Wake Up Buyers!!! Forget the wall
colour and focus on the systems in a home!
Many
buyers in the Toronto market are getting too wrapped up in the aesthetics of a
home and not taking the time to consider the internal systems and how these
systems affect the physical and financial health of the occupants. Most buyers
and owners do not realize that often builders are putting materials and systems
into new and renovated homes that are to their detriment. Eurodale
Developments, winners of BILD Renovator of the Year refuse to do so as exemplified
in their latest home renovation at 33 Kelso Avenue.
Brendan Charters and Jim Cunningham
co-founders of Eurodale Development chose to take a holistic approach to
renovating this house in the Avenue and Lawrence community. They treated
moisture and air management through waterproofing and an air/vapour barrier,
they created air sealing and insulation upgrades to existing non insulated
masonry walls with high density spray foam (to avoid potential mould issues
with cellulose based insulation) and also increased efficiencies with a high
efficiency boiler to heat floors and domestic hot water. This allows for reduced
dependency on the forced air heating system and the elimination of a wasteful
traditional hot water tank. Complete air sealing with foam and caulking and
tape in areas of air and vapour barriers, as well as new energy star window and
door installations were a sizeable replacement to the old leaky units. Once
they had a tight home, they addressed air quality with material selections such
as formaldehyde free cabinetry and low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints
to reduce off gassing. The ventilation systems in the home were also improved
to ensure proper exchange of air inside the living space.
Due to these upgrades it will now
cost the owners substantially less to run the home. It will also be more
comfortable as there will be less of the exterior forces of nature able to
affect the humidity levels and temperatures inside the space.
In a hot real estate market like this,
location, most commonly referred to as the most important factor in any
real-estate deal, may not prove to be everything – you need to start looking at
how the house works as a system. The house at 33 Kelso Avenue has both a great
location and great system design, making it the perfect combination.
