Insulated Vinyl Siding

One easy way to have your old warn cottage freshened up is to change the siding on the outside of it. There are a lot of different products that you can us on the outside of your cottage;

• Wood, pre-painted or rough. Pine or cedar. 
• Cement siding (pre-painted).
• Stone, manufactured or real.
• Vinyl Siding.

The cheapest and simplest of the above is Vinyl Siding. If you are looking for an economical way to spruce up your cottage then vinyl siding is for you.

One of the biggest flaws with vinyl siding is that it has to be installed properly. If it's not installed properly then you will have pieces of siding blow off in high winds, the siding will buckle in the heat and the overall installation will not look straight with a good fit and finish. So hiring a professional that knows how to properly install it is key to the job looking good when it is finished and far into the future.

Vinyl siding has several advantages to other forms to siding;

• By far the cheapest to buy and install.
• Goes on fast.
• Many different colours and styles to choose from.
• Do not require strapping or an airspace behind the siding, this saves time on the installation.
• Can now get it with insulation built into the siding.

The last one is what I really want to talk about. Most old cottages are very poorly insulated. Either their under insulated, badly insulated or the insulation is so old that its just not effective anymore. 

New vinyl siding comes with the option of having insulation that is pre-attached to it. This makes the installation of the siding and the insulation pretty quick since the insulation is stuck to it, all you have to do is install it like any other vinyl siding and you have a layer of rigid foam insulation across the entire outside of your cottage. This also gives you a thermal break over all the studs in the house, this is especially effective in those colder months when the wind blows off the lake.

Insulated Vinyl siding even comes with insulated corners so that the entire outside of the walls of your cottage will have the same insulation value.

Insulated Vinyl Siding also has the affect of making your siding a little stronger to impact damage. When things strike the outside of the siding the insulation adds a cushioning affect to it helping it to resist cracking and breaking.

So if your cottage is looking old and tired and a little chilly in those colder months then think about some new siding, the right stuff can not only make your cottage look better but also save you money on heating as well.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Buying Or Building A Cottage Part 1

Now that spring is here in the Bruce Peninsula people are coming up and looking to buy themselves a cottage. The Bruce Peninsula has never been so busy as it is in the last couple of years and the actual real estate market for cottage's and especially for waterfront property has never been more hot and expensive.

One of the main reasons for the rising prices is not just that people want a cottage up the Bruce Peninsula its that there is a lack of cottages for sale as people are not selling their cottages like they were 4 or 5 years ago. This is driving the price of waterfront or near waterfront cottages to ever new heights. There's a saying; they don't make new waterfront, meaning that there is a finite amount of cottages that can be bought or sold that are on the water.

In these kind of market conditions if you really want a waterfront cottage you have two choices;

1. You buy a cottage that you don't really want but is in the right location;
2. You buy a vacant lot and build yourself a brand new cottage.

Those two options are not ideal, the 3rd option of buying exactly what you want really doesn't exist, not even if you have an unlimited budget, even the higher end priced waterfront cottages have their flaws and problems. 

Let's talk about the Pro's and Con's of 1. You buy a cottage that you don't really want but is in the right location;

There are a lot of older cottages that are in need of repair or updating but are in the area that you want or are on waterfront that everyone wants. Some of the pro's to buying an older cottage;

Pro's

• You can move right in and start enjoying cottage country right away without waiting.
• Using the cottage before making major changes allows you the ability to get used to the cottage and help bring your vision of what you want out of the cottage to life.
• Buying and renovating a cottage is cheaper then building a brand new cottage from a vacant piece of property.
• When your ready to renovate or ad an addition to your cottage most of the work can be completed in the off season when you are not using the cottage.
• With modern technology your contractor can keep you updated on the progress of your renovations when your home at work.
• Some older cottages are in area's that you are not allowed to build on anymore or are closer to the water then what is allowed today. A lot of times that means that you have a better view of the water then your newer built neighbours, its great fro resale.
• Older cottages usually come with all the furnishing when they are sold, yes a lot of stuff will go to the dump but a lot of the stuff can be used at least for the first couple of years, this allows you to enjoy the cottage right away without having to shell out a lot of money on furniture and other stuff.
• Older cottages are usually easy to carry financially as the taxes are low.
• New cottages never give you that old cottage feeling that a lot of people dream about when they want a cottage, some unique and rustic, not a new modern home.
• An older cottage has usually been around longer then the last time the water in the great lakes has been at its peak in the 80's/90's. That means that even at its highest point the cottage was positioned in a place that it wasn't affected or at least survived. That means that your cottage should be fine in the future from the rising water.
• Older cottages have an established flora/fiona, this means that you will see lots of animals because they are use too the cottage being there and are comfortable around humans.
• Older cottages have neighbours, which means you will have friends as soon as you move in.

Con's

• Buying an older cottage you could be getting yourself into something that needs a lot more renovating then you ever thought.
• If you don't want to hire someone to do the repairs and renovations then you could be buying yourself a second job (renovating the cottage) instead of a place to get away from your job.
• Be careful that you don't have to replace the septic or the well as these are two big ticket items.
• When buying an older cottage don't fool yourself, you are buying an older cottage, they come with a lot more interesting flaws then older homes built in town. Usually older cottages are built to be used only in the warmer months, thinking your going to use them in the winter will probably be a mistake.
• Older cottages will have higher utility bills then you are used too, electricity is more expensive in cottage country then in town.
• Get used to fixing things or having things fixed, older cottages are always in need of repair.
• Older cottages can have unwanted guests (bugs and rodents). Its something you might have to get use too dealing with.
• Most older cottages have room to sleep a lot of people but are usually short on bathrooms, usually just a single one, learn to share.
• Most older cottages are sold because the owners do not use them like they use too, this means that the outside maintenance of cutting back the tree's and vegetation has not been kept up. Unlike the city you will have to get used to cutting trees. If you want to be able to see the water from your waterfront cottage then tree cutting and tree removal will be essential.
• Old cottages can have foundation problems if they haven't been constructed correctly or haven't been maintained.
• One thing its hard to do up on the Bruce Peninsula is grow a lawn, you probably will have to give up the dream of having a nice lawn at the cottage unless you really want to put in the effort.
• With older cottages there are perceived ownership of things, like waterfront, lot lines, fences. Sometimes it can be trouble figuring out what they are at first without offending your neighbours.

The one thing that you have to remember when you are buying an older existing cottage on the Bruce Peninsula is that you are buying someone else's idea of what a cottage is and over the years they have become comfortable in that space. That means that they become blind to obvious problems in and around the cottage, some of these problems are easy to fix and some are more of a financial commitment. These issues don't mean that the cottage wasn't taken care of its just means that they didn't bother the owner enough for them to do anything about.

Remember to always talk to your neighbours when you are planning to do major construction or tree cutting then you won't be surprised if they have objections to what you are doing, you don't need their permission but everyone likes to be kept informed.

Pro's and Con's of building a new cottage....in part two

Rob Abbott

Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Gas Fireplaces In Your Cottage

Since this has been one of the wettest spring/summers in a long time up in the Bruce Peninsula, you might be getting a little tired of feeling damp at your cottage all the time.

But what do you do? It's to hot to turn the furnace on (if your cottage has one) and its to warm out for a wood fireplace to burn properly to dry out the building.

You could place dehumidifiers everywhere to dry the place out but they'll only work when all the doors and windows are kept shut and then your going to have to spend a small fortune on electricity to run the air conditioner.

One of the simplest and easy ways to dry the air out in the cottage and take the chill out of the air regardless of the temperature outside is to have a gas fireplace installed.

Most places in the Bruce Peninsula do not have access to natural gas so you will have to go with a propane gas fireplace.

There are several different companies that supply and install propane to the Bruce Peninsula so you will have your choice of what company you will want to deliver your propane.

Propane is stored onsite in metal containers, the size of the container will depend on the amount of propane that you and the company that you buy it from figure that you will use in a certain time frame.

If you use your cottage all year then they will install a larger storage tank, if you only use it part of the year then you can get away with a smaller storage tank.

Gas fireplaces come in an endless variety of shapes and sizes to fit anyone's tastes and needs. Gas fireplaces are all run on thermostats now, so it doesn't matter if the temperature is 10 degrees or 20 degrees they will heat and dry the room removing the damp air and making the cottage feel more comfortable. Once the desired temperature has been reached they will automatically turn themselves off.

Gas fireplaces will easily heat an entire cottage, duct work can be installed to move warm air around to different parts of the house that wouldn't get a normal flow of heat from the fireplace.

The price of gas fireplaces ranges as much as the size and shape of them, there are smaller inexpensive fireplaces and there are large luxurious fireplaces, it all depends on your budget.

A gas fireplace can be the anchor around a larger renovation to completely transform the look and feel of your cottage. Or it can be just an add on to another wise finished room.

If you want to discuss this type of renovation to your cottage email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

New Insulation The Key To Keeping Your Cottage Warm

Do you have trouble heating your cottage when the wind starts to blow of the water?

This is a common problem with older cottages and on the Bruce Peninsula there are lots of older cottages.

If you own or have recently purchased an older cottage then you probably know what I'm talking about.

There are many reasons why this happens;

• Lack of insulation. Or older insulation or non at all.
• Older windows. Pierson windows which are singe pane or cheaper vinyl windows all air to invade the house through the glass and around the window it self.
• Holes. With older cottages there actual holes from previous renovations, animals and general age and weather.

What you should be thinking about is if you are planning a renovation then you should set aside money to update the insulation and the windows in the cottage. This isn't as appealing as changing the flooring or updating the kitchen and bathrooms but it's probably more important then any of the other things that I have listed above.

Since insulation has to be installed either in the walls or on the outside of the walls under the siding then it needs to be done first and should not be done later.

Updating the insulation and windows has a very positive affect for the cottage with little to no downside other then the upfront cost.

1. Insulating and window replacement will reduce the energy consumption that it takes to heat the and cool the cottage. That's good for an area that high electricity rates.
2. Ups the resale value of the cottage. Nothing helps raise the value like new windows.
3. Allows longer use of cottage. With new windows and insulation you can use the cottage earlier in the year and later into the fall.

The wind blowing of the great lakes can be unrelenting, the only thing to do is to insulate against it. Stop the wind blowing through the cottage and change the windows and insulate.

Rob Abbott

Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Closing Up The Cottage Look For Needed Repairs

Even though the weather is still warm it is coming closer to the point in the fall that everyone will start closing their cottages for the winter. They will be shutting everything down until next spring or summer.

When you are doing your shutdown procedures for your cottage take a close look around, if you see anything that you believe needs to be repaired or replaced by the spring then maybe you should call someone this fall to do it.

Contractors are busy after the cottage season is over and they usually have work lined up for the foreseeable future, if you call them right away in the fall then they can come out rather quickly and give you an estimate on the repair.

They might not be able to do the repair for months or even until the spring but at least you will be in the line for the repair work. If you try to call in the spring and get it repaired you might end up with a scenario that you either don't get called back at all because they are too busy or they do come out and quote you but can't actually do the renovation until the middle of the summer.

Remember the good contractors are always busy, that means that you want to give them as much notice as possible when you are going to need renovations.

Don't worry that the renovations will happen when you are not there, you shouldn't have to be there to supervise the contractor, in fact its better that your not for everyone involved. Hire your contractor let them do their work when you aren't around and everyone will be happier.

Remember that in cottage country the motto for getting renovations completed should always be hurry up and wait. Hurry up to get the quote and then wait for them to be able to service you.

If you would like a quote on your cottage repairs email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes