tf system vertical ICF

just took delivery of our vertical ICF for my next project on north deer lake rd  here our some pictures will be taking the ICF to site to start installing tomorrow hope excavator has site ready

Beaches project

Well is been a cold week but at least the snow stayed up in Muskoka . project in the beaches is now ready for spray foam installed weeper down the leaking side of building and strapped out the 3 sides that are ready , After the new year we dig and install tf systems VICF for the 2 story addition at back . Here are some pic  

Really How Much

Really How Much !

It never seems to amaze me just how low some people are willing to devalue themselves .There is this mentality out there that it does not matter how low they go with there price as long as they get the job, this so wrong in so many ways .

For one ,on the home owners side the cheaper the cost most often the cheaper the job ,we have all heard the saying " the joy of a low price is quickly replaced be the reality of a poor job" how many times have we all heard of this happening , and yet customers are still wanting low prices over quality workmanship. 

Now on the trades side if they keep doing work for below average cost they can not maintain their tools ,truck or standard of living , if they are living below the standard than they can not add to the economy by up grading their life style.

The most common problem with hiring by price is that the contractor is working for so little that he has to work fast and cut corners to make money and good luck getting them to come back if there is a problem .

It is not just home owners that are the cause for low prices but retailers that offer install as well they make their money on the sale and then have their installers work for so little.

When you add in that some of these trades are trying stay legal with paying into WSIB and Tax as well as licences this can only lead to failure and that is one main reason so many contractor work under the table .

Every time a client ask me if I could lower my price I ask them if they will work for less and if they could call their boss and tell him that they will .

I have never lowered my price in fact I have made a living by telling people that I am more money than the rest and then I begin to explain why .

I can tell you that if you can deliver what you promise then you will find that you do not have to lower your price.

my company Moto  "  On Time On Budget Total Satisfaction "      

Until the trades start sticking to their price and clients care more about quality than low cost  we will all continue to suffer in one way or another . 

Cell Phones in the Work Place

Cell phone in the work place

like it or not just about everyone has a cell phone and it is becoming a problem .

just like when driving using cell phone when working can lead to accidents .

I have had employee that are texting when up on rafters or cutting wood just texting and not paying attention will end up hurting themselves .

It is becoming apparent all over the county that using cell phone while working is a distraction and accidents will and have started to happen in some work places.

employer need to start implementing guild line for cell phone and electronic devices at the work place .

On many job sites and work places you can see employees wearing ear buds when working and this too can be distracting if they can not here whats going on around them.

As of today all my employee are to leave all such devices in their lunch boxes and can only check them at break and lunch .

I have told all employee to have emergency call made to my number and then I will get hold of them .

remember not to long ago that was how it was done before we all had cell phones  

If we as employers do not get on top of this now it is going to become a big problem I have talked to other business owner and they all agree that cell phones at work is becoming a problem with most employee texting all day long while working 

So it is up to you to take charge and set guild line for cell phone use while at work.

       

quallity workmanship

Why is it that when a client is not happy with the work that they are paying for most contractor get up set . Lets face it , as the builder it is your job to deliver what the home owner is paying for .

so many guys out there are just not up to the job they cut out on their own before they have acquired the years of experience needed to be able to complete a job with the quality workmanship expected.

There is not a month that goes by that I am not asked to fix work done by others and it is most often that the work done is clearly just that the person doing the work had no idea what they were doing .

Yes there is still some jobs done by just bad contractors but for the most part it is just that the lure of quick cash has guys trying to go out on their  own .

While it easy to blame the young guys but the home owner has to except some blame . it is there responsibility to check references and get 3 separate quote for work to be done.

The client should stay on top of the job so as not to let thing get to far out of control.

With todays tech and social media it has never been more important to provide your  your client with the best quality you can provide .

When a job goes south you can bet that your name will suddenly start showing up the internet for the hole world to see , this will not help in the long run for your business.

So take on only those jobs that you can do and have the experience to do.

The best advice I can give you is to ask question often and try to learn everything you can from your employers and courses as well as from the internet and be sure of your self before heading out on your own .    

Lighthouse project

Custom1Contracting

Over the years I have been lucky to have been asked to build many different structures and that is one thing that keeps making this job fun and interesting .

It can be boring at times building the same old home over and over or deck after deck , but once in awhile a project gets dropped in your lap that breaks that daily grind and brightens your day.

This light house was just such a project with its angled walls and 2 teared roof .

The wood siding and cedar roof as well as the inside finished all in pine .

Then as  bonus I was asked to design and install the landscaping and stone skirt and floor .

It is jobs like this that help set us apart from other builders and every chance I get to show that my company is the best choice when it comes to designing and building projects that are out of the norm.

    

custom1contracting.com

Happy With My Job but Time For Change

So many people I talk too have one thing in common when it comes to their employment . Time and time again it is that they are not happy with the way things turned out for them,  There are many reasons  for this the one main constant when it comes to self employed people is that they just are not educated enough to do the job .Some do not have the skills or the mind set to be their own boss , much less handle employee.

While other do not stick to the "kiss " system of business , they try to do everything and end up not getting work because their business does not define its self and gets over looked .

For over 35 years I have been struggling to make a living in the construction trade from roofing to building all the time learning and honing my craft as I go.

While it has been trying at times there were many good times as well and yes I did move from one trade to another which did effect my ability to get work I for one was lucky that not only did I know and have the expertise for each trade I did but working as a sub was very easy to come by.

As the years went by I did happen to build a following of client that now years latter help to build my business and keep food on the table .

While it is true that if I had just focused on one aspect of construction I would have been able to grow a profitable business and made my life easier .

Over the years I have had many people tell me that I do too much for my client or that I should let other people do the work and of course stop doing everything .

But that is the point I do enjoy working with my client and designing and planning the hole job .

Over the years I have been hired to general some very large jobs do to my experience and reputation for getting things done on time.

So now the time has come that while I do not regret the choices that I have made I do now find that there are just to many job offers coming in to general large jobs as well as offers to design and build large cottages and homes , so the time has come that I have started turning away small jobs and turning other jobs onto others that I can trust to do the job

Over the years the one thing I can say is that I did and do enjoy the work I have done and while I will miss doing all the little thing for my client I know that it is my time to move on and up and let others do the work while I over see the jobs.

This way I will be able to train other as well.

SSLD

                                                        Custom1Contracting 

Well foundation is in and the framer rolls in and out comes the guys tools are set up and work begins.

Right off some guys start building the beams and setting it in place.

while others start installing the sill plates as they go they tighten down the nuts .

Once the plates are down the guys start installing rim boards and joist it is now that they start to notice that the sill plate and rim board do not lay flat together but just keep going .

Now that the joist are installed it is plywood time , it is here that they start finding that the sheets are not all landing on joist and start cutting to fit.

So up till now the framer has been able to get around the few problem they have ran into but the worst is yet to come.

The wall plates are marked and walls are built but they start to run into problems with putting plywood on , it will not go square between the walls and they have to stand some with no plywood .

By now you get the picture while they will get the house finished it will be filled with problem for all the trades as they build and the end product will be substandard.

This could have been avoided by following one simple rule SSLD strait square level and dimension . this simple rule when followed will make your job as framer run smooth and fast.

when you first show up at a new job you take time to check the foundation to make sure that it is square , strait , level and that it is the right dimension.

The problem is that many framer do not follow this simple step and a lot do not know how to adjust when things are out and still make the  build square and level .

 

It is quite easy to tell if a home was built square and level ,how many times have you seen tile run from one size to another against the wall .

or look at the soffit and see it go from small to large .

how many times have you seen humps in the roof or trim not joining just right .

It's like I keep saying if you hire by price along you will soon regret that choice .

when choosing a builder price is the last point on your list .

                                             custom1contracting.com

                                   On Time On Budget Total Satisfaction

The Art Of Framing

The Art Of Framing

When it comes to framing most would tell you that it is not that complicated to learn and do ,well maybe but most often it is one of the hardest trades to do .

There are thousand of people out there working in the trade but most often as is the case many are just not that good .

It is not their fault in most cases they just have not been instructed properly , as with most guys in this trade they find them self needing a job and there are thousands of framers out there always needing guys.

This is how it starts the blind leading the blind ,guys will get hired on start learning the trade and before you know it they them selfs think they are framers and strike out on their own with some other new guys .

It might be that yes they can manage to put up a small subdivision home with a few mistakes that alway get over looked this does not make them a framer .

What it does tell you is that many of our homes are not being built to the best standards that they could be but life goes on.

The biggest problem is that in our strive to make money we fail to see the hole picture ,there is a right way to build and most just do not posses the skills to make them a good framer .

I learned long ago that if you do thing right and have a plan you will make money and be able to produce a quality product 

The most important part to becoming a good framer is knowing how to read and interpret blue prints from the simple 3 sheet subdivision home plane to the multi page plans for large commercial jobs .

The next part to becoming a good framer is knowing the building code and having a good understanding of structural loads and how to build within them.

With these mastered now it is time to learn the mechanic of framing and this will be easy to learn now that you have the theory down pat .

Now that you are a framer it is time to set a plan on just how you will build 

this is a plan that I have used for years and it work perfect for small to large jobs . 

The first thing I do is study the prints for a few days before you start to look for problems and to make a cut list for windows and doors .

When you start I like to set up a work station for cutting and a place for mess to be placed,

Have one guy start cutting from you cut list while you get to work with the floor I will have the same guy doing the same thing every time like one on sill plates and another on beams and floor joist .

It is important to finish everything as you go the more you leave the you have to finish at the end and some time making it harder to do .

When installing joist install wall blocks and watch for toilets and bath drains as well as point load blocking.

once the floor is finished mark out all wall on the floor and start laying out wall plates , here as before one guy lays out the plates and another start laying in studs and jacks this will go fast now that you had one guy all ready cut all the parts needed for the walls.

I will start with the longest wall first and will build all walls I can before lifting them here to finish every thing like all plywood and tyvek before you lift them .

once you have lifted the exterior walls build and install interior walls making sure to install all back up and then install wall bracing and square and level all walls .

At this point everything should be done before you start the roof and once again have everyone doing a job and working together to get done .

Trusses or cut roof just make sure you completely finish all bracing and back up before plywood and make sure your sub facia is strait and level it will make the plywood go easy.

Small jobs will mean that some jobs are done by all the guys but on large job or subdivision were I will be building more than one home at a time I will have separate crews for each part like I will have one crew for floors and one on walls and one for roof so we can just keep moving along and quickly .

I know my plane works I have been able to finish large project or smaller project faster than others and with no deficiently .

Of course there is more to it than what I have mention but this will give you an outline.

The Truth about job Quote

38 years and still I keep running into this unethical way of quoting jobs .

many contractor big and small will use this way to quote jobs thinking that it is the only way to get the job , but after getting the job most will just run in to  problems getting their money  .

If they do get all the money it is a good bet that they will not have a good referral from the job .

Now what type of quoting am I talking about , well its called low bidding , that in its self is not the problem we have all seen guys do that and then run out of money trying to do the job  .

The real problem is the professional low bider that does it to get the job and then starts extra this and extra that after the job starts by then the client feels trapped and just goes with it .

Over the years I have seen this many times and have even talked to contractor that believe it is not only ok to do but feel no regret for doing so.

It makes me so mad to see good people taken this way and when every I can I will try to educate people about this practice.

You might think this is just a small general contracting problem but it is done even more with very large job all most every week you can here about large job going over budget it seem that it is just the fact of doing business , but it is not for 38 years I have never gone over my bid and in fact I most always come under and my clients get a refund for material not needed in my quote.

I do believe that in most cases the contractor doing the low biding just do not know how to price jobs or just do not want to take the time to do it right in any case we as contractor have an obligation to give the client the proper bid and stick to that bid unless a change is made which you and client agree on .

I live by one rule with my business is quite simple

On Time  On Budget  Total Satisfaction 

Total Cottage Coverage

Cottage and Home Maintenance

With the long drive up from the city dealing with stop and go traffic after a long week of work the last thing you would want to do is yard work , lets face it ,you went through all this so you could just relax and enjoy you weekend .

More and more people are contracting out to have their cottages and its property looked after so that when they arrive at the cottage its just unpack and rest.

Some owner just have their yard work done while others go for the hole package from yard work to repairs and home cleaning as well as regular inspection during the off season for insurance .

while there are many company in muskoka offering these services one should take there time and do their home work when hiring ,check reference and make sure you spell out what you expect and the cost .

Custom1contracting looks after all your repairs and renovations as well as deck and dock construction .

when it comes to the company that I would recommend for all your winter and summer maintenance it is

"Total Cottage Coverage"

Wayne Barlow is committed to providing you with professional service so you can just rest and enjoy.  http://www.totalcottagecoverage.com/

Fall Home Inspection

here we are heading into fall the trees are changing ,the kids are back to school   

Now that thanksgiving is just a few weeks away it is time to start looking around your home or cottage to make a list of all those thing that have been coming apart or just rotting away.

start with the foundation and make sure that run off water goes away from the house and make sure your foundation is not crumbling or cracking.

then go around checking your caulking around windows and doors and make sure your exterior cladding  is in good shape.

Look at your facia and soffit and check your roof to make sure that it does not need fixing or replacing.

when on your roof check the vents as well as the capping look for nails popping up and put caulking on them.

you should clean off moss that might be growing on the roof as well.

If you have over head wires make sure that they are free of branches.

It is also a good time to cut back trees and branches to let your roof breath  

Look over your decks and docks for damage and rot .

with cold weather coming on you might want to look at up grading your windows and checking your attic insulation to see if you might need to top it up.

weather seal around doors and attic hatches might need replacing.

fall is a good time to have your heating system cleaned and checked out.

Like with all home ownership the more you look after it the less it will cost to  maintain so think about having a home inspection and hiring  a company to look after your home   or cottage .

the fall is the best time to have addition or renovation done as well  your home is an investment so treat it as so 

TF System VICF Foundation

VICF SYSTEM VERSUS BLOCK ICF

When it comes to ICF not all systems are the same, most people are familiar with the block systems.

These block systems can be quite labor intensive and require a lot of re-bar and will require a lot of bracing as well you will need to install 1x4 on all corners.

Because of the way that the block system goes together you will end up with a lot of waste which you paid for.

It has been a big problem with block when pouring concrete to have blowout so a lot of time is spent adding wood to brace the bottom row and other spot that could blowout. There has been the problem with the blocks matching together causing quite a mess just keeping blocks level.

When pouring concrete in to block the concrete tends to lift the blocks up which can separate the layers making it hard to finish level.

This is not to say that block ICF does not do what they proclaim but like everything there are better products to consider.

That is where VICF comes in to play. This product changes the way we go about installing ICF, with this product you begin with installing a steel u-channel to the footing this will help hold the ICF panel in place.

It is best to make sure your footing are level and smooth so that the channel will lay flat.

When installing the panels we screw them to the channel this will stop the concrete from lifting the panels when pouring.

This system can be installed one side at a time making it so easy to install the re-bar as well as piping and other things you might want to put in wall.

This systems because of the vertical panels requires less to no re-bar a big money saver and time saver over block ICF.

This system will install in about half the time of block, requiring less than half the amount of bracing that block needs.

VICF system can be ordered to the size needed so less than a garbage bag of waste will be left over this is a big saving from block I have seen over $1000.00 of waste from block on big jobs now that is a big saving.

There are many reasons to go with VICF system some ideas have talked about and other i will mention in up coming articles.

The bottom line is that if you are looking at building with ICF then you owe it to your self to look at VICF systems.

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great investment

http://m.realtor.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?PropertyId=13516959

this property could be turned into a 101 flavour soft serve dairy shop at the far left need to be built but is all ready on excising building permit ,

then the garage area could be a grill house . that would leave the main house for a coffee sandwich house . as for the 4 rooms up stairs you could rent them out as over night rooms . there is a separate entrance for the up stairs . if set up right you could make this property a perfect money maker . with the businesses on the street already  there is a lot of foot traffic .

This property could also be turned into a  a spa / wellness centre  and you could build the 500s' addition on the garage and rent out the garage and addition for extra income there are 2 people interested in renting .

The possibility are endless  you just need to make it happen      

awards or quality work

They come a round every year , we see them in the papers and on line there not hard to miss  telling you to vote for your best builder or restaurant along with a hole list of other category's.

Then that is followed buy businesses  advertising for your vote or phone calls from people you know wanting you to vote for them .

What does it all really mean  while some businesses do deserve the award ,is it really well deserved    

or just that you have more friends that you had vote for you than others .

Than there are those that do nothing to solicited your vote  what about them are they bag company not worth dealing with because they have no award.

does getting the award make you better than others , I think not I know of one business that spends more time every year getting your vote that they do running their business , to them getting the award is more important than just supplying a prefect product to their clients .

I am sure that there are more company out there like them as well .

Don't get me wrong I think if your work deserves an award than why not, but look over the winners every year they are the same time and time again and in most cases its who you are and who you know not how well you run you business.

I have run my company for over 37 years I spend all my energy on providing my customer with the best product and service they deserve.

In all that time I have never tried to or won an award .

I have been lucky enough to have had one of my project placed on the front cover of a home plan magazine as well as a few write ups in publication .

As for the awards they are what they are and while one should not discount  getting one it is more how you got the award and what is more important the award or providing a service that warrant  getting the award.

  

Cottage and Home Maintenance

Cottage and Home Maintenance

With the long drive up from the city dealing with stop and go traffic after a long week of work the last thing you would want to do is yard work , lets face it ,you went through all this so you could just relax and enjoy you weekend .

More and more people are contracting out to have their cottages and its property looked after so that when they arrive at the cottage its just unpack and rest.

Some owner just have their yard work done while others go for the hole package from yard work to repairs and home cleaning as well as regular inspection during the off season for insurance .

while there are many company in muskoka offering these services one should take there time and do their home work when hiring ,check reference and make sure you spell out what you expect and the cost .

Custom1contracting looks after all your repairs and renovations as well as deck and dock construction .

when it comes to the company that I would recommend for all your winter and summer maintenance it is

"Total Cottage Coverage"

Wayne Barlow is committed to providing you with professional service so you can just rest and enjoy.  http://www.totalcottagecoverage.com/

finished coffee table