CANADIAN CONTRACTOR SEPT/OCT 2015

If You Have To Ask

7 Deadly Sins of Reno Sales

Sanding and Masking

You Can’t Afford It

Contractor U, Mike Draper

Outdoor Wood Surfaces

page 24

page 20

page 49

canadian

The magazine for professional renovators and custom homebuilders

CREATIVE

eye goes to Winnipeg to the River House SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

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Red

River House 36

Seven Deadly Sins

of Selling RenovationS

20

ct: ON ed: ies

Cover photo: Brian Scott

contents

features COVER STORY

River House S, Winnipeg 36

This month’s Creative Eye features an architecturally-significant house on the banks of the Red River.

The 7 Deadly Sins of Selling Renovations 20 You love to build but you’re no salesman.

Luckily, selling can be learned.

A primer on sales mistakes from Mike Draper, Renovantage.

10 MOST

EXPENSIVE HO ME RENO PRO DUCT S

If You Have to Ask, You Can’t Afford It 24 The next time a client says your prices are too high, take heart. Read what ultrarich customers are willing to spend on staggeringly expensive home products.

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us on: www.canadiancontractor.ca

September/October 2015

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contents

49

Sanding

Outdoor Wood

departments Online 6 A sampling of the online videos we have available for contractors at canadiancontractor.ca.

Editorials 8 Rob and Steve on how city bylaws can sometimes encourage contractors to take safety shortcuts.

Toxic Laminate

Voices 10 Contractors’ online posts about uniononly commercial work; College of Trades’ enforcement officers; The return of the Home Renovation Tax Credit.

14

Site Notes 14 The public stink about toxic Chinese laminate flooring. How to respond to a complaint about you from a consumer protection agency.

Trade Show Preview 34 The Buildings Show, formerly Construct Canada, is coming up fast: Toronto, Dec. 2-4.

42

Subtrade Profile 42 An interview with Chameleon Masonry Restoration, Barrie, Ont.

Chameleon

Mechanical Room 44 Two methods to install toilets in basements where the gravity sewage pipe is overhead.

Maxwell’s Stuff We Like 49 Our tools editor Steve Maxwell shows you the right way to sand – and mask – outdoor wood.

What Would You Do? 58 This month’s case study. You could win a DeWalt cordless framing nailer for the best answer.

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58

What Would You Do?

Masonry

EDITORIAL

Voices

AND THE WALLS CAME DOWN

By Rob Koci

In early September, I met with a contractor putting a second storey on a bungalow he owned in Toronto. The day before, his two exterior brick and block sidewalls on the original first storey came crashing down while his framers were setting up the joists for the second floor. Thankfully, there were no injuries.

After realizing I was not there to destroy his reputation, the contractor invited me for a drive to look at other renovations in the area. “Look, these guys are doing the same thing I was doing,” he said as I took pictures of original, 14-foot high, brick and block walls capped with an additional four to six courses of new 10-inch block.

There was absolutely nothing supporting them. No bracing, nothing.

“Why did this happen to me?” the contractor said. “My walls were just like these. I did everything right. Why me?”

I then had a conversation with contractor and renovation consultant Reiner Hoyer (www.the-reno-coach.com), who reminded me of Toronto’s bylaws on second-storey additions.

”

Toronto bylaws – as in many cities - define the limit of a

Was it this contractor’s fault?

Rob Koci

”

Publisher

rkoci@canadiancontractor.ca

renovation by the amount of house still standing after demolition.

Take down more than 50 per cent of the exterior walls and it’s deemed a new build. A new build means a lot more regulations and thousands of extra dollars out of the contractor’s pocket. Keep two of the original walls and the project is still a renovation.

Some of those original walls the contractor showed me were in terrible shape: 80 years old, disintegrating mortar, huge voids, careless installation and inferior quality ceramic blocks. It was clearly just a matter of time before one of these structures came down.

Was the collapse this contractor’s fault? He took a chance. He could have looked at the walls once they were exposed and said to himself, “Gee, these walls are unstable. I better void my reno permit, take them down, stop everything, apply for a new-build permit and spend another $25,000 and six months on this project.

Yes, he could have. Would you have?

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EDITORIAL

Voices

DON’T BLAME THE BYLAWS

By Steve Payne

Here at Canadian Contractor, we take a relentless editorial line against regulatory bodies who make it harder for even the most rigorously professional contractors to earn a living.

We consistently lament that our contractor readers often face permit delays of months and months, obscene Workers’ Comp rates to fund crazy salaries to fat-cat pension civil servants and cash grabs like the Ontario College of Trades. We believe that the renovation and homebuilding industries are already wellregulated legally and via the building codes – and we just hate it when governments try to ram through new levels of red tape where we ought to be cutting the red tape we already have.

But Rob comes perilously close to blaming City of Toronto bylaws, across the page, for a recent house-under-construction collapse in East York. He says that a contractor took shortcuts to avoid “a lot more regulations and thousands of dollars” out of his pocket on a second-storey addition. Then he asks, wouldn’t many other contractors make the same decision?

All I can say is, we wouldn’t even be discussing bylaws that allow existing walls to be maintained to qualify a second storey addition as a “renovation” if someone had died in that implosion.

The Weber barbecue on the neighbour’s driveway looked like

”

Everyone needs to smarten up.

crushed tinfoil. That could have been a baby stroller. The contractor could have killed some of his crew.

What’s wrong with reinforcing existing first storey concrete

”

Steve Payne

block walls with rebar and pumping concrete into them? What’s

Editor

wrong with the basic principle of shoring up freestanding brick

spayne@canadiancontractor.ca

and block walls while they are being connected to? Money is what’s wrong with it? Time?

Even regulation-averse, free-enterprise-loving Canadian Contractor can’t even ask the question. Everyone needs to smarten up. www.canadiancontractor.ca

September/October 2015

9

VOICES

“My complaint was forwarded to the Ministry of Labour’s office and I received a very curt reply.”

HIRING ‘HANDYMEN’ AND ‘LABORERS’ TO DO LICENSED WORK “Certification is JUST an asset?”

Big companies/agencies are the worst offenders for hiring nonlicensed/certified workers so that they can reduce their operating costs. These companies advertise for handymen, laborers and other positions then post job descriptions that include “install/ maintain plumbing, electrical, HVAC,” etc. Sometimes they may even add “certifications in any of these duties may be an asset.” Why doesn’t the College of Trades go after these people/ companies/agencies rather than harassing legitimate certified and licensed trades?

There is a nursing home in Cobourg, Ontario that employs a “maintenance person” (the individual has no licenses, no prior experience, worked in the nursing home laundry previously) but the individual was awarded the maintenance position and given a week’s training course to perform in the role. The individual has stated that he/she removes and installs new toilets and sinks, and installs plumbing fixtures and works on electrical and electronics as well as several other duties. The individual even commented, “Apparently you don’t have to be certified to do those jobs when you are hired for maintenance.”

Who told them that? Management? I explained that one must be certified and licensed in each of the regulated trades being performed, including the duties posted above. The individual just shrugged his shoulders and said, “Oh well, I just do what I’m told.”

L. Cadieux

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GOVERNMENT ‘ENFORCEMENT OFFICER’ SHILLING FOR THE PLUMBERS UNION? “Bullshit, I say!”

The Ontario College of Trades (OCOT) is not like any other professional college. There are no nurses in the teachers college, or security guards in the law society. So why are we contractors lumped in with hairdressers and horse farriers?

I filed a complaint with my Ontario MPP, Jim Wilson (Simcoe Grey), about the hiring of an active member of the plumbers union, UA Local 46, as an enforcement officer. She came on site, took all the non-union plumbers’ ID, and a few weeks later the business agent from the union was on site recruiting! Coincidence?

My complaint was forwarded to the Minister of Labour’s office, and I received a very curt reply, stating that they passed my concern over to the Ministry of Colleges, Trades and Universities, and that the MOL has no jurisdiction over OCOT. Bullshit, I say.

If I were to light a smoke in my van, or call a fellow worker a fag, they are right there to charge me with harassment, endangering life, etc. But when the OCOT is verbally harassing people whose only crime is showing up to work, and passing their personal information on to a very partisan labor movement, it’s not their problem. I will not co-operate with a MOL inspector, ever again, until this conflict of interest is resolved.

Mark Mitchell

THE RETURN OF THE HOME RENOVATION TAX CREDIT Well, it IS election time, so promises made by political parties can be taken with a grain of salt. But the federal Conservatives swear that they will introduce legislation to bring back the Home Renovation Tax Credit, if they are re-elected.

“A great tool to fight the underground economy.”

Re: The HRTC coming back. It’s about time. New homebuyers get an HST rebate, why not renovation buyers? It’s a great tool to fight the so-called “underground economy.” Reward those that pay taxes and play by the rules. What has Ontario done but add another layer of bureaucracy with the Ontario College of Trades and more costs with the mandatory WSIB coverage? Wait until we see what the new Ontario pension fund will cost us.

Richard Diotte

“Nothing in this world is free.”

Ah, yes, the Home Renovation Tax Credit. Two friends of mine

corotechcoatings.ca Š2015 Benjamin Moore & Co. All trademarks are registered trademarks of their respective owner.

VOICES

played the game last time round. Their property taxes both increased by over $200, while all the other houses on their streets saw no increases. This is nothing more than a government scheme. Nothing in this world is free. Just imagine how much money that tax credit costs my friends when you multiple it over the years, and also when a percentage increase down the road occurs. It is like the wound that will never heal.

Slimy schemes like this by our government make me want to make my purchases across the border… and pay all my trades cash under the table. But I want to support Canadian retailers (there are still some left that are not all foreign owned, right?) so I do not purchase goods across the line. And I do not pay my trades under the table because I understand that a certain amount of tax money is required to run the country (just not the insane amount that is being wasted).

It is time for the government to get out of our pockets and stop pretending to do us favors (and really stop when it is a hollow, easy to forget, election promise).

“Harper, he’s just not ready”… oh no, wait, that is the fresh new young guy. Harper is past ready and very ripe.

Pockets Empty

SALES 101: DON’T GET TO PRICE TOO EARLY Editor’s note: I get the credit here (type “Ballpark” in the search bar at canadiancontractor.ca to see my post), but the idea came from Mike Draper, who has an even better complete article on how to be a better renovation salesperson on page 20 of this issue.

He won’t bid on jobs where there are competitors Great article, Steve. Several years have

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passed since we’ve even priced a project if a potential customer has mentioned that they are also getting other bids. As far as we are concerned, if they are getting other bids, then we have failed at convincing them that we are the right people to build their project. Also, we feel that if they are looking at other builders (which is totally expected) then we aren’t the only company that they are interested in and we also know that we certainly won’t win it on our price.

We want to build projects for people that know they want us to build it, and no one else.

Gerry Anacleto

HOW TO MAKE SURE YOU GET PAID THE HOLDBACK The best way is to “liberate a starting deposit” is not be a spineless, groveling, desperate blue collar donkey. Present the customer with a contract that clearly states your terms and conditions. Discuss beforehand what is required from the customer in terms of deposits, progress payments, and final holdback. Too many tradesmen enter into the arrangement and place themselves in a humble begging position. Stand tall and understand that the customer has demands and you have demands. You deliver, so they should deliver.

One of the biggest reasons for holdback issues is poor communication. Define the scope of work and have them sign to accept the scope of work. Too often, verbal conversations are not remembered correctly, or never actually took place. Memory is tainted and unreliable. If you cannot talk frankly at the start of a project, what makes you think it will be any better later on when customers have overspent, blown their budgets, or are short on funds?

Artful Dodger

SITE NOTES

Lumber Liquidators’ formaldehyde laminate controversy lands in Canada

* Photo not representative of Lumber Liquidators’ laminate

Will a Canadian class action law suit regarding formaldehyde levels in Lumber Liquidators’ Chinese laminate flooring be the impetus for improved Canadian standards?

By John Bleasby The recent CBS re-broadcast of a previous 60 Minutes exposé surrounding dangerously high levels of formaldehyde in Chinese laminate flooring sold by Lumber Liquidators has ricocheted across front pages, bringing with it concerns over consumer safety. Formaldehyde is no laughing matter. As the U.S. EPA states on its website: “Formaldehyde at certain exposures can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, respiratory problems such as asthma, neurological impairment and, over time, increase the risk of developing some types of cancer.”

A process with a past Remember Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation? UFFI has been prohibited from being advertised, sold or imported into Canada since December 1980. Although the Europeans, Japanese and Americans have since adopted stringent controls concerning formaldehyde levels in other specific materials, plus mandatory labelling requirements to protect consumers, little has been done in Canada beyond base guidelines for residential indoor air quality.

In terms of building products, Health Canada currently only

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publishes seven non-numeric ratings from ‘Very Positive’ to ‘Very Negative’ for materials like engineered wood, OSB, etc.

No ratings exist for hard flooring materials. And although the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is reportedly developing specific standards for composite wood products, up to now Health Canada has required only ‘voluntary’ adherence to previous standards established via industry-ministry consensus.

What is the issue with laminate flooring?

The 60 Minutes investigation that first aired in March 2015 looked into class action lawsuits (still pending) resulting from a 2013 news story. Low-cost laminate flooring manufactured for and sold by Lumber Liquidators, and originating from three specific Chinese plants, allegedly tested many times the permissible U.S. levels of formaldehyde. More class action lawsuits resulted, the company’s stock plummeted, and Lumber Liquidators’ CFO and CEO resigned. CNBC reports that the company’s insurers have denied claims coverage. Concurrently, Lumber Liquidators removed all Chinese laminate flooring from their stores across the USA and in Canada. (It is important to note that products sold by Lowes and Home Depot tested within allowable U.S. standards.)

G t s

How is the level of formaldehyde risk determined?

Formaldehyde is all around us, a common component of

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SITE NOTES

manufacturing, and can be emitted from everyday materials such as MDF, OSB, and particle board, and even some carpets, drapes, varnishes and paints. In other words, it’s in the air we breathe in our homes, the result of what Health Canada terms ‘off-gassing.’

Although Lumber Liquidators offers home testing kits for past customers who request one, these only test the air; they do not measure formaldehyde levels in specific materials. Complicating this is the fact that poor ventilation and higher-than-normal heat and/or humidity settings can increase readings. In other words, without specific lab tests of samples, it is very hard and very expensive to pinpoint the source of a high formaldehyde reading.

Who is at risk?

Certain low-cost laminate flooring styles sold by Lumber Liquidators and manufactured in China prior to March 2015 may pose a health issue for homeowners and a potential liability issue for installers.

Are contractors at a health or liability risk from your past purchases and installations?

Stay calm: this may not be anything to lose sleep over.

According to the EPA, “Formaldehyde emissions are highest when products are new and diminish over time, so the longer a product has been in place, the lower the levels of formaldehyde likely to be emitted.” Furthermore, the class action lawsuits being considered focus on the alleged mis-representation and/or false advertising by Lumber Liquidators, not actual ‘causation.’

Ask yourself these questions • Did you purchase Chinese laminate flooring from Lumber Liquidators prior to March 2015?

• Who purchased or selected the product: You, or your customer?

• Have you been contacted concerning symptoms of high formaldehyde levels?

The Ontario Lawsuit Lumber Liquidators’ problems have come to Canada; an Ontario Class Proceeding, awaits certification by the courts, and typifies the consumer experience.

In October 2013, Ms. Steele and her husband of Lasalle, Ontario purchased and installed $1,530 of laminate flooring from Liquid Liquidators’ Windsor, Ontario outlet. A subsequent water tank failure in their home resulted in the removal of the flooring. Shortly thereafter, the previously-healthy family dog became ill and had to be euthanized. A new order of laminate flooring from Lumber Liquidators was received in early December to replace the water-damaged sections, and was professionally installed. By January 2014, both Ms. Steele and her 35-year-old husband were experiencing various respiratory and eye irritation issues. When Mr. Steele started experiencing “severe breathing difficulties,” he was hospitalised for 4 days. “Doctors said that the occurrence was atypical of his age and fitness level.”

This lawsuit, co-joined by more than 30 other plaintiffs to date, claims damages that include “punitive, aggravated, and exemplary,” plus a determination of guilt by Lumber Liquidators for breaches of the Sale of Goods Act, Competitions Act, Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, and Consumer Protection Acts (both Federal & Provincial).

For the complete filing of this court action, please go to: http://www.clg.org/pdf/6/9/7/Statement-of-Claim.pdf

How can contractors protect themselves in the future?

Given that Canadian standards significantly lag those elsewhere, you need to take some steps to protect yourself from potential health and liability issues, as suggested by Health Canada and summarised here: • Research and review carefully the manufacturing processes and sources of any potential flooring choices with customers prior to purchase.

• Create a paper trail at the time of purchase. For example, ask for accredited safety documentation from the vendor and keep a copy of any labels detailing product safety.

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Hardwood is an increasingly popular flooring choice. Lowpriced, faux-hardwood alternatives such as laminates and engineered composites will likely remain popular for those who cannot afford the solid version. This issue will have ‘legs’.

It is only a matter of time, hopefully, before Health Canada sets specific acceptable levels of formaldehyde content. In the meantime, reputable Canadian importers and vendors will likely ride the coattails of American and European safety standards in order to assure their customers. Be on the lookout.

www.canadiancontractor.ca

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SITE NOTES

THE DREADED LETTER from Consumer P rotection

We know there is no reason that you, the truly professional contractor, would ever expect to hear from a provincial consumer protection agency that a customer has filed a complaint about you.

But just in case, here are some facts on how to protect yourself.

There’s a knock at your door.

Canada Post has a registered letter from your provincial

By John Bleasby Consumer Protection office.

You are shocked to find that a customer that has been complaining about incomplete or poor quality work now has the government after you, too.

What can you do now?

How did it get to this stage?

How can you prevent this from happening again?

It’s important for contractors to understand how Consumer Protection offices operate in this country. Consumer protection is a provincial matter, and each province has its own legislation and methods of handling disputes. One common element across the country is the objective to “educate consumers regarding their rights and responsibilities.” While contractors might think this tilts the playing field against the industry and in favour of consumers, that’s not necessarily so. In fact, it’s an opportunity.

Why are they looking for a fight?

Actually, most government consumer offices aren’t looking for a fight. Stephen Puddister, media relations spokesperson for Consumer Protection Ontario, told Canadian Contractor that before his ministry gets involved, his office will suggest that consumers first contact the business in writing if they’re not happy with the performance of the contractor. “We also suggest that the customer copy the Ministry so that business is aware that the customer is serious about the complaint,” Puddister said. “We might get involved if the business is not responding.”

Your first mistake? Ignoring the complaint.

Most provincial agencies will allow you 10 to 14 days to respond before launching an investigation. If you don’t respond, things change gears. If you disagree with the complaint, you owe it to yourself to respond; the provincial consumer protection office only knows your customer’s side of the story. As Puddister explains, “It’s in everyone’s best interest to mediate a resolution

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without resorting to more serious action like court. We will always try to work with the business and the consumer to try and resolve the situation in the most mutually beneficial way possible.”

Consumer agencies can actually help you Provincial consumer agencies can actually be helpful to you, the contractor. They encourage a ‘Get it in Writing’ approach for both consumers and contractors to negotiate all the items that should be covered in the contract, including payments, deposits, written estimates, accurate descriptions of the work expected, how to deal with discrepancies, cost overruns and added extras.

In other words, their websites can be used as a template your own contracts. The objective is a more positive experience, or ‘Dispute Avoidance’ versus ‘Dispute Resolution.’

Check for rules that are specific to your province Consumer legislation governing licensing, deposits, holdbacks and contracts vary from province to province. For example, Alberta contractors must be licensed if accepting deposits and pre-paid work over $200. Manitoba requires contracts for most renovation work that must include price, payment terms and timelines. Ontario legislation permits consumers to withhold up to 10 per cent of the contracted price for up to 45 days after work is completed, a somewhat controversial consumer right designed to protect consumers against incomplete or inferior work, or non-payments to sub-trades by the contractor, with potential for abuse. Pre-recognition of the rules applicable in your province can help you craft a protective agreement.

Guidelines on deposits are only guidelines Unfortunately, provincial consumer protection recommendations to restrict pre-paid deposits to 10 per cent, echoing wellpublicized comments from Mike Holmes, can mislead consumers into believing that requesting a larger deposit indicates an unscrupulous contractor.

Ontario’s Stephen Puddister is sympathetic to contractors, though. “Each contract is unique; it’s up to the consumer to work with their tradespeople,” he said. “The 10 per cent recommendation is a guideline, a rule of thumb, and only one of things you have to hammer out at the beginning when estimates and contracts are being developed.”

Customer disputes should not be “a cost of doing business.”

The best way to protect yourself from that dreaded knock on the door from the government is to begin every renovation with a complete, properly-worded contract. “Get it in writing now” is a better way to go than ”see you in court” later.

www.canadiancontractor.ca

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CONTRACTOR U

Poor Estimating

Assuming Price is Everything

No Follow Ups

Failure to Take Notes eMailing Proposals Incomplete Proposals

SEVEN DEADLY SINS of Selling

Reno v ation s

Too many self-employed contractors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even veteran ones â&#x20AC;&#x201C; make rookie mistakes in the sales process.

Here are seven of the most common sales errors and how to avoid them.

By Mike Draper, Renovantage

als

CONTRACTOR U

SEVEN

S N I S Y L D A E D of selling renovations

M

ost contractors lack formal training in professional selling. Instead, they learn through trial and error. Unfortunately, this is an expensive

way to learn how to sell. You will pay dearly for your mistakes through lost sales.

Some contractors do take some sales training – but it’s not necessarily going to be the type of training they need if it’s focused too strictly on “closing techniques.” Talking like a used car salesman is not the way to win profitable renovation projects and develop long-term relationships with your clients. For proof, ask yourself how many times you have purchased more than one vehicle from the same car salesman over the years.

Learning how to sell is about strategy. The contractors who learn how to help a homeowner make a buying decision are going to outsell those that don’t. This does not mean a contractor with poor sales skills won’t win some projects in spite of themselves. But more often that not, the biggest reason that contractors lose jobs to other contractors – when they could have done a better or comparable job – is because their sales skills are weak.

Let’s take a look at the most common selling mistakes that contractors often make.

1 Thinking price is the most important part of a homeowner’s buying decision.

2 Failing to take detailed notes of the scope of work.

3 Failing to take notes of the motivations and reasons behind the client’s desire to renovate.

4 Emailing the estimate to the homeowner.

5 Failing to conduct a proper sales presentation when you personally present your estimate.

6 Taking too long to follow-up or not following up often enough.

7 Incomplete proposals without detailed scope of work of what is included and what is excluded. www.canadiancontractor.ca

September/October 2015

21

CONTRACTOR U 1. Assuming price is the most important part of a homeowner’s buying decision.

The most common reason contractors say they lose projects is because they are too expensive. Let’s start this discussion with the most likely reason a homeowner says your price is too high. They say this because it is the easiest thing to say and the hardest objection for you to overcome. It is easy to say the other guy is lower, but it is very difficult to tell a contractor that they don’t feel the contractor has the skill set to make their project a reality.

Research shows that 80 per cent of a buying decision is based on emotion and the other 20 per cent is based on logic. The emotional part of the buying decision is hard for many contractors to identify and satisfy so they focus on price. For the homeowner, once they have made a decision based on emotion, they justify their decision based on logic.

When you hear that you lost because someone else was cheaper, the reality is that another contractor out-sold you. Sure, there are those homeowners that buy solely based on price. If your competitive advantage is that you sell based solely on price, then you had better be the cheapest. However, most people don’t make decisions based solely on price. If they did there wouldn’t be many luxury items in the marketplace.

Think about the range of bathroom faucets and the range of prices. They all deliver hot and cold water but some homeowners spend a fortune on a bathroom faucet because they like it better. When people make a buying decision based solely on price, it is due to the fact that the contractor didn’t do anything to set themselves apart from their competitors. When a customer sees two or more contractors as being essentially interchangeable, or course they are going to make their decision based on price. But while price is always a factor, it is rarely the only one or the most important one.

Other selling points can be even more important than price. Things like your experience doing similar projects, your project management systems that help keep the project on schedule and on budget, your written guarantee, your workers’ comp and liability insurance, your site cleanliness, safety, references and the like are all critical factors in moving the customer off of price as a sole decider in who they will hire. You should introduce these elements as early on in the sales process as possible, because they are very important – and you can even eliminate some of your competitors by getting them out their early. You will need to return to these non-price

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selling points when you present your final proposal.

See (5), next page.

2. Failing to take detailed notes of the scope of work.

Once you have covered many of the items above it is time to look at the area to be renovated. At this point, detailed notes and photographs need to be taken of the renovation scope of work. What does it look like today?

What do they say they want to do? What construction obstacles can you anticipate? What type of access is there to the property? Where can you cache waste material and new building materials? Detailed notes will make it far easier to build your estimate once you leave the home.

A common complaint of homeowners is that the contractor showed up for the visit, but they never received a quote from the contractor. Oftentimes this is because the contractor goes back to his existing projects, a week goes by, and now they can’t really remember the full scope of work. Now they are too embarrassed to call the homeowner back to ask questions that they had already asked but did not record the answers to. Detailed notes and photographs of the scope of work are critical.

Even if the homeowner has drawings for the planned renovation, note-taking shows the homeowner your attention to detail and provides them with the confidence that you are well organized and will be able to complete their project with the quality they want. It also shows them that you are listening to what they are saying. Not taking notes makes it looks like you don’t care.

3. Failing to take notes of the motivations behind the client’s desire to renovate.

The reasons that your prospective client wants to renovate are just as important as the scope of work itself.

Renovations are motivated by the changing needs of people, usually: the first child about to be born, teenagers that need their own space downstairs to hang out, elderly parents with mobility issues who need their house made more accessible. The scope of work described by the homeowner may or may not include all of the features that you know, as a professional renovator, they could include in their plans. By knowing what is motivating the renovation, you can help your clients to adjust their scope of work accordingly. And when you develop that kind of a relationship with your prospective customer you can move beyond being a simple quote-giver. You can

CONTRACTOR U actually become a trusted consultant.

4. E-mailing the estimate to the homeowner.

After reviewing the scope of work, you need to prepare your estimate. It’s absolutely critical to meet face to face with the homeowner to present your proposal! Do not e-mail your quote! Many contractors e-mail their quotes to the homeowner because it is easier and quicker than booking a follow-up meeting. The problem with e-mailing quotes is that you lose the opportunity to again sell yourself and your company. You lose the opportunity to walk the customer through your proposal. The first thing the homeowner does is go to the bottom line to find out how much you want to do their project. Now they are making a decision on your proposal based on price. If you are not one of the lowest prices you never get the chance to discuss your proposal with the homeowner; you just get the “You are too expensive” response.

5. Failing to conduct a proper sales presentation when you personally present your estimate.

Obviously, when you present your proposal and price in person, you will reap the rewards of immediate feedback – something rare to receive by e-mail. Often this meeting will end with changes that need to be made to your proposal leading to further dialogue with the homeowner. You have deepened your relationship with your prospective client. Great! But this is where too many contractors forget the most important part of presenting an estimate: actually making a sales presentation that justifies the price you are asking! As we talked about in (1), above, if you don’t talk about the advantages of dealing with your firm, your estimate will simply look like a list of prices. You need to make a proper sales presentation of your firm when you deliver the price.

Even if you have previously told the customer about your experience, your glowing testimonials, your bestlead-carpenter-in the-business, your systemized methods for keeping projects on time and on budget, your home builder association awards, etc., etc., you need to continue to sell what you are offering when you present the price. Never present a price without reiterating what a customer is really getting for that price.

6. Taking too long to follow-up or not following up often enough.

All too often, I hear contractors say that they don’t want to bother the homeowner by following up too

much. However, the biggest complaint I hear from homeowners is that the contractor never followed up or took too long to follow-up. So they end up hiring another contractor. Think of it this way, if you are not talking with your prospective homeowner, there is a pretty good chance they are talking with someone else. At Renovantage, we have never had one single complaint from a homeowner asking us to tell a contractor to stop calling them.

One key element of follow-up is that when you do follow-up, it has to be relevant follow-up. Calling to ask the homeowner if they have made a decision is not good follow-up. It is a waste of your time and the homeowner’s. Relevant follow-up would be to invite the homeowner to come view a project that you have completed or are about to complete that is similar to theirs, or to book a time to show them your project management system that you would use on their project, or to give them some names of previous clients that they could call to do a reference check on you.

Bottom line is that good follow-up will increase your conversion rate and ultimately increase your revenue without increasing the number of leads that you need and the number of estimates you have to do.

7. Incomplete proposals without a line-by-line scope of work.

Finally, the proposal itself is an important part of the sales process. There is constant discussion on detailed proposals vs. simplified proposals. The most professional proposal that wins the most projects is the detailed line-by-line scope of work covering all of what is included in your proposal and what is not included.

Writing a short proposal that states “As covered in our conversation” or “As discussed” is a sure way to lose a project. Showing the detailed scope of work enables the homeowner to know exactly what the price you have quoted covers. It gives them the confidence that what they believe is included actually is included.

When it comes to stating the cost, it should be consolidated to the least number of lines possible. If it were a bathroom, as an example, you would have a oneline price total. If it were a multi-level renovation, you might break the price down by level so that if they decide that the project is more than their budget then they can do the work in phases. You might also do it by category of work. Any allowances can be included in the line items to which they pertain. Avoid line-by-line pricing. cc

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10

MARKETPLACE

MOST EXPENSIVE HOME

RENO PRODUCTS B Y

J O H N

C A U L F I E L D

Ridiculously priced home products that your customers might secretly covet. . .

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0

MARKETPLACE

I

n the affluent Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel Air, the most expensive house ever put up for sale is under construction.

Five hundred million U.S. dollars (that’s not a typo) is what movie producer-turned-developer Nile Niami (again, not a typo) says he’s asking for this palace, with its 74,000-square-foot primary residence and three “smaller” houses that raise the total to more than 100,000 square feet. He tells Bloomberg Business that the completed property will feature a master bedroom that’s bigger than many McMansions, a 30-car garage, a casino, a 180-foot Infinity pool (one of four pools), and 20,000 square feet of artificial lawn.

Niami is marketing this edifice to excess at a time when the price spectrum for real estate in the world’s hottest markets is tipping decidedly toward the opulent end. Every week there seems to be another jawdropping record sales price for luxury digs in New York.

Housing demand in Vancouver and Toronto is sizzling.

As a result, try finding a new affordable starter home, which has become an endangered species.

With so much talk about income inequality, you’d think the super rich would dial it back a bit. But why should they, when it’s clear that extravagance still brings out the Monopoly barons in most of us?

This is reflected in our blind worship of celebrities, athletes, and hedge fund managers; as well as in the US$70.2 billion that Americans spent on lottery tickets last year. And what retail mall is complete these days without an array of luxury stores that appeals to “aspirational” shoppers?

This psychological craving for the trappings of wealth extends to home products whose high prices can induce nose bleeds.

There are limits, of course, to the number of consumers for whom money is no object when making a purchase. For years, Kohler offered through its North American distribution network the Kallista Archeo copper bathtub, whose price went as high as US$67,000.

The manufacturer discontinued that product in 2014.

Still, there’s no shortage of luxury home products that somebody is willing to buy, and that are currently sold by dealers and wholesalers. Canadian Contractor took a peek at how the other half lives, and came up with the following list of ten such indulgences. Unless noted, amounts are in Canadian dollars. Don’t be embarrassed, as you’re reading along, to dream about markups and margins.

$17,000 Fireplace Primo See-Through Gas Fireplace A decade ago, Heat & Glo unveiled Aqueon, a fireplace that produced fire by using an electrical current to split water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules. At US$50,000, a few Aqueons were sold but the product was never offered for distribution. Heat & Glo still caters to the affluent with two direct-vent gas fireplace brands – Primo and Solaris – that, with options, can cost up to $17,000 at retail, plus installation. Kyle Hunt, vice president of marketing for Forge Distribution, Heat & Glo’s distributor in eastern Canada (outside of Greater Toronto), says Solaris has a limited commercial clientele, whereas Primo, which Heat & Glo introduced in January, is finding its way into new and remodeled homes.

(Forge has about a dozen in the field.) Primo came onto the market just as the Canadian government started requiring that all fireplaces be sold with safety screens. Primo doesn’t need a screen because its PowerFlow Heat Management technology keeps the glass facing cool enough to touch even when the fireplace is running full blast. Nicole Renshaw, sales and marketing manager with Hearth Technologies, Heat & Glo’s Toronto distributor, says 40 to 50 dealers carry the Primo line, whose options include several finishes, reflective back panels, and crushed glass media at the bottom of the fireplace that can be illuminated with LED lighting that comes in seven colors.

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MARKETPLACE

$4,600 Faucet

$5,400 Showerhead Hansgrohe Axor Starck ShowerHeaven showerhead With droughts so much in the news, codes requiring watersaving fixtures are here to stay. But homeowners can still enhance their bathing experience with this high-pressure showerhead, whose ceiling-mounted installation calls for three supply lines. ShowerHeaven has 405 spray channels that are organized into an outer “bodyzone” and inner “rainzone.” At 805 square inches, this showerhead might seem more appropriate for hosing down circus elephants.

But Hansgrohe’s target market is ultra-high-end homes. eFaucet.com, the online retailer, is offering ShowerHeaven at US$5,474, and that’s a US$2,128 discount from Hansgrohe’s suggested retail price. (Interested buyers better hurry – eFaucet only had two in stock when we inquired in July.)

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Toto’s Neorest II Electronic Lavatory Vessel Faucet It doesn’t look like much: a nickel-plated quotation mark. But as the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Neorest II is an electric-powered faucet whose temperature is adjustable with an on-deck valve. The faucet includes an LED light in its handle.

A supposedly exclusive nickel and titanium alloy coil responds to temp changes quicker than your runof-the-mill faucet, and prevents scalding. All this for $4,631, and that’s discounted from the original $6,615.

For those shoppers who like to mix and match, Toto’s Neorest Series also offers Soiree, an elongated onepiece toilet featuring the scarily named New Cyclone Flushing System. Amazon enables this purchase for $6,456.

T

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MARKETPLACE

$16,000 Tractor-

Lawnmower

John Deere X758 Signature Series Tractor This four-wheel-drive product has actually come down in price over the past few years. But a fully loaded model, which includes a better warranty than most cars, can still run just under $16,000. Ian Alspach, a salesperson with PacificCoast Equipment in Langley, B.C., says his dealership sells four or five 758s a year, which he believes is typical of PacificCoast’s other four locations in the province.

About 30 per cent of his store’s sales of 700 series tractors are to homeowners. And let’s face it: a purchase like this is as much about owner status as mechanical efficiency. That sense of superiority you feel watching envious neighbors stare or roll their eyes as you parade that bad boy across the lawn on the weekend makes the sticker shock almost worth it. Even Husqvarna’s 72-inch 31-hp PZ72 Series zero-turn mower, at just under $14,300, doesn’t quite provide the same ego boost.

Hollandlac Oil-Based Paint

$230/Gallon Paint 28

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There’s no such thing as “cheap paint” anymore.

But Fine Paints of Europe pushes the envelope.

Since 1987, this Woodstock, Vt.-based distributor has imported pigment-rich coatings produced by Ralston Colour & Coatings in The Netherlands.

The suggested retail prices for its three paint lines –Eurolux, Eco, and Hollandlac – range from US$115 to $145 per 2.5-liter can (about two-thirds of a gallon).

Even with a 12-year guarantee, those are high-priced spreads. But price hasn’t deterred demand. Over 100 retailers in North America (including two in Canada) offer Fine Paints’ products. The distributor recently shipped 500 cans to a customer in Dallas.

And its sales have risen annually by at least 10 per cent for the past four years. “Paint has morphed into fashion,” says senior staff colorist Emmett Fiore, to explain why there’s been minimal splash back from this category’s price trajectory.

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MARKETPLACE

Phantom Park Car Elevator

$400 /sq.ft.

Countertop +

Pyrolave Enameled Lavastone Countertop Granite countertops are so yesterday when you can dine on a surface made from the spewing of ancient volcanos.

Pyrolave claims lavastone extracted from its quarry in France’s volvic region is the only natural stone that can be enameled in larger slabs. The finished price – $220 to $350 per square foot in the U.S., and $400 to $600 in Canada for a single kitchen or bath countertop – includes customized design and color selection (it’s available in 32 shades), fabrication, and shipping. (Installation is separate.) Jean Pauwels, who manages Pyrolave’s U.S.-Canada business from Raleigh, N.C., says Pyrolave fills about 140 residential and commercial orders per year in North America. Robert Crowe, a product manager with Montreal-based Leeza Surfaces, Pyrolave’s Canadian distributor, adds that lava countertops are popular for exterior applications because they can withstand harsh winters and don’t react to UV rays.

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Car and truck sales are soaring. So where are people parking their third, fourth, or 15th vehicle? Enter Phantom Park, a custom car elevator that gained notoriety during the 2012 U.S. presidential race, when White House aspirant Mitt Romney paid US$55,000 for an elevator for his La Jolla, Calif., home’s garage. Brad Davies, who owns American Custom Lifts (ACL) in Folsom, Calif., which makes a wide range of car lifts, says the installed price for a Phantom Park is around US$70,000. Excavating an existing garage for the underground vault can add anywhere from US$50,000 to $150,000 to the final cost. That probably explains why 95 per cent of ACL’s residential sales are newhome construction. Davies says ACL sells its elevators worldwide, and celebrities love them. (Billionaire retailer Les Wexler just had three installed at his 52,000-square-foot manse; Maroon 5’s lead singer Adam Levine recently ordered one.) Over 16 years, ACL has sold about 250 Phantom Parks in the U.S. and another 30 in Canada.

$70,000 Car Elevator

MARKETPLACE

$54,000

Oven Range A 40,000 sq.ft. swimming pool

La Cornue Ovens France-based La Cornue invented the vaulted oven, whose curved roof eliminates the need for ventilation and lets in 15 to 20 per cent more moisture. The manufacturer’s CornueFé 1908 Series has been displayed—with a $US10,500 price tag— at that temple for all kitchen products necessary and superfluous, Williams-Sonoma. But La Cornue actually has exclusive distribution in North America with only four dealers. One of them, Montreal-based Signature Bachand, offers a full line of La Cornue ovens, including its Le Château series that retails for between $25,000 and $50,000. Assistant manager Stéphane Julien says Signature Bachand sells five or six of the highest-priced Châteaus annually, and “lots more” of La Cornue’s less-pricey models, which start at around $8,000, to homeowners seeking “prestige.” If those don’t rock your world, there’s always La Cornue’s widest (1,800-millimeter!) oven range, Le Grand Palais 180, which starts at $54,200.

Texans like big. And you’d be hard-pressed to find a residential swimming pool that tops the one in El Campo, Texas, 73 miles southwest of Houston. Gracing a 10,312-square-foot mansion on five acres, this pool, which cost US$3 million to build in 2009, holds 250,000 gallons of water. Its amenities include six waterfalls, a 21-foot-high water slide, a 28-person hot tub, an outdoor kitchen, and a 500-foot adjustable-speed lazy river. The pool designer, Cheryl Kuykendall, bragged on HGTV’s Million Dollar Rooms that the owners spent US$100,000 alone on a “boulder created” waterfall called Thunder River. The two-acre pool area has become something of a tourist attraction (what else is there in El Campo?), to the point where owners Mike and Mikayla Mobley have turned away would-be swimmers who thought it was open to the public. The owners put their 10-yearold house on the market last October, but in late July took down the listing. Maybe the pool wasn’t the selling feature they thought it would be.

$3 Million Swimming Pool

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MARKETPLACE

+

$20,000 BBQs

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Grills Last year Men’s Health’s food and nutrition editor Paul Kita wrote a love letter to Kalamazoo’s K750HB grill, which retails for a mere US$20,695. He raved about its temperature range (up to 1,000 degrees F), and gushed about grill grates that “rule.” A recent episode of the Showtime series Ray Donovan revolved around the “purchase” of a Kalamazoo grill. And for US$25,190, backyard chefs can up their game with the company’s top-of-the-line model, the 51-inch K1000HS. Kalamazoo justifies the price by pointing out that its stainlesssteel grills are hand-made and signed by the employees who assemble them.

The K1000HS delivers up to 179,800 BTUs of heat via hybrid technology that allows users to cook with gas, charcoal, or wood. Deeper fireboxes let more air in for smoking and roasting. And don’t forget the “Sunbrella” grill cover. If all this sounds like overkill for cooking franks and burgers, perhaps you need to reexamine your priorities.

K75OHS MODEL

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THE BUILDINGS SHOW Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Dec. 2-4, 2015

Join CANADIAN CONTRACTOR at the largest construction show in Canada, which includes the HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo – a terrific place for you to view the next generation of residential construction products and techniques.

The Buildings Show is home to HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo, Construct Canada, PM Expo, World of Concrete Pavilion and IIDEXCanada. It is North America’s largest exposition, networking and educational event for the design, construction and real estate industries. Attendees can interact with more than 1,600+ exhibits, including 100+ international exhibitors, to discover and source the latest in design and construction innovation in products, technologies, best practices and applications. With a roster of more than 500 speakers, the International Architecture Roundtable and 350 accredited and industry relevant seminars to choose from over the three days, attendees can customize their professional development.

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government purchasers.

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For more information on The Buildings Show, visit www.thebuildingsshow.com.

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For more information on HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo, visit www.homebuilderexpo.ca.

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CREATIVE EYE

The River House S Winnipeg, Manitoba Syverson Monteyne Architecture Architect: Tom Monteyne

By John Bleasby

Riverbank properties are always desirable, nowhere more so than in Winnipeg. Views along the Red River, as it ambles through the city surrounded by mature trees, offer the only significant topographic variation in this famously flat city.

“A view of the river here is like a view of the mountains in Calgary,” explains architect Tom Monteyne (Syverson Monteyne Architects).

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT Architecturally significant home on the Red River in Winnipeg, Manitoba

As desirable as this riverbank location might be, it presented a very challenging location for residential construction when it came to designing the 5,100 square foot ‘River House S’.

The clay soil conditions made foundation integrity an issue.

Concerns over periodic flooding (three major floodings on the Red since 1997), as well as the bank’s natural tendency to erode and change, forced the City of Winnipeg to initiate very intense review procedures as part of the building permit application process.

“Bank stability is a highly specialised business,” Monteyne said. “First, you must hire a geotechnical engineer to undertake an analysis. In this particular case, the property is on a curve which, while allowing spectacular views up and down the river, is also at a point of maximum erosion.” Rockfilled caissons (also known as shear plugs) were installed. Eight foot Continued on next page

Photo: Brian Scott

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Photo: Syverson Monteyne

cREATIVE EYE

Spring floods above the winter banks resulted in a serious shoreline revetment review process by the City of Winnipeg.

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CREATIVE EYE

River House S Winnipeg, Manitoba Continued from previous page

The street side exterior is a mix of vertical tongue-and-groove cedar, locally quarried Tyndall stone limestone (smaller courses near the top of the walls), and smooth acrylic stucco.

diameter holes, 50 feet deep, were drilled at the toe of the bank during the winter when the river level was low and the bank solid. These caissons pass down through the various layers of clay, clipping them together to prevent their sliding out in an arch. The house itself is built on friction piles, cylindrical shafts filled with concrete, some as deep as 45 or 50 feet.

The River House S as it stands today was in fact the result of two construction projects. The original structure was built in 2006. The street side elevation presents a single level modern profile, with a lowsloped mono-pitched roof shingled with cement tiles over a waterproof under layer. Due to the weight of the tile, the roof truss structure had to be significantly over-sized for support.

Continued on next page

Photo: Brian Gould

However, the rear of the home slopes towards the river bank.

Here, Monteyne took full advantage of the natural grade by presenting three floors facing the river, each allowing a flow of natural light through glass walls and windows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In many places along the bank, you can design a walkout basement. While this seems normal in many places in Canada it is pretty uncommon here due to our topography.â&#x20AC;? Heating and cooling is provided by an in-ground

Natural light streams down the main stairwell, bringing the relief of the spectacular wood wall sculpture to life.

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cREATIVE EYE

Photo: Brian Scott

Elevation showing the 2012 addition of the massive sunroom.

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CREATIVE EYE

River House S Winnipeg, Manitoba Continued from previous page

geothermal system, which is common among the high quality homes of the area. “Property lots in this part of the city are quite large; 80 foot street setbacks are mandated by zoning,” explains Monteyne, “This huge front yard creates the space required for the geothermal piping.”

The interior of the home is now a brilliant showcase for the client’s extensive collection of Balinese art, which includes numerous carvings, sculptures and woven carpets.

Placement of specific pieces were made in tandem with the architect’s use of the natural light that flows from above the side through the extensive east-facing windows and through glass ceilings. As a result, the River House S is a striking blend of earth, water and light.

Photo: Brian Gould

In 2012, an extensive multiseason glass sunroom was added as the client’s use of the home evolved.

However, since the original outdoor patio area of the 2006 house was built on piles, the addition of the sunroom presented few engineering obstacles. Ceilingmounted infra-red heaters are available as seasonal temperatures require. The glazing features a solar-block coating, which Monteyne compares to sunglasses, that minimises over-heating.

The upper levels of the vertical library are accessed by a rolling ladder, with down-lighting mounted on the system’s upper rail.

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Photo: Brian Gould

Photo: Brian Gould

cREATIVE EYE

The east-facing multi-season sunroom has transformed the house, drawing the view of the river bend right into the main living space.

www.canadiancontractor.ca

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SUBTRADE PROFILE

MEN OF STONE

An Interview with Chameleon Masonry Restoration

By John Bleasby A young man in his early 20’s, Jesse Dinan left an assembly line job in Alliston, Ontario in 1999, headed down to Toronto to work for a masonry restoration company, and then eight years later started up Chameleon Masonry Restoration with his brother Garth. The company has grown well beyond the norm of small owner-operator masonry services, and now includes an affiliated aluminum company that rounds out their exterior services.

Canadian Contractor spoke with Jesse about the growth and future prospects of the brothers’ Barrie-based firm.

How did you find your way into masonry?

On the suggestion of a family friend, I moved to Toronto to work for a masonry restoration company. It was quite exciting. I pushed a wheelbarrow, mixed mortar and worked alongside masons, and moved through the management levels of the company. In 2006, I moved to Barrie to open Chameleon with my brother Garth.

And you’ve expanded considerably since then.

We hired our first employee within two years. Six years later, we now have a sales team, two administrative staff and six full-time masonry technicians.

You learned masonry on the job, but are there college programs offered in this field?

There are community colleges in Ontario that offer masonry programmes, among them Conestoga, Algonquin and La Cité , plus one or two private colleges. There are government Red Seal apprenticeship grants available, too.

commercial clientele that the others can’t access.

How would you characterize the type of work you encounter?

It’s like rust on a car. What starts out as a dime grows to a loonie and so on. Water ingress is the major cause of masonry damage.

The freezing and thawing cycle causes the masonry to spall apart.

We’re building mechanics, so we can anticipate damage behind the masonry by how it has degraded. When we draw up a proposal, no matter who the customer is, we insert a clause that lists the type of unforeseen issues that might come up.

Do you have some of the common industry problems concerning payment from customers?

No, and the reason is we give very detailed proposals to our clients.

We outline everything from setting up shop through to the disposal of debris. Expectations are set and get delivered; everybody’s happy and we get paid.

Masonry is heavy work. How do you protect your workers from injury and over-straining?

We try to work smart, not hard. The way to avoid abusing the body is by using proper tools and equipment like knee pads, ear protection, safety boots and gloves, and techniques that avoid the old-school hammer-and-chisel thing.

Where does your business come from?

70 per cent is referrals and 30 per cent comes from online, half of that from HomeStars.

How do you see your business developing over the next five years?

Our masonry division has grown by about 20 per cent each year over the past three years. We are constantly networking and developing new relationships. Mike Draper (www.renovantage.com) has been particularly helpful with our goal-setting. In terms of new services, we’d like to add more concrete restoration to our work.

That’s a very high level of referrals.

A number of these are one-off type referrals from residential masonry repairs. However, the majority is repeat business with property management companies doing disaster restoration and insurance work.

Are you busy in the winter off-season?

Masonry and winter don’t mix. We run at full strength eight months a year, but in the winter we will drop back to a skeleton crew. The challenge is find work that will be profitable enough to cover the cost of operating. Jobs just take longer in the winter.

What sets you apart from your competitors?

The majority of our competitors are one-man-and-a-truck type operators. However, unlike many of them, we carry all the credentials like liability and WSIB and have the ability to write up detailed proposals. That opens up a level of residential and

Does interior stonework help you through?

There are a lot of smaller operators looking for this type of work. We have costs we have to cover and can only price so low. We focus on our disaster restoration. Accidents happen all year round and have to be repaired no matter.

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Option A Macerating Up Flush Toilets

Standard Installation

Behind Wall Installation Optional 18â&#x20AC;?

Extension Pipe

illustrations: glenn mcevoy

H

ow many times have customers told you that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d really like to have a new bathroom installed downstairs? With extended families and stay-at-home students becoming more and more the norm these days, additional bathrooms are becoming increasingly popular. However, many older houses have the sewage pipes above the basement floor grade.

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Can you still install a toilet down there? Yes, thanks to two technologies that any general contractor needs to be familiar with.

The technologies are (1) the macerating up-flush toilet, and (2) the sewage pump and tank system. In this article, I am going to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each.

MECHANICAL ROOM

Option B Sewage Pump and Tank Systems

Alarm (Optional) Vent

Check Union Valve

Ball Valve

Discharge

Use No-Hub Style Connector 4 inch Inlet Pipe

Macerating toilet systems Macerating toilets allow for easy installation of a bathroom in areas where no gravity sewer lines may exist. They can be perfect for remodeling applications in a basement, garage, warehouse or cottage. Macerating up-flush toilets minimize the need for major construction, and you won’t need to break open concrete

floors. These systems include a back outlet toilet that flushes into a pump tank which macerates sewage waste, and other debris, into a fine slurry before pumping it away through discharge pipes as small as 1” or ¾” diameter. They can pump up to 25 feet (7.6 m) high and 150 feet (46 m) horizontally. With macerating toilets, you can service an entire bathroom set – toilet, sink, and shower. So

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45

MECHANICAL ROOM

they can handle most any residential application.

Traditional sewage pump tank systems aren’t that traditional “Convenient installation anymore; they offer a lot of features. is not the only reason to Sewage pump and tank systems Newer systems are shorter and Sewage pump and tank systems can require less digging. Some of these consider a macerating toilet. be a little more robust. However, they systems also come with access do require excavation of concrete covers for easy service. Plus now, They are now easier to floors and installation of drainage there are many horsepower options pipes. Wastewater drains into the tank from 4/10HP all the way to 1HP and service.

Some units include where a sewage pump will lift the beyond. Traditional sewage pump water away. These systems basically tank systems come with traditional an audio and visual alarm do the same thing as macerating “solids handling” sewage pumps. toilets, but offer larger storage These solids handling pumps work to inform the homeowner capacities, and bigger, heavier duty very well when the homeowner takes pump options. For example, you can care not to flush things like baby should there be a problem. buy these pump tanks installed with wipes or diapers. If those are flushed This can be important to help a standard 1/2HP solids-handling you have a very high chance of a clog sewage pump, or upgrade to a heavy or jammed up pump. avoid an overflow.” duty 1 HP sewage grinder pump. With Modern sewage pump tank many pump options, you can design systems are available with heavy for the toughest application, or install duty grinder pumps. These grinder a system that can pump long distances, and to higher elevations. pumps have heavy duty cutters that chop up items which Modern macerating toilets are now available with many normally cause problems for traditional systems. Items like features and size options. Look for high efficiency toilets with baby wipes, hygiene products and rubber gloves will shut down a 4.8 litre flush (carrying the WaterSenseTM logo). Some toilets macerating toilets and traditional sewage pumps. Newer systems now come in attractive showroom style china with the toilet seat with full 1HP grinders will chop through most of the tough stuff. included. You can choose from round front or elongated styles You can also consider the benefits of a duplex (two pump) system. with improved flushing performance up to 800 grams (MAP test) Duplexes alternate running between two pumps. An alarm flush capability. Some are now available with insulated tanks notifies the homeowner if something goes wrong with one of the to minimize the condensation or sweating issue in the humid pumps and the backup pump is automatically engaged. This summer-time. Convertible rear discharge/top discharge pump will eliminate most of those “situations” where someone flushes tanks provide the flexibility to install anywhere. You can also get the wrong stuff! Duplex pumps also work better for whole-house an extension pipe which allows the pump tank to be installed on service applications. the other side of a wall: perhaps a closet or a laundry room. This Summary method gives a more traditional looking toilet in the bathroom So, how do you choose whether the macerating up-flush toilet while also allowing the pump tank to be more easily serviced as or the sewage pump tank system is the right solution for your it may be more accessible on the other side of the wall. customer?

Convenient installation is not the only reason to consider a Out of the box, a sewage pump tank system might come in at macerating toilet. They are now easier to service. Some units a lower cost than a macerating toilet. However installation costs, include an audio and visual alarm to inform the homeowner site conditions and household make-up all need to be considered. should there be a problem. This can be important to help avoid an Contact a qualified plumber to review the cost and benefits or overflow. Also, consider service access covers. These are helpful either system. cc when someone accidentally flushes that occasional bottle cap or child’s toy that must be removed from the tank. These removable Steve Ritsema is National Sales Manager, Canada, with covers give easy access to the pump tank without having to Liberty Pumps (www.libertypumps.com) remove the entire toilet and piping.

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1 s

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Page 56

Page 56

PREP Sanding and masking outdoor wood Page 52

PRODUC T S , T ECHNOLOG Y & T IPS FOR CON T RAC T ORS

PROPER

STEVE MAXWELL’S

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MAXWELL’s mind

Tradition and Opportunity

By Steve Maxwell

I

was talking to a building material supplier from New York city on a warm night earlier this summer, and I found myself saying the same sort of things I often do. The big garage door was open in my shop, I was relaxing as I cleaned the place up, then the phone rang. The guy on the other end of the line had imported a new kind of wall and floor panel product from Europe.

It’s been used there for years, it’s based on reinforced foam, and it’s meant to be coated with shotcrete on the outside and screeded concrete on the inside. You get all the solidity of traditional masonry buildings, but with energy efficiency that goes way beyond code. The system looks great on the videos I’ve seen, but there’s a problem.

Of all the industries in the world, the residential and light construction business is probably the slowest to accept change.

That’s understandable, since the stakes are so high if a new method of building goes bad. The wall panel guy was calling me after a day at his booth at a Las Vegas building show, and he was discovering how reluctant builders are to try new things. That’s when I kicked into my usual talk about how slow the building business is to adopt innovation. It’s a problem, but there’s also an opportunity.

More and more home and property owners are interested in building technologies that can save them energy, reduce maintenance chores, and stand up better during destructive weather events. The internet is giving these people a taste of the new things out there, so a growing number want more. The reluctance they run into talking with typical builders translates into an advantage for contractors who do a little homework and find superior technologies they can trust. The fact is, innovation can mean more than just risk. There’s reward, too.

Some contractors are content with the way things have always been done, and that’s fine. There will always be a place for builders who adopt change last. Just realize that there’s also a growing market for contractors who not only build, but also guide and educate clients towards great new ways of doing things.

Become expert at creating game-changing energy efficiency, disaster-resistant construction methods, and the kind of dayto-day quality people can feel, then watch as the best type of clients won’t even take a look at the other guys. steve@stevemaxwell.ca

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51

MAXWELL’S S t u f f We L i k e

PROPER

PREP Sanding and masking outdoor wood

By Steve Maxwell

Y

ou can be a great contractor, but if your outdoor wood weathers badly, your reputation and bottom line will suffer. Long-lived outdoor wood finishing begins with proper prep, and proper prep always involves sanding in one form or another. It’s one of the most misunderstood parts of finishing decks, fences, gazebos, wood siding, soffit and fascia, but also the most important. Improper sanding (or no sanding at all) is the single biggest reason outdoor paints and stains fail before their time. Sand efficiently and your outdoor finishes will last about twice as long. Here’s how to make sanding practical in the real world of contracting.

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MAXWELL’S S t u f f We L i k e

Sanding Tactic #1: Convince clients to pay for it.

Sanding Tactic #2: Use efficient equipment.

Sanding takes time, and clients don’t automatically see the value in making smooth outdoor wood smoother than when it came off the lumber truck. What clients almost never realize is that sanding before paint or stain isn’t about smoothness. It’s an investment that pays off in longer finish life. Sanding makes an even bigger difference on repainting jobs. If you can’t work compensation somewhere into your contracts for sanding before finishing outdoor wood, then don’t paint or stain. Better to leave the wood bare for someone else to finish and take the hit. Failed finishes always make you look bad, and will almost certainly be considered your problem.

Sanding doesn’t have to be pain if you choose the right tools for outdoor work: A 6” angle-style random orbit sander is ideal for bulk surfaces.

A 5” palm-style random orbit sander is made for light to medium-duty use in open spaces.

A professionalgrade detail sander is for intricate jobs that other sanders can’t reach.

6” random orbit sanders built around an angle grinder style motor are roughly 50 per cent more productive than their smaller, 5” counterparts. The best include two random orbit pattern settings: one for coarse work and the other for finer results. I leave mine on “coarse” almost all

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53

MAXWELL’S S t u f f We L i k e

the time since bulk removal is what I’m after with these machines. An 80-grit disk is all I ever use on 6” random orbits outdoors.

5” random orbits are lighter, more maneuverable and less tiring than 6” models. I keep a 120-grit disk on these machines, grabbing this tool when I want something finer than 80-grit.

For years after detail sanders became popular in the early 1990s, they were too small and weak to be useful for contractors.

That’s changed to the point where power and design features now make these tools a must-have item for anyone in the renovation business.

Sanding Tactic #3: Choose the best abrasives.

In a perfect world, the ideal sanding abrasive would perform just as well 20 minutes after beginning to use it as it did when new.

The closer an abrasive comes to this ideal, the better it is.

So what makes a great sanding abrasive?

Long life, resistance to clogging and consistent grit performance. Cheap sandpapers do cost less at first, but they’ll end up costing you way more on labour. For every dollar you save buying bargain abrasives, you might lose five bucks in slower productivity and unnecessary time spent changing sand paper.

Sanded wood is thirsty wood, and thirsty wood hangs onto outdoor finishes longer. It’s as simple as that.

New wood – especially new pressure-treated wood – is simply too smooth and too burnished to absorb paints and stains as it

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Masking Outdoor Surfaces

Outdoor finishing is about a whole lot more than just throwing a coat of paint on something and calling it a day.

Artistry sometimes comes into play and this can involve masking. And one of the latest innovations in the fastimproving realm of masking products is exterior masking tape. Why bother with something different?

In my tests, exterior masking tapes are better outdoors in three ways. They’re able to conform to uneven surfaces and seal out paint better than interior tape; outdoor tapes resist UV rays and water better than indoor versions because they’re made of plastic not paper; and the adhesives resist over-sticking and breaking apart caused by heat, sunlight and high moisture.

needs to. Poor absorption means poor adhesion and premature peeling. You look bad and your projects look bad.

Field tests show that 60-grit abrasives create the best surface absorption, but it’s too rough for most clients. Wood sanded with 80-grit abrasives are smoother and almost as absorbent.

Don’t sand smoother than this while prepping outdoor surfaces for stains.

120-grit is the upper limit for painted surfaces.

You could be the best builder on the planet, but if the visible outdoor wood on your projects looks bad a few years after you’re done, your reputation will go the same way. Get good at sanding outdoor wood and you’ll be way ahead. cc

MAXWELL’S S t u f f We L i k e

Testing Pro Grade Abrasives The most recent entry in the high-end abrasive category comes from 3M. I’ve been testing two items from their Pro Grade line: round sanding discs for random orbit sanders, and a unique, flexible-backed line of hand-held sandpapers. Both are better than the best abrasives I’ve used so far. The Pro Grade Precision Ultra Flexible Sanding Roll has abrasive particles applied to a rubberized, non-paper backing. The high friction surface of this backing makes it easier to grip while hand sanding, and the flexibility lets the abrasive conform to molding and trim. The Pro Grade round hook-and-loop discs are noticeably thicker than usual, they last long and resist clogging and have better life than any other disks I’ve used.

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55

MAXWELL PRODUCTS MAXWELL’S PICK

ScotchBlue Exterior Painter’s Tape Masking tape isn’t what it used to be, and that’s a good thing.

For nearly ten years now, high performance painter’s tapes have been making it easier to create crisp colour transitions on interior surfaces. Painter’s tapes keep stray paint out more effectively than regular masking tapes, and ScotchBlue Exterior is the first of its kind specifically for outdoor use. It’s also substantially different than any other tapes I’ve used. Instead of being based on paper, this stuff is made from thin, flexible plastic. It’s better able to conform to uneven surfaces without tearing, and it resists moisture and sunlight perfectly. You can even dunk the roll in water with no effect. Shallow score marks every 1/16” across the width of the tape means it breaks at 90º every time without wrinkling or folding. I’ve used 3M exterior for a couple of projects including touch-ups on my truck and it works better than any other tape I’ve tried. Scotch Blue Exterior costs about the same as premium interior painter’s tapes, so I expect builders will start using it both indoors and outside. www.scotchblue.ca MAXWELL’S PICK

Milwaukee FUEL M18 1/2” Hammer Drill/Driver I’ve been putting an original Milwaukee M18 FUEL cordless hammer drill/driver to hard use ever since this tool first came out three years ago, seeing if I could break it. This was the first brushless power tool to hit the market, and Milwaukee is now updating it with a next generation model. The preproduction version of the new and improved FUEL M18 drill I tested is 60 grams lighter than the original as measured on my testing scale, 1/2” shorter, and includes a slightly smaller handle diameter that’s easier to hold. If I could choose to use one drill or the other, the new model is what I’d grab.

Milwaukee claims to have engineered evolutionary upgrades into their new drill, as well as all the other tools in the enhanced M18 FUEL drilling and driving line. Higher grade magnets for more power and better heat management for longer life are the two most significant. Looking inside the drill and comparing it to my old one, the heat sink is obviously larger. There’s also less wasted space inside the case.

The new M18 FUEL isn’t different enough that you’d want to ditch an older M18, but you might want to pass it on to someone else on your crew. If there’s a more powerful, longer lasting hammer drill driver than this new model, I haven’t used it yet. www.milwaukeetool.ca

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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Friends and Partners?

WHAT SHOULD DAVE DO?

Should Dave make his friend a partner?

By John Bleasby

D

ave Shankovitz’s renovation business

instead of his customary 8 am.

has increased steadily over the

He also spends a good part of

past few years, with two crews running

the morning walking around the

simultaneous projects. This is largely due

site before picking up any tools

to his trusted carpenter Pete Caldwell.

to work. However, his time sheet

Dave and Pete have worked together for

still shows him arriving at 8 am.

many years. This spring, Dave asked

Dave also learned that Pete was

Pete to act as his ‘eyes and ears’ on one

leaving at noon on Fridays to

of his two job sites, a sort of Team Leader,

go to his cottage, but was still

allowing Dave to focus on the business

putting down 4:30 pm as his check

while also remaining supervising on the

out time.

second job site.

Last week, Pete put forward the idea

Pete has always been on an hourly

of moving away from an hourly wage,

wage and submits his time sheet every

becoming a profit-sharing partner with

two weeks. Dave recently increased Pete’s

Dave. Given Pete’s work ethic and his

hourly carpentry rate because of his added

less-than-honest accounting of hours,

leadership responsibilities. They’re also

Dave wonders if his long-time friend

friends off the job, too. Their wives take

and carpenter is the right kind of

yoga classes together, and the couples

partner. Turning him down might mean

enjoy meals together every few weeks.

a loss of a good worker entirely and a

However, Dave has observed a change in Pete’s work habits in recent weeks.

Pete has been showing up on site at 9 am

good friend.

cc

What would you do if you were Dave?

See the options at right.

last issue’s WINNER – “OFF THE BOOK” In our last case study, renovator Dan Summerville is shocked to find out from his lead carpenter, Dave, that Dan’s best client, the Stillwells, have asked Dave to work on basement drywall for cash, after hours, going around Dan’s firm. Summerville is at first is offended. Then he finds out that Mr. Stillwell is very seriously ill and wants to try an experimental treatment in Mexico that he can’t afford. The Stillwells need to find the money. This had not been communicated to Dan.

1. Reprimand Pete immediately. Tell him that his time sheets are not honest and need to be adjusted, and that he needs to improve his work ethic. Explain that partnership at this time is out of the question.

2. Make a mental note but don’t act rashly.

Pete is a good worker and friend, and should be shown some leniency. Deflect any discussion about a partnership.

3. Speak to Pete at the first reasonable opportunity. Outline the problem with the time sheets and offer Pete a chance to explain.

4. Say nothing for now, but ask one of the tradesmen on site to confidentially keep note of Pete’s hours and work habits and report to Dave weekly to see if his behavior continues.

5. Meet with Pete to discuss a partnership arrangement. This is an opportunity to resolve issues regarding wages and responsibilities in order to move their relationship forward on a new basis.

WIN!

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Here is the winning answer from Drew Evans, Evans Deck & Rail, Nelson, B.C. “As Dan has been the Stillwells contractor of choice for 20 years, a strong, loyal client relationship has been established. Dan should approach the Stillwells when the time is appropriate regarding their offer to Dave, find a way to work the health issue into the conversation, and look for the opportunity to "give back.” My suggestion would be to finish the work as agreed and offer to pay the flight to Mexico as a way of not only giving back but also retaining the client’s loyalty and accomplishing the cost savings the client is seeking.”

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HOW TO ENTER Send me your choice of alternatives, along with a brief explanation to: jbleasby@canadiancontractor.ca

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