A Fireplace For Your Cottage Basement

Is your basement in your cottage or chalet feel damp and cold. Does it feel like no matter how many heaters you put down there you just can't get it to feel more comfortable? Do you worry about people having to sleep down there because their always cold and uncomfortable?

Well there is probably a lot of reasons for this and to fix it right you will need a major renovation that takes time and a lot of money.

Now if you don't have the money or the time to do that type of major renovation right now then there is one thing that could help in the short term, something that will make your basement feel more comfortable while you save up for your major renovation.

You can add a fireplace in the basement.

Now you can't simply put any kind of fireplace in the basement. The simplest kind of fireplace to install with the simplest chimney venting is a gas fireplace.

Gas fireplace venting doesn't have to rise up and out of the roof of the building like a typical fireplace, gas venting can go out the side wall near the unit as long as it ends up being a couple of feet above the finished grade outside.

To make the installation of the gas fireplace simpler you can have a stand alone gas stove installed. This kind of fireplace does not require you to do anything to the walls or floors around it. It can actually be placed anywhere in the room and be perfectly safe.

Gas fireplaces work on remotes that have built in temperature gauges, that means that they work just like your furnace. You set the temperature and the fireplace will regulate itself to that temperature (if left on), your basement is turned into a space that has a regulated temperature that is warmer and more comfortable. It also gives a focal point to the basement, a gathering point where people want to be together. They come with built in fans to help push the warm air around the room as well.

If you have other problems like leaking foundations or flooding problems in the basement then this won't fix your problems and that should be addressed first, but if it's just a simply problem of a cold and damp basement then a fireplace could be an easy fix.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Construction Drawings For Your New Custom Home or Addition

Are you wanting to build a new cottage or put an addition on your cottage on the Bruce Peninsula but don't know where to start?

Are you asking yourself "do I need to find a contractor or do I need to get my plans created first and then find a contractor?"

In a tight construction market where it is hard to find contractors and tradesmen you should never stop looking for your contractor, as they are hard to find. But if you don't have plans when you find the contractor then they might not be available to you as they will already be to busy and booked to far in advance.

You really should have your construction drawings created, created as soon as possible in fact, getting your drawings created is the least expensive thing you will be doing if you are wanting to build or add to your home/cottage. Construction costs have risen dramatically in the last decade.

Getting your drawings created even years earlier then you need them will not be a waste of money, your drawings will always be relevant.

Busy contractors will take you as a client more seriously if you already have drawings, it says to them that you are committed to a build project and you are not just kicking tires.

Sometimes if your lucky you can find a contractor that can help you not just build your project but also get your drawings created.

Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc. is one of those contractors that can help you do that. We work with a variety of Architects, Draftsmen, Architectural technologists and interior designers to help you get your dreams put down on paper.

Clients that ask us to help get their plans are kept on file so that when they are ready to build there is always a spot made available for when they want to build.

So when you are wanting to build that new home or addition and you also need someone to help you through the creating of your construction drawings then email us at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Hiring Your Contractor For Your Spring Cottage Build

Well the weather has turned and the mornings are a lot colder then they were just a couple of weeks ago. The leaves have started changing on the Bruce Peninsula, this is the real sign that fall has arrived. 

This is the time that most of the real work gets done on the peninsula. Everything gets finished up in a rush before the heavy snows and wind of winter arrive.

This is also the time when anyone that wants to build a cottage in the spring needs to lock down their contractor. Even if you are thinking about adding a major addition or renovation in the spring then now is the time to contact them and start the ball rolling.

If you have spend anytime looking around for a contractor on the Bruce Peninsula you will have realized that there are not a lot of us and the ones that are around are booking 6 months in advance.

If you are having plans for your new cottage drawn now then you need to start talking to a contractor, this will allow you to get estimates for the house and help with the permits and the layout of the entire property.

Building new cottages on the water is not a simple build, there are many things that you have to consider and the layout of where everything goes on the lot is important. 

You need to start now or you risk having to wait to start your cottage build to a later date. 

If you are thinking about building a new cottage in the spring send me an email and lets see if I can help.

greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott

Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Hire A Licensed Professional To Renovate Your Bruce Peninsula Cottage

Recently I asked a local community group about creating a preferred contractors list for building, fixing, renovating and repairing their cottages. This is something I have been involved in before in different places and different groups.

The reason for the group is take the guess work out of finding a reliable tradesmen to fix whatever you need fixed.

The logic is that as a group you have more purchasing power then as an individual. That might not make the job cheaper but it does give you comfort that the person you hired will want to do the job right because of all the other people that potentially need their services that you the homeowner know.

Now this sounds like a simple thing, to create a list of people and companies to do work for your neighbors, it usually is, except in cottage country.

What is different in cottage country? Well there are a lot of "handy people" who charge for services that they do, whether that is repairs, maintenance or just keeping watch on other peoples cottages. A lot of these people charge cash, as in they are avoiding paying tax, avoiding telling the government that they are running a business.

Now not paying tax might seem like a great thing because you spend less money as the homeowner, but it also has a lot of problems associated with it;

• Insurance. Any trade or construction company that you hire to work at your cottage or home should be fully insured. This is so that if they damage your home then you are made whole. If they do not have insurance then your own home insurance will be void as well, meaning if the home was to be destroyed from fire or structural damage you wouldn't be covered at all!
• WSIB. Companies require wsib for their employee's. Individual contractors that are working for you the homeowner do not require it. But they do require personal liability insurance and insurance to protect them if they get injured. If they don't and they get really hurt or worse their family could sue you the homeowner for compensation because it happened at your home. Also if someone didn't have insurance and got hurt at your home you the homeowner are considered the contractor,that means that legally you could be charged with negligence for not making sure that the person was working safely.
• Warranty. When cash is exchanged that means that there is no warranty. Now if someone is doing some simple maintenance maybe you don't care about maintenance, but for larger jobs like a new deck or windows where there is a lot of money involved you want a warranty. When you spend a lot of money you should expect a warranty.
• Resale. Cottages have risen in value in the last decade everywhere. The amount of people looking to buy cottages have never been higher. Nothing raises your cottage value like a good renovation. Nothing hurts your cottage value like a bad renovation. Buyers now are more picky hiring home inspectors and they can also ask if the work on the cottage was completed in a legal manner.

Now as properly insured and registered company that employ's professionals for all aspects of the cottage renovation process I spend a lot of time explaining to homeowners why I have to fix someone else's work. The damage that is caused by people who don't know what they are doing is worse then you can imagine. 

I recently had to repair a wall that was full of carpenter ants. The wall was so wet and damaged that we had to completely remove the wall and build a new one, why? Because the guy 5 years earlier who installed the new siding failed to put a proper flashing/drip edge between the siding and the deck above. This allowed the water from snow and rain to run down the siding, hit the deck and run behind the siding into the wall cavity. In 5 years the entire wall was destroyed.

Things like improperly installed windows void the manufactures warranty immediately. The same as improperly installed siding and shingles. The cost of material has never been higher, installing it improperly shortens its life span. 

One other thing is that professional companies spend time educating themselves on new techniques and new products. The construction industry has never changed as fast as it is now, with new products coming out to help homes last longer and survive the ever changing weather that is affecting us, these products have very specific ways that they need to be installed or they will fail.

So in the future when you are looking for repairs, renovations or even to build a new cottage look for a professional company that is insured and that will do the work the right way. Yes you will have to pay tax, but you will also be protected in more ways then one.

Rob Abbott

Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc. 

Cottage Renovators Bruce Peninsula

Nothing transforms your cottage like a large renovation.

But a large renovation must be done right or it could turn into a nightmare.

Because of that you need a contractor that is not only good at renovating cottages, they are also good at designing, organizing and planning.

Your contractor doesn't have to be an interior designer but they should know the latest trends, how they are completed and what will make your cottage function and feel better and more family friendly.

Older cottages were built for function more then comfort and fashion, but as times change so does the need for what cottages have become.

Cottages now are used 12 months of the year and are considered a second home not just a place to go on the weekend to enjoy swimming in the lake. People want to be comfortable when they go to the cottage, they want to be able to feel like they are at their own home, they don't want to wake up feeling cold and dirty and dreaming of sunday afternoon when they can drive home.

The need to hire a contractor that can sit with you as the homeowner and re-design the interior of your cottage, the exterior of it, change the bathrooms, the kitchen or even the basement into something that makes you feel like you never left home is at a premium.

Great Lakes Custom Homes is that kind of contractor.

Building and renovating cottages on the Bruce Peninsula is something that we take pride in, something that we are exceedingly good at.

If you are thinking about renovating your cottage send us an email at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Let us make your cottage more your home and less like the 70's era camp that it looks like.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Easter Is The Start Of Cottage Renovation Season

As the thanksgiving long weekend approaches a lot of people will be heading up to their cottage to open them up for the start of COTTAGE SEASON!

What some of them will find will be damage from the winter that will need to be repaired.
While others once they are there will look around and realize that the place is really in need of some major repairs/renovations if they plan to keep using it.

This is the start of the spring cottage renovation season, were my phone and email start going off like crazy in the next month and an a half.

This is the nature of being a contractor that services cottage country, it's very quiet until its not...

If you are thinking about renovating your cottage this spring then the sooner you start calling around to find a contractor the better your odds are that you will actually find one that isn't completely booked for the entire spring and summer.

It doesn't matter if you are thinking about doing a bathroom renovation, a basement conversion, an addition, a major face lift to the outside of the cottage, building decks or docks, mostly the same contractors do most if not all of it. And once that long weekend comes they not only start getting really busy working on peoples cottages but also pricing a lot more work for later in the year.

Remember that there are only so many good quality contractors up in cottage contractors, so if you really want work done this spring/summer you need to get a hold of them soon, they will need sometime to get you a proper quote, pricing and schedule you in for the actual work.

If you are looking to renovate your cottage on the Bruce Peninsula email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Make Your Cottage Basement Into Something Enjoyable

Do you have a raised bungalow cottage in the Bruce Peninsula and are wondering what to do with your damp dark basement?

Well lets turn it into something usable and amazing! A block basement in the Bruce Peninsula is usually built right on top of the rocks near the water,what does this mean? It means that the basement is usually not built into the ground on all four sides of the cottage.

Typically the cottage is buried on the side were the septic system is installed and the rest of the building is basically out of the ground,

What does this mean to your dark and damp basement? It means that we can cut holes through the outside block walls and install windows and doors. Immediately your basement becomes light, airy and ventilated. Oh and USABLE!

To take care of the dampness you need to use spray foam insulation, a heating system that circulates the air thus bringing new fresh, dry air inside and removing the damper air.

Now that your basement is light and dry all you have to do is the finishing's! You can raise beams, move stairs, add plumbing, add electrical and with some insulated flooring to keep your feet happy you are done it. Your new basement will feel just like any other part of your house that you already enjoy.

What you need is a contractor with the vision to help you turn your old cottage into something special that your family and friends would be happy to come and enjoy with you.

If your looking to upgrade your basement into something more then just a place to store life jackets and kayaks send me an email and we can talk greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
.
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Custom Home Builder Bruce Peninsula Spring 2019

Are you planning on building a custom home or cottage in the Bruce Peninsula?

You have bought the property, talked to architects and you are dreaming about what it will be like to live in your new home/cottage throughout those wonderful summers and falls.

One problem, you can't seem to find a builder, most of the builders that you find are either too busy for you this year or you just don't like the way they operate. Well look no further.

Email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com and lets talk about building you your dream home.

We have been building dream homes for people all along the lake shores of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron for decades.

We are a family owned and operated company that prides itself on personal service and an extreme level of quality. We believe in dialogue with the homeowner throughout the entire build process, phone calls, emails, text messages and sometimes even videos. We believe that the more you the homeowner know about your build the more you will enjoy the build process.

We are endlessly exploring new ways to build homes that make them more efficient, simpler to operate and allow for a more enjoyable experience to the homeowner.

Every custom home comes with its own unique challenges when they are being built, you need a builder that will not only construct what is on the plans but also be able to make suggestions on how it can be built better and also how to make the function of the home greater for you the homeowner.

If you have your land but you haven't been able to find someone to help you with the drawings we can help organize that for you too. We work with a number of architects, architectural technologists and draftsmen that can help you create any kind of home that you can dream up. We even work with interior designers that can help you with the finishing's to really put your personal stamp on it.

So if your searching the internet looking for a builder for your new custom home this spring then you found that right website. Email us and let us help you get that custom home that you deserve.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

NUDURA XR35 Insulated Concrete Form

Your New Cottage Should Have An ICF Foundation

Thinking about building a new custom home or new custom cottage up on the Bruce Peninsula this spring/summer?

If you have then you have properly envisioned what the place would look like, the inside the outside, the windows, the siding, the finishing's, the kitchen and the bathroom. But something that people don't put enough thought into is their foundation. Nobody thinks about their foundation, until of course they have problems with their foundations!

Something that you as the homeowner should be asking your contractor about is the options for your foundation. What do I mean about options? Aren't all foundations concrete or block? Yes and NO.

A questions every homeowner should ask their contractor is "WHAT ABOUT ICF?". What is ICF. It stands for Insulated Concrete Forms.

Basically instead of building your foundation out of concrete you build the foundation with large foam blocks. The foam blocks look like large Lego blocks but they have a a hallow space in the middle where you place the rebar and the concrete. An ICF wall is basically a concrete wall with its long underwear still on.

Why do you want your concrete wall to have long underwear? Well once you pour the concrete in the ICF forms your foundation wall is completed! That's tight it's basically done. The wall is already insulated and has built in webs so that you can attach the drywall too or hang a picture or place stone or brick on the outside.

What's the limitations to building out of ICF? Nothing, you can even create round walls with it. There is no set size or shape that it has to be in.

Worried about mice and bugs? Nothing lives in an ICF wall, the foam has no food value so nothing lives in it and if something decided to try and burrow through the foam from the outside they would end up running into the concrete wall that's behind the foam.

ICF foundations made your basement or crawlspace warm and dry, a basement made out of ICF is usually the coziest basement you've ever been in.

If your contractor hasn't talked to you about building your basement out of ICF then maybe you need a new contractor.

If you like the idea of building your foundation so that it is warm and cozy and well insulated then send me an email and let's see if we can get you an ICF foundation.

Email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Start Now For Your Spring Building Projects In The Bruce Peninsula

If your thinking about building a new cottage, adding an addition to your existing cottage or renovating it then now is the time to start talking to contractors.

If you wait until the spring it will be to late, most contractors will already be booked up for the entire spring and you will be forced to wait for the fall to get your project started.

Some contractors that take on bigger projects will take on builds that take 1 year and will be fully committed for the entire building season by the spring, that means that you would have to wait until the following year to get your project even started.

I know when you look outside its full winter and the last thing you are thinking about is having work done in cottage country, but if you don't start the process now you are running the risk of having to wait a lot longer then you want to actually get the work completed.

If you have the plans and the details you need to start sending them to your preferred contractor now, your preferred contractor might already be to busy and you will have to go to the next one on your list. One of the reasons that you have to send your plans now is because this is the time when your contractor will be doing his pricing for the projects upcoming in the spring.

A big project like a new house build or a large addition can take a contractor up to two months to actually price, especially if they are busy pricing other projects.

If you start now, your contractor will price your project, work with you on your budget and sign a contract on the project to come it will probably be March or April. Depending on the winter you could end up starting the project several weeks after the contract is signed.

If your planning on building a new cottage on the Bruce Peninsula send me an email and I will see if I can help you with your build.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.