Renovating reminders

"I wish I’d taken a 'green' approach." Sure you want your home to be environmentally friendly, but ‘green’ living requires early planning. LED lights are more efficient than compact fluorescents and could produce a warmer light, but you must discuss different installation needs with your electrician prior to starting any wiring. “If you want to go ‘green,’ you need to talk about it before construction begins,” says Robin Fraser of Fraser Designs + Associates in Toronto. For example, paint that’s low in, or free of, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may need to be ordered weeks beforehand. You also want to consider whether certain eco-smart products are right for you. For example, Fraser points out that our short summers
-- with only a few unbearably hot days -- might not warrant the cost of installing a green cooling system for the entire house. It may be better to cool just a single room or floor.

"I wish I'd gotten a signed change order." What you think is a small change could be more costly than expected. "A simple decision like choosing tile A over tile B can make a job go three weeks over schedule because the new style isn't available," says project manager Scott Rogers of SRPM Inc. in Toronto. Speak with your contractor or designer about the
ramifications of all changes, regardless of how minor they seem, and have any effects on cost or time put in writing. "If only my custom furniture had detachable pieces." You’ve noted height and width, taking into account narrow doorways and halls, as well as the height of ceilings and elevators, but mistakes still happen when measuring for custom furniture. "Make sure some portion is removable," says Timothy Mather of TM Design in Toronto. Sofas are the worst to manoeuvre, so ask for detachable legs, back or arms. And custom bookcases should come in separate pieces too. If you move, you’ll be grateful for those detachable parts, as they’ll help lighten the load and increase the likelihood of your furniture fitting through a smaller hallway.

"If only I’d learned the right way to conceal my drywall seams and screw holes." Your first coat of joint compound should be a powdered 90-minute setting compound such as Sheetrock 90 by CGC, which will dry like concrete. "You need something hard to set the wall and prevent cracks
due to shrinkage," says Bryan Baeumler, host of Disaster DIY. Next, use one or two coats of an all-purpose mud, mixed with water for ease of spreading and to prevent air bubbles. Keep the coats thin to minimize sanding in between. "People use way too much mud and have to sand forever," says Baeumler. "I wish I'd thought about wall hangings before we built the wall.” "Decide where you’re going to hang things like towel bars and cabinets before you put up drywall," says Jim Caruk, host of Real Renos. To securely mount the items, you need a backing, like a piece of plywood, to drill screws into. Without a backing, you’ll need to use wall plugs, which still tend to come out over time.

"If only I hadn’t let my contractor choose the baseboard trim." Hire a finishing carpenter to do the baseboard trim; the attention to detail will pay off. If you don’t speak up about what you want, you’ll get a basic quarter-round, which looks too makeshift. Use a shoe mould at the bottom of the baseboard for added width and dramatic impact.

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