I've always thought renovation and spring are synonymous because they both refer to revival and rebirth. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word renovation is derived from the Latin renovare, meaning to make new, impart new vigour or revive. The word spring, when used to denote a season, is a time when Jews and Christians celebrate salvation and rebirth. It is also a time of renewed energy and hope when leaping, jumping, bounding, vaulting and, yes, renovating, are prerequisite to herald the return of life.
The joy of renovating was alive and well when I attended the recent Home Expressions Show at the RBC Convention Centre.
Travis Dreger, a young entrepreneur and vice-president of QC Quality Concepts of Morden, exhibited a line of screened enclosures and gazebos that are aesthetically pleasing and very practical.
One of the designs I particularly liked was a free-standing pergola with a motorized open/close screen designed to keep the enclosure bug-free on summer evenings, while allowing direct access to the out-of-doors during the pest-free months of spring and fall.
Dreger pointed out there are multiple applications for his screened structures, including customized free-standing sizes and shapes, attachments to a home, covers over a pool, hot tub or outdoor fireplace or screening an existing veranda area.
"Aside from bug-free outdoor living, our products add value and curb appeal to a home as well as the option for homeowners to spend more time in the healthy outdoors," he said, adding the metal frames and heavy-duty screens are built to withstand Manitoba winters; for a little more money, a retractable roof system that protects enclosures from snow loads in winter is also available.
For homeowners who want to transform an existing addition into expanded outdoor living space, Dreger said his company offers a variety of motorized screens.
They come in a variety of heavy-duty weaves and subtle colours and include a choice of white, bronze, beige or ivory metal frames.
"They're ideal for a garage, porch or cabana where the opening can be covered with a retractable screen at the touch of a button, keeping out bugs but allowing fresh air to circulate inside the enclosure at the same time," said Dreger.
The motors and electronics that operate the screens come with three- and two-year replacement warranties, respectively.
Another intriguing product sold by Quality Concepts is Eze-Breeze porch and patio-glazing material.
"Many homeowners have patios that are great for parties and family gatherings but their use is limited by bugs and bad weather," said Deger.
His suggestion is to cover the area with vinyl-glazed panels with full-length screens that are light, strong and especially suited to small outdoor spaces. (The 10-mm vinyl is strong enough to withstand a punch by a large man without breaking and then return to its original shape.)
The vinyl panels are available in vertical four-track configurations that can be applied from floor to ceiling. Three of the four panels can be stacked over the fourth to allow 75 per cent ventilation, or all four can be removed and stored, leaving the screens in place to allow 100 per cent ventilation, said Deger.
Horizontal side sliders are also available with two or four track options on neoprene rollers; frames on all products have a lifetime warranty and a 10-year warranty on vinyl, screen and moving parts.
Installation costs are low because reframing is not required as the panels are custom-made to fit existing openings.
Standard or custom-built single or double Cabana doors in vertical four-track or fixed lite styles can be purchased to match enclosures.
For further information, contact Dreger at 204-712-6775 or check the company website at qualityconcepts.ca.
Another product that caught my eye was residential fencing constructed of concrete.
One style looked like cedar-stained wood panels commonly sold at lumberyards in six- or eight-foot-high horizontal or vertical-board panels.
Andy Stumborg of DDS Consulting, the Canadian manufacturer of the custom precast fences and entries, said the company's products can be stained any colour and it will last 20 years.
"For homeowners who are tired of re-staining every three or four years, this low-maintenance feature is a real bonus," said Stromberg, adding the concrete has an indefinite lifespan, many times that of treated wood or solid cedar.
To date, many of the company's fences and entranceways -- manufactured in numerous custom designs -- have been used as eye-catching perimeters for residential subdivisions.
However, Stromberg said DDS Consulting is also interested in selling its concrete products to individual homeowners and has introduced designs that are visually appealing and affordable to consumers.
"Aside from or cedar look-a-like fence panels, we've got a ranch-style post and rail design that features six-inch concrete posts joined by tongue-and-groove joints to two-by-six rails that look just like lumber," he said.
As with the cedar panels, the concrete posts and rails can be stained any colour and require almost no maintenance.
The only downside is the weight of the material; however, neighbours with strong backs fortified with a promise of pizza and beer can overcome this problem or, as is the case with many residential fence installations, a professional can be hired to do the heavy lifting.
DDS Consulting can be contacted at 204-222-6106, inquiry@ddsconsulting.ca or ddsconsulting .ca.
Yet another display that caught my attention was Enersip, a Manitoba-based company with an office and manufacturing plant in Dominion City and a satellite office in Missouri.
Enersip technology is ideal for renovations because it saves up to 40 per cent on heating and air-conditioning costs and is a green product emitting less pollutants during construction, as well as consuming less virgin timber and containing a recyclable foam core.
Enersip building panels that are used to build walls, floors and roofs consist of a layer of expanded polystyrene foam insulation (EPS) sandwiched between two layers of oriented strand board (OSB).
The result is a one-piece system that outperforms stick-and-batt insulation structures in strength and R-value; a two-inch by six-inch framed wall with fibreglass insulation has an actual R-value of 16.8 compared to R-24.7 for an equivalent Enersip wall.
The EPS foam cores do not contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or formaldehyde, nor do they produce off-gassing of dangerous chemicals, according to a spokesperson for Enersip.
Although the cost of materials to build an Enersip reno is higher than conventional materials, construction costs are lower, while long-term energy savings combined with increased resale values can more than compensate for higher initial capital output.
Electrical wiring is run through pre-cut chases or tunnels in the foam that are included during the design process.
Because they are relatively airtight compared to many conventional buildings, a six-mil vapour barrier is required on the interior of the face panel if embedded wood is required for attaching some interior finishes.
Ants and termites do not attack foam panels as EPS has no nutritional value to support insects.
A spokesperson for the company said the foam can be treated with a borite substance to prevent insect attacks if people are located in areas in which infestations are a major problem.
More information about renovating with Enersip panels is available at 204-427-3635 or info@enersip.com.
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