Looking for Contractor Recommendations (York Region)

[Daniel]

We're about to have our basement finished so we're looking for any tips, tricks, hints, do's/dont's - from experience.

Even more importantly, any contractor recommendations would be hugely appreciated. Must be willing to come to Stouffville.

Thanks for your help

[fastnx]

I am a professional energy auditor and I have done over 1500 home energy audits. I have a few tips to pass along:

Get an energy audit done, there are generous grants available for increasing your basement insulation. These grants are in addition to the home renovation tax credit.

If the basement is of modern construction (ie. poured concrete and well waterproofed from the outside...the newer the house is the better the waterproofing will be), have the basement spray foamed to R24 and have the basement headers spray foamed to R32. This will not only keep the basement warmer (and reduce your utility bills) but it will keep the floor of the first storey warm in the winter, houses with foamed basements sometimes feel like they have heated floors on the first storey. Another good reason to choose spray foam is that it has a very high R value per inch. Spray foams are typically R6 to R7 per inch, so you can easily get R24 with 2x4 framing. Fibreglass batts are generally only R3 per inch, so you end up with 2x4 walls with poor insulation or good insulation with very thick walls (which reduces the living space). Sprayed foams also make a coninuous air barrier, sealing up any nooks and crannies that would otherwise leak air.

If your basement has a small footprint and you are trying to maximize space you could get a tankless water heater, it will save energy and free up about 15 square feet of living space. To get a tankless you need natural gas or propane service and municipal water that is not hard.

Let me know if you have any questions.

[jkho]

With the spray foam, what do you do about it covering up wires, pipes, etc?

I take it there's no way around this.

[max attack]

Just so you know the foam insulations be it sprayed inplace or the rigid foam board is required to be fire proofed by the O.B.C. due to the fumes given off,not a big deal for a wall cavity to be covered in drywall but the joist spaces which aren't always sealed can be.
Food for thought from a licensed carpenter and former building inspector.;)

[fastnx]

With the spray foam, what do you do about it covering up wires, pipes, etc?

I take it there's no way around this.


They can be sealed in the foam or what some people do is space the studs out from the wall and leave a small (1-2") space between the foam and drywall to run electrical.

Foam is a more permanent type of insulation, but either way you slice it, if you do need to take the walls apart to fix a problem with the electrical or plumbing, removing and replacing the drywall is likely going to be the biggest issue.....but if everything is done correctly this should never be needed.

One other tip is that the vapour barrier should be continuous between the floor and the walls. That is to say there should be a vapour barrier between your flooring surface and the concrete and this should be taped to the wall vapour barrier the whole way around. This will keep humidity from penetrating the basement walls and floor and should reduce or eliminate the need for dehumidification in the summer.

[darcyw]

i'd say hire someone who lives AND works in your community. All to many times these numbered companies from other cities, set up shop, build a bunch of cookie cutter, poorly constructed, shake-and-bake subdivisions...then disappear. If the contractor lives in your community, its less likely that they'll piss in their own pool.

or just hire Mike Holmes...he's actually pretty reasonable...or so i hear.

later
darcy