarily while the work is ongoing. Fast food will get old quickly and isn’t a reasonable solution for most. Having a dedicated space within the home that can be converted into a temporary kitchen-like setup is a great way to help while the old kitchen gets a makeover. Small appliances like microwaves, kettles, and even air fryers are excellent pieces to have set up in a temporary kitchen. You won’t have the full capacity of a full-size kitchen, but it will help with the short-term pain for the long-term gain of a new kitchen.

Selections

One of the most common areas for a delay in a kitchen renovation is not having selections decided when they are needed. In most cases, all the pieces have a sequence in which they must fit into. If there is a delay in one of the pieces, it has a domino effect on the remainder of the sequence. Selecting all the pieces such as countertop, cabinetry details, mouldings/ trim, paint colours, general layout, and flooring is critical to the success of the timeline. Being prepared and having all the information prior to starting the job will make things more efficient when the work takes place.

Expectations

A kitchen renovation is one of the most impactful improvements you can make to your home. The space is typically used multiple times every day, which makes it one of the most difficult renovations in terms of disruption. A good contractor will make every reasonable effort to make this process as simple and painless as possible, however the reality is that a

kitchen renovation is disruptive to most individuals’ daily routine. Having the ‘temporary place’ as mentioned earlier will make this process easier. A combination of occasional noisy days, some dust/ debris near the work area, and people in your home working throughout the day should be expected in almost any renovation. Good site preparation, dust containment barriers, floor protection, and prior planning will aid in keeping those nuisances to a minimum.

Communication

One of the most important elements of a successful renovation is good communication between the owner and the contractor. While it is difficult to relay every small detail of the project, a good contractor will keep the owner informed on milestones, advancements, potential problems/ delays, and notable project details on a regular basis. Professional contractors have no issue with answering questions or concerns from owners, and in fact encourage being involved in weekly updating.

In the end once all the pieces have come together, you are left with a beautiful product that will not only improve the look and feel of the space, but also add to your general satisfaction and flow while working in the kitchen. A well designed, planned, and executed kitchen renovation will provide years of beauty, enjoyment, and added value for your home.