Renovation Trends and Facts

Appliances

• A common trend is to replace a 30” cooktop or a cooking range with a 36” one. Gas units are becoming very popular. European induction units are also emerging which are sleek and easy to clean.
• Common ventilation unit of minimum 600 CFM (cubic feet per minute) over cooktop with styles in stainless steel or with wood cover to match cabinets.
• Most fridges purchased now are cabinet depth or built in which are much shallower than older fridges. These fit into kitchen design better as they are only the depth of a typical countertop and do not project beyond. Because they are shallower, they are wider than past fridges to obtain same cubic foot space. Users comment that while the shallower depth makes it seem like the fridge is smaller, it is actually easier to use as they don’t have to reach as far to the rear of the fridge. Typical fridge sizes now are 36”, 42” and 48”. Typical configurations: side by side and side by side with freezer drawer on bottom. Most units come with built in ice maker and water.
• Built-in microwave / wall oven /warming drawer tower are popular. New users are reluctant to install warming drawer, but most love them once they have them. Warming drawer can also be installed in the kitchen island or under a cooktop.
• Integral (built-in) garbage drawers are also popular.
• Beverage centres, wine coolers and fridge drawers are very common now.
• Less common now is the use of garborators.

Plumbing Fixtures

• Many knock off less expensive versions that copy design only.
• Quality fixtures (Grohe/ Blanco/ Toto / Kohler) are worth the extra cost in the long run as they have superior finishes and full brass fittings.
• Many knock off fail in short period of time.
• Installation of a sink in the kitchen island is a popular trend driven by its user friendly aspect.
• Rain head fixtures in showers and body spray units are gaining popularity as they are more water efficient and offer greater convenience of use.
• Bath tubs are available also as water jet or air jet units with aromatherapy and light therapy units in some.
• Pot fillers are now popular in the kitchen above the cooktop for water supply to fill pots easily cooking. They are mounted on the backsplash behind a cooktop.

Countertops

• Should you choose Quartz or Granite? There is no research to prove that one is better that the other. It is purely a matter of subjective preference.
• Quartz is natural material that ground down and re-manufactured. It is very consistent in colour and grain pattern but lacks the natural feel of granite. Quartz never needs to be sealed.
• Granite has natural veins markings and fissures. It needs to be re-sealed with sealing impregnator after 1 to 2 years, depending on the use. Darker the granite, less sealing it requires.

Cabinet Woods

• Popular stained woods are typically, maple, cherry walnut and quarter cut oak. Cherry is noted to be the finest of furniture woods due to its rich finish. More contemporary kitchens prefer the use of “flat cut maple” which has a very consistent straight grain and lends itself to contemporary styles.
• MDF is good for painted products as long as it is not subjected to excessive wear and potential damage. It is best used as panels only on cabinet doors. You can tell that MDF cabinet doors are of a good quality if they have a PVC edging applied to the outside surface edge of the door before finishing. This offers greater durability. Solid wood frames on doors tend to be subject to movement and small cracks will appear at door joints on painted or colour lacquered projects.
• Melamine is the best cabinet interior material. Use of heavier 120 gram melamine is preferred. Cabinet cases should be at least ¾” thick.
• Emerging “green” cabinet materials are now available and in use. They are environment friendly and have little off gasing after installation .
• All interior cabinet shelves should be banded on all four sides to minimize off gasing.

Hardware

• Door handles for both interior and exterior room and entry doors have dropped in quality in the last few years. Common domestic names such as Schlage are recommended as well as many specialty domestic manufacturers .
• Cabinet door hardware should have a solid brass body where possible vs. a hollow or metal body. This helps finishes to last longer and the screw threads fit the screw better and hold on to doors more securely.
• MDL uses Blum hinges and concealed drawer runners on cabinetwork with soft closing mechanisms. The trade name for this is Blumotion.

Lighting

• Many types of lighting: General / Accent / Task
• Lighting comes in Low Voltage Halogen / LED / Line Voltage Incandescent
• General lighting is used to provide overall light source. Accent lighting is mostly used as a decorative light source for mood or effect. Task lighting provides a direct light source to a smaller area(for example: over a desk)
• LED lights prove to be good for accent or task lighting and are very energy efficient with long lasting bulbs that don’t get hot. However, low voltage halogen provides a crisp bright light that is best for general lighting. MDL uses only Canadian made “Contrast” brand low voltage light housings on our projects. Line voltage incandescent lights are from regular type light bulbs providing a warm orange light still used in many applications, but its low efficiency is decreasing its use.

Tiles

• Tiles come in many different types: ceramic / porcelain / natural stone
• Ceramic is a clay based tile body with a glazed top finish. It is very durable but the finish is not as good as porcelain. Textured finishes are possible in porcelain due to its “through body” make up.
• Porcelain available as “through body” porcelain tile has the same consistency of color as the exposed portion of the tile. Many mimic natural stone and require no maintenance like stone does. Good quality tile is very consistent in size and cut allowing for precise installation.
• Natural stone (slate/granite/marble/travertine) is a beautiful product that can’t be duplicated by man-made products. It does, however, require regular sealing and maintenance.
• Tiles with square (non bevelled or chiselled edges) require expert installation or they can look terrible. Lower quality tiles tend to be out of square and poorly cut, making good installation impossible.

Wood Flooring

• There are many different types and qualities available: Laminate / Solid Wood / Engineered
• Laminate flooring: Can be man-made MDF of HDF core with a manufactured finish to mimic wood / cork, or even tile. It clicks together to form a “floating floor” surface that is not attached to the sub-floor.
• Solid wood flooring: It is made from natural wood timbers and cut with a tongue and groove on the sides to allow hidden nailed installation. Hardwood cannot be glued down as it requires the ability to expand and contract. Many hardwood flooring types come prefinished with a very durable aluminum oxide clear coat / finish that is very durable. Hardwood of this kind tends to be subject to gouging but not scratching as older style on-site finished types. Varieties of hardwood range from domestic to exotic, pine to jatoba (Brazilian cherry). The exotic varieties are the hardest and most durable. The hardest domestic wood floors are maple and oak. Maple is not recommended for dark stained floor as it is notorious for not staining well and has a flat unevenly stained surface. Solid wood floor requires environmental maintenance (humidity control and temperature control) as recommended by manufacturers. Most hardwood floors are subject to cupping/warping and “peaking” (boards expanding and pushing together to form a “peak”) when environmental control is not present. 4” widths are the maximum recommended. They are not suitable for basements or applications over concrete floor
• Engineered floor: It is a combination of wood ply with a top third ply being solid wood. It is very stable and suitable for glue down applications and or stapling or were hardwood cannot be installed (basements / over concrete floors in commercial applications). Boards are available in widths up to 10” as they are not subject to cupping etc. The floor will not expand and contract. Most good brands are more expensive than their solid wood counterparts. Engineered floors are available in many hand-scraped and specialty finishes.
• Quality: More expensive wood floors often have better factory quality controls as to the consistency in board widths and machining and a superior applied finish along with longer board lengths, all to produce a better looking floor.

Tile Installation

• In most cases additional plywood sub-floor should be installed to stiffen the existing sub-floor. This sub-floor is screwed to existing floor joists every 4-6 inches to keep it secure.
• MDL uses “Ditra” products for all of tiling installations as it provides a superior secure base for your new tile investment. We also use the “Ditra” waterproofing shower system for our custom tiled shower enclosures as seen at www.schluter.com  
• We recommend installing some tile at entry doors to avoid snow and moisture damage to hardwood.
• Many different styles and options are available for backsplashes. From stainless steel to cultured stone, travertine to slate; you can choose from many different patterns. Your imagination is the only limit!

Hardwood Installation

• In most cases we install an additional plywood sub-floor to stiffen the existing sub-floor and to provide smooth transition points from one surface to the other (for example: tile to wood). This sub-floor is screwed to existing floor joists every 4-6 inches.
• Hardwood should be installed perpendicular to floor joists and nailed in place to existing joists with steel cleats (not just staples to sub-floor as is done in poor quality installation jobs).

Paint

• Fairly typical trend now to use satin oil paint on trim and latex on walls. Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams products are popular. The preferred finish for walls (other than a kitchen or bathroom) is Benjamin Moore “Ultimat”. It has a flat finish that is still washable and gives a very rich look especially on mid to darker colours. Benjamin Moore’s new line of “Aura” paint has excellent colours and finish.
• Oil or Alkyd paint is still a superior finish for trim work. Even though there is talk in the industry that oil paint will be phased out, there is still no finish as good as oil in many opinions. Contractors who use latex trim will paint like this as it has much faster dry time and allows the job to be completed quicker.
• Crown / cornice moulding trend is to paint like ceiling (if the ceiling is white or off-white).
• An emerging trend is to paint some ceilings a colour other than white.
• When choosing white or beige colours, keep in mind there are cool and warm versions of each that do affect the atmosphere of a room.

Wood or MDF Trim

• MDL uses only poplar wood trim in all applications where surfaces are subject to heavy use or possible damage. Pine trim can “bleed” and orange tinge appears if not properly sealed before painted. MDF (medium density fiberboard) trim too is subject to damage on baseboards and casings. Once damaged it must be replaced unlike wood which can be repaired.
• MDF trim is more suitable and preferred for crown mouldings.
• All corner joints should be “coped” vs. “mitred” for a better fit. They will then be less subject to opening up due to seasonal movement of wood.

Rebate Programs

• It is a popular trend to pre-wire homes for electronics, sound systems, computers (cat5), cable, as well as security systems. Although wireless use for computers is now very common, most clients still prefer to be hardwired in. Extensive installations are seen of flush ceiling speakers and home theatre wiring, etc.
• MDL provides service for basic or advanced installation of the above.
• Many clients when replacing insulation and / or furnaces are obtaining energy audits which are available and government rebates on installation costs depending on various criteria. An auditor visits a home before renovation and after completion as well to assess the energy efficiency. Auditors are available to our clients upon request.