Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Green is a philosophy, not some high-tech gadget
The magpie in all of us cannot help but love shiny new green goods and gadgets. They appeal to our desire for, and faith in, technological innovation, and companies and popular media tout their ability to alleviate the various ills and crises besieging our world. The more complicated the technology, the more effective we often presume it to be. There are doubters among us, of course.
The provocateurs at Low-tech Magazine, a website which "refuses to assume that every problem has a high-tech solution," argue that high tech has become the idol of our society.
Like many industries, in recent years, sustainable design and development has heartily embraced its inner techie.
Argon-filled windows, high-efficiency appliances and home energy-use monitors are among the many products being promoted through increasingly influential green building rating systems like LEED, municipal governments and federally funded grant programs.
Last year Paul Makovsky wrote in Metropolis magazine: "I don't know about you, but I've been a bit frustrated with a lot of 'green' architecture lately -- you know, the kinds of buildings that focus on the checklist approach, substituting technical wizardry for simpler, time-honoured principles."
All of this is not to say that technology does not have a place. High-tech products that use fewer resources and less energy in their production and consumption are important improvements over their less savvy counterparts. However, the problem arises when we headline and hype high-tech, but sideline less glamorous, lower tech ideas of equal or greater value. This issue becomes particularly critical when we consider that a majority of the world's population, including many people in industrialized nations, does not have access to (financially or otherwise) the high-tech products and services frequently used in high-performance construction.
In the October 2008 issue of Architectural Record, Josephine Minutillo writes: "While architecture magazines are saturated with images of soaring, wriggling towers and pristine, jewel-like structures, those buildings represent a small fraction of actual construction. For much of the world's population, the comforts of home -- not to mention work and recreational facilities -- are critically lacking."
While eco-TVs and energy-efficient PCs will continue to capture our imaginations, it is important for us not to forget that some of the best tools (albeit somewhat boring) are not outside the box but simply and squarely within them.
-- Canwest News Service
Renovation & Design
Baby piano makes a grand statement anywhere in room
QUESTION -- In our living room, measuring 4.5 by 5.8 metres (15 feet by 19 feet), we have a baby grand piano. What is your recommendation for seating for this type of space? I'm thinking of a sofa and two chairs, as I'd like to use this room when guests come over.
How does the piano fit into the furniture arrangement? Does the piano become the focal point? This room also has a large window with a view and a fireplace.
ANSWER -- A baby grand piano is a fabulous design element that can't help but command attention -- regardless of where it's positioned in a room. Whether tucked in the corner or prominently displayed, you will remember seeing it.
As I'm sure you're aware, your piano opening must face into your room. This will allow the sound waves to resonate into the open space. The graceful curves of a baby grand adapt perfectly to corners. This is not the only placement for the piano, but it is most popular for both esthetic and functional purposes.
Drawing out your room to scale on graph paper and preparing cardboard cut-outs of the piano and your intended furnishings will allow you to plan your space effectively. Furniture placement will depend on how you anticipate using the room.
If the piano is intended for recitals, your furniture -- and, in particular, the seating placement -- should be positioned facing the piano. Most homes are not intended to be concert halls, however, and the piano's presence adds to the ambience rather than dictating its use.
You noted two other architectural elements that would likely be the true focal points in your room: the large window and a fireplace. Depending on your room's arrangement, you may be able to position the piano in the corner between the walls holding the view and the fireplace. The seating can then be positioned to enjoy all three dynamic elements simultaneously.
Personally, I prefer the piano to be off to the side and not competing for attention. The fireplace makes a perfect focal point allowing for numerous seating options, including the sofa and chair combination you have suggested. With two chairs flanking a fireplace and a sofa directly across, your conversation area would be cosy and inviting.
Depending on your room's design, the piano could be positioned to take advantage of the window's natural light and inspirational view. Keep in mind that pianos are sensitive to extreme temperatures and must be protected from ultraviolet rays.
Remember to consider spatial clearances when placing the furniture to ensure both optimal function as well as visual appeal. The standard clearance guidelines suggest upholstery pieces be 0.45 m (18 inches) away from a coffee table, .9 m (3 ft.) is recommended between large pieces of furniture and/or a wall, and 0.9-m clearance is also the suggested space between a wall and piano bench.
Leanne Brownoff is an Edmonton interior design consultant who welcomes questions at www.leannebrownoff.com. Answers will be featured in her column as high volumes prevent individual e-mail responses.
-- Canwest News Service
Renovation & Design
B.C. now licenses home inspectors
QUESTION -- Are there any licensing or mandatory requirements to practice home inspections in Manitoba or other provinces?
Answer -- Until very recently, the answer to this often-asked question would have made a very brief and uninteresting column. The simple answer was no. On Jan. 30, this all changed when the government of British Columbia announced that it was beginning the process of licensing home inspectors in that province. Solicitor General and Minster of Public Safety John Van Dongen stated in the news release that "B.C. will become the first province in Canada to license home inspectors to better protect buyers and ensure qualified inspections."
The news followed many years of efforts from the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors -- British Columbia (CAHPI-BC) and other groups to obtain government licensing. After repeated requests were rejected, positive signs recently emerged suggesting that changes were finally happening, with a planned media event. Despite the optimism of several stakeholders, nothing was known about the criteria for licensing requirements until the official news release was issued last Friday.
While attending a real estate conference in Alberta this week, I had the personal pleasure to witness the elation of three long time members of the CAHPI-BC executive, when the news broke. B. C. President Owen Dickie and Vice-President Chris Stockdale were attending the conference to promote their provincial association, while B. C. Past President and current CAHPI National President Bill Sutherland and I flew the national flag. Words could not describe the satisfaction and relief on the faces of these tireless workers when the details of the licensing requirements were received by e-mail from Vancouver.
Mandatory licensing takes effect on March 31st, 2009 and will include an assessment of inspectors' qualifications, complaints monitoring, and enforcement with stiff penalties for non-compliance. To become a licensed home inspector, individuals must meet the requirement of one of three associations. These include CAHPI-BC, the Applied Science and Technicians and Technologists of British Columbia (ASTTBC), and the National Certification Program for Home and Property Inspectors. Meeting the requirements of any of these three bodies and a small licensing fee will be the entry point for the right to practice home inspections in B.C. For current home inspectors not affiliated with any of these groups, an application for a license may be submitted before the March deadline outlining their current education, experience, and ability. These applications will be assessed by the government regulators, who may issue a license, based on these criteria, but these individuals will only be "grandfathered" for a period of two years before they are required to meet the standards of one of the three approved Associations.
The real question is what does this mean for homebuyers in British Columbia and across the country? The answer to that question is increased consumer protection from shoddy or unqualified individuals claiming to be qualified inspectors. Previously, there was nothing stopping any person in Canada from buying a flashlight and ladder and calling themselves a home inspector. Instant, on-line credentials can be purchased with membership in several "Associations" that claim to certify inspectors with little more scrutiny than ensuring that their cheques don't bounce. Under the new requirements in B.C., these individuals should be out of business by March 31st, or certainly within two years.
While this announcement will have no immediate impact on Manitoba homebuyers, or those outside B.C., it should have definite benefits in the future. While provincial governments have been reluctant to get involved in this type of regulation of the home inspection industry, many have already begun the process in anticipation of events like this occurring. Alberta and Quebec, in particular, have already established review committees that are in various stages at this time. Nova Scotia has recently suggested that they are interested in exploring regulation. I have also received some correspondence in the last couple of years that suggests that the Manitoba government is well aware of the issue. While there does not seem to be anything imminent in our own backyard, I believe that all the provinces will now have to seriously look at following the B.C. lead.
My own personal satisfaction with this announcement was that CAHPI-BC and the National Certification Program were both named to have met the standards of the new regulations. Long-time readers of this column will be familiar with the National Certification Program and several articles devoted to that topic over the last few years. My involvement in the development of that program has been instantly gratified with the news that the first province in this country to enact licensing has seen the benefits of this newly established, country-wide certification open to all qualified inspectors, regardless of affiliation. The long term benefits to homebuyers of these new regulations may not be known for a while, but it appears that the British Columbia pioneers of regulation of Canadian home inspectors have done it right.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the President of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors -- Manitoba (www.cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be e-mailed or sent to: Ask The Inspector, P. O. Box 69021, #110-2025 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB. R3P 2G9. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca.
Renovation & Design
Location, drainage key to vegetable garden
Question: We want to start growing some of our own vegetables this year but are not sure how to get started.
answer -- Begin by selecting a site, ideally close to the house, easy to water and in full sun. The ground should be well drained and free from root competition from trees or large shrubs. If drainage is dicey, plan for raised beds.
Compile a list of vegetables that are family favourites. Consider also small fruits such as strawberries, raspberries and rhubarb.
Make a plan. Create a rough sketch of the plot and begin lightly pencilling in the locations of the family's chosen edibles. Locate the tallest plants, such as pole beans and corn, at the northern end of the plot to avoid shading other plants. The shade they cast, however, does create useful spaces for cool-growing salad vegetables in summer.
Smaller plants like root vegetables, cabbage, broccoli and leeks can be grown in closely spaced blocks if the soil is fertile and humus-rich.
Some vegetables can be grown using very little space -- pole and runner beans on bamboo-pole teepees, for example, or cucumber and climbing zucchini on wire fencing or on netting.
Fast-growing, short-term plants like radish, lettuce and spinach can be grown alongside newly germinated pea rows, between emerging rows of corn, and around young squash or broccoli plants. They'll be harvested by the time their larger companions require the space.
As long as the ground is not soggy, the new edible garden area can be defined and dug over now. Remove rocks and debris, and begin preparing the soil for planting by digging in purchased or homemade compost. Lime the plot, except for areas where potatoes and strawberries will be planted.
--Canwest News Service
