Choosing the right shingle colour

The roof is the part of your home that most visitors see first. Knowing how to choose the right colour will enhance your curb appeal and add value to your home.
A good starting point is to consider your climate.

 Light coloured shingles reflect the sunlight while dark coloured shingles absorb it. This factor alone will help you save money on your energy bills. Keep in mind that dark colours will also make your home look smaller.

Consider the accent colors of shutters, doors and trim. Choose a color that will complement the exterior of your home. This is a good time to look around at your neighbours, choose a colour that compliments your home but also coordinates with the home beside you, be careful not to duplicate.

Remember to check with any home or neighbourhood associations.

Below are a few colour combinations that work well for most homes:

Yellow -- black shingles look crisp and clean

Red -- consider brown earth tones

Green -- a brown or gray roof

White -- looks best with dark gray or black

Blue -- dark gray or black shingles

Tan or cream -- shades of brown work best

Natural wood -- green is a good choice

Don’t be afraid to ask some help and make sure that you always get samples.


 This is an excerpt from a newsletter that is distributed to all former, current and future clients of Village Builders Inc.  If you would like to receive this newsletter feel free to email me at www.robabbott@villagebuilders.ca

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Trends in Master Ensuite Bathrooms for 2013

2013- Ensuite Master Bathrooms

There are trends in design, layout and finishings of new custom homes and renovations, coming in to 2013 a lot of the things that we did in the 2012 construction year were the same as in the previous years. But there were custom touches in 2012 that have grown in popularity to become trends in 2013. With more and more home owners opting for them, these trends are growing in popularity as the year moves along. I am focusing on Ensuite master bathrooms and there many trends.

Ensuite Master Bathrooms

Here is a list of the trends that have stayed the same over the last several years;

• The ensuite master bathroom continues to get larger in square footage every year.

• Large seamless glass shower enclosures.

• Benches in showers so that women can shave their legs.

• Large rain head fixtures mounted directly over head.

• Double sinks in the vanity are still the most popular option.

• Electric heated floors are still the most popular option to help make the rooms feel more comfortable, this means tile and natural stone are kept warm, thus eliminating the need for bath mats to keep your feet warm.

• Large soaker tubs beside a large glass walk in shower are still the trend, with the size of master ensuites growing ever larger this trend will continue.

• Slow close toilet lids are still the most popular option, allowing men to never worry about slamming the lid and waking their partner up in the bedroom next door.

• Calming colors such as light blues and greens are still the most common color, this goes along with the spa feeling that people are trying to replicate in their Ensuite master bathrooms.

• Drop in soaker tubs are still the most popular option instead of the free-standing ones that take up larger amounts of space. These tubs are usually jetted or at the least outfitted with bubblers.

• A designated space for women to keep their makeup and apply it as well.

Here a list of the new trends happening in ensuite master bathrooms;

• A growing trend is installing one large sink in the middle of a large main vanity, the sink sits on top of the counter, sometimes there is one faucet and sometimes the sink is big enough to have two faucets.

• One large main vanity instead of his and her vanities have become the most popular trend.

• Marble tops, instead of granite or laminate are by far the most popular option for the vanities this year.

• Multiple body sprays are the hottest trend, these body sprays come out of the wall, combined with rain heads they give you that total wash feeling.

• Wall sconce’s over the vanity instead of relying on over head lights or one large fixed light over the mirror are used to help give women the maximum amount of light when applying their make-up.

• Toilets continue to get larger every year, larger toilets are set higher for an aging population that finds it increasingly harder to get up and down from a sitting position.

• Rain heads in showers are becoming multiple heads (like the Kohler rain head that is actually 4 individual shower heads in one), this allows more water flow, making it more of a waterfall and less like rain.

• Marble floors are the hottest trend in bathroom floors at the moment, they give the look of elegance and wealth with also being highly durable.

• Multiple mirrors are a growing trend, instead of the one large mirror, each sink gets it’s own mirror, or a mirror where the sink is and another mirror for were you apply your makeup.

• Large glass panels installed side by side on the walls of the large walk in showers are a growing trend. They are back painted glass, they take the place of tile and allow you to have a continuous colour (your choice of colour) that looks seamless and modern. The glass runs from the floor all the way to the ceiling as one piece.

These are just some the new trends in master bedrooms in today’s new custom homes.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Exterior finishes on your custom country home

Series: Tips on designing a country home.

In this multi-part series I will help give you tips on how to go about having a custom home built in the country, where it should sit, what it should look like, how it should function and what type of home performs the best and fits in with the surrounding country side.

The look of your new custom country home

First things first, I am not going to preach to you about what your country home should look like or what I think country homes should look like, because every person has a different idea of what that should be. What I will tell you is what we have built in the country, what looks the best to us, what performs the best in the country, what functions the best in the country and what should help with the resale value of your home.

Exterior

The exterior of country homes can be different and they can also be a lot of the same. But do it right and you can make your home look original without standing out so much that it looks odd. There are a lot of different things that people do to the outside of country homes, here are the hottest items right now;

• Pre-finished wood siding. When you used natural products such as wood your house will blend in nicely in the country. Pre-finished wood siding comes in almost any colour that you can imagine and has a paint warranty that is 20 years. There are many different styles and profiles to wood siding, you can run it horizontal or vertical and you can even use multiple different colours on the same building. It is easy to install and is readily available in most areas.

• Cement siding. Cement siding has come up from California and basically has copied the look of pre-finished wood siding. It comes in a wide range of colours and also shows well. There are a few drawbacks with the product, it is a fragile product until it is installed, the product can be hard to manipulate if you have any inconstancies in the wall such as turned studs or unlevel corners. It is also a more expensive option then wood siding.

• Vinyl and Aluminum siding. These are becoming less popular in the country and most are never put on custom homes anymore. They are extremely affordable but the look can be less then attractive. Vinyl siding doesn’t stand up to high winds or other extreme weather like wood or cement siding.

• Manufactured stone. Manufactured stone has come a long way in the last couple of decades. There are manufactured stone products on the market that look so much like natural stone that you will have a hard time telling the difference. It is easy to install and also has the adding value of being light enough to be installed on any wall inside or outside of the home without any extra re-enforcing.

• Stone. Stone is a beautiful option to put on the outside of your home. If you have a professional stone mason that knows what they are doing then you will be putting an exterior finish on your home that will be there forever. Stone is a forever exterior finish that will survive rain, snow, sun and high winds. Stone is extremely expensive to buy and install, but when done right it will add value to your home.

• Mix. Mixing siding and stone to the outside of your home is a very big trend. It gives you 4 or 5 ft walls of stone and then a wood siding finish on the rest of the building. This is very country looking and will help reduce the cost of having a house that is completely covered in stone with still giving you the look of stone.

Other exterior finishes like steel, stucco, tudor style and ultra modern looks are not that popular. They stand out and products like stucco or tudor style do not stand up to the extreme weather your new home can face in the country.

There is one other option that you can put on the outside of your home it is brick. Brick is not a popular thing to have installed on the outside of your home, but most homes that have been standing in the country for 50 to 100 years are brick homes. Brick homes when installed properly can be maintenance free for decades and will stand up to all the elements and the extreme weather. It is a classic look that when done with the appropriate brick that fits the look and feel of other brick farm houses in the area will look like it belongs.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Lighting in today's modern homes

Modern Day Construction for custom homes Part 15

In today’s modern world of construction things are changing year to year faster than they did decade to decade in any other previous time period. In this multi part series I will traverse through an entire house starting with the foundation and working my way up to the roof and then to the finishing’s. I will explain what has changed in the last twenty years in custom home building.

One thing that you should be able to take away from this is how important it is to not just hire the right general contractor to build your custom home but how important it is to hire one that is up on today’s building methods.

Lighting

Twenty years ago pot lights were 6 inches big and used normal incandescent bulbs that used a pile of electricity and created endless heat. The only other option was table and standing floor lights. Fluorescents where used under the cabinets in the kitchen to help light the cabinets. The rule of one light in the middle of the bedroom ceiling was used.

Today nothing is changing faster than interior lighting. Every year there is a new product out that is more energy efficient then the last and is also more expensive. Here are some examples;

• Low voltage pot lights. Low voltage pot lights are extremely expensive but use less then 1 watt of power when they are on. These pots lights give a very pure white light that can be considered by many to be cold. They are brighter then all other types of light as well, easily lighting up the darkest of rooms.

• 4” pot lights. 4” pot lights are the norm now, they gimble 30 degrees in any direction allowing you to direct light without moving the whole pot light. Most pot lights are halogen, which are more efficient then the old incandescent lights, but an easy fix if you want more energy efficiency is replace the bulb with a LED bulb. They LED replacement bulbs will only use 4 or 5 watts.

• Zeon lights are now used for under counter lights in the kitchen. These are an LED light that is encased to look like a strip light. The great thing about these lights are that they don’t give off any heat and are extremely energy efficient.

• Low voltage puck lights are now installed inside of cabinets to light up glass cabinet doors. Low voltage is required so that the cabinet doesn't heat up and damage items or start fires.

• Pot lights and wall sconces are now placed in bedrooms instead of the one light in the middle of the room theory. With dimmers you can never have enough light in your home.

• There is a retro-fit LED pot light that is on the market. It doesn’t require you to change the entire pot light housing, all it does is allow you to change the trim of the pot light. The trim has a transformer built into it to allow it to except LED low voltage bulbs. This changes the power usuage of the pot light from 80 watt halogen to 3 or 4 watt LED bulb. The light is also much brighter.

• Lighting controls are starting to really change the way people have homes wired. With automatic lighting controls people are opting out of putting light switches in there normal locations. You now have the ability to have lights turned on by the time of the day or by a remote that can be carried. You can even turn on your lighting with your cell phone.

• Interior light switches have the ability to have motion detection in them so that when you enter a room the light would automatically come on and then after a short period of time when there is no movement would turn itself off. Great for teenagers that forget to turn the light off when they finish using the bathroom.

• Lights that are installed inside the walls that are mounted several inches off the floor have become popular. They are ideal to light up hallways and stairs at night when you don’t want to turn overhead lights on but you still want to be able to safely walk around.

• Exterior pot lights are a common theme in soffits and porches. They help accent the outside of the building at night.

• Rope lights are being placed in the top of crown molding to give some up light on a ceiling. Rope lights are so small that they only need an inch or two of coverage to be out of sight.

Looking for part 16 coming soon....

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Can I hang around the building site of my new custom home?

Q:

I’m having a custom home built for myself, do you think that the contractor will mind me hanging around the job site?

A:

This is a great question and with a lot of Contractors it is a very sensitive issue. On one hand as the homeowner you have the right to be there to see what you are spending all your hard earned money on, but on the other hand it is a serious health and safety issue. Having a person standing around that isn’t involved in the construction industry is the easiest way to get hurt. Construction sites are a very dangerous places, so dangerous in fact that they are considered one of the most dangerous places to work other then in the mining industry. If you are going to be onsite there are certain things you should be doing first;

• You should inform you contractor of the days and times that you are going to be there.

• You should be wearing the proper safety equipment such as safety boots, hard hats and clothes that make it easy for you to be identified.

• Depending on what stage they are at in the construction process you also should be wearing ear protection, dust protection and/or eye protection.

There are other considerations you need to think about when planning to spend a lot of time at the site of your new home. Construction workers are not used to being watched by a homeowner all the time and it can create real friction if your there too much. Usual habits that are always done by a bunch of construction workers will be curtailed which can cause undue stress to the workers.  What I mean by this is that a construction site is a bit of a planet on to its own, it has its own music, its own language and its own way that people treat each other. You standing on the site watching them disturbs all that, all this can hurt the productivity of the home being built. In construction not everything goes perfectly, 90% of the time everything goes right, it's the 10% of the time when something goes wrong that they have to correct or reapply that can cause stress. You watching them make a mistake can actually make things worse and this can cause you as the home owner stress thinking about the cost, when normally you wouldn't even know it happened.

Now I’m not saying that you should never come on the site to see how it is going, what I’m saying is that you should pick the times that you are going to go there. One of the smartest things you could do is find out when the workers have their coffee breaks and show up at that time. Bring the crew some coffee maybe a donut and you will see productivity rise after your visit along with moral. When you show up during their break you will not interrupt anything productive that they may have been doing.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

The John Deere 35 D one tough mini excavator

The John Deere 35 D one tough machine.

With contractors looking to do more with less skilled labour, they are turning toward more advanced machinery that can do more with less, also with budgets for machines getting tighter they want them more versatile.

One of those machines is the John Deere 35D mini excavator. There are many different sizes of the mini excavator but for the general contractor the 35D is basically the perfect versatile machine that is big enough to do all the heavy jobs and small enough to fit down the side of houses and into tight back yards. The 35D mini ex only needs 69 inches of room to fit between buildings. With the 35D having a zero tail swing you never have to worry about bumping or rubbing obstacles behind you when you are slinging dirt.

It can dig 8 ft into the ground; it has the ability with the removal of one bolt out of the end of the arm to change the bucket. Bucket changes can be done in a matter of minutes depending on what you require the machine to do. When you have the thumb on the end of the arm working with the bucket it becomes a very useful tool. It allows you to pick up rocks, move trees, and pick up concrete pieces or debris to be dumped into garbage bins.

There are any almost endless amounts of attachments you can get for the machine that can attach to the end of the arm. Here are a few of the items:

• Forks to lift pallets.

• Breakers to bust up rock or concrete.

• Rebar cutters.

• Articulating buckets.

• Trenchers.

• Post-hole pounders.

• Augers.

• Rakes.

You can also have custom attachments made; all they have to be able to do is run off hydraulic pressure.

The 35 D comes with a front blade so that you can grad dirt and use it to stabilize the machine while you are digging.

The 35D comes with rubber tracks, this allows the machine to be easier on your clients lawns and their driveways. The rubber tracks are tough enough that you don’t have to worry about tearing them apart if you turn to quickly even when you have a heavy load on the arm.

At only weighing in at 3 tons you can easily transport the machine on a flat deck trailer that is pulled by a
pick up truck.

The John Deere line of mini-excavators is a tough versatile machine that can do almost anything that a contractor needs it to do. In a world where you can’t afford to turn a job down you need a machine that can do everything you need it to do.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Should I place my TV above the fireplace?

Television Placement

I know most of you are thinking the perfect place for a television is above the fireplace. That is exactly where I encourage my clients to NEVER place their televisions.

When you do, you no longer have a focal point, you have a competition and a stiff neck. The eye cannot rest and the weight of the heavy black screen takes over and I bet there is nothing else that catches your attention in the room.

A television should be placed at eye level.  Viewing comfort should take priority! A tape measure and 5 minutes of research is all it takes. Sit on the piece of furniture you will be watching t.v. from and  measure your sightline.

A formula often suggested for optimal viewing distances is to multiply the TV screen size by 1.2 (min distance) and 1.9 (max distance). Then divide the result by 12 to get the right number of feet. For instance, the best distance for a 55" it would be about 5.5'.

 This is an excerpt from a newsletter that is distributed to all former, current and future clients of Village Builders Inc. If you would like to receive this newsletter feel free to email me at www.robabbott@villagebuilders.ca

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Renovating in Mulmur Township

Renovating in Mulmur Township

If you are thinking about renovating in the Township of Mulmur then one of the first things that you need to do is find yourself an interior designer. An interior designer will be able to produce accurate drawings so that you can understand what the potential is for the space you want to renovate.

The next thing that you should do is find yourself a company to do the actual renovation work. Your best bet is to call a general contractor that can give you an accurate quote on the drawings that your interior designer has supplied. This way your quote will be as accurate as the drawings that you had created.

Village Builders Inc. is one of those general contractors that can give you an accurate quote, they also have access to excellent interior designers who can take your ideas and create drawings for you. This means that they are able to streamline the process of design and build by keeping it all in house.

Here are some of things that Village Builders is able to do for their clients when they want to renovate their home;

• Have drawings created and if needed submitted to the township for approval.

• Give accurate quotes from the drawings created with an extreme amount of detail in the quote so that you the client know exactly what you are getting.

• Drawings once they are created can be rendered and displayed on a screen allowing you to be placed in the room to give you the feel of what your renovated space will look like.

• Protect other parts of the house and your furniture from the dust and demolition of construction.

• Give simple, organized billing so that you understand what and where you are spending your money.

• Organize all sub-trades in an orderly and timely manner to attend the project.

• Insure that all sub-trades have proper insurance and WSIB coverage to protect you and your home.

• Source, quote, acquire and install all plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, audio/video equipment, furniture, fireplaces (wood and gas), appliances and flooring at contractor discounted pricing. (only if requested by owner)

• Provide consultation on how to make your home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly before and during the renovation process.

• Make sure that once the project is completed the job is left clean, complete and the customer happy.

• Staging of all rooms that were renovated so that you are able to move and enjoy the space immediately.

If you are looking to renovate in the Township of Mulmur then look at our website at www.villagebuilders.ca or stop by our showroom/office at 3 Caroline St. East in the village of Creemore.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

The key factors to ensure the long-term quality and value of Exterior Finishes on your custom home

Extending Exteriors

When considering an addition, remember that a home's exterior finish is literally its face to the world. The combination of materials, colors, and textures delivers a first and lasting impression and evokes pride and value. The right exterior finishes for a given climate and their proper installation also reduce ongoing maintenance chores and replacement and repair costs. Along with aesthetics and maintenance, updating and replacing finishes on an existing home can significantly boost its resale value.

In our experience, there are several factors that help ensure the long-term quality and value of exterior finishes, namely:

Top-Quality Materials. There's no substitute for the best-made roofing, siding, and trim. As a professional remodeling contractor, we work to find the best-quality exterior materials while honoring our client's budget. As an example , factory prefinished wood might be a good choice opposed to painting wood on site. It is equally important to find materials that match the style of the existing home and seamlessly blend the new with the old.

Professional Installation. An exterior finish is only as good as its installation. We work with and supervise professional installers or train our own crews to install and finish exterior products properly. We then inspect and approve their work. To ensure long-term value, lasting good looks, and low maintenance, we use the recommended type and number of fasteners, allow for slight, climate-induced shrinking and swelling, and seal joints between materials to avoid buckling and separation.

Water Resistance. We've learned to respect water and allow for possible intrusion behind exterior finishes. We utilize strategies to shed and vent moisture away before it causes any damage that requires maintenance, extensive repairs, or replacement.

Common solutions include weather-resistant barriers for the roof and sidewalls, flashing around windows and doors, metal drip edges and kick-out flashing at roof eaves, airspaces and weep holes for brick or stone veneers, gutter and drainage systems, and rainscreens .These materials and methods serve to keep incidental water from ruining a high-quality job. We also waterproof our basements, not just dampproof them. Mildew/moldy in basements is a thing of the past.

Proper Painting. The value of a high-quality, exterior-rated paint cannot be overstated. Over a well-prepared surface (a job in itself), a universally thick layer of paint can last much longer than the conventional 7-10 years before it requires a new coat. It is essential that the paint be applied over a completely dry surfaces. For wood-based siding, such as clapboards or shingles, we may specify a factory-applied primer that encases the entire panel against moisture. This enables better adhesion with the finish coat of paint which is applied after the siding has been installed.

As a professional remodeler, we take pride not just in how our projects perform and meet a client's needs, but also how they look -- especially over time. We also want our clients to enjoy as few ongoing maintenance chores and costs as possible and avoid expensive repairs or replacements before their time. Properly applied exterior finishes are critical to achieving those goals and exceeding the expectations of our homebuyers.

Warm Regards,

Doug Abbott
Village Builders


 This is an excerpt from a newsletter that is distributed to all former, current and future clients of Village Builders Inc.  If you would like to receive this newsletter feel free to email me at www.robabbott@villagebuilders.ca

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Custom Home Building in Grey Highlands

Custom Home Building in Grey Highlands

If you are thinking about building a custom home in Grey Highlands then you are probably going to want to hire a professional to construct your new home.

When you’re looking to build a custom home in Grey highlands you need to make sure that you find the right builder.

If you are looking to hire a custom home builder you are actually looking to hire a general contractor. Building custom homes is less about the hammering of nails and more about the overall managing of the project as it proceeds.

In Grey Highlands a lot of the new custom homes are being built in the rural areas, building in a rural setting is a lot different than building in town. You need to take into consideration all the extra things that need to be installed for a country home like a well, a septic system, heating (no natural gas available), driveways and drainage. You need a general contractor that understands all of these special requirements and has the right sub trades to see them installed properly.

Village Builders is one of those general contractors that have been building custom homes in Grey County for over 30 years. We are committed to giving you the homeowner an enjoyable experience, that’s what it should be to have a custom home built- an enjoyable experience. Yes there is stress involved in having a custom home built, there are a lot of choices you have to make and the money that you are spending, but at the end once you have moved into your new custom home you should be able to look back on the time when the house was being built and say “I enjoyed the building and designing of my new home”.

Village Builders Inc or VBI for short is a full service general contractor. Here are some of the things that we do for our clients;

• Onsite pre-build consultation to determine placement of house, driveway, septic and sewer.

• Consulting with the township building and planning department so that you can receive your building permit.

• Directly working with designers or the architect of the clients choosing throughout the building process.

• Interior designer on staff to help assist you with all your colour choices, room layouts, full colour bathroom and kitchen drawings.

• Technical help on the workings of everything in your new home.

• Consulting on making your home as energy efficient as possible.

• Using the best materials available in your budget.

• Sourcing, pricing and acquiring all plumbing, lighting, flooring and furniture for your new home at a discounted contractor price when requested.

• Clear, accurate and simple billing so you understand what you are spending and were your money is being spent.

• Weekly pictures taken to document the building process and posted on our website with a secure login so that only you (and the people you want to see the home) can see the progress of the build.

• The ability to give you full customization in all areas of the home from the kitchen to audio/video system.

• Flexible start dates throughout the year allowing you to start the build process in whatever season that you require. Winter, summer, spring or fall.

• Employing some of the best craftsmen in the area so that your home turns out to be built with the highest level of fit and finish that you would expect of a custom home.

• Being available after your home is built to help with any problems that might arise.

If you are looking to build a home in Grey Highlands look us up at www.villagebuilders.ca or stop by our office/showroom in the Village of Creemore at 3 Caroline St. East.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

What is "low-e" in windows?

Q:

What is "low-e" in windows?

A:

The term "low-e" refers to a coating or thin, nearly invisible film on window glass that lowers the
emissivity or radiated heat through the window. The result is a cooler glass surface and a reduction in the transfer of heat into the living space, making it more comfortable and the home more energy efficient. Low-e glass is now standard on most windows or an easy upgrade on others.

Today’s custom homes require you to not only have low “e” glass on the southern exposure side, they also require solar gain windows on the sides of the home that get limited sunlight. Solar gain helps warm up the shaded or limited sunlight sides of the home helping balance the temperature in the home and helping the overall energy efficiency of the entire home.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

I want to build a shed, do I need a permit?

Q:

I want to build a small outbuilding (shed), but my friends and neighbours are telling me that I will need a permit, is that true? Is there a size that doesn’t require a permit?

A:

You need a permit if your outbuilding is going to be larger than 100 sqft.  If you were to build a shed that was 10ft by 10ft you would not need a permit. If you built a shed that was 10ft by 12ft then you would need a permit.

If you get into a permit situation then you will end up having to summit drawings, a site plan and pay the township a fee for all of this.

Something that you should take into consideration when you are planning your outbuilding is 100 sqft big enough for your needs? You do not want to go through the whole process of getting a permit and paying all your fees and then have a half empty building. If you just looking to store some garden tools and fertilizer then 100 sqft should be plenty.

Make sure that you keep the proper distance from your neighbour’s property line when you position the outbuilding. To find out the regulations on this all you have to do is call your local building department and ask them. This will not cost you anything and as long as you keep the building under or at 100 sqft then the township will not give you a problem.

Thanks for the question, keep them coming.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Construction Safety Tip: Proper House Keeping

Safety tip Proper house keeping

One thing you might not think about when you think of a construction site is how clean it is. Well times have changed and so have safety regulations. In the modern age of construction safety comes before all else when building custom homes. One of the simplest things a construction company can do is demand that their employee’s and their sub-trades keep a clean and tidy work area.

There are many reasons why you should keep a clean and tidy work area:

• You reduce the chances of people tripping and falling.

• The site looks more appealing to clients, inspectors and perspective clients that are being given a tour of the project.

• You can damage important and expensive pieces of equipment if their left lying around or left under a pile of debris.

• Important parts to plumbing, electrical or windows can get lost or thrown away if they aren’t properly cleaned up and separated from regular construction waste.

• It is more efficient to take 5 minutes to clean up the mess around you instead of trying to walk through it, over it or around it endlessly.

• It’s a major fire hazard. Piles of paper, construction debris and wood can be a major fire hazard, if a plumber’s torch were to spark them or a roofer’s tiger torch it could be a disaster.

• If you have food containers or old lunches lying around you can end up with an animal or bug infestation.

• Small hand tools can be easily lost in a debris piles, not found they can be damaged or thrown out with the rest of the garbage.

• Important instructions to windows, plumbing or lightning can be lost or thrown away when projects aren’t properly cleaned up.

• Newly installed flooring can be damages from workers walking over discarded nails or other hard objects ruining the finish.

• If you don’t sweep or vacuum up dust then you could cause problems for workers lungs and vision when it is stirred up from future work.

It’s not hard to take a labourer and give them the job of cleaning up a couple of times a day; it will save you money and can also save your employee’s from injury.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.