Spring Project Ideas

10-12 minute read.

The light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible! Its March, folks. Spring is just around the corner. With more snow fall this year then in recent memory, its about time, too. Its hard to see any problems with your property that hide under all that snow, or perhaps you are already experiencing some minor issues with your home. Whether you are fixing an issue, or getting excited for a vision of personalizing your castle, here are a few ideas listed below for some common repairs and renovations when for when that pesky frozen water finally melts away. This blog will be a little bit longer of a read, so feel free to skip to parts that most interest you.  

1.Repairing Winter Damage to your Home.

Extreme temperature fluctuations, high humidity levels, and melting snow can cause issues within your home, as well as the exterior during the winter, and into the spring. Here are a few things to watch out for that should be repaired to mitigate further problems.

• Ice Dams. During the winter, poor insulation and ventilation in your roof can allow warm air to rise from the heated areas of your home and melt any snow that has built up on your roof. The melted snow can then drip down to the colder edge of the roof and refreeze, creating an ice dam. As more snow melts, it will continue to build up behind it, and as the middle of the roof is warmer, the melted snow won’t re-freeze, and could get in between the shingles and seep into your roof, causing leaks. Its a great idea to inspect your attic if you see an ice dam on your roof, and repair any damages that might have happened over the winter. Water leaks left unchecked can cause major mould problems as years pass. Keep in mind gutter damage in the spring, too. 

• Pulled caulking. Drastic weather changes can cause caulking around doors and windows to pull out, letting warm air our and cold air in, as well as exposing internals to potential water damage. Inspect doors and windows in the spring is a great idea, as well as when the summer ends. The spring would also be a great time to replace doors and windows with more energy efficient ones, as these units are integral in keeping heat in or out of your home!

• Driveway cracks, foundation cracks, sump pump failures. Your home isn’t the only place in danger of water freezing and expanding. Small cracks in foundations and driveways can become larger and lead to further problems. This is true for concrete and asphalt driveways, with concrete driveways being more expensive to fix typically. Also, some homes built on a high water table will have a sump pump installed, creating a space for underground water to pool and be ejected. Be sure to inspect your sump pump, and ejection port to ensure proper functionality when the snow melts. Okay, lets move on to some great renovation ideas to tackle in the spring to customize your living space!

2. Kitchen Renovations.

This renovation idea may not be at the forefront of of most people’s minds for spring, but hear me out. With the snow gone, warmer weather approaching, and after you’ve been cooped up inside your home for 4-6 months, you may just be spending more time with friends on patios, and going out for dinner anyways. Its a time where you my not be spending as much time in the busiest and highest traffic are of your home. Changing cabinets, countertops, and altering layouts to achieve better flow is a great way to update your home, and increase overall value. Monolith Custom Construction doesn’t mainly deal with these types of renovations, but reach out regardless, as we have some friends in that industry you can trust!

3. Sheds, Carports, & Other Structures.

How many times this year have you cleaned snow off your car, wishing you didn’t have to? Or are you seeing lawnmowers, trimmers, and other seasonal items awkwardly stacked in a corner of your basement or worse, outside in a beat up leaky shed? Perhaps its time for a brand new shed, or if you have the space, a new garage to add utility and resale appeal to your home? In Ontario, sheds can be built without a permit if they are within 15 square meters, or 161 square feet, one level, and following some other parameters. As for garages, by-laws are more strict, and will require permitting, but depending on the application and area, you may be able to build a two level garage with living space o the second floor, adding to not only your curb appeal, but potentially increasing income for your household through renting!  By-laws can change slightly per area, so be sure to check your region before starting construction. Or get in touch with Monolith Custom Construction Inc as your shed builder, or residential construction contractor to help you achieve this vision!.

4. Decks, patios, outdoor living.

When its time to enjoy the warm weather, why not celebrate on a brand new wood deck, or custom concrete patio? The spring is the perfect time to start these projects, as they typically will be finished and ready for summertime enjoyment. There are a multitude of materials, installation techniques, and options available to you in both applications to cater to different needs and budgets. Also, retaining walls, arbours, custom fire pits and seating areas are a great way to upgrade the look of your backyard. Monolith Custom Construction’s origins can be traced back to creating quality deck and patio projects, and you can rest assured that we will work with you to help you achieve that primary aim for your home. 

Spring is a wonderful time to get started on those projects that you’ve been dreaming about. Most contractors in the construction industry are more than likely experiencing small slowdowns during the winter months, so be on the lookout for seasonal promotions to take advantage of this spring. We here at Monolith Custom Construction Inc are ready, willing, and increasingly capable to help you with your projects, and will work hard to be the final word in craftsmanship, quality, at the right price. We can’t wait to hear from you soon. Contact us today and let’s get to work!

Which Contract Type Works Best For Me?

As a homeowner, funding a project and expecting a certain outcome can be stressful. Your residential concrete contractor, custom framer, or general contractor can be on site (your house) for weeks or even months at a time, working to complete specific goals. What are your goals? Well, some easy ones to understand are getting the best quality, for the least price, while mitigating as much risk as possible. However, wouldn’t the contractor just want the opposite? To do the least amount of work, for the highest price, and taking on no risk? Rest assured that most contractors have a vested interest in taking proper care of you and your project, as it will reflect on their success as a company. The best way to find middle ground, and to help ensure you’ve found a great partner for your project, is through a detailed, well written and understandable contracts. They should indicate the scope of work, have clearly defined goals and benchmarks, as well as prices and payment plans. There are quite a few different types of contracts out there, listed below are 3 of the most common types of contracts between private homeowners, and their contractors. 

1. Fixed Price (Lump Sum) Contracts

These types of contracts are by far the most common business contracts you will find between contractor and client. Through clearly defined steps and research, the project will be boiled down to one price, usually divided into portions at the beginning, middle and end of a project, or at clearly defined benchmark goals. These contracts require that all objectives are accounted for in the bidding process, as the contractor takes on most of the associated risks. If there is something he/she didn’t account for, they would be held accountable to fix it. 

Pros. 

• Contractor takes on all benefits, and losses.

• Owner has cost-certainty. Little or no fluctuating costs.

Cons.

• Tends to be more expensive for the clients

• Cannot begin construction as quickly 

• Relies heavily on well defined objectives. Changing objectives during construction (change orders) can quickly become expensive.

2. Cost Reimbursable (Cost Plus).

Like the name suggests, the contractor delivers a project for his/her cost, plus a specified percentage of profit. While some customers would lean towards this for its simplicity, keep in mind that the owner takes on most of the associated risks, and this contract type has the least cost certainty. 

Pros.

• Potentially less expensive than other contracts. For example, in a Lump Sum contract, the contractor will take into account his/her risk involvement, and charge fees accordingly, increasing the final price. In a Cost Plus contract, with lower risk allocated to the contractor, those associated fees can be lowered. 

• Cost Plus contracts require transparency in relationships to be effective. The contractor would have to share costs associated with the owner’s project.

Cons.

• Owner takes on most of the risk

• Costs and final price stays fluid and can fluctuate.

3. Target Price Contracts

This is an interesting one, that helps to encourage both parties to work together to keep costs down. It works like this:

• The contractor and owner agree on a “target” price

• The contractor gets paid for their actual costs during the project.

• At the end of the project, both parties compare the actual costs to the target price, and then share in the savings, or losses. Usually in pre-determined percentages.

This contract can be useful when it is difficult to accurately price out a project, or the project exists in difficult conditions. It helps to reduce risks on both sides, while encouraging transparency and teamwork to help keep costs down. This type of contract is not all that common in the private sector, but is definitely an interesting one to think about.

It should be noted that in any contract type you sign, there should always be detailed scopes of work, time frames and benchmark goals, and clearly defined fees and payment structures. Also, make sure detailed information for both parties are included on the contract. Please know that signing a contract should never be a scary thing to do, it should be welcomed as it can be designed for not only the contractor’s safety, but for yours as well. 

We appreciate you taking the time to read this quick blog, and we here at Monolith Custom Construction Inc hope you found it helpful. If you would like some more information, or have a vision for your home, feel free to reach out and contact us, and let’s get to work!

3 Things to Consider When Choosing a Contractor

If you own a home in Canada, it goes without saying that you understand  how much of your hard earned money goes into your investment. Whenever you decide to upgrade your home with a project, keep up with maintenance requirements, or you have a vision to create a living space customized to your needs, choosing a contractor or project manager is inevitably going to be one of the most important decisions you make in that process. Here are 3 things to look for when deciding on a contractor before you search “Construction companies near me” on Google.

1. Limited but Punctual Availability. 

Look for a contractor who can’t immediately come to your home right away to see you. This might sound counter intuitive, but when a contractor is really good, it will show itself in that they are busy with clients at the time you call or email. Don’t be discouraged when they set up an onsite consultation in a few days to a week in advance, they are most likely operating their business and taking care of their clients. The second part of this, however, is their punctuality. Is there a wait time, but they initially  responded to you within 24 hours to set the date? Do they contact you the day before the scheduled meeting or site visit? Do they show up early or on time? It is important to have both of these characteristics, as they compliment each other.

2. Detailed Contracts.

As the source of finance and the end user of the project, your level of risk mitigation will be almost entirely built into whatever (if any)  contract you sign. Contractual agreements will be the fortifying strength behind your position if ever there were to be a discrepancy in communication, or output. Look for a contract with the following contents: 

• Detailed “scope of work” to be completed, along with deadlines or “critical path” of the project.

• Very clear payment schedule and contract type. “Lump Sum or Fixed Price, Guaranteed Maximum Price, Cost Plus, Cost Reimbursable” are all types of construction contracts with different payment methods, and levels of risk. Another Blog is on the way describing these types and their advantages/disadvantages!

• Designated area for potential “Change Orders”. Sometimes in construction you run into unwanted roadblocks on your journey to your finished product. Or, you could have a change of heart about design. Understanding what might go wrong, and more importantly understanding costs associated with problems that could arise, should be talked about and incorporated into your contract.

3. Professionalism. 

It may be very simple to see amazing pictures of past projects, a clean good looking website, a million Google reviews praising a contractor’s work, to assume they are a great fit for you. While these factors play key roles in your choice, make sure to pay attention to the subtleties you may miss. Is an expired promotion still up on the website? Do they respond to negative Google reviews respectfully? Is he/she dressed well when you meet? Brand new businesses may not have the most expensive fancy work truck, but is it clean and well-organized? Are they punctual, returning phone calls promptly and reaching out to talk about the stages of your project? A lot can be spoken from a contractor’s actions, if you know what to look for.

We appreciate you taking the time to read this quick blog, and we here at Monolith Custom Construction Inc hope you found it helpful. If you would like some more information, or have a vision for your home, feel free to reach out and contact us!