Dramatic Beauty…...Dramatic Beauty… It had a leaky shower base. The white tiles looked tired. Our clients wanted something functional, contemporary, and effi cient. Now there’s

Plus • Renovating in a pandemic • Urban Quarry talks countertops • Working from home in a new reality

FALL 2020 COMPLIMENTARY ISSUE

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Dramatic Beauty…It had a leaky shower base. The white tiles looked tired. Our clients wanted something functional, contemporary, and effi cient.

Now there’s a sleek, compact corner tub designed for easy cleaning, a walk-in shower with connected vanity, and custom glass that makes the room look bigger. Porcelain tiles on the fl oor and back wall contrast with a lighter herringbone grey back-splash. A dark vanity and dark wall paint enhance the countertop and organic stone sink.

What was once a ho-hum bathroom is now a space with great function and great dramatic beauty.

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Dramatic Beauty…It had a leaky shower base. The white tiles looked tired. Our clients wanted something functional, contemporary, and effi cient.

Now there’s a sleek, compact corner tub designed for easy cleaning, a walk-in shower with connected vanity, and custom glass that makes the room look bigger. Porcelain tiles on the fl oor and back wall contrast with a lighter herringbone grey back-splash. A dark vanity and dark wall paint enhance the countertop and organic stone sink.

What was once a ho-hum bathroom is now a space with great function and great dramatic beauty.

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Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association Ottawa Renovators’ CouncilMessage from the Chair

OttawaRenovates is produced in conjunction with the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) Renovators’ Council to promote the construction industry in the Greater Ottawa area. It is published independently by 2446769 Ontario Inc., with technical and administrative support from two local companies, GJK Designs, and Construction News and Report Group (CNRGP). ISSN 1918-7491

Publisher: Mark Buckshon [email protected] Editor & Writer: Francie HealyArt Direction/ Design: Gordon Keith GJK Designs [email protected] and Marketing: Advertising Inquiries Paul Scissons 613-818-0106 [email protected]: Dollco Print Solutions GroupMailing Address: Suite 57,1554 Carling Ave. Ottawa, ON K1Z 7M4Web: www.OttawaRenovates.com

All Contents © Ottawa Renovates Magazine 2020

G J K

D E S I G N S

Better Business Bureau is a regulated community of trustworthy businesses. When a company displays this logo, it means it meets the bureau’s high standards for integrity and performance.

RenoMark ®renovators uphold a higher standard of excellence, safety, and legal protection for the consumer. RenoMark® renovators have to follow strict guidelines in order to be approved.

GOHBA is the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association of successful home building and renova-tion professionals in the Greater Ottawa region. Its primary goal is quality housing.

Ottawa Renovators Council is a committee of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association and a group of well-established renovation companies which maintain top standards through ongoing education about best practices and regulations.

Renotour is an annual event presented by Renomark renovators showcasing various innovative projects

Canada Green Building Council promotes and upholds healthy, green, high-performing homes and buildings throughout Canada.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environ-mental Design. It is a rating system and certification program of the Canada Green Building Council that promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability.

Tarion Warranty Corporation is a private regulator of the new home building industry in Ontario. It licenses new-home builders in the province and is an advocate for new home owners.

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Family and home in challenging timesBy Bob Ridley

Greetings and welcome to the Fall 2020 edition of Ottawa Renovates! My name is Bob Ridley and I am honored to continue as Chair of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association Renovators’ Council. First, let me welcome you to this unique and stimulating issue of Ottawa Renovates. We’ve been through a lot this year, and our challenges continue. While the COVID-19 pandemic has had tragic consequences for many, it also offers many profound lessons to be learned. One of the most important lessons has been the importance of family and home in our lives. Through the early Spring lockdown period we had an opportunity to become more familiar with our homes. As the pandemic progressed, we began to see its effects on our society and the many changes that became essential parts of everyday life. It seems that we have now settled into the reality of greater focus on family and home and new approaches to almost everything. Our home has become more than an essential refuge. It has become the centre of our lives as we socially distance, minimize our external travels and work “in place”. Many of us are thinking about how our homes might better support our future needs and necessary lifestyle changes. An obvious example is the creation of a better, more inspiring home office to support our needs for work at home, online shopping and buying, and increased social networking. Having seen the tragic loss of life in our long-term care facilities, some of us are inspired to think about converting our home to accommodate multi-generational families. Is this the time for a basement in-law or grandparent suite, or possibly a backyard carriage home? You might also be thinking about other practical matters for your home: increasing your enjoyment as well as your home’s utility, energy-efficiency, value, and aesthetics. This might be anything from “freshening,” to more extensive renovations such as bathrooms, kitchens, basements and exterior spaces. Regardless of your situation, the COVID-19 pandemic has, and will continue to, affect our lives. If you have not already done so, now is the best time to start thinking about how changes to your home can better support your new wants and needs. Our RenoMark® renovators are eager to help you realize your dreams, and they provide a wealth of knowledge and expert advice. The renovation industry in Ontario represents a large, vibrant part of our economy. A key component of the renovations industry is the RenoMark® brand, which was developed for the express purpose of upholding a higher standard of excellence, safety and legal protection for consumers. RenoMark® renovators always provide a detailed written contract, a two-year warranty, $2 million in liability insurance; and they return calls within two days.As you face the new reality of life after COVID-19, make your home a special place. The RenoMark® renovators of the Renovators’ Council are here to help you. We recognize that our industry would be nothing without you. Equally, your renovation would be a less fulfilling experience without us, the RenoMark® professionals.

Bob Ridley, P.Eng., is Chair of the Renovators’ Council of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, 2nd Vice President of the Ontario Home Builders’ Associa-tion, and an active participant in the renovations industry through Ridley Associates Management Services and SkilBilt Construction Inc.

4 | OttawaRenovates.com

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Renovating in a pandemicPROCEDURES AND TIMELINES MIGHT BE DIFFERENT,

BUT YOU CAN STILL GET YOUR PROJECT DONE

By Patrick LangstonAlmost six months after the coronavirus threw Ontario’s renovation industry into a tailspin, homeowners are again looking forward to gleaming new kitchens, on-trend bathrooms and other upgrades.

But, while renovators are back on the job, it doesn’t mean everything is back to normal.

In early April as the potential extent of the pandemic became clearer, the Ontario government restricted new construction and shut down all renovation projects except those that had already begun. That shutdown ended in May, when the government ex-


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Renovating in a pandemicPROCEDURES AND TIMELINES MIGHT BE DIFFERENT, BUT YOU CAN STILL GET YOUR PROJECT DONE

panded the list of construction activities permitted, with safety protocols in place, under its COVID-19 emergency plan.

Since the pandemic struck, many renovation costs have jumped. Roy Nandram, president of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association and owner of RND Construction, says material prices have jumped as much as 20 per cent because of shortages. Renovators have also had to invest in personal protective equipment like face masks and hand sanitizer. “Even the cost of porta-potties is more because they need to be cleaned more often,” says Nandram.

Not only are renovators’ costs up, projects can also take longer to complete. Guidelines from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, including physical distancing by renovation teams and more frequent hand wash-ing, makes sticking to tight schedules harder.

The Ontario Home Builders’ Association also weighed in with guidelines, including maintaining a daily cleaning log, health screening of some tradespeople and client sign-ins when accessing the work area. Add limits to how many people can be on a site at one time, and projects almost inevitably take longer

to finish, although by just how much depends on the job and the renovator.

Projects can also be complicated if homeowners continue to live in their house during the renovation.

“We do our best to isolate the work space from the client’s living area if the home remains occupied,” says David Gladwin of Gladwin Building Services. “We use light plastic and zipper doorways as needed. We come in and out through a dedicated entrance. We set a specific time for client meetings on site whether they are in residence or not, and wear our masks.”

Although Gladwin says that such procedures shouldn’t inter-fere with project scheduling, he notes that slowdowns will occur if, for instance, a sub-trade, concerned about the virus, requires that no one else be in the work space when they are there.

Renovators report that not only have some materials become more expensive, they are also scarcer. At various times during the pandemic, lumber, tiles and other renovation essentials have been in short supply because manufacturers and suppliers have either shut down or reduced capacity.

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high-end appliances from Europe are one of several product lines to become problematic. “The wait is two years for some of them. Normally, it takes four to six weeks. So, some clients are just keeping their old appliances until the new ones are ready.”

Also hamstringing the already-disrupted supply line: Homeowners doing their own improvement projects while stuck at home. Canadian media have reported on the trend — even blaming a dumpster shortage in Edmonton in part on busy DIYers — and the U.S. Census Bureau said in July that build-ing materials suppliers and others were seeing a year-over-year sales increase of more than 22 per cent.

At the same time, there is a pent-up demand for renovations.Like many other local renovators, Emma Doucet of Grass-

roots Design and Build saw business screech to a halt in April. Now, she says, “we’re inundated with inquiries. My theory is that this is Ottawa, and most people are still employed. They know they’re not going to be travelling for a while, they’re in the house more and they’re getting irritated by the house. So, they want a renovation.”

With projects booked to the end of the year, Doucet says she is “cautiously optimistic” about the future.

Renovators are finding fresh ways to communicate safely with eager clients. Zoom sessions are common and outdoor meetings are a possibility, at least while the weather is warm.

OakWood, which has seen earlier supply problems dissipate and anticipates having a good year, continues to operate its design centre in Orléans.

“We are encouraging (clients) to meet with us at our design centre for the first meeting while providing photos of their home instead of us meeting in their home,” says Patricia Liptak-Satov, vice-president of operations. “The OakWood building is a locked facility with a full-time cleaner, and it is a large open space, which allows for the team to physically distance.”

What does it all mean for homeowners eager to renovate? Some higher costs, later start and finish dates, and new work site and communication protocols can all be expected as the pandemic grinds on.

With that in mind, Herb Lagois of Lagois Design·Build· Renovate counsels homeowners to “Be patient, take the proper time needed to make decisions, make sure the company’s process is a fit for you. With many of us working from home, there might be new-found frustrations with our homes, yet there is something to be said about taking the time needed to plan for the success of your remodel.”

See One Renovator’s Pandemic Story on the next page ➔12 | OttawaRenovates.com

IP-OttReno-Advertorial_FP-Sep2020-v2.indd 1 2020-09-01 2:09 PM

One renovator’s storyCOVID-19 DIDN’T STOP THEM

It was OakWood’s technology that allowed the company to remain open during the pandemic. While their primary concern was for everyone – team, clients, trades and suppliers – they continued to accept multi-unit, new home and renovation requests.

It was possible because of their cloud-based software. It meant they could work remotely while staying connected. Designers still designed projects and made virtual presentations.

Because some homeowners didn’t want anyone in their space during this time, the company ensured the sites were secured. Oakwood did experience delays at first, but they were able to complete their projects.

Patricia Liptak-Satov, Oakwood’s Vice President of Operations, admits it wasn’t easy, especially when hand sanitizer and masks were so hard to get last spring.

“And there was a lot of ambiguity concerning certain policies,” she says, “which made it harder to put them into place properly.”

She commends the City of Ottawa building inspectors and IHSA (Infrastructure Health and Safety Association) for their help “clarifying items as well as assisting us with different options to work together and proceed”.

The company helped “dozens” of trade partners and suppliers administratively and financially to keep these companies alive during difficult times.

“To boost morale,” says Patricia, “we incentivized employees with bonuses and other help. OakWood leadership insisted that we do not lay anyone off. As a result, we have been rewarded with loyalty and a lot of work from clients.”

Starting in May, OakWood hired eight new highly-skilled employees from all over North America.

“No one knows how COVID19 will turn out,” Patricia says, “but Ottawa is resilient and growing, providing opportunities for those who lead.”



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Nathan Gurnham, owner of Sandy Hill Construction, worked for the company for 10 years before he bought it in 2016. Sandy Hill Construction has a long, solid reputation for interior and exterior renovations, heritage restorations and structural work.

Because it’s a small company, Sandy Hill Construction develops close working relation-ships with customers, making each project personal and as easy as possible.

Dear Homeowner,We certainly understand your need

for a productive work environment. So many of us are now in the same situa-tion, and our guess is that it’s here to stay.

Your spare room might be all you need. It should be a room with a good window, big enough that you won’t feel cramped with two desks and chairs. Probably the most important thing will be a door you can close and even lock at times, especially if you are having virtual meetings.

It would be a good idea to discuss with your renovator the possibility of another window (or perhaps a larger one) in that room. You might also think about a skylight or sun tunnel. Other forms of lighting will be a consideration, so this should be an important discus-sion as well. (You might be surprised by the options you have.) Wall colour will be important not just for your eyes but your mood. An easily cleanable floor is always sensible, and there are many possibilities here, too.

Help! Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have both been working from home, and it looks as though we will be from now on, even when the pandemic is resolved. At the moment we’re awkwardly perched in the dining room, in the kitchen, in a bedroom ‒ wherever we can grab a space. It’s time to get serious and create a dedicated office. We are a professional couple with two young children in a medium-size house with a spare room we could convert, although an addition is not out of the question. Can you give us some ideas and possibilities?



Your basement is important. No one knows that better than Penguin.But now, in this new work-at-home era, your basement might takeon a whole new urgency.We are passionate about improving the lifestyle and creatingsignifi cant property value for our clients. Our state-of-the-artbasements are designed to increase useable space so you cando more: building a legal second suite, for instance, or a hometheatre, games room, kidsʼ playroom or a personal gym. Weprovide you with almost limitless options, as far as your budgetand imagination allow.Your basement can include an effi cient, modern—even inspirational—offi ce space or suite. It might also be the perfect place for a cheerful,easy-to-manage homework area for children participating in onlineschooling.While Penguin Basements was founded in the GTA, we came home toOttawa in early 2019, just in time to celebrate next yearʼs 10 years inBusiness. Weʼre proud of the beautiful basements we have created –more basements, in fact, than anyone in Ontario.We offer a two-year warranty on labour and a transferrable limitedlifetime warranty on our basement-appropriate materials, includinghigh-quality engineered laminate fl oors, mold-resistant drywall, andmetal framing. All builds are constructed against our regimentedGantt schedule, which details every step of the renovation processto be tracked ensuring we stay on budget and schedule.

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Penguin puts you squarely at the centre of the process. Our team visitsyour home to thoroughly inspects your basement and to understand your specifi c needs and wants.

We start by asking questions:• What functionality do you envision?• Whatʼs your budget and how can you optimize it?• What exactly would the long-term fi nancial upside look like?

From there, we draw up customized layout plans to address all thevariables at play, since no two basements and requirements are alike.A quote from us doesnʼt just happen over the phone or go on asquare-foot basis. Our estimates are meticulously line-itemed andfi nely detailed, because we know no one likes surprises.Penguin only works with permits that protect you. Over the years,weʼve established a well-earned reputation based on building it right,on time and with the right materials. We wonʼt budge on that. We ensure homeowners get a sound investment that stands the testof time. After all, our reputation is riding on every build.Penguin Basements has some other qualities that make us proud.

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This might be the time for a discus-sion about how you work best ‒ both of you in one space, or one space for each? Will you want a spot for your children to play quietly while you work? A small table or chalkboard? Low shelves for “quiet” toys and creative supplies?

Of course, the absolute ideal would be an addition if this is in your budget. You could create a whole office suite ‒ two rooms, a bathroom, a kitchenette and a small quiet playroom for those days when the children need to be near you ‒ perhaps with a big comfortable chair or couch for your own much-needed “power breaks”. If you wanted to go further with it, you could consider

a guest bedroom and ensuite in your “office wing” so it becomes an even more useful part of your home even when it’s not being used for work.

We hope you’ll enjoy this new stage in your life ‒ a new stage with more possibilities than you might have thought.

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Dear Renovator, Dear Renovator,We are in the midst of planning a whole new addition to our home. We

want it to be a large kitchen with a great deal of natural light, an eating area, and a family room all as one big space. (We have two active pre-teens who are growing rapidly.) We’re envisioning a lot of large windows, which will cut down on wall space; but we also need good (and easily accessible) storage. Can you help us figure out what kind of cabinetry we could have, especially if we need to work around so many windows?

A Renovator Answers

Dear Homeowner,As someone with four children at home myself, I can certainly relate. Your

project will need lots of thought. In fact, my very first piece of advice is never to underestimate the energy you will need to put into planning ‒ not just for your own family but for potential resale, so your home will, if the time comes, also be suitable for another family.

continued on page 22

This is Pierre Dromaguet’s 15th year at Potvin Construction, where he has been the cabinet design and sales manager for the past five years. With a family of six (four kids ranging from age 11 to 17), he has lots of first-hand experience about wear and tear on a home.

Pierre graduated from La Cite Interior Design in 1994, worked as an architectural designer, taught architectural and interior design, and also worked in commercial interior design, home design, and construction management.


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If you have three active pre-teens, you have probably already discovered that growing kids are never alone. They have friends. Two or three kids can turn into eight or 10. And so in a large kitchen the island becomes the place to be. Plan for multiple seating all the way around the island, even at the ends.

In your large kitchen and family room, I suggest you won’t want to be looking at the eating area. The large island should be visually connected to the family room with each room facing the other. The dining area can be off to the side.

Many windows will give you beautiful light, of course, but they can have a downside when

it comes to wooden cabinetry. The portion of cabinet exposed to direct sunlight may have a tendency to age differently from the portion that is not. This, on top of the “abuse” your doors and drawers may be subject to thanks to these active teenagers may have you consider thermofoil products (PVC or polyester).

The latest state of the art 3D technology used to manufacture these finishes has brought the thermofoil product lines to another level. It not only looks like real wood (or paint), but also feels like it to the touch. Its maintenance is a breeze and it will pretty much hold up to any-thing. With a large active family of my own, it was the “go-to” choice for my personal kitchen

Dear Renovator,



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reno a couple of years ago.Another thing you’ve probably noticed about

kids: they like to slam doors and drawers. So I also advise you to make sure your doors and drawers have soft-close systems. No one can slam those.

Since you won’t have much wall space but need lots of storage, you might think about a walk-in pantry: always practical, and it helps keep things tidy, too. Under-the-counter storage should prob-ably be large drawers and pull-outs rather than cupboards.

Pierre DromaguetMillwork Design and Sales ManagerPotvin Construction


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ADVERTISEMENT: Present your company to the potential customer branding your image with the use of logo, graphics, pictures, contact information and your message. A variety of sizes are available to meet your marketing strat-egy and budget. We can work to help design your ad and provide press ready graphics at NO extra cost.

ADVERTORIAL: Tell your story! Our team will work with you to present a unique opportunity for you to differentiate yourself from the rest. We will interview, write, edit and custom design your story… perhaps a before and after… a unique project…a company profi le… Let us help you present a special aspect of your company to potential new customers.

RENOVATORPROFILE: Who are you? What makes you a great Renovator? What is your background, experience, education? This is a chance to introduce you, your company and what drives you and your passion for the business. Let prospective clients connect with you…it is about the rela-tionship and your ability to help people realize a dream. Let us write the story for you…add your picture…let people see the person behind the company.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Are you providing quality products to discerning custom-ers? Do you need to introduce something new? Feature your product and promote directly to buyers.

BUSINESS PROFILE: You exist for a lot of good rea-sons. Talk about your business, about your process, about your people – brag a bit. People appreciate knowing more about what you are and do. You are part of the community – a neighbour, an employer, a taxpayer – a key player in the building industry. Consumers like to identify with and sup-port local businesses. Perhaps it is time to elevate your profi le and communicate your story.

SERVICE PROFILE: What is your special service? You are providing an integral service to renovation custom-ers. You need to present the reasons your service is supe-rior to others. You understand how important your service is to their project. But does the average consumer know the pitfalls of the wrong provider? Help them understand that you are the best - tell them why! Promote your service – let everyone know WHY you.

GOHBA AWARDS: We are proud to devote a spe-cial section on an annual basis to highlight the winning partici-pants from the annual GOHBA Design Awards competition. The opportunity recognizes and highlights the projects and the companies responsible for many beautiful projects.

PROJECT SHOWCASE: A picture is still worth a thou-sand words. The business of design / build projects can only be complete by showcasing the fi nished product. Take us for a walk through the results of your hard work and tell us the story. Modern, traditional, old or new, before or after, start to fi nish…you know what it takes to get the job done. You fulfi ll dreams – let the pictures and text tell your journey. Prospective clients will identify and recognize that you can do what you say you do!

RENOMARK®: We support and promote of the Renomark program. As a Renomark participant you will enjoy stories, promotions, communications and listing directory. We work to elevate the profi le of participating companies in conjunction with GOHBA and RenoMark™.

RENO TOUR: Enjoy the unique opportunity to join in the annual Reno Tour! Ottawa Renovates is a major media sponsor and offers special promotional opportunities to those compa-nies participating in Renotour. Interested in touring prospec-tive clients through one of your completed project?

TRADE SHOWS: We attend two major trade-shows every year in conjunc-tion with the GOHBA. Ottawa Renovates magazine is a dis-tributed to a target audience of homeowners. Your market-ing dollars are extended to potential buyers shopping for all things renovation.


URBAN QUARRY talks COUNTERTOPS

CHOOSING THE RIGHT ONE IS CRITICAL FOR A SUCCESSFUL RENOVATION PROJECT

By Francie Healy

A countertop is a countertop is a countertop, right? Wrong. Not if it’s a countertop with any class, beauty or longevity. A superb stone countertop is a process. It begins many steps before it appears in your renovated kitchen or bath. Urban Quarry of Ottawa is one of the fi rst steps in the journey. It starts with exquisite slabs of stone such as quartz or granite. Each type of stone, and each piece of stone itself, is different, so the process involves a keen eye for quality and an understanding of how and where it might best be used. This is true even if it’s not a countertop ‒ if it’s a wall, for instance, or a shower, or a fi replace, a mantel, a hearth, or a threshold. Once Urban Quarry selects the best pieces from a number of its preferred suppliers, it fabricates them into custom elements for your kitchen, bath, and other parts of your home. Urban Quarry is not a retail outlet. Its showroom on Stevenage Drive in Ottawa is open to the public, but products are available only through the company’s select kitchen and bathroom dealers, builders, contractors, and designers. Homeowners can inspect their stone at the showroom and see fi rst-hand the colours, veining, patterns and characteristics of the stone they have chosen in conjunction with their renovator or designer, who place and oversee the order with the company. Bob Gould, director of Business Development, has been in the kitchen-bath business for more than 25 years, and he knows the industry well.

SPECIAL RENOVATION REPORT

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

CHOOSING THE RIGHT EDGE PROFILE TO SUIT YOUR DESIGN

“We steer them in the right direction,” he says, “but it’s really a personal choice. Like anything else, technology has come a long way and there are a lot of options.” Given those options, customers often fi nd it a challenge to choose the stone that’s right for them. They rely on their renovators and designers for information, or they can get answers when they visit the Urban Quarry showroom. “But in the end,” says Bob, “It all comes down to personal taste. Some stones are better in different areas and for different rooms. Quartz has a heat issue, for one example. So it’s not great around fi replaces or outdoors.” Natural stone, of course, comes from the earth, and it’s perfect for outside use. “They all have their ups and downs,” adds Bob. “What’s important? Design or maintenance? A lot of it depends on your lifestyle and your stage of life. If your kids are grown up and gone, the kitchen isn’t go-ing to go through the same wear and tear for the next 20 years as it did when there were young children around.” He explains that although quartz is about 75 per cent of their business, there are customers who return to them to say they’ve had stone, then granite, then quartz, and now they want to go back to granite. “There are still people with laminate countertops who never had granite in their lives,” he says. Urban Quarry relies on its professional stone suppliers such as Masterpiece and Interstone, the two vendors from whom they buy natural stone. The vendors explain to customers the pros and cons of certain stones for certain uses, and Urban Quarry also has its experts on hand. “That’s the purpose of the showroom,” he says, “not only to show what we have, but to help contractors and renovators and their customers.” But he adds customers don’t usually start their experience with Urban Quarry. Renovators and designers do, but by the time most homeowners arrive at the Urban Quarry showroom, they have chosen their stone and just want to see how it looks. On the other hand, “the next time they’re looking, they might come straight to us because then they can see the whole gamut of options.”

RIDGELINE (SQUARE) TREELINE MORAINE BELTED RIDGELINE (1/4 BEVEL) (CHISELED) (BELTED SQUARE)

CRESCENT STAIR TREAD COVE DUPONT RIMROCK(HALFMOON) (DROP-MITRED-45 degree)

SUMMIT GLACIAL BOULDER BELTED TREELINE

(DOUBLE BULLNOSE) (FZ OGEE) (OGEE OVER BULLNOSE) (BELTED BEVEL)

VOLCANIC ICEBERG TRIPLE PENCIL DOUBLE TREELINE (FULL BULLNOSE) (FULL OGEE) (WATERFALL) (DOUBLE BEVEL)

PIEDMONT LEDGE (ROUND OVER) (LEDGE MD)

EDGE PROFILES: SMALLEST DETAILS Part of the process of choosing how a countertop will be fabricated is to choose its edges. Urban Quarry has a full selection, 18 in all, with a wide variety of options. Serge Bellavance, Owner and Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, says each style has its own personality. Whether your style is modern, traditional or someplace in between, Urban Quarry can create the right edge profi le for your design.

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Urban Quarry’s well-established product brands, known worldwide, include:

• Cambria Quartz • HanStone Quartz• Caesarstone Quartz • Cosentino Surfaces• Masterpiece Granite • Interstone Tile & Marble

One of the newest partners is soon to be Caribou Wood Products for butcher block countertops or islands. Bob Gould says they hope it will be offi cially launched next year.

The company also partners with Bristol Sinks and Franke Kindred Sinks. “We’re not a plumbing shop; we’re not in the business of selling sinks,” says Bob, “but it is a service we provide to all our ac-counts and dealers so if they wish, they can buy their sinks through us.” It simplifi es matters during fabrication and installation.

“We partner with specifi c brands because they have quality products,” explains Bob. “They’re all different ‒ different fi nishes, colours, tex-tures, designs ‒ and they’re all excellent. We want everyone to know that these are brands we stand behind.”

QUALITY FIRST: ELITE PARTNERSHIPSURBAN QUARRY’S

WELL-ESTABLISHED PRODUCT BRANDS

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Urban Quarry’s well-established product brands, known worldwide, include:

• Cambria Quartz • HanStone Quartz• Caesarstone Quartz • Cosentino Surfaces• Masterpiece Granite • Interstone Tile & Marble

One of the newest partners is soon to be Caribou Wood Products for butcher block countertops or islands. Bob Gould says they hope it will be offi cially launched next year.

The company also partners with Bristol Sinks and Franke Kindred Sinks. “We’re not a plumbing shop; we’re not in the business of selling sinks,” says Bob, “but it is a service we provide to all our ac-counts and dealers so if they wish, they can buy their sinks through us.” It simplifi es matters during fabrication and installation.

“We partner with specifi c brands because they have quality products,” explains Bob. “They’re all different ‒ different fi nishes, colours, tex-tures, designs ‒ and they’re all excellent. We want everyone to know that these are brands we stand behind.”

QUALITY FIRST: ELITE PARTNERSHIPSURBAN QUARRY’S

WELL-ESTABLISHED PRODUCT BRANDS

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5101 Empira Black – NEW

Beautifully superior.Designed by nature. Perfected through innovation. Quartz like no other.Learn more at caesarstone.ca

93641_Caesarstone-CA-08-Ottawa-Renovates-Empira-Black-FP_FINAL.indd 1 2020-08-26 11:31 AM

BEFORE THE MAGIC HAPPENS:

THE PROCESS

DESIGNUrban Quarry is proud master fabricators of natural stone and premium quartz surfaces. Their inspirational showroom gives industry professionals and their clients the chance to view samples, full slabs, and kitchen, bathroom and living room vignettes. They also have expert associates in-house who can advise you on the perfect product to complete your vision.

TEMPLATESkilled technicians use industry-leading digitaltemplating technology to achieve the tightest, mostprecise fi t for your countertops with minimal need forcaulking or silicone. The templating step is criticalto a fl awless result. Urban Quarry is ready to conquer any layout or countertop challenges you may have.

URBAN QUARRY SHOWROOM

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We use Bristol Sinks as our supplier for sinks and faucets for our solid surface count-er tops and the quality and availability of the sinks is excellent and the staff are wonderful. They are an all-around fantastic supplier.

Crystal deLaroque

I had an issue with a kitchen faucet so I con-tacted Bristol sinks directly and they sent me out a replacement part no questions asked. Their customer service is top notch and I would recommend Bristol Sinks to anyone.

Brad Glover

Great products, but most of all, great service!

Outstanding.Diane D

The Most Trusted Kitchen and Bathroom Sink Retailer in CanadaWe are committed to achieving complete

customer satisfaction by offering quality

products at an affordable price.

bristolsinks.comAvailable at:

Cabinet doors

Cabinet hardware

End panels (gables)

Sinks

Cook tops

Refrigerators (in some cases)

Electrical outlets (roughed in)

(with manufacturer-supplied templates) and plumbing fi xtures

Technicians Need Access To:

FABRICATIONUrban Quarry’s state-of-the-art facility is equipped with industry-leading technology and machinery. The company combines the best and latest innovative fabrication solutions with a commitment to the traditional values of quality and craftmanship to deliver the highest quality products in the industry.

INSTALLATIONExperienced installation teams manage everydetail of the installation process to achieve the ultimate precision fi t, and they exceed your expectations for customer service every step along the way.

a natural fi t for any space

Ideal for residential and commercial installations,

Caribou is a proudly Canadian handcrafted wood surface.

Maintenance Free • Waterproof • NSF Food Safe + UV and Stain Resistant

Cariboublock.com

Visit the Urban Quarry showroom to learn more about Caribou wood surfaces.

2717 Stevenage Drive, Ottawa ONurbanquarry.ca

2717 Stevenage DriveOttawa, ON K1G 3N2613-738-1567urbanquarry.ca [email protected]

Please note: Urban Quarry does not sell directly to the public,however, our products are available through many local kitchen and bath dealers.

THE URBAN QUARRY STORY

The roots of Urban Quarry date back to 1986 when Laurent Bellavance co-founded Marble Unlimited with two other partners. Nine years later, Laurent became sole owner and began to increase his product offerings while also planning the fi rst of three business expansions in 1997.

In 2003 the industry demand for natural stone was growing signifi cantly. It was in this year that the business made the leap to natural stone fabrication. By 2009, Serge Bellavance, VP of Sales & Marketing, and Mireille Bellavance, VP of Operations were deeply involved in the family business, and the name was offi cially changed to Urban Quarry.

Headquartered in Ottawa, and now servicing Montreal, Urban Quarry has undergone two more expansions since 1997, including a state-of-the-art 45,000 square foot fabrication shop and an impressive product show-room. Throughout its 30-plus years in the business, the company has become a trusted and respected custom fabricator of natural stone, quartz and ultra-compact surfaces.

SPECIAL RENOVATION REPORTCORPORATE PROFILE

GO HOME, STAY HOME, AND DON’T COME OUT

UNTIL IT’S SAFE. First, be kind to your body

By Francie Healy

It all happened so fast. For many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic meant scrambling to create some sort of temporary home workspace.


Working at home in a new reality


Months later, hunched over a kitchen counter or coffee table, or sitting on a hard chair that belongs in the dining room, we realize it’s time to make real changes. Working from home is probably here to stay.

But before we call a renovator, Sarah Hobbs, an Ergonomist with Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS), urges us to do some research.

WSPS is a not-for-profit organization committed to protect-ing Ontario workers and businesses. Sarah, a registered kinesi-ologist, understands better than most the potential of long-term problems if you spend many hours of your day in front of a computer.

She says you probably don’t need a lot of space, but ideally it will be free from distraction. Better still, it should be a space with a door you can close at the end of the day and leave your work behind until tomorrow. The middle of your living room or bedroom or kitchen just doesn’t cut it, especially if you have a family.

Sarah says there are two most-important things to consider.“Invest in a good chair,” she advises. “You might be tempted

to choose a pretty one that looks nice and fits with your decor, but you’ll be sorry after the first week. Be prepared to spend a minimum of $300.”

The other important piece of furniture is your desk. “Don’t get whatever is on sale,” she says. “Find out exactly what height you need.” Standard desk height is about 29-30 inches. “But for shorter folks, that’s going to be way too high, meaning feet are dangling, and shoulders are hunched up.”

She says you should try out the desk and chair before you buy it to see how it feels. When you sit in your chair at your desk, sitting naturally, your feet should be flat on the floor, hips slightly above your knees, shoulders not too high or too low, with elbows at 90 degrees,

“You might think an inch here or an inch there isn’t the end of the world,” she says, “but in a couple of months your body will start screaming at you.” This is especially important, she adds, if your desk is going to be built in.

Chair and desk height need extra consideration when several people in a household will be using them: tall people, short people, children doing schoolwork. The way to get around this is to use adjustable equipment as much as you can: chairs



continues from page 37



Custom kitchen cabinets and vanities tailored to fi t

all lifestyles…Kitchens to come home to.

Local manufacturer – buy directly!Free estimate & fi nancing available.

BEFORE

AFTER

potvinkitchens.com 8850 County Rd. 17, Rockland ON | 613.446.5181

. Comfortable .. Elegant .

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rndconstruction.ca

Before you begin…

• Is your chair adjusted to an appropriate height (i.e., thighs parallel or knees slightly lower than the hips)?

• Are your feet on the floor or fully supported by a foot-rest?

• Do you have sufficient leg room at your desk?• Does the placement of your monitor and keyboard allow for a comfortable position (e.g., head is looking forward, not downwards or to one side)?

• Is it easy to read the text on your screen?• Is your computer screen free from noticeable glare at all times of the day?

• Is there space to rest your arms when not keyboarding?• When keying or using the mouse, are your elbows close to the body and your forearms close to parallel with the floor?

• Are frequently-used items positioned within easy reach of your normal working position, and is desk space adequate for the work?

• If you need to connect and disconnect a laptop or other equipment, are you able to do this without bending or crawling under your desk each time?

• Are temperature, noise, ventilation, and lighting levels adequate for maintaining your normal job performance?

• Is the work area free from all slip, trip and fall hazards? • Is material stored in file cabinets or on shelves properly to avoid overloading and tipping?

Here are some of the things to consider when creating your new workspace, taken from Workplace Safety & Prevention Services’ Home Office Workplace Checklist. (More information on WSPS.ca.)

you can raise and lower, footrests, or desks with a pull-out keyboard tray, for example.

Another important consideration, she says, is the light in the room. If you have natural lighting from a window, the best option is to have it perpendicular to your desk and computer ‒ positioned to your side. She explains this means less glare on your screen.

If the light is behind you, she says, the light bounces off the monitor and into your eyes. If the light is behind the monitor, there will be two sources ‒ window and monitor ‒ competing for your attention. “It’s too much eye work,” she adds.

Size depends on the way you work. If you are completely computer-based, you might not need as big a space as you would if you also use paper, printer, and shelves for storage.

“Try to avoid working completely off a laptop,” she says, “because it can quickly create hunched postures. Instead, buy a separate keyboard and mouse that you can connect to your laptop, and then raise your screen to proper viewing height. Or better yet, acquire a larger monitor altogether.”

The decor of your new workspace can be beautiful, but first it needs to be functional.

“Workplace injuries can just creep up on you, because we’re doing all these repetitive things,” says Sarah. “It’s exciting to think about renovation and how to make it look magazine-worthy. But first it’s really important to focus on what you need.”



❏


The Art of Renovation

Exceptional Design Build Renovations Since 1999

Winner of CHBA National Award of Housing Excellence

Design Studio by Appointment Only2853 Carp Road, Ottawa K0A 1L0 [email protected]

Kitchens - Bathrooms - Interiors Exteriors - Additions - Basements

Renovators all seem to say the same thing. The fi rst step in a renovation is doing your homework. And the fi rst task of renovation homework is getting to know the best renovators in the region – their work, their tastes, their philosophies, their visions.

And so Ottawa Renovates presents Reno Tour. We think it’s the perfect way to size up the work of several superb Ottawa renovators.

Reno Tour is your open door to ideas, inspira-tion, and possibilities, where you can see fi rst-hand the completed renovations of several Ottawa homes.

In past Reno Tours, the homeowners, along with their renovators, invited you into their homes to see and feel their new spaces.

This year, because of COVID-19, it’s no longer possible to do in-house visits, but we have the next best thing. Better, in some ways.

This year Reno Tour is virtual, thanks to Point3D, a company that uses cutting-edge technology to create a digital, interactive experience so you can seamlessly navigate a space as if you were actually there.

You’ll be able to see inside these homes and “move” from space to space to get a complete view of their renovated interiors. In this way, you can visit and re-visit each place as often as you like during the tour period.

An open door to Real Renovations

Proceeds from donations go to Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa.

Habitat for Humanity is a national, non-profi t organi-zation devoted to creating a safe and decent place to live for everyone.

When you visit Reno Tour.ca please donate $10 or more to this great cause.

All proceeds go directly to Habitat for Humanity

Greater Ottawa.

This Year’s Virtual Reno Tour proudly features the work of Seven Renovators in Nine Locations

Amsted Design-Build(2 locations)

Carleton Kitchen and Bath (2 locations)

Carolyn Munro Design

Gladwin Building Services

Just Basements

Lagois Design Build Renovate

RND Construction

renotour.caget started

Event Sponsors: Media Partners:

OTTAWARENOVATES+

Renovators all seem to say the same thing. The fi rst step in a renovation is doing your homework. And the fi rst task of renovation homework is getting to know the best renovators in the region – their work, their tastes, their philosophies, their visions.

And so Ottawa Renovates presents Reno Tour. We think it’s the perfect way to size up the work of several superb Ottawa renovators.

Reno Tour is your open door to ideas, inspira-tion, and possibilities, where you can see fi rst-hand the completed renovations of several Ottawa homes.

In past Reno Tours, the homeowners, along with their renovators, invited you into their homes to see and feel their new spaces.

This year, because of COVID-19, it’s no longer possible to do in-house visits, but we have the next best thing. Better, in some ways.

This year Reno Tour is virtual, thanks to Point3D, a company that uses cutting-edge technology to create a digital, interactive experience so you can seamlessly navigate a space as if you were actually there.

You’ll be able to see inside these homes and “move” from space to space to get a complete view of their renovated interiors. In this way, you can visit and re-visit each place as often as you like during the tour period.


Proceeds from donations go to Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa.

Habitat for Humanity is a national, non-profi t organi-zation devoted to creating a safe and decent place to live for everyone.

When you visit Reno Tour.ca please donate $10 or more to this great cause.

All proceeds go directly to Habitat for Humanity

Greater Ottawa.

This Year’s Virtual Reno Tour proudly features the work of Seven Renovators in Nine Locations

Amsted Design-Build(2 locations)

Carleton Kitchen and Bath (2 locations)

Carolyn Munro Design

Gladwin Building Services

Just Basements

Lagois Design Build Renovate

RND Construction


Event Sponsors: Media Partners:

OTTAWARENOVATES+



1.

3.

2.

4.

Amsted Design-BuildAn Entertainer’s Dreamwww.amsted.ca 613-836-7434

Carleton Kitchen • Bath • Design • BuildSerene Home on the Waterwww.renoenvy.ca 613-253-0080

Amsted Design-BuildCraftsman Show-Stopperwww.amsted.ca 613-836-7434

Carleton Kitchen • Bath • Design • BuildGem on Hidden Lakewwww.renoenvy.ca 613-253-0080

The homeowners were looking to get rid of the dark look and feel of their existing home in favour of an open fl oorplan with better fl ow. What the Amsted team created was an entertainer’s dream space. This whole-home renovation features a new open-concept kitchen and sunroom, updated living room, added powder room, redesigned staircase, and a fully-fi nished basement. It includes beautiful features such as a two-tone open-tread staircase with glass walls, three-sided fi replace, and a gourmet kitchen with views of the homeowners’ award-winning backyard. From top to bottom, the home is ready to both live comfortably and entertain easily.

The Amsted team, in collaboration with StyleHaus Interiors, converted what was originally a 50+ year old brick bungalow with a largely unusable second fl oor space into a “show stopper” Craftsman home with a clean, transitional interior. Amsted reconfi gured the main fl oor, fi nished the basement, and removed the existing 2-bedroom second fl oor, replacing it with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms including a Master Suite. The exterior was also completely redone, with new stone and pre-fi nished wood siding (board & batten and shingle siding) with decorative corbels and craftsman detailing for a beautiful fi nished result both inside and out.

This kitchen renovation with main fl oor upgrades had signifi cant challenges – for instance: despite a heated concrete fl oor, fi nding a way to hide electrical to the new island cooktop; and a small kitchen that needed to include tall appliances and a wine bar. The home also needed increased storage space, since there is no basement. The homeowners wanted to capitalize on a beautiful view of a property surrounded by water. A glass railing, clever under-the-stairs storage, better design for the laundry area and separate areas for wine and cooking made this home feel more open and balanced.

The homeowner wanted Carleton Kitchen and Bath to design and install an eclectic, show-stopping kitchen fi t for a trained chef and perfect for entertaining. Copper sinks as well as a very large, artisan-style island were in order, with deep colours throughout to suggest a moody, masculine space. The sculptural live wall completed the space and provides fresh herbs year round. The homeowner also wanted an ensuite master bedroom with outstanding artistry. Carleton Kitchen and Bath designed a magnifi cent granite shower wall, giving the space the feeling of a spa-like grotto. They also designed the ad-ditional bathrooms and provided the millwork in this beautiful custom home on the lake.

5.


Carolyn Munro Design + Build Kitchen Make-overwww.cmdesignbuild.com 613-831-9984

BEFORE

This country home located outsidethe village of Stittsville was built inthe 90s. The cherrywood kitchenwas a beautifully crafted u-shapekitchen with a raised bar areaand has now been redesigned toinclude a raised bar area and anisland. The homeowners stillenjoy their traditional style ofhome and wanted to re-use theexisting cherrywood cabinet doorswhere possible. While maintaining a traditional style, the kitchen cabinets will now be amix of white with a slight glazedfi nish, and cherrywood. The uppercabinets had an existing crownmoulding which was altered toinclude a sculpted wood mouldingto make the crown stand out evenmore. A black granite countertopwas selected for the island with alighter granite on the perimeter wallcabinets, with a matching granitebacksplash. The new cherrywood-fi nishedisland includes a sink and turnedcorner posts and will be the center-piece of the kitchen.

The right GARAGE DOOR will add style & curb appeal!

SHOWROOM

108-1140 Morrison Drive 613798-4444

FREE IN-HOMECONSULTATIONS

www.parsonselectronics.com

Security Gates

AFTER

PLEASE NOTE: Finished photo not available at time of print

publication BUT Check out this project at Reno Tour.ca later in October for the opportunity to Walk Through the New

Kitchen!

Island Elevations

Floor Plan


6.


Gladwin Design • Build • Renovate From the Bottom Upwww.gladwinbuildingservices.com 613-592-8822

AFTER

Gladwin Building Services Inc was tasked with transforming a 50-year-old, three-bedroom Cape Cod into a fi ve-bedroom home for a blended family. First was the basement. Gladwin added some light and style along with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and an inviting hangout space for the kids. A 70s-era bar became an inviting place for relaxed downtime. The dark, outdated, kitchen became bright and fresh for the production of tasty meals for this growing family. The drab fi replace became the focal point of the living room. A screened porch off the dining room connects the inside to a cottage-style backyard oasis.

BEFORE AND AFTERBEFORE

MAKING YOUR DREAM KITCHEN A REALITY

613-521-6966 www.spectrumkitchens.ca

Our professional creative design and installation teams offer exceptional service.

Specializing in the residential market for new home construction and renovations.

Experience Amazing Kitchens by

KITCHENS

Visit our Showroom in Kanata

430 Hazeldean Road, Unit 2

Photo by: Gordon King Phoenix Homes – Diamondview Estates Model Home


7.

Your dream…Our kitchen…Let’s get started

Be a fan on our Facebook PageLaurysen Kitchens Showroom2415 Carp Road in Stittsville

Tel: (613) 836-5353www.laurysenkitchens.com


Be a fan on our Facebook PageLaurysen Kitchens Showroom2415 Carp Road in Stittsville

Tel: (613) 836-5353www.laurysenkitchens.com


Just Basements Epic Entertainingwww.justbasementsottawa.ca 613-836-0306

Ever wonder what would happen if you decided to go wild and make the basement of your dreams? That was the task these homeowners gave to Just Basements. As the homeowners’ children continue to grow, their goal was to create the “it” place for years to come. To achieve this, Just Basements explored it all – a theatre, wet bar, wine cellar, fi tness, billiards, bathroom, lounge, and more.The concept for this space began with a barnwood wine cellar the customer came across in Montreal. Just Basements built up from there, boldly using moody colours and lots of texture, from matte black bar cabinetry and concrete-look quartz counters to smoky hues on the walls in the lounge, fi tness, theatre and wine cellar. Dark elements throughout anchor the design and provide contrast and drama.Although it’s a large basement, fi tting the wish list still posed numerous challenges in working within the ex-isting footprint of the foundation. Just Basements tucked the main bar strategically under the main staircase, hiding the angle with upper cabinetry, and they took advantage of space under the back stair to create a small wet bar for the theatre. In the fi tness room, to gain as much space as possible, they created a clever hidden door in the barnwood wall to access the furnace for servicing.Building from the wine cellar, they tactfully repeated barnwood elements throughout in a contemporary way. Just Basements wanted to achieve texture without having too much of it. Noteworthy details in the space are endless – from the live edge walnut bar slab and custom barn door, to the raised bar at the theatre. The barnwood portico and horizontal wood combined with cold rolled steel at the fi replace move your eye across the space, allowing you to take in all that this amazing details this basement has to offer.



8.Lagois Design·Build·RenovateTranquility on the Riverwww.lagois.com 613-489-2345

Before renovations, the home lacked natural light, did not take advantage of river views, had dangerous stairs at the entry, lacked closet space, had awkward living spaces with an outdated non-functional kitchen, was without an entrance from the garage, and had outdated bathrooms plus a shower in the walk-in closet.Furthermore, the owners were frustrated they could not entertain due to awkward spaces and being isolated in the kitchen. There were unique features and challenges. Relocating stair location and removing the interior kitchen wall opened up the entire space. Introducing a rear wall of glass that optimized river views introduced an abundance of natural light. The kitchen, with adjacent homework area, provides a usable space for the entire family and solves being isolated when entertaining. A garage entry mudroom allows easy access from the garage. The front entrance features a walk-in closet. An added bonus is the laundry on the main level. No shower in the walk-in closet!The entry, kitchen, dining, mudroom all have in-fl oor hydronic heating for the ultimate in comfort.

Visit now! Download your free copy of our mini reno guide

at AllThingsHome.ca/renoguide.pdf

Before you renovate...

Get the informationand inspiration you need

Wait!

AllThingsHome.ca

Where Ottawa homeowners lookbefore leaping into a renovation project.

Unbiased • In-depth • Ottawa-focused

Ottawa’s Trusted Resourcefor Homebuyers and Owners



9.RND Construction2020 Art Decowww.rndconstruction.ca 613-532-8598

The renovation of this 1970’s home sought to create a stronger indoor-outdoor connection, while minimizing its effects on the natural environment through extensive energy effi ciency upgrades. The home’s beautiful exterior space is now connected to the interior space through large fl oor-to-ceiling windows across the rear of the home. The fl oorplan has been completely revised to incorporate a more open-concept design, which allows the interior space to be fl ooded with natural light.Overall, the energy-effi ciency measures have reduced the home’s annual energy consumption from 403 to 104 GJ/year – a 74% reduction. This home is now 43% more effi cient than a similar new home built to the Ontario Building Code. Renovations have reduced the greenhouse gas emissions of this home from 18.8 to 3.4 tonnes/year.



When you join this year’s Reno Tour, you might be on a boat. You might be at a picnic. Or you might be in your most comfortable chair at home.

A virtual visit means you can “walk through” beautiful real-life renovations wherever you are, not just once but often.

You will have various ways of seeing a local Ottawa renovation ‒ in a “Dollhouse” or 3D view; as a virtual walkthrough; as a fl oor plan (as if look-ing down at the entire area from the ceiling); or analytically, with data.

The experience is not only immersive but interactive. With some of the homes (depending on what the renovator has provided), you will be able to select a button to see, for instance, a “before” view or a video of a renovator describing a pro-cess. This is because of state-of-the-art technology from Point3D, a “reality capture” company based in Ottawa.

It’s run by a sharp, creative, savvy entrepre-neur by the name of Spencer MacPherson, who is in partnership with his brother, Logan MacPher-son. Spencer’s background is marketing, public relations, photography and communications. Logan MacPherson’s is business. It’s clearly a winning team.

Spencer started the company almost by fl uke, although “fl uke” isn’t really the right word when you consider his seemingly uncanny ability to seize an opportunity.

He noticed his landlord, a property manager, had substandard photos on his website. Spencer, with his photographic experience, offered his expertise. Shortly afterwards, the landlord wanted Spencer to create a virtual Google Tour for the properties.

It just so happened that Spencer’s regular boss at an automotive shop wanted to show off a

Virtual Reno Tour helps Habitat

For more information, see the Point3D website: www.point3d.ca

brand new renovation of their showroom in the same way, and Spencer was tasked with making it happen.

Spencer went through list after list online of vendors who would provide the expertise and technology to create the virtual tour.

“But as I went down the list, phone numbers would be dead,” he says. “People would say they were no longer a business. People would answer the phone rudely.”

He started to hear of other people having the same issues. There was no one out there to do the job.

“That’s when it kind of clicked,” he says.He started to do some research. It took some

time, but eventually he found the perfect platform and the equipment he needed. It was being used in the United States for residential real estate.

He took a plunge and bought it.“And then,” he says, “I just kind of ran with it.” But he didn’t want to confi ne his efforts to real

estate alone. “I saw it being used for dealerships and museums and art galleries and retail business and all sorts of creative and unique applications,” he explains.

His business took off. Now Point3D has cre-ated virtual tours in a wide variety of locations ‒ museums, art galleries, rental units, dealerships, restaurants ‒ all over Ottawa.

Some are community or non-profi t places that don’t have the funding for such a thing, so he started “Random Scans of Kindness” and donates his expertise ‒ for example, to Salvation Army’s Bethany Hope Centre, The Yard, an indoor skateboard park, and an exhibit of the international Oceans Plastic Lab.

“It just feels good to give back to our commu-nity,” he says. “I think it’s what everyone should be doing.”

Reno Tour’s proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa. Spencer’s contribution through his company’s Scans of Kindness program is the donation of a Point3D virtual tour of Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa’s ReStore, which supplies many recycled or reused household items building materials and appliances to the public.

With the help of local Habitat families, donors, community partners and volunteers, Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa builds affordable homes that provide a solid foundation for local families. Since 1993, Habitat has served 81 families, includ-ing more than 175 children, to build strength, sta-bility and self-reliance through affordable housing.

Over the last few years, Habitat Greater Ot-tawa has evolved from a builder of single-family homes to a developer of communities. Its current project at Leacross Landing in Orléans will be home to sixteen new families in 2020. Recently,

Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa hosted a Virtual Key Ceremony via social media for fi ve of the newest Habitat families at Leacross Landing. We will welcome the fi nal four families later on this year.

Recently, Habitat Greater Ottawa broke ground on its newest affordable housing build, Titus Landing at Wateridge Village. Located off Montreal Road and Bathgate Drive, it will consist of an eight-unit stacked townhome development with two accessible barrier-free units for families with accessibility needs.

continued on next page

The magic of a virtual visit

BY FRANCIE HEALY



renotour.ca

Helping renotour

Go Virtual.

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point3d.ca613-915-1853

See ottawa’s finest renovators online at renotour.ca

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The build comes at a welcome time as access to safe, secure and affordable housing is critical to sheltering in place following the outbreak of COVID-19.

Current Habitat homeowner, Rebecca Panter, has expressed how her home has become a safe haven for her and her son during the pandemic.

“In all of the current chaos shaking the world, Jack and I get to stay at home and feel safe,” she says. “We are in our home, able to self-isolate, safe and secure. We’re actually able to enjoy this time together, rather than worry.”

Habitat Greater Ottawa ReStoreThe ReStore is a local home and building

supply store offering a wide range of new and gently-used furniture, home appliances, building materials and more, all at great prices and no HST. When you shop at or donate to the ReStore, you help give items a second life while reducing waste in local landfi lls. Funding from the sale of items goes back into Habitat Greater Ottawa’s program-ming.

Like many retail businesses in the city, the ReStore closed temporarily due to COVID-19. During that time, the ReStore team launched ReStore online (restoregoshop.ca) providing a one-stop shop of the ReStore’s selection of furniture, décor, and building materials, all at the same great prices. The move to the online store was a success and allowed the ReStore to continue operating at reduced capacity during the pandemic.

“It was really great to see the response from the Ottawa community when we launched the online ReStore, says Allan Avis, Director of ReStores. “The revenue we were able to generate while our physical stores were closed helped Habitat continue building throughout the spring and summer so fi ve local families could move into their new forever-home.”

The two ReStore locations at Trainyards and Stittsville are now back up and running and open to the public with essential health and safety measures in place. They’re open seven days a week Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm, and Saturday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Both locations have also partially reopened donation drop-offs of items from the public during store hours, just in case you’ve let items pile up over the last few months.

For more information on donation

drop-offs visit habitatgo.ca/restore.

continued from previous page

When you visit Reno Tour.ca please do-nate $10 or more to this great cause. All proceeds go directly to Habitat for

Humanity Greater Ottawa.


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Green renovation by Roy Nandram

Some good things out of bad

COVID-19 has brought many unexpected changes to people’s lives all across the world. In Canada, the virus has led to the majority of people isolating at home to slow down the spread of infection.

Self-isolation measures are affecting the world in drastic ways. One is an estimated 17% reduction in daily average greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during self-isolation. An estimated half of the GHG emission reduction is from the lower volume of cars on the streets.

As things return to normal, GHG emissions will once again rise. Experts estimate that the overall yearly change in emissions will be a decrease of approximately 4.5% to 7% when compared to last year. These numbers are very similar to the yearly emissions reduction set forth in the Paris Agreement – showing the severity of change needed to reach these emission goals.

Clearly, the change in emissions is temporary due to the CO-VID-19 virus response. But how do we make this change last? Here are a few suggestions:IN-LAW SUITES: The struggle with COVID-19 is most severe and deadly for aging people living in retirement homes. Similar situations happen on a yearly basis with the flu spreading through retirement homes and causing devastation and lockdown. Instead of sending your parents to retirement homes, an alternative is to offer them an in-law suite within your home. This can be done by renovating the base-

ment or creating an addition to provide them with a sense of privacy while still being close with their family. It’s also a gentle approach to intensification. By increasing the number of people living in one home, the associated GHG emissions per person are reduced. HOME OFFICES: Many companies have begun transitioning to hav-ing their employees work at home to deal with COVID-19. Some have begun thinking of making the change permanent. Even if people work from home half the time, this reduces traffic loads on city streets and creates a substantial reduction on GHG emissions from car travel. Also, by down-sizing on office space, associated emissions from heating and cooling are also reduced. VENTILATION AND NOISE CONTROL: Both strategies require updates to your home environment – mostly in the areas of ventilation and noise control. With more people at home for longer periods, it’s best to upgrade your home’s HVAC system and ensure everyone is receiving adequate amounts of fresh air. This can be done by adding an HRV or ERV to your home’s HVAC system.

Other excellent ways of improving indoor air quality are adding a kitchen exhaust hood, growing indoor plants, and upgrading the furnace filter.

With more people working and living at home, the amount of noise around the home is sure to increase. There are simple ways to reduce


Roy Nandram is President of RND Construction Ltd. cmdesignbuild.com

Carolyn MunroDesign + Build

Carolyn Munro Design + Build(613) 831-9984

noise transmission through homes ‒ for example, upgrading the interior wall and floor assemblies. (Speak to your local contractor to discuss this option further.) LIGHTING: Home offices are now becoming the new norm and kids are being home-schooled to keep up with their learning. Be-cause of this, home lighting requirements are changing. Consider upgrading your home lighting by switching to LED options for task and space lighting. ENERGY CONSUMPTION: With more people spending greater amounts of time at home, energy consumption has risen due to COVID-19. But although the energy consumption per home has risen, overall energy use is still substantially lower when com-pared to the standard model of working and travelling daily to an office.

All these strategies will ensure the home is a more comfort-able place to work and live.

Let’s embrace some of the changes COVID-19 has brought us and make a lasting change to our society’s emission trends.


The RenoMark® Directory | Fall 2020Your search for a professional renovator starts here.

Comfort InsulationLinda Robinson 613-226-9912lrobinson@comfortinsulation.comwww.comfortinsulation.com

Copperstone KitchensMark Wardrop 613-288-1449 [email protected]

Crossford Construction Ltd.Lindsay Nicol 613 [email protected]

Denys Builds DesignsPaul Denys [email protected]

Deslaurier Custom Cabinets Inc.Saverio Marrello 613-596-5155 [email protected]

Develko Ltd.Suamir Martinez [email protected]

Elfarro Design BuildKal Elfarro [email protected]

Engel Construction Inc.Rex Engel [email protected]

Fine Spaces Construction Inc.Brian Drury 613-978-3463info@fi nespaces.cawww.fi nespaces.ca

Fulton Carpentry & Joinery Ltd.Sandy Fulton [email protected]

Gladwin Building Services Inc.David Gladwin 613 592-8822info@gladwinbuildingservices.comwww.gladwinbuildingservices.com

Harding Heating & Air ConditioningRichard Harding 613-831-2257sbeaupre@teamhardingcomfort.comwww.teamhardingcomfort.com

Haslett Construction Inc.Robert Haslettt 613-729-3110rob@haslettconstruction.comwww.haslettconstruction.com

Holland Homes & Renovations Inc.Robert Breau [email protected]

Adcor Construction & SonsShane Adsett [email protected]

Amsted Design-BuildSteve Barkhouse 613 [email protected]

ARTium Design Build Inc.Norm Lecuyer [email protected]

Astro Design CentreNick Georgitsos 613 [email protected]

Belfor Property RestorationShane Nichol [email protected]

Benckhuysen Homes and Renova-tionsEric Benckhuysen 613-826-0920benckhuysen@sympatico.cawww.benckhuysenconstruction.ca

Blackwell RenovationsRyan Blackwell 613-880-7050ryan@blackwellrenovations.cawww.blackwellrenovations.ca

BuildAbleSean MacGinnis [email protected]

Buist Renovation Solutions Inc.Emma Buist 613-851-4886offi [email protected]/squarespace.com

Cada Construction Inc.Clark Cada [email protected]

Capital CellarsEric Schuller [email protected]

Carleton Kitchen & Bath(CKC Group. Ltd) Brent Young 613-253-0080 [email protected] www.renoenvy.ca

Carolyn Munro DesignCarolyn Munro [email protected]

*Listings are subject to change

Just BasementsNorm Lecuyer 613 [email protected]

Kaner Contracting Inc.Kane Wachter [email protected]

Lagois Design-Build-RenovateHerb Lagois [email protected]

Laurysen Kitchens Ltd.Giuseppe Castrucci 613 [email protected]

Logs End Flooring Rob Black [email protected]

Manotick Windows and DoorsRobert Milne [email protected]

Millenium Roofi ng Inc.Earl Brazeau [email protected] ngottawa.com

MR Kitchens Ltd.Guy Bianchi [email protected]

Oak Ridge Construction LtdMike Dion 613-274-2625oak.ridgeconstruction@gmail.comwww.oakridgeconstruction.ca

OakWoodPatricia Liptak-Satov [email protected]

Ottawa General ContractorsMoe Abbas 613-225-9991ottawageneralcontractors@gmail.comwww.ottawageneralcontractors.com

Ottawa Structural Residential Services Ltd.Dan O’Neill [email protected]

Penguin BasementsGuy Solomon [email protected]

Prospect Builders Ltd.Jeff Palmer [email protected]

Pure Reno Inc.Peppi LaRiccia [email protected]

Remarkable Construction Ltd.Mark Ostapyk 613-808-9138remarkableconstruction@gmail.comwww.remarkableconstruction.ca

Reval Construction Inc.Andrei Katchmar [email protected]

Revelstoke Custom Homes & RenovationsClaudio Falsetto [email protected]

Revision BuiltPhilip J. Coe [email protected]

RND Construction Ltd.Roy Nandram 613 [email protected]

Sanchez Homes inc.Alberto Sanchez [email protected]

Sandy Hill Construction Ltd.Nathan Gurnham 613 832-1717offi [email protected]

Singhko IncorporatedGary Singh [email protected]

SkilBilt Construction Inc.Bob Ridley 613 [email protected]

Spectrum Kitchen and Bath DesignSandra McLaurin [email protected]

Sunter Homes Inc.Adrian Sunter [email protected]

Tego Bathroom Design & Renovation CentreJohn Manzo 613 [email protected]

The Conscious BuilderCasey Grey 613-853-0693casey@theconsciousbuilder.comwww.theconscioubuilder.com

The Door CompanyGreg Bell [email protected]

The Lake Partnership Inc.Etleva Sakajeva [email protected]

Urbacity Design Build Ltd.Joe O’Leary [email protected]

Vala Home ImprovementsRichard Laroque [email protected]

Waidt DevelopmentDave Turner [email protected]

Westend Bath & KitchenAdam Mallett [email protected]

Woodstruct Construction Inc.Ejibola-Adetokunbo Taiwo

[email protected]

www.woodstruct.ca

Your Home RenovationsRichard Whyte [email protected]

RENOVATES+Sponsored by OTTAWA

What is RenoMark®?RenoMark® immediately differentiates between the amateurs and professionals. When you see that RenoMark® logo, you know you’re safe.

RenoMark® renovators must pay a fee to join. They must also follow detailed guide-lines. They pledge to call you back quickly, to stay in touch, to be courteous, to enforce strict workplace safety. They must carry $2 million liability insurance.

They must also:• Give you a detailed written contract for

all jobs, big or small• Provide a minimum two-year warranty

on all work except minor repair• Carry the proper licenses and permits• Keep their worksite organized and safe• In the Ottawa area, be a member in

good standing of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) and abide by the GOHBA Code of Ethics

• Stay current, through consistent and continuing education, in their professional knowledge of building codes, permit procedures and technical skills.

When it’s time to hire a contractor or renovator, it comes down to one important question: Can this company be held accountable?The RenoMark® program answers “yes”. The rest speaks for itself.

RENOVATES+


Sandy Hill Construction specializes in design-build, whole home renovations that respects your home’s original character and are faithful to your neighbourhood’s unique building style.

[email protected] | 613.832.1717

www.sandyhill.ca

Over of Home Renovations & Remodeling in the Ottawa Area.25 Years

SandyHill_SUM20.indd 1 2020-06-30 11:59 AM

The small but interesting bits

left behind after

the issue is finished

Wood Shavings

Ottawa renovators were the recipients of several awards recently: national, provincial, and local.

For the first time in 2020, the Canadi-an Home Builders Association awarded a Renovation Excellence award for the best overall performance in home renovation. The first award went to Paine Construc-tion and Design, Kelowna, B.C.

Oakwood of Ottawa was a national runner up in the “Whole Home - Under $150,000” category.

Provincially, Amsted Design-Build won the Ensuite Extra award as well as the Ontario Home Builders’ Association Renovator of the Year.

In Ottawa, Gordon Weima Design Builder won custom builder of the year as well as designer of the year. Amsted Design-Build won both provincially and locally when the company was named Renovator of the Year in the Greater Ot-tawa Home Builders’ Association awards. Amsted also won an award for a kitchen project with Deslaurier Custom Cabinets.

RND Construction, with Christopher Simmonds Architect, won the prize for green custom home of the year.

Winners of the kitchen awards were Deslaurier Custom Cabinets, Amsted Design-Build, Astro Design Centre and Hobin Architecture; and Art & Stone Group. Astro Design Centre also won the Laurysen Memorial Trophy.

Winners of the several awards in the bathroom renovation category were Astro Design Centre and Hobin Architecture as well as Hierarchy Development and Design.

Other Renovation winners in several categories were 25:8 Architecture+ Ur-ban Design, OakWood, Amsted Design-Build and Ardington+Associates Design, Just Basements, and Deslaurier Custom Cabinets with West of Main.

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE FOR RENOVATORS

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Herb Lagois is the owner of Lagois Design-Build-Renovate.

The Last Word By Herb Lagois

Pandemic Positives

To say these times are unique is an understatement. Sad, too, of course. Many of us have loved ones and friends affected – or

worse, who have died– because of COVID-19. As an example, our friend’s dad, a healthy, active 90-year-old, passed away because of the virus. To make it even more difficult for our friend, his dad lived in England.

The pandemic has found those of us who love to travel suddenly not being able to, and we don’t know when that will change. So many people have lost their jobs because of it. Front-line workers, the heroes of our times, live with particular risk and anxiety. What does the future look like? Does anyone know?

Yet, within the negatives, there are positives. Thanks to video conferencing, we’ve seen our kids more than we would have “normally”. Our friend, unable to travel to his Dad’s funeral, could attend virtually.

I, too, have been attending business meetings virtually. I suddenly saved at least 10 hours per month by attending these meetings. (That’s 120 hours a year.) Twenty to 30 years ago, can you imagine having been able to communicate the way we do now? (Remember those flip phones, or better yet, rotary phones?)

The early days of COVID-19 were confusing and uncertain for my colleagues and me. For the safety of our clients and our team, we ultimately decided to close our business. We work in people’s homes. We couldn’t take the risk.

As a result, many members of our team had an opportunity to recharge their batteries, be with family and children, and get to projects around their homes. I re-leveled our interlock patios – something that I would not have done without this opportunity.

From a business perspective, the shutdown allowed us to focus on our systems and processes, those little things that will make our experience even better. It also gave us pause to develop solid COVID-19 protocols. And so, in June, we made a “soft start”, completing ongoing projects and warranty commitments. July was our “hard start” with new projects.

Who knew the construction world would explode as it has? The direct result is shortage of material (such as deck and landscape), extended delivery times (10 to 12 weeks for cabinetry), and professionals (such as pool installers) booked to capacity.

I’d like to share a tip. If you are considering a renovation or the building of a new home, take this time to interview architects, designers, RenoMark renovators, builders. Be sure their process makes sense for you. Be patient. Our industry is very busy right now.

You might consider this, too: Why rip out your kitchen cabinetry and then wait three months for new cabinets? At my house, I’m looking at our dated ensuite. It’s all I can do not to start tearing it apart.

Yet I always preach taking the time needed to design, make all the selections, invite trade partners to assess existing conditions, and carefully plan for the success of construction. By doing so, you’ll know what it costs and how long it will take. You can order in advance: imagine having materials when you need them; or imagine not worrying whether materials will be there on time. The important thing to remember is planning, planning, planning. Don’t rush for the sake of rushing. (For our ensuite, I just need to listen to my sermons.)

Even as our futures remain uncertain, my belief is that there will always be positives. We just have to watch for them.

May we continue to be kind, safe, positive ‒ and to appreciate our opportunities. And may we be ever grateful for all our wonderful front-line and essential workers who keep us going every day.

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You find yourself spending more time at home now, finally you can make the space that you live in more dynamic and comfortable. From luxurious and textured landscaping surfaces that create natural beauty in your yard to dramatic stone and brickwork details that make your home a work of art, Merkley Supply has all the products to help you create a fresh and modern feel to your home.

Please drop by or visit our website and take a virtual tour of our showroom from the comforts of your own home and view the latest selection in stone and masonry products.

Time and Space

Documents

Dramatic Beauty…...Dramatic Beauty… It had a leaky shower base. The white tiles looked tired. Our clients wanted something functional, contemporary, and effi cient. Now there’s