Category Archives: News

Ontario HST in Effect on July 1st 2010

Posted by Admin on March 25, 2010 None comments

There has been (a bit more than) a little upset in Ontario with regards to the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) implementation that is coming into effect on July 1st, 2010. While there is strong evidence that it will actually reduce business costs over the long run, very few people are actually believing the consumer will see any of these increased efficiencies. Actually, the general consensus is that as consumers, we will be paying more for everything from basic services, to our homes. As a result, there is expected to be a surge of home sales before July 1st by those looking to purchase within the next year – to avoid the additional 8% home owners will need to pay. Factor in the lowest-interest-rates-we-will-see-in-years, and you can expect it to be a very busy spring for anyone involved in the real estate market.

EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finish Systems, or “synthetic stucco”) renovations are one such service that will be affected by the HST implementation. Currently, because the renovation is a service, it is only subject to the GST (Government Sales Tax). As of July 1st of this year, this service will fall under the all-encompassing HST, effectively adding 8% to the cost of making your home more energy efficient.

Don’t risk delaying your project any further – typically it takes anywhere from 4-5 weeks to solicit quotes, qualify them and award the contract, then another 2-3 for the project to begin because of the contractor’s other projects. Seeing as there are only 13 weeks left until the HST is implemented and your costs rise 8% – we would recommend that anyone considering renovating their home this year register right now to get the process underway.

Go on over to the home owner stucco estimate request page.

Stucco / EIFS Applicators Wanted

Posted by Admin on February 18, 2010 None comments

One of our contractor members is in need of 2-3 skilled and knowledgeable applicators for 1-month (possibly longer) around July/August. Send us your resume and we’ll be in touch with you soon.

EIFS Outperforms Other Claddings

Posted by Admin on February 15, 2010 None comments

ATLANTA, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ –

50 Year Product Life Tops in the Industry – Sustainable construction with Energy Efficiency

Sto Corp., the innovative world leading manufacturer of energy-efficient cladding systems and high performance architectural coatings, has released a life-cycle study of Sto engineered claddings systems showing they outperform other wall claddings over a full 50-year product life.

This new Life-Cycle Inventory (LCI) of wall cladding products was conducted to compare energy use and environmental impacts associated with several residential wall types. Three Sto Corp. cladding systems – StoTherm® NExT EIFS, StoPowerwall™ NExT stucco, and StoQuik® Silver NExT cement-board stucco – were analyzed and compared to typical brick and stucco walls, with and without foam insulation, for a typical residential property.

The LCI results demonstrated good life-cycle performance of the Sto cladding systems in terms of waste, emissions, and energy used in production, construction and building operations. In particular, StoTherm NExT EIFS claddings excel in reducing life-cycle energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions. Key findings included:

  • StoTherm NExT EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finish Systems) required the least production energy (manufacturing phase) of the insulated claddings. In the “cradle-to-wall” phase, StoTherm NExT also requires the least energy.
  • In operations, uninsulated brick and stucco consume about twice as much heating/cooling energy as StoTherm NExT.
  • Over the full 50-year life cycle, energy demand is lower for StoTherm NExT than for uninsulated brick or stucco.
  • All the Sto Corp. systems, including StoTherm NExT, contribute less solid waste than typical brick or stucco.
  • StoTherm NExT has the lowest total greenhouse-gas emissions.

“Using StoTherm NExT is the ideal way to clad a project that will perform efficiently and protect the way no other cladding can,” said David Boivin, President and CEO of Sto Corp. “The system approach of using EIFS plus a superior waterproof air barrier allows architects to confidently design a structure that is both energy efficient and durable.”

Copies of the LCI are available at: Sto Corp. LCI Report

About Sto Corp.

Sto Corp., based in Atlanta, Georgia, is an innovative world leader and producer of a broad range of versatile cladding and coating systems for building construction, maintenance and restoration. Sto Corp. is ISO 14001:2004 (environmental management) as well as ISO 9001:2008 certified.

For more information, visit www.stocorp.com or call toll free (800) 221-2397 or (404) 346-0755. Follow Sto Corp. on Twitter as well as the Sto blog “Building with conscience” at http://www.buildingwithconscience.com/

Source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sto-corp-life-cycle-study-proves-eifs-outperforms-other-claddings-84236577.html

To find an toronto exterior insulation contractor, head over to the mainsite at http://TorontoStuccoContractor.com/

HRTC is Gone, But The Retrofit Rebate Program is Still Here

Posted by Admin on February 1, 2010 1 comments

The home renovation tax credit (HRTC) is officially over – arguably a successful program put on by the government in an attempt to stimulate the economy. The sudden press coverage of it has reminded people that construction/renovation season is coming up, and there may very well still be rebates around.

And lucky enough for them, there are. The Retrofit Rebate Program is a joint program put on by the Government of Ontario and the Federal Government, each giving up to $5,000 for eligible renovations – for a total maximum of $10,000.

Retrofit Rebate Program

This program actually offers a much larger rebate than the Home Renovation Tax Credit – but is restrictive in what qualifies. The Retrofit Rebate Program is aimed specifically at increasing the energy efficiency of a home – and providing money back to home owners who do this. The money is in the form of a Government grant – not a tax credit, and is sent to you when you complete the program. The program consists of 3 basic steps – 1. Get an initial audit 2.  Do the renovations and 3. Get the auditor back to verify the upgrades.

1. Initial Audit
The initial audit is a starting point or “baseline” for your house. The auditor takes note of your home’s current energy efficiency by taking pictures, taking notes of certain points (current insulation for example) and performing a blow-door test to determine air infiltration. This baseline will be used to determine what renovations you’re eligible for, and how large of a rebate you can receive from specific renovations. The cost of this is typically around $400, and roughly half is covered by the Government of Ontario. If you’re one of the people smart enough to be with RBC, they have a program that will pay for the rest of the initial audit. From the point of the audit – you have 18 months to complete your renovations and have the auditor back to perform the final assessment. If you don’t have him back within 18 months you get nothing back – and you can’t perform another audit to do more renovations at a later date.

You can get back up to $5,000 from the Government of Ontario and $5,000 from the Federal Government – for a total maximum of $10,000. How you get this money and how it is split between the two levels of Government is taken care of by your auditor.

2. Renovations
Your next step is select what renovations you want done. You want to focus your efforts on renovations that will provide the largest rebate, and make the biggest difference over the long run in reducing your heating and cooling bills. Of the renovations, the most common are arguably: Furnace replacement, Window replacement, Attic Insulation and Exterior Insulation.
A new, more reliable furnace is a popular option for those with models 15 years or older. A new furnace is not only more efficient and thus costs less to operate, but will give you a peace of mind that your furnace isn’t going to randomly break down, causing you to panic and overpay for a new one in a rush. $1,500 is a fairly substantial rebate when you consider that a new furnace will cost around $5,000, about a 30% rebate.
Window replacements is also fairly popular, but don’t provide very much in the way of a rebate. Anecdotally, I have been told it costs about $400 per window to replace, and you are eligible for $80 per window, about a 20% rebate.
Attic insulation is an odd one – most people I have encountered have had quotes for $500 to bring their attic up to the required R-50 – and the possible rebate for this one is $1,500 – a 300% rebate. I have heard (but don’t actually recommend this) of people removing attic insulation before the initial audit to bring it below an R-12 starting point, so that when they bring it up to R-50 they get the full rebate.
Finally – the most lucrative of all renovations is the exterior insulation rebate, under which of course – Exterior Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS / “synthetic stucco”) falls. The maximum possible rebate for adding R-9 insulation the exterior of your walls is $3,750 – which can be as much as 30% of the cost to renovate your home. The real opportunity in EIFS is what it provides on top of a large rebate – year round reduction in heating/cooling, and increased home value. Home owners have reported anywhere from 20%-40% reduction in heating and cooling bills from EIFS alone – potentially saving $1,000 per year (estimated average of $2,500 per year in heating+cooling costs). The average EIFS renovation would therefore pay itself off in 12-15 years, then put $1,000 per year back into your pocket – an 8% interest rate! When was the last time your bank offered you that?
EIFS has a secondary effect of greatly reducing air infiltration – possibly qualifying you for $480 for the “Air Sealing” rebate.

Exterior Insulation Rebate

Finally, on top of over $4,000 in a rebates and $1,000 per year in reduced heating/cooling costs – EIFS increases your home valuation – reportedly in the range of 80%-120% of the cost of the renovation.

In conclusion – a typical EIFS retrofit may cost roughly $15,000. Of this $15,000, you can get back $4,000 in rebates, resulting in only $11,000 cost to you. At $1,000 per year in energy savings, it will pay for itself in 11 years – up to 13 years if you financed it. When it comes time to sell your home, you can expect to get an additional $15,000 because your home not only looks nicer, but has lower operating costs than others the ones buyers will be looking at. Until you do sell your home though, you can feel proud and fulfilled living in a beautiful home.

3. Post-Retrofit Audit
After completing all your renovations – and within the 18 month since the first audit – have your auditor back to review what you have done. Make sure to keep records of all payments made for the materials and to the installers, pictures sometimes help as well (such as taking a picture of 2.5″ insulation being installed, and the type of insulation, to prove it is R-9). Typical time for the auditor to complete his report, the Government to process it, and the cheque to be mailed is 8-12 weeks.

Don’t wait any longer – you know deep down that you want a gorgeous looking home, the excitement of renovating and improving your home, and that it makes logical sense. Book your home energy audit and  request an estimate to have your home retrofitted with EIFS.

Update: September 08, 2010
I was under the original impression that the program ended March 31st 2010 – however, from the look on the website it looks like it was just the Federal government portion that was not renewed. It seems as though you can still get half the grant – $1,875 for insulation – from the Government of Ontario.

Rhode Island Dryvit Make over Winner Selling Home

Posted by Admin on December 12, 2009 None comments

This summer – a contest was put on in Rhode Island in which the grand prize was a home make over using Dryvit’s Outsulation System. The lucky home owner was thrilled (who wouldn’t be, when you just increased the value of your home by $70,000).

You can view the follow up here:

http://www.foxprovidence.com/dpp/rhode_show/dryvit-systems-remodels-viewers-home

And if you really want to, you can buy the home here:

http://www.chrisslocum.com/area/5-mill-wheel-rd-warwick-rhode-island-02886/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

Dryvit Systems remodels viewer home

Home makeover winner’s house revealed

Updated: Friday, 11 Dec 2009, 10:30 AM EST
Published : Friday, 11 Dec 2009, 10:30 AM EST

WEST WARWICK, R.I. (FOX Providence) – This summer, The Rhode Show held a contest on foxprovidence.com. The grand prize? An exterior home makeover from Dryvit Systems .

And just like that, Susan Malone’s Warwick home was on the path to a whole new look. Old, drab wooden shingles that surrounded the house would be stripped away, and the finished piece would look like a model home

“We’re going to make sure there is a nice weather barrier up there, and put some insulation on the outside,” said Barbara Catlow, Director of Marketing for Dryvit Systems .

That outsulation is what Dryvit Systems specializes in. With the new look comes an added level of comfort to the home. It keeps your home cool in the summer, and warm in the winter, saving in energy costs all while giving your home a face lift.

Dryvit contracted R&R Imperial Board Company of Warwick to do the installation, and the work began on the house.

“We took down the original wood siding on the home and we put up an exterior insulation system, insulated the home from the outside, and put on a beautiful new finish,”added Barbara.

“There was some challenges, but nothing we couldn’t deal with,” said Al Zabbo, Field Service Manager for Dryvit Systems.

And the beauty of outsulation is that the work stays outside, while you go about your business inside.

“We tried not to obstruct sue at all. We tried to stay outside and not make too much noise. But yeah it was virtually out of the house the whole time,” said Domenic Colombo, foreman for R&R Imperial Board.

Needless to say the home’s transformation has blown Susan away.

“I love my house! It’s just amazing the work that they did. So completely amazed that it came out looking exactly like the picture they had shown me. I couldn’t imagine it at the time and it’s just absolutely beautiful.”

Ron Phipps of Phipps Realty explained how a Dryvit remodel can significantly increase the value of your home.

“When this house goes on the market, it will be worth more money not merely because it looks a lot better, but because it’s going to cost less to the next owner to continue to own. So frankly it’s a home run, both on the maintenance costs ongoing, but also the overall value of the property,” said Ron.

And as one final piece to her beautiful home makeover, Dryvit did something extra special.

“Sue had a birdhouse that was kind of falling apart, the roof was off, and, we decided whatever extra material we had we were going to help the birdhouse out and re-clad the birdhouse and made it to match the house. Same color same design,” said Al.

Since the home received Dryvit’s exterior home makeover, it now appraises for $70,000 more, which is double the investment. And, energy costs have dropped nearly 19 percent, the equivalent of patching a hole the size of a soccer ball.