How to renovate your Okanagan Home.

How to renovate your Okanagan Home.

The Renovation of a Fifties Bungalow Part two

The transformation of a fifties bungalow to a contemporary styled home has been an exiting project with a few challenges encountered along the way.

Day one

All projects of this scope can be a bit like archaeology with the contractor uncovering unknown things along the way. Without xray vision a contractor must rely on his knowledge and experience to help guide him through this process.

I decided early on to personally supervise the carpenters, so instead of hiring a subcontractor I hired carpenters on a hourly basis. This allows a far greater degree of control. Since I am a red seal carpenter and have 30 years experience in home construction and renovations I felt this was the wisest way to proceed.

This kind of project is not for the faint of heart. To add a story on a existing home of this vintage is to say the least a bit tricky. Never mind the fact that the owners chose to stay in the home and live directly below the renovation.
Fortunately in spite of the fact that at times there was only a half inch of drywall between my workers and the customers the work proceeded seamlessly and without incident. There was do water ingression in spite of the fact that the roof had been removed to allow us to sister the joists. There was minimum damage to the ceiling and all work was done from above including wiring plumbing and venting.

The second story is on

I did bring in a structural engineer to give direction and add his expertise on some issues. Most municipal building authorities will require a structural engineer to sign off on issues with a project of this type. All building professionals as well as building inspectors should be viewed as helpful partners in the project. There expertise is invaluable when undertaking a project of this nature. If you have a contactor that seems nervous about inspections or the involvement of engineers or building professionals this should send up red flags. If the work is done by qualified professionals
and supervised by experienced site supervisors inspections should never be a concern.
At this point in the project we have completed the rough framing, back framing, plumbing, and electrical. The windows and doors have been installed and stairs completed. Next week we have framing inspection and then insulation. All this work has been completed in five weeks. This is a remarkable pace considering the complexity of the project.

finished product

Project update!  check out the project video on you tube  http://youtu.be/bRd0QS0r5rE

So if you’re thinking of a home renovation in the Okanagan give us a call and let us guide you through the process of planning, designing and building your homes transformation. With the help of our fully certified trades and with my personal supervision, Greenwave Construction is a winning combination. With 30 years of experience Greenwave Construction is the only smart choice for Kelowna home Renovations.

Don’t move renovate, transform your existing home. With today’s low interest rates there has never been a better time to grow your home to address the needs of your family now and in the future. Give us a call we can help take the home work out of home improvements.