Doors opening to renovators’ expertise, design
Reno Tour opens doors to seven high-standard stunners
On summer evenings, Julie Vaillant likes to watch the sunset from her freshly renovated front porch. It’s one of life’s simple pleasures, but it’s that much sweeter when she recalls her renovator, Casey Grey, is likely enjoying her repurposed former porch at his Manotick home.
To build the west-facing fibreglass deck, Grey ripped out the original structure, complete with hundred-year-old wooden joists. But instead of throwing them out, he built a barn door, shelving, and harvest table for his family home.
“There’s a piece of my home in someone else’s,” Vaillant says. “I think that’s extraordinary.”
Recycling or reusing discarded renovation materials is part of the ethos behind Grey’s business, The Conscious Builder, one of seven renovators taking part in Reno Tour 2017, happening Oct. 15.
Hosted by the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA), the event opens up Ottawa homes to showcase the design and expertise of local renovators who are part of their RenoMark program. RenoMark ensures renovators meet strict guidelines on aspects like insurance, workplace safety, warranties, and even customer service.
For Vaillant, some expert attention was needed on her Parkdale Avenue home. Built in 1917, the exterior was starting to look a bit run down.
“I wanted it to be modern but to keep the old soul of the place at the same time.”
In making over her triplex with tenants above and below her own second floor unit, Vaillant also wanted to ensure her $315,000 renovation budget would improve the home’s energy efficiency.
To start, Grey ’s team tackled the dated and damaged stucco covering the second and third floor exterior.
To better insulate the top floors, two inches of extruded polystyrene Styrofoam was added, and all joints were sealed with Siga Rissan tape, which then became the home’s air, vapour, and weather barrier. James Hardie cement plank siding was then added for a classic look, leaving the main floor’s exposed brick exterior intact, a nod to striking the balance between old and new.
New windows and doors were installed throughout, while gas fireplaces and heat pumps replaced the home’s baseboard heat.
“I have not used my baseboards this past winter,” Vaillant says. “My hydro bill is almost half by just using in the winter.”
The crowning jewel to Vaillant’s renovation is her new sunlit kitchen. The dining room wall was torn down in favour of a kitchen peninsula, giving the room an open concept feel. White cabinets, Liverpool Argento backsplash from Céragrès, and a stone countertop make the space feel sophisticated. But it’s the white garden doors that open up to Vaillant’s east-facing back deck that take the cake.
“I have the sun coming into the house, which makes it that much brighter,” she explains. “I love sitting at my counter with my coffee and computer on the weekend. It’s just perfect.”