OLIPHANT ON HOME RENOS
Celebrity contractor tackles the ins and outs of fixes to your dwelling
George Oliphant knows the value of a well-executed home renovation. As the host and lead contractor of the long-running NBC series George to the Rescue, he leads his team each week as they undertake surprise renovations for families facing unique challenges. Oliphant offered his take on home-improvement trends, reno dilemmas and how to best spend your money.
Q Are open-concept kitchens still in demand?
A Yes. Families love open kitchens for a number of reasons. They are great for entertaining, and they create amazing flow throughout the house.
Q Is cherry in the kitchen out, in or timeless? We have stainless steel appliances. We are thinking of granite countertops because we cook a minimum of seven to 10 meals weekly.
A In, out and timeless is always in the eye of the beholder. I’m a huge fan of wood in the kitchen, and I think cherry is beautiful. Granite makes for an excellent countertop, but make sure to look at the slabs at the stone yard before making your final decision.
Q What areas/rooms/items in the home are most commonly in need of repair or seem most commonly neglected? What tips do you have on tackling those sorts of areas early, so they’re not a surprise cost or massive problem later?
A Kitchens and bathrooms get the most wear and tear, so they need the most TLC. My advice is don’t procrastinate. If you see leaks or cracks, tackle them immediately, so they don’t get worse.
Q Our major kitchen renovation starts in two weeks and is estimated to take almost three months. (We’re removing two walls to make an open-concept main level.) I’m starting to get nervous about how our family of four plus a dog will survive without our kitchen. We’ll have a microwave and fridge. Any advice?
A I am going through my own kitchen renovation, and it was supposed to take three to four months, but we’re now in the fifth month, and it won’t be done for another few weeks. I have four kids and a dog, and we’ve managed with a makeshift kitchen in our living room with our fridge, coffee maker, toaster and microwave. We’ve used our powder room for water and dishes, and that has been a struggle. There is nothing easy about living through a kitchen renovation, but it will come to an end, and life will return to normal. A toaster oven is key, and Instant Pots are fantastic, too. It all depends on how much space you have, and make sure not to overload one outlet. My best advice is to manage your expectations and try not to drive each other too crazy.
Q I’m interested in learning the best way to manage a master bath renovation. Who is the most important person to engage with to begin the planning process: interior designer, contractor or architect? Is there another specialist I should contact first?
A A general contractor is the best person to engage with, in my opinion. They will be able to manage all aspects of your renovation and make sure you get the right people in your home in the right order.
Q I have an old house, and I assume that the windows aren’t really square and may not be standard size. How expensive is it going to be to replace the windows? Can I really make the money back on reduced utility bills?
A This is a tough question to answer without seeing your home. Windows are definitely one of the more expensive fixes, and you don’t want to cut corners when replacing them. You will save money on your heating and cooling bills once your home is sealed up properly, but making your money back depends on how much work you have to do to get it to that point and how long you’ll be in the home after the renovation is done.
Q We have been in our townhouse for three years. The kitchen island is two different heights. The counter height is topped with quartz and has our cooktop and oven below. The table-height counter is the colour of our cabinets
(grey) and made from some kind of wood composite. It’s not the most attractive setup, and it’s awkward because it’s hardly ever used. I would love to remove the two different countertops and make it one height (counter height) and use quartz again. It seems like a small job, and I don’t think contractors will want to tackle it. I’m hoping not to ruin the flooring and to keep using the same cabinets, cooktop and oven. I feel stuck.
A To fix your kitchen island, you don’t necessarily need to bring in a general contractor, but you will need a good cabinet maker as well as a good fabricator to create your new counters. The two usually work together, so just make sure you find someone you trust.
Q My husband and I, both 70ish, still live in the family home we bought more than 30 years ago. I think it’s time to leave, but he still wants to stay. Can a three-storey home be reasonably renovated to allow aging in place, or is it better to face reality and move to an elevator-accessible condo?
A This is a tough question. I’d hate to tell you to move from the house you’ve been in for 30 years, but it will definitely cost a pretty penny to renovate a three-storey home to allow for you to age in place, depending on what needs to be done.
Q My hot water heater is 17 years old. It still works fine, but I fear it might start leaking one day. Is it better to just replace it now? Will it be more energy-saving?
A After 17 years, your hot water heater doesn’t owe you anything. It has done its job and then some. You can wait it out, but I’d recommend you start looking for a new one. Who knows how much longer it has left?
Q I received a couple of rates on a bathtub-to-shower conversion. The low end installs a liner over the existing tile walls after removing the tub. The high end removes the tiles first. Is either better, or is it just a budget decision?
A When in doubt, rip it out — but that will definitely cost you more than just installing a liner over the existing tiles. In the end, starting fresh is better, will last longer and should increase resale value when that time comes.
Q Although most people seem to love open concept, it’s not working for us. We really want to turn the kitchen into its own space — an old-fashioned eat-in kitchen that is separate from the dining and living area, which would remain open concept. How hard is it to put walls back up? This is an older house, so the kitchen was once a separate space before the previous owners renovated.
A Putting walls up is a lot easier than taking them down. There are no structural issues you need to worry about; it’s purely esthetic at that point.
The Washington Post