Renovations | Putting the cart before the horse can be costly

Contractors, specialized or general, are sorry to see their clients pay much larger bills than if they had been better informed about the coordination of the various stages of their renovations. So, before launching a particular small or large project, make sure that half of it will not have to be demolished if another one or two has to be started one or two years later; and take the opportunity to check whether it is not possible to kill two birds with one stone, in order to reduce costs.

“It’s a bit of the Wild West in renovation, everyone contradicts each other, and entrepreneurs only think of doing their own business in their corner. While the order of work can change the life and quality of a building”, notes Tommy Bouillon, president of Maçonnerie Gratton. During his career, he has seen a number of recent works carried out before his intervention that he had to redo in part to properly carry out his mandate. Sometimes a simple pre-check would have avoided drastically inflating an invoice.

“We have already seen workers, for example a balcony repairman who does only that as an activity, turn a blind eye to the other necessary work [avant ou pendant les siens], in order to finish the job quickly and get paid,” adds Stéphane Lessard, president of JG Lessard et Fils, general contractor. Moreover, it is not necessarily out of bad will, but sometimes out of ignorance that a specialist renovator, unfamiliar with the impact of his interventions on those of other trades, will complicate things for the future.

These issues particularly concern owners of residences built between 1920 and 1970, the majority in Montreal, and whose standards are completely outdated.

First me, after rooftop

Concrete examples? Let’s talk roofing. By redoing this element of a building, the roofer will install a metal flashing, a sealing strip surrounding the roof and ensuring the connection between the latter and the walls. “The problem is that it will seal on the flatness of the existing wall, and if the brick has to be redone, the flashing will no longer be good, because the wall will become straight again. We will therefore have to sell a new flashing to the client, who will pay twice for the same business…”, illustrates Mr. Bouillon.

Another case, again concerning the roof: after having renovated his, a client of Mr. Lessard noticed that condensation was being created due to poor ventilation, leading to the rotting of pieces of wood. A slight upgrade will therefore certainly be necessary to solve the problem. “He will have to destroy the new membrane to be able to carry out this work”, indicates the director of LG, who explains that old buildings, formerly little or even not insulated at the level of the roof, can experience this kind of concern once sealed. Another effect of the insulation, the snow accumulates there more than before; however, the period frames were not designed to support such a weight – the contractor therefore advises to pay attention to this.

In short, the watchword for restoring order: try to obtain a more global portrait of the needs of your property, in order to launch any successive renovations in a strategic way.

Jack-of-all-trades brick

Tommy Bouillon points out that the walls, with their large expanse, touch all the elements of a building.

With added costs.

We’ve seen the roofing example above, now let’s dive into the foundation. In the event of renovation, the masonry must be supported. But if the building is old and the anchors tired, these could unhook, which will require additional work. “Instead of finding themselves with a bill of $10,000 or $15,000, people end up with an amount of $75,000. Make sure that your wall is stable beforehand, to have the right time,” advises Mr. Bouillon.

For new balconies, the same story as for the roof: attaching them to an aging wall is not the best idea, especially since the back of the balconies is a particularly critical area. “The sealant joint is often micro-cracked, the water goes back over time and damages the whole brick, which never dries out. It’s a very weak section of the building,” says Mr. Bouillon, who recommends removing the old balcony, then working on the masonry and the insulation behind, before installing the new balcony.

For doors and windows, it’s on a case-by-case basis, he says. But here too, sealing new windows on old masonry is not ideal. What’s more, work on the brick can degrade new elements and their finish. “Masonry is corrosive, it’s full of angel hair, and even if it’s protected, typedcanvas, fine silica dust seeps in”, warns the contractor.

Economies of scale

In the short term, taking advantage of one intervention to implement a second, related one can feel like blowing a budget. But in the long term, it’s often a good shot to play. “It is much more economical to do certain jobs at the same time than one after the other,” assures Stéphane Lessard. He cites the possibility of installing, if space permits, insulation if it comes to redoing the masonry. Much of Montreal’s residential housing stock prior to the 1960s was wallpapered with dried-out, inefficient black paper.

We will also pay attention to opportunities to update electricity and plumbing, if they are obsolete and do not comply with current standards, for example during interventions in a kitchen or a bathroom. “If you strip ceilings, walls or floors in an old property, it’s a must to take the opportunity to redo them. If we don’t want to break everything, we can at least go in sections, or try to use a technique to pass the wiring everywhere,” says the president of JG Lessard.

He strongly recommends not to think only of the aesthetics of his bathroom or his kitchen in case of renovation, but also to invest in camouflaged elements. “A lot of people care about flashiness, but as a professional I’m more aware of what’s behind the walls. One of my clients wants to redo his kitchen and his bathroom: it is better to do one or the other at two different times, and to do the job completely, rather than to do both half and not well. do them,” he believes.