Timeline Journey Renovations

We are a Family Business

2011-11-13T18:58:00.008-05:00

When your Mom and your wife love the business, you know you're doing something right.

Pat's New Laundry Room

2010-12-19T11:26:00.012-05:00

After many years of using this crowded depressing half-lit room for doing her washing and drying, Pat called me to come in and renovate the space.
She told me she wanted a bright cheerful laundry room.
We started by framing and drywalling the old concrete walls. Then we installed lots of receptacles and put in an overhead flourescent light.

We visited the Lotto home together and she spotted a tile she really liked, so we put the same one in for the floor.
The result is a clean, bright, simple room that is a pleasure to use.
Pat's dream was to have an ironing board that folds out from the wall so we put one in for her. She grows African violets in the room so it also adds to the light (and beauty) of this space.

We even put a TV in the corner so she can watch TV while she irons.
Pat says she loves being in this room now.

Before...

After

Mozy's Shawarma

2010-11-14T19:38:00.001-05:00

November 14, 2010; Kitchener Ontario

When Mozarfar asked me to come build his new store on 247 King Street, Waterloo, I didn't know what a 'shawarma' was. I'm not completely sure now. All I know is that it's delicious!

Mozarfar came from Syria a few years ago. He used to drive past a hot dog vendor at the corner of University and King and say to himself: "if only I could have a small business like that some day."

Now his dream is coming true, except, instead of having a road-side stand, he has managed to build not one, but two restaurants.

This is the main counter in his store. It was a very interesting challenge to build something so large. We covered the front in laminate and ordered special wide molded tops at 2 different levels.

Here is the business card from the existing store. He is located in a little known plaza on Highland road and yet people seek him out. Now we are all excited to see what will happen next. Mozarfar is in a great second location and he has a great attitude and a wonderful product. I know his new restaurants is going to be a tremendous success. Asalamalakum!

HST Smell Of Excess

2010-11-14T14:40:00.002-05:00

They say there's something fishy about the HST. But here at Timeline Journey Home Renovations, we don't smell a thing.

From A Very Happy Deck Customer

2009-04-08T08:16:00.006-04:00

Here's a testimonial from a very happy deck customer.

"I hired Steve from Timeline Journey Construction to build my deck because I was having hard time finding a contractor who could my somewhat unusual ideas with a builder's expertise. I have found that some contractors either have fixed ideas about how a project should look, or they wait for me, the customer, to come up with the entire plan. In my case, I didn't have a full picture of how it would be or how it should be structured, but I knew I wanted to incorporate some reclaimed materials I had collected, and the final product had to serve several purposes for lounging and poolside activities. I needed Steve's input to ensure that everything met the code requirements, plus his ideas about how to best achieve the look and feel I was after.

This is my deck just before the project was completed.

"It is situated over a very steep grade in my backyard. We started with an existing 10x12 upper deck, which was never used because of it's sun exposure and lack of privacy. Steve built a roof over deck, and added privacy walls with windows, to allow a view and light, but protect the space from weather and overly friendly neighbours.

Here's a view of the old deck from the backyard. You can see that the trumpet vine was dominating the staircase behind it:

"The deck used to have a long staircase leading to the ground. Steve came up with the idea to have a two-level deck with two shorter staircases. He recessed the stairs leading to the upper deck to maximize space on the lower deck.

"The challenge with the lower deck was to shape it to fit around our above ground swimming pool. I knew we wouldn't always have this pool so I wanted a design that would also highlight a garden below. Right now we place the pool ladder at the opening in the rails. It's a perfect setup.

"Some of the reclaimed materials I wanted to incorporate into the design included some twig wall panels, discarded old windows I found by the roadside, and some old barn board from a Mennonite farm.

"Here you can see how Steve used the barn board and twig panels to form a privacy wall at the side of the lower deck:

The reclaimed windows provide some weather protection without blocking the view:

"My giant old trumpet vine was growing next to the stairway of the old deck. Steve had no problem building around it. I placed a planter around the base to make it look like it's sitting on the deck but the roots are actually five feet below under the deck. The structure supporting the vine will become part of some built-in seating I am planning.

"A few more twig panels with barn board were incorporated on the other side of the lower deck. The winds here are very strong so it works nicely to allow privacy without completely blocking out the view.

"Each year I think of a few more things I would like to do to improve our outdoor living area. When I've found the materials I want to use, I call Steve and we get to work. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the way I can describe my ideas to him but he does all the figuring out. He knows the code, he has a lot of building experience, and he's very interested in new ideas, so his expertise helps me get what I'm after. I get to have the one-of-a-kind outcome I am after with the assurance that it's all very well built.

"One day I hope to hire Steve for an entire home renovation. For now I can enjoy this beautiful view from the upper deck:

How To Build a Fish Pond

2009-03-20T20:01:00.006-04:00

Waterloo Ontario,

The most common question I get is: "Do you build..." And the answer I seem to always give is: 'Yes". So when Pat took me into her back yard and asked: "do you build fishponds?" what else could I say?

I dug the hole and leveled out the dirt so the pond liner fits snugly in place.

Now it's ready for the water and fishies.
We filled up the new pond with water and let it sit for a day or so before getting the fish.
Pat put the fish in and then gradually gathered up rocks and put in some lily pads. She even got a Buddha for the corner. I am often asked to build projects like this. What I really like is that you, as the client, often come up with ideas I would never have done by myself. I enjoy them very much because I work with my client to help them make their vision a reality; in a way that is unique to them. I think the final effect is beautiful.

Tree Home

2009-03-19T23:19:00.006-04:00

Medicine Hat Alberta 1980

Before

I bought this home in 1980 for $42,000 in Medicine Hat Alberta. There were more than 30 trees on the lot when I started. I wanted to make the home look more substantial so I removed the phylon carport and buit a full garage instead.

After

When I was done, I had a covered porch that led to the garage from inside.

The trickiest question I faced was whether to cut down a tree that was in the way of my new garage roof. So I decided to keep the tree and build the roof around it. The amazing thing is that the roof never leaked. It's hard to see in this photo but the tree 'behind' the garage is actually in the middle of it. I had a lot of neighbors scratching their heads when they looked at it.

Kitchen Down Pat 3

2009-03-17T13:13:00.009-04:00

This is the Kitchen Renovation I did for Pat. I removed the railing between the upper and lower levels and built a wall with a narrow closet in it to hold her card table and chairs. I then built a cubby hole to hold her appliance trays. The end result gave her twice the kitchen cabinet space and a clear counter.

click> on arrow above to see this video

You can see the before and after pics here.

Pat had me build pull-outs for her appliances.

Kitchen Down Pat 2

2009-03-17T12:51:00.013-04:00

If you read the post: Kitchen Down Pat you will remember this idea. Pat wanted to find a way to keep her counters clear and still keep her appliances handy.

This was Pat's own invention. It's one of those ideas I would never have thought of as a carpenter. I had to hand cut the counter top splash back to make it into drawer fronts. Then I found a heavy-duty drawer slide system that could carry the weight. Personally I think she's a genius. Pat says she and I should patent it. Does anyone have an idea what it should be called? See the video here

You Might Need A New Contractor When...

2009-03-16T15:19:00.018-04:00

At least it's nice when Big Brother is NOT watching...

His last job was the 'Ripley's Believe it or Not' Building.

The Sarah Palin Escalator to...

Almost...

At least it's child-proof.

I actually saw a contractor try to do this once.

And they wonder why more people don't come in.

Doesn't payday feel like this anyway?

This mistake is easier to make than you might think.

Okay, this one is just creepy.

OH MY GOD! I kept thinking the mistake was that the railing doesn't extend far enough down.

I have to admit this one took me a minute to realize.

Our Aw-Some Home Renovation

2009-03-15T00:54:00.007-04:00

Join us as my wife, Aw and I renovate our Kitchener home. We will be posting our progress as we bring this 1945 home into the 21st Century.

Steve Installs Mel's Laminate Floor

2009-03-12T22:11:00.004-04:00

Kitchen Down Pat

2009-03-10T23:40:00.012-04:00

Before

Pat has always been short of space in her kitchen. This railing is supposed to make the house feel open but it just makes the kitchen seem undefined and junky.

After

She had me remove her railings and add these base cabinets. But Pat didn't stop there. She came up with the idea of pull-out trays that hold her appliances and TV. The appliances you see in the back are on roller trays. The molded counter top back splash is cut to act as drawer fronts for the trays. Now she has her counters clear. See the video

Deborah's Kitchen

2008-04-10T09:53:00.000-04:00

Deborah brought me in to update the kitchen in her condo. I removed the old cabinets, replaced the sink and faucets, installed a microwave over the range, replaced her range hood venting, replaced her sub floor and installed new ceramic tiles. I also installed new tiles for her back splash. She will paint the walls later.

BeforeAfter

Mike's Garden Door

2008-03-12T17:45:00.002-04:00

BeforeMike made the mistake of asking me what I thought about the idea of changing his old sliding patio doors for a garden door. Next thing we knew his back entrance looked like this. (I can't believe people pay me to destroy their homes...but I love it!)

After
Mike says the new doors are a joy to use. Mike and Lorrie have a yard that opens up to a large park area and this new door gives them a very comfortable access.

Referrals

2007-05-20T17:28:00.000-04:00

Basement Suite Kitchen: Kitchener Ontario 2009
Blucher Street, Kitchener, Ont. I built the porch roof, the bathroom addition at the side and every aspect of the home inside and out. 2009.
Owen Grant. Porch Deck and screened in Porch. Kitchener, 2009
Owen Grant; Covered Porch deck; outside view

Well Cared For 3Bdrm Home Available June 1st. $1150 /Month

2007-05-14T06:52:00.006-04:00

This is a first time rental property, newly painted and floors updated. Lots of privacy. Quiet neighborhood. Great location for children. Close to Shopping, Bus, Hospital

37 Barbara Crescent, Kitchener

· Well Cared for property

· New Paint and Flooring

· 3 Good sized Bedrooms

· 5 minutes from Highway 7/8

· Close to Hospital

· Bus stop close by

· Paved Driveway for 3 Cars

· Lots of Street Parking

· Storage Shed and Picnic Table area

· Central Air Conditioning

· High Efficiency Furnace

· Spacious Basement Family room with new Carpet and Paint.

· Washer and Dryer Included

· Water Softener

· Half Bath in Basement

· Kitchen includes Range, Fridge and Dishwasher

· Storage Shed

· Front Yard with tree

· Back Patio for Barbeque

· Quiet established safe neighbourhood

$1150 per month plus utilities. One year lease. First and last month rent to move in.

Steve (519) 277-8463

email: timelinejourney@yahoo.com

Front View of House
Basement Family Room
Kitchen: View 1
Kitchen: View 2

Master Bedroom
Living Room with new door and window; new laminate floor
Stairway to Upper Level
Upstairs Hallway to Bedroom
Back yard with Garden Shed

Steve (519) 277-8463

email: timelinejourney@yahoo.com

Building Custom Stairs

2006-05-03T21:47:00.002-04:00

Calgary; May 3 2006

Ted preps the wiring for the new walls in this basement development.
Our client wants his basement stairs to flair at the bottom. This is a very difficult calculation to get right.
I reinforce the risers as I finish creating the substructure for the stairs.

Private Eyes 2

2005-09-14T10:30:00.002-04:00

Calgary; September 14 2005

The new PI Office team made great progress today.While I continued with the doors and baseboards, Dan, the owner, put his office staff to work painting the whole place.Christa is the receptionist for the firm. She's a pretty good painter but I think she's got a promising career in Vegas as a comedian if she gets tired of answering the phone.Pina continued to lead the team with the finish coats of painting.Frazer is our tree topper guy. He has been doing the cutting in for the paint. He doesn't use a ladder.The whole crew is a delight to work with. That's Sheena in the back next to Frazer. She's our Primer specialist.Other than the fact that I haven't seen daylight for seven days, it's really been a joy working with all you guys.

Private Eyes

2005-09-13T10:30:00.002-04:00

Calgary; September 13 2005

It seems that all my skills as a renovator have come together in the last little while. I never thought of myself as a taper, but when a Private Investigator asked me to help him put his offices together I decided to give it a try.
I took this picture at 9pm the other night as I was finishing putting the mud on the walls. Jookie in Thailand, asked me what taping was. I told her it's what we use to finish drywall. Then she wanted to know what drywall was.
So I hope this gives you some idea, Jookie.
Pina, (Pronounced 'Pee-nah' is the office administrator for the Private Investigation firm, and a very skilled renovator. She is one of staff who helped put this complex together. The whole job will take me 7 days to complete, including gyprocking, taping and finishing carpentry. It's easy to focus on work here in Calgary when I have no distractions.

The Fence That Jack Built

2005-09-04T10:27:00.002-04:00

Calgary; September 4 2005

Most of my days can be summed up in seven words or less. If you had asked me what I did this week I would have replied: "I scraped a fence."
And scraped...and scraped...
Hardly a good use of my talents as a Journeyman carpenter but the money is great. I scraped six hundred feet of fence while Ted painted the fascia on the house. Then I stained the fence using a roller while Ted did the cut-in work with a brush. I really thought we would have trouble with this customer. Jack is a sour looking guy who seemed to have no sense of humour. But when he saw we were getting the job done in record time (4 days to scrape, prime and stain the fence and house trim) he started bringing us donuts and he even cracked a joke one day.
His wife is quite the opposite to Jack. Susan is a warm, friendly,enthusiastic woman; She posed for me to show off the finished product.

Lougheed House Trial

2005-05-22T10:25:00.002-04:00

Calgary; May 22 2005

I was searching the Internet for stories about an Alberta Heritage project I helped renovate when I came across this story fragment.

Lougheed House mischief trial set"A trial will begin Nov. 28 for a woman charged with vandalizing the historic Lougheed House. Provincial court Judge Anton Demong set the date Monday for Melissa Dawn Powell, 30, who faces one count..."- Tue, Apr 19, 2005
I took this picture of Melissa (crouching in front) on her birthday. These are some of the crew who scraped and replaced the woodwork throughout the Home.
This is an archive picture of the original House. It was built in 1891 and is the first Mansion built in Calgary. This is the East view Of Lougheed House.
I was very interested to read that someone had been arrested for this crime because I probably know more the evidence of this crime than anyone else. I was the first one on the scene after the vandalism was done and I took pictures that no one has ever seen until this blog. I have always thought there were certain elements to the vandalism that were suspicious. But I also want to make it clear that Melissa has not been convicted of this crime and I only know what the papers have said about her arrest so I will not assume she is guilty. I will show you the evidence from that day and tell you my thoughts about it.
I was the lead carpenter on the Lougheed Mansion when the breakin happened. I was working alone in Lougheed House until 5:30pm, Saturday July 23rd. I was also the first one to go inside at 7am on Monday July 25th.
Here's how the person got into the yard. They didn't break in. They simply pulled the fence apart. I was the only one to get this picture. This created a minor scandal because we had security guards patrolling the perimeter (theoretically) but they never reported anything unusual even though the fence was so obviously out of whack. The upside was that we had full time security guards onsite from that day on.
I figure the person got in through the window that you can see in the center of the picture here. They could get up there by pushing off from the wall and climbing in the window which was not locked at the time.
They came through this window to my boss's office. I took this picture before anything was moved. As you can see, the office was filled with blueprints and papers and yet it was left undisturbed. You would think the perp would want to trash this room. There were cans of paint just outside the door but none were thrown into the office. The only damage done here was the breaking of the mirror. In fact this person broke five mirrors. But they didn't hit the woodwork.Now here's something that really made Melissa a suspect in my boss's mind. Tom told me that Melissa had popped her head in his office on Friday afternoon and asked him something about his window; something like: "is it locked?". But if you were planning to break into a building would you check with the boss?
This is the door to the Portico on the North side of the building. The perp broke the expensive glass insert with a crowbar but didn't touch the woodwork of the door. Keep in mind that Melissa's crew stripped the wood on that door and rehung it but another trade was responsible for the glass. It might make sense that a person on the crew might not want to damage their own by detroying it with a crowbar.
And here's another mirror that was busted over a mantle on the second floor. Just think of it. If you just wanted to break some stuff, why not hit the woodwork too? It's almost harder NOT to hit the wood.
Okay, here's something that really made we wonder. The vandal didn't throw any paint in the office that was right beside the cans. Instead they hauled the cans all the way upstairs to the second and third floors and threw them into various rooms. This was a lot of very focused work. It would be hard for a person to even find the entrance to the third floor without knowing the building. I couldn't see kids doing just for a prank because it's so much work.
We couldn't figure out why a person would throw paint stripper over this hallway. Then one of Melissa's coworkers came up with a possible reason. Lois reasoned that the stripper might have been thrown over the footprints that were left when this person walked through their own mess to escape. The stripper was to hide the tracks.The only thing that about that theory is, the perp left their footprints on one of the painted hardwood floors on the third floor ; perhaps forgetting to erase them?
Now here's another very strange thing. Our crew left a compressor sitting out all weekend. But look how the paint was thrown all around it, but not on the compressor. This person has so many opportunities to damage things in the house but didn't. The Perp was walking around with a crowbar but didn't bang up the woodwork. The They were holding a can of paint but didn't' throw it on the tools.
The strongest element of the vandalism was the attempted water damage. This person pulled down a radiator on every floor in hopes of breaking the pipes so that the floors would be flooded. The rad and the Tub on the third floor were knocked over. A rad on the second floor was dumped. A rad on the main floor was dumped too; but no water. The water lines were turned off at the time. The only water that was on in the house was in the washrooms in the basement.
I entered the basement at 7am Monday morning, and I heard a hissing sound. The sound led me to the washroom sinks. They were stuffed with rags and the faucets were turned on full blast. All four sinks were full of water, but the overflow drains were keeping the water from spilling over.
there was a bag of concrete powder dumped in the exit hallway just outside the washrooms. If the water had overflowed, the concrete would have been rock hard by the time I arrived, had the sinks overflowed. The vandal left this footprint on the concrete powder on their way out the door. The police didn't have a chance to see this footprint because we cleaned up the hallway before they arrived in the afternoon. What's really strance is that this was the only door that a person could exit from without having a key. This was one of the strongest reasons I had for believing it was an inside job.
The big question is why would Melissa do it? She had been sent recently to another site because their had been complaints about her work ethic and that she was distracting other people and keeping them from doing their jobs. She might have been upset that she was sent away and done the damage in retaliation but I don't see it. I always found Melissa to be a very sweet person. She never gave me any indication that she would want to get even with anyone.
There's another possible motive that is even stranger to me. Melissa told me she was having a secret affair with the foreman of her crew. They had broken up a couple of times and it is possible she might have done it to get back at him, if they were having a fight; but I don't think so. If I'm not mistaken, her alibi for that Saturday when the damage was done, was that she was out of town, camping with her lover on that day. On the other hand, why would she give that as her alibi, knowing that he would contradict her later?
This leads me to one other theory. What if Melissa did this vandalism to create more work for her company and make her lover a bunch of extra money on the job? She could then tell the police that she was with him, out camping and he would lie to them and say it was true. But there are two things wrong with this theory. First of all, Her company was already backlogged with work. They were trying to get out of Lougheed House so they could get to some other projects that were already late starting. And the thing that really makes me doubt this theory is the attempted water damage. I think Melissa and her boss were both aware that the water in those upper floors was turned off. The person who dumped the rads over was trying to create water damage and didn't know the lines were off.
Perhaps someone following this story in Calgary Alberta can send me more details on this case. I have only been able to access very little from the press online so far.

Calgary Condo

1999-04-18T07:20:00.000-04:00

Calgary, 2004
I renovated our Condo in 2004. It is part of a 2 storey 6 unit complex.
I removed the carpet and installed laminate on the stairs.
I painted the livingroom in two shades of green to accent the laminate flooring. Then we finished the room with high-end wicker furniture and kept our original white couch.
I repainted the cabinets with white melamine paint and installed new knobs.
We wallpapered one wall of the kitchen as an accent.
We kept to the greens in the bedroom and got a matching comforter for the bed to create and intimate warm atmosphere.
The back yard was a small fenced in gravel walkway on grass. I built a pressure treated deck over the entire yard to create a walk-out living space.

Ceramic Tiles

1999-04-10T10:20:00.001-04:00

Ceramic Tiles, Slate Tiles, Kitchen Floor Tiles, Bathroom Floor Tiles, Kitchen Backsplash, Shower Floor Tiles, Shower Wall Tiles,

I Do It Myself

1999-03-19T19:17:00.001-05:00

HTML clipboard

I Do Your Construction Project Myself.

Excellent Workmanship.

Free Estimates
Steve: 519-277-8463

Timeline Journey Construction

Basement Developments, Rental Properties, Rental Suites, Kitchens, Bathrooms, Additions, Laminate flooring, Engineered Hardwood Flooring, Ceramic Tiles, Finish Carpentry, Framing, General construction. 25 years experience. Journeyman carpenter.

All workmanship guaranteed. Insured. References.

See my Website:

(copy & paste this link)

http://timelinejourney.com

What I Can Do For You

1999-03-18T05:07:00.000-05:00

HTML clipbo

It's not just that I can build your bathroom or kitchen or basement. It's that I can do everything in between. You want that door to your entryway opened up but you also want the lights moved and switched properly. But you also want your stairway changed and your flooring integrated into your living room dining area. But can you remove that wall in between? And what about the heating for that area? That's what I do for you. Or would you like to work on it with me? Or perhaps you know what you want but you need me to show you where everything needs to go. My specialty is creating the flow for your home. See the whole list of what we build. Call me and I will come over to figure it out with you. Estimates are Free. Steve

I Recommend

1999-03-17T19:05:00.004-05:00

Thilo Biedermann

Thilo is my realtor. He sold us our home here in Kitchener. He worked tirelessly for us. His actions show that he looks out for our interests ahead of everything else. We talked to many Realtors over the last couple of years and Thilo is the only one who didn't drop the ball. He did everything he said he would do. He even helped find us a smokin' mortgage deal. My wife and I highly recommend Thilo to anyone looking to buy or sell a house. He's the most dedicated and the most thorough realtor I ever met. See Thilo's Website for more information.

Arthur's Heating and Cooling

put in my new boiler. This is Arthur. I like Arthur's work very much. I can trust him to do what he says he's going to do, when he says he's going to do it. He is always looking at ways to give me the best product for the best price. Arthur cares about his work and it shows. I was waiting for the oil tank to run dry before changing to gas. Suddenly, a few days before Christmas, the tank went dry without warning. Arthur came over that night and worked late to get the boiler running again. Then he came back two days later and installed the new system. See his Yellow Page Ad and video here

Mike Brewitt
is a Financial Security and Investment Representative.
I know him as a very hard worker and a very smart guy. He hired me to help him renovate his house. He knows how to focus on the job at hand and get things done fast and efficiently. I suspect I am going to find that he is the same way with his financial Planning business. Mike has a passion for what he does and obviously likes people very much. He has some great planning tools on his Web Site.

Decks

1999-03-16T13:47:00.000-05:00

Suzanne in Calgary hired three of us to design and build this 900 square foot deck on her hilly back yard.

1999-03-15T21:54:00.000-05:00

Additions

Sun rooms, Bay Windows, Windows, Doors, Stairs, Framing, Electrical

Kitchens

1999-03-15T21:36:00.008-05:00

Cabinets, Counter tops, Back splash, Tiles, Microwaves, Garbage Disposal, Dishwasher,Lighting, Kitchen Down Pat, Debrah's Kitchen

Debrah's Kitchen

Kitchen Down Pat

About Our Company

1999-03-15T17:41:00.003-05:00

Timeline Journey Construction Ltd

Incorporated in Alberta 2005

Incorporated In Ontario 2006

General Liabilty Insurance (protects you from damage to your home or people getting hurt during construction)

Steve Tennant
Born and raised in Richmond Hill Ontario

1980: Started first Construction business
1983: Completed Apprenticeship to become Journeyman Carpenter
1976: Moved to Medicine Hat Alberta
1997: Moved to Calgary Alberta
1998-2000: Lead Carpenter for Lougheed House Heritage Project
2004: Moved back to Ontario after traveling extensively in Asia.
2008: Married and remains in Kitchener with my wife (Aw)

Most of my family lives here in the Kitchener/ Waterloo area. I wanted to be close to them; especially my Mom. Aw and I just bought a home in Kitchener and are busy renovationg it now.

What My Clients Say

1999-03-13T12:19:00.010-05:00

I only had to suggest what I wanted done and Steve figured out all the details. He listened to me and built what I wanted, not what he thought I wanted. I highly recommend Steve. He knows his stuff and understands his clients.

Pat (Waterloo)

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate the way I can describe my ideas to Steve but he does all the figuring out. He knows the code, he has a lot of building experience, and he's very interested in new ideas, so his expertise helps me get what I'm after. I get to have the one-of-a-kind outcome I am after with the assurance that it's all very well built." See Melissa's Deck here

Melissa (Waterloo)

"Every time I look at the front door – I smile!!"

Andrew (Guelph)

"Working with Steve was a pleasure when we recently completed an entire basement apartment from scratch. The flexibility he showed in working with us in order to keep the cost down was very impressive, and not offered by any other contractor we spoke with. On the days we were not available, Steve kept going with the workload in order to help us meet our timeframes."

"Working with Steve, we:

- re-wired an entire home replacing the knob and tube
- installed a bathroom rough in the basement,
- fixed my existing plumbing problems
- and planned out the best layout"

"Not only was he there when we needed him, but he was also very informative when we had a questions about a specific process. I would not hesitate to recommend Steve to anyone, and I look forward to working with him again this Spring when we tear down and re-build our entire front deck."

Michael D. Brewitt (Kitchener)

"Steve and Aw did some work for me in my home. I was very pleased about the pride they takes in their work, their workmanship and reliability. I certainly recommend Them to my family, friends and clients."

Thilo (Cambridge)

How To Make Your Basement Suite Legal

1999-03-11T12:30:00.009-05:00

DISCLAIMER: THIS INFORMATION WAS GATHERED FROM ONTARIO MUNICIPAL SOURCES. THESE BYLAWS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOUR AREA. PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR CITY.

In a city like Toronto, where the apartment vacancy rate is low and real estate values are

high, many people rely on the rental income from a basement apartment to give them the

edge they need to own a home. But is it a ‘legal’ apartment? If not, how can it be made

‘legal’? In the process of legalizing the apartment, will I be inviting ‘trouble’? What if the

‘city’ prescribes improvements that are prohibitively expensive? What if the ‘city’

decides that I can’t have an apartment?

Catch 22

Homeowners with a basement apartment would like to find out what it would take to

‘legalize’ the apartment, but they want to find this out without tipping off the authorities.

The only way to know for sure what will be required is to have inspections done by the

appropriate authorities.

This report sheds some light on this complicated subject. We will look at basement

Apartments including –

Key concepts
The history
The evaluation process
Four key issues
The rules
Inspections and their costs
Where to get more information

Definitions

Is it ‘legal’?

‘Legal’ involves five separate issues including –

Do the local bylaws permit you to have a basement apartment?
Does the apartment comply with the fire code?
Does the apartment comply with basic building code requirements?
Does the apartment comply with basic electrical safety requirements?
Has the apartment been ‘registered’?

We will look at these issues more closely.

Building code vs. fire code

The Building Code prescribes minimum requirements for the construction of buildings.

For the most part, the Building Code is a code that applies only the day the house was

built. The code changes over the years, but we don’t have to keep changing our houses to

comply with the code. The code does not apply ‘retroactively’.

The Fire Code is a subset of the Building Code. It prescribes construction and safety

issues as they relate to how the building is required to perform should it catch fire. A

significant distinction with the fire code is that it can apply retroactively.

Basement retrofit

Now that we know that the Fire Code applies retroactively, we can see where the phrase

“basement retrofit” comes from. A new Fire Code was developed that applies to

basement apartments. The code applies retroactively, so all basement apartments whether

existing or new must comply with the new Fire Code. All owners of homes with

basement apartments were given a period of time to upgrade their homes to comply with

the new Fire Code. This ‘grace period’ has long since passed.

Certificate of compliance

All basement apartments have to be inspected to verify that they are in compliance. Once

this has been verified and any improvements completed, the apartment is given a

‘certificate of compliance’.

Bylaw

We mention this term here to make sure that we don’t confuse bylaws with building

codes. Bylaw in the context of basement apartments refers to whether you are permitted

to have a basement apartment in your area and any special conditions involved. Bylaws

are set by municipalities to keep people from being a nuisance to their neighbours. Codes

are health and safety rules to protect occupants.

Basement Apartments – The History

Prior to 1993, there was little to worry about. After 1993, a permit was required to change

a home from single family to multi-family.

In 1994, the NDP government in Ontario said that we could ignore local bylaws that

prohibited second dwelling units in houses if certain conditions were met.

In 1994, the province set new Fire Code rules for basement apartments. A deadline was

established for all existing basement apartments to upgrade to the new fire code.

Upgrading to comply with the new fire code is called a “retrofit”. The owners were

allowed to apply for an extension for up to two years past the deadline if they had

financial or logistical obstacles. Even with the extension, the deadlines have long since

passed.

In 1995, the provincial Conservative government told municipalities that they could

enforce their bylaws regarding basement apartments. A grand-fathering clause says that

apartments existing before November 1995 do not have to meet local bylaws.

The Evaluation Process

NEW UNITS

If you are thinking of adding a basement apartment here is the procedure –

Check the Zoning Bylaw at City Hall Buildings Division to find out if basement

apartments are allowed.

You would then apply for a building permit. Keep in mind that you will have to

comply with today’s building codes.

EXISTING UNITS

This report will focus on existing homes with a single basement apartment.

The first step is to check with Municipal Property Standards or the Fire Department

for a Certificate of Compliance. If there is one, you are done!

If the unit is not registered, you need to do some more work

Verify that zoning bylaws permit a basement apartment. In most cases they do.

The next step is to have the fire department inspect the home. They will verify

compliance with the fire code. This is the most daunting part of the process because

any deficiencies will have to be corrected by order of the fire marshal.

The next step is to have the Electrical Safety Authority (which used to be called

Ontario Hydro Inspection Department) inspect the electrical system. Once again, you

will be required to make any improvements that are prescribed.

If the apartment unit passes the inspections, the unit can be registered with Municipal

(Property) Standards (If not, improvements may cost $15,000 or more).

Four Key Elements

There are four key areas regarding fire code compliance. They all have to do with the

safety of the occupants –

Fire containment.

Mean of egress.

Fire detection and alarms.

Electrical safety.

Let’s look at each of these.

1. Fire Containment

The goal is to contain the fire in the unit that the fire started, long enough to get all of the

occupants out of the house. This means that any walls, floors, ceilings and doors between

units should control the fire for at least a few minutes. These components are given

‘ratings’ of how long they will survive a direct fire before burning through. A 30 minute

rating means that the component will control the fire for at least 30 minutes.

The typical requirement is a 30 minute separation between the units.

Drywall and plaster are acceptable. but suspended (T-bar type) ceilings are not.

The ceiling must be continuous. For example, this means that you can’t have exposed

joists in the furnace room – this area has to be drywalled or plastered as well.

Doors should be solid wood or metal – at least 1¾ inch thick.

2. Means of Egress - Escaping the home

The goal is to allow the occupants to get out of the house if there is a fire. There are two

common situations; either each unit has its own exit, or there is a common exit. If each

unit has its own exit, you are all set. If the units share an exit, it is more complicated.

A common exit is allowed if it is ‘fire separated’ from both of the units with a 30 minute

rating. If the common exit is not appropriately fire separated, you can still use this

common exit as long as there is a second exit from each dwelling unit and the fire alarms

are interconnected (if one alarms, the others will alarm as well). Here is an example:

There is a common exit area but the common area does not have a 30 minute fire

separation between both of the units. If there is an ‘acceptable’ window for an escape

route and the smoke alarms are interconnected, we are all set.

What is an acceptable window?

The windowsill must be within 3 feet of grade. We don’t want people jumping and breaking a leg.

The smallest dimension is 18 inches.

The opening is at least 600 square inches (30 inches by 20 inches for example)

If there is a window well on a basement window, it must extend 3 feet out from the house wall, to allow room to crawl out.

3. Fire detection

All units must have smoke alarms. The owner of the property is responsible for ensuring

that there are smoke alarms and that they are maintained. The smoke alarms do not have

to be interconnected unless the fire separation to the common exit area does not have a 30

minute rating (Note: It must have at least a 15 minute rating).

A carbon monoxide detector (CO detector) may be required by the city.

4. Electrical Safety

An electrical inspection by the Electrical Safety Authority is required. The Electrical

Safety Authority used to be called Ontario Hydro Inspection Department. All deficiencies

must be addressed.

General Rules

Here are a few rules that your apartment must meet.

All bathrooms need either a window or an exhaust fan

If there is a parking spot for one of the units, there must also be a parking spot for the other unit (yes, you read it correctly!)

The minimum ceiling height is 6 feet 5 inches

The entrance door size must be at least 32 inches by 78 inches

Inspections and their costs

As we already pointed out, two inspections are required, fire code inspection and

electrical safety inspection.

Once the inspections are done, you will be required to make the prescribed

improvements. Improvements may be minor, but can cost $15,000 or more.

There is lots of room for the inspectors to be more or less ‘strict’. In municipalities that

encourage basement apartments, the inspection may be lest strict. In municipalities that

discourage basement apartments, the inspection may be more strict.

Inspections for fire code compliance cost between $120 and $300.

Inspections for electrical safety cost $72.

The consequences

If you are going to represent the property as two family, verify that it is registered with

Municipal Property Standards. Failure to comply can result in a $25,000 fine and oneyear

jail term.

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