’Tis the season for home improvements
There are some upgrades to cross off your list once the temperatures drop
The thought of having construction workers schlepping through your home in the middle of January might put you off the idea of a winter renovation, but it’s something to consider if you’re flexible on time and would like to save a little money. First off, what can’t you do? Once the ground freezes and the snow starts to fall, outdoor work is almost out of the question unless it’s an emergency: That means landscaping and roofing jobs, according to contractor Franco Guido, owner of Ideal Management and Design.
If it’s an emergency, “you have to do it,” Guido says.
“If the home doesn’t need it and it’s not an emergency, wait for the spring and summer and it will be a lot cheaper,” Guido says.
Evan Bramson, owner of Bramson Construction, adds that while outdoor work isn’t impossible, extra ma- terials are needed, which will just drive up the cost of the project.
Foundation work, for example, requires that a tarp be set up around the work area with a propane heater to keep the site warm and dry. Don’t call when you’re cold Some renos to consider in late fall before it gets really cold include shoring up the household heating, Bramson says.
Fix the caulking around windows and doors, add insulation to the ceiling or attic, get the fireplace fixed to ensure you’re not losing heat through it, service your furnace and change the filter, and consider installing programmable thermostats.
Schedule these projects before temperatures plummet, Bramson says.
“When customers call on the day that they’re cold, everyone’s going to be busy.”
Fall and winter is also a good time to fix air conditioning that didn’t fare so well over the summer, “instead of waiting until it’s hot out again and it’s not working well,” he says.
Meanwhile, indoor projects, such as bathroom and kitchen renos, can easily be done in winter, but they do pose some logistical problems that must be worked out before work can get underway, Guido says.
The homeowner has to ensure that paths to and from the house are clear and safe to walk on. So that means not waiting until you get home from work to shovel away that overnight snow. If there’s regular snowfall and you’re rushing out early, you may have to pay someone to do the job for you.
And if snow clearing on your street has left massive snow drifts behind, you have to consider where contractors and other workers are going to park while they are at your home.
Inside, ventilation of dust and fumes becomes an issue when workers are in an enclosed space, Bramson says.
“People don’t want to open their windows because it’s cold outside, so ventilation becomes more challenging.”
Workers will have to set up a negative air pressure environment so cold air doesn’t get in from the outside, but dust and fumes can be released. First, they use plastic sheeting to seal off the site from the rest of the house. Then, a specialty fan is set up next to a window to push out all the air.
While this is easy to do, it will add a cost to the project.
Overall, Bramson says, “There are more weather delays in winter.” If workers or materials can’t get to the job site due to a blizzard, all work grinds to a halt.
But if you luck out with a low-snow season, a contractor should have little problem keeping the project on time since he or she isn’t managing a slew of jobs. And even if a winter reno does cost you more time, it will likely also save you a few dollars.
“You will get deals on materials,” Bramson says. “And contractors aren’t as busy, which will allow them to be more competitive with their pricing.”
But there’s one important factor to keep in mind: The not-so-small matter that, unless you’re planning a getaway to warmer climes, you’re stuck inside a construction zone until the work is done.
“They’re going to go out less for dinner in the winter, and they’re go- ing to go out less on the weekend, so it’s more challenging to live inside with the renovation,” Bramson says.
As with any project, but particularly in winter, “expect a mess,” Guido says. While workers will wipe or cover their shoes, cover the floors and do a light cleanup at the end of each day, your home won’t be spic-and-span until it’s over.
“We’re going into somebody’s personal space, and some customers don’t relate to that well,” Guido says.
“The work site is going to be kept clean, but they will get their house back when the work is done.”