Don't Put Your Home or Your Family's Safety at Risk: Hire Qualified Contractors for Your Kitchen and Bath Renovation

At Monarch, we understand that remodelling a kitchen or bathroom can be an exciting time for homeowners. After all, a new design usually means new cabinetry, appliances, furniture, lighting and more.

While you're focusing what your new space will look like, a qualified kitchen and bath design team will also be thinking ahead to what issues might arise once the tear down process begins.

At the top of their list of concerns? Electrical.

"During tear down, improperly installed electrical wiring is often the best concealed--and most dangerous--issue we have to address," says Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre president Neil Samson.

Whether you're hiring a full service design firm to manage your renovation or handling the hiring of tradespeople yourself, it's critical to ensure that the people you hire to work in your home are licensed professionals.

As reported in The Toronto Star recently, hiring an unlicensed electrician can result in "numerous electrical hazards." And in this case in particular, it also meant significant fines and jail time for the contractor. 

From thestar.com:
Normand Breton, ESA registrar and director of contractor licensing and powerline safety, said there area a "significant number" of people who violate the Electricity Act each year. "The underground economy is alive and well," he said -- but for the public, it means "when you hire an unlicnensed contractor you are taking a lot of risk."

Don't put your home or your family's safety at risk. What lies beneath your walls needs to be addressed by a qualified and experienced contractor.  

Here are some examples of what Monarch's team runs into on a daily basis:

Illegal electrical joints hidden behind drywall.

And to compound the problem even further, there is a joining of aluminum and copper wiring: this is not only illegal but it also a major fire hazard. There is a very strict protocol when joining copper to aluminum.

In this Pickering home, we found seven electrical infractions which are against the Ontario Building Code. The exhaust hood fan in this home was connected to a 4" plastic dryer hose. Not only is this a fire waiting to happen but it's also illegal.

"Sadly, these are not isolated incidents," admits Neil. "Our team uncovers these problems quite regularly. As a homeowner, you need to be aware of the potential safety hazards that might be lurking behind your walls."

"If you have any aluminum wiring in your home, we recommend you have a qualified and licensed electrician check all of the connections in your electrical panel on a yearly basis," advises Neil. "The screw-down connections on aluminum wiring can loosen; and for that reason, aluminum wiring is no longer approved for use in Canada."

When it comes to working with electrical, only a licensed electrician will do. "Don't hire a handyman to do an electrician's job," says Neil. "As the old saying goes: Jack of all trades, master of none. Insist that the electrician obtain a permit, and make sure that you receive a copy of the ESA (Electrical Safety Authority) inspection certificate. You will probably need it when you renew your home insurance."

Monarch ensures that each home renovation they perform that involves electrical work will have an ESA permit and inspections performed. Once the final inspection is complete, Monarch clients receive an ESA approval certificate.

Drop by the Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre showroom to learn more, or call 905-686-2001.

What Lies Beneath: Monarch Helps Homeowners Fix Home Builders' “Surprises”

At Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre, we perform renovations of all kinds, shapes and sizes. One of the most common renovation requests we receive from homeowners involves transforming the popcorn ceilings in their home to flat ceilings.

The tear down of this homeowner's ceiling
revealed the absence of joist hangers

Because drywall often becomes aged and tired over time, we prefer to tear down the existing ceiling and reinstall fresh drywall. We find this method provides a better end result and it usually looks crisper than a scrape-and-plaster skim coat on the ceiling.

While undertaking this renovation at a client’s home recently, our contractors were shocked at what they found when they removed the popcorn ceiling drywall. Monarch president Neil Samson was called to the job site to confirm what our experienced contractors had noticed immediately. During the construction of the home, some very important pieces were absent: on an entire section of joists, the joist hangers were missing! There was nothing holding the joists to the structural beams except a few nails.

Here is an example of how the structural beams in a home should look like. Notice the metal brackets holding the joists to the beam.

Joist hangers are metal brackets that secure joists to the beams.

Required by code, these joist hangers are a crucial piece of the house-building puzzle. Due to the lack of joist hangers, the joists had dropped about half an inch. It’s frightening to think about what could have happened to the home over time; however, crisis was averted and our installers jacked the floor joists back up in place then installed the joist hangers. Usually when we undertake a renovation, we expect some small surprises. Missing joist hangers is certainly not a small issue, but unfortunately it was not the only item on this job that gave us some concern.

More surprises were found in the bathroom!

There were more issues again with the joists and the structure of the home being compromised. Upon installation of the bathroom plumbing, our contractors discovered that someone had cut out three-quarters of a floor joist to allow for the bathtub p-trap. Once again, this is against building code, against safe practices, and most importantly could have caused some dangerous, life-threatening scenarios. As you can see from the photo, the plumbing had been leaking for some time and had caused mold to appear on the flooring.

Working with a contractor or renovation company that you trust is very important. At Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre, we respect our customers’ homes, their families and their safety. Monarch president Neil Samson visits all job sites on a regular basis to ensure “surprises” are dealt with in a timely manner, ensuring the safety of your family and your home.

Ready to renovate? Call us today at 905-686-2001 or drop by our showroom and speak with a member of our design team.

A Message from Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre Regarding the Recent Flooding in the GTA

To our fellow residents in and around the Toronto area that incurred damages in their homes on Monday as a result of the torrential downpour, please know that we here at Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre fully empathize with you.

We understand all too well how devastating flooding can be and the destruction that remains after the flood waters have receded. While it is regrettable that our homes were damaged, we are thankful there was no loss of life and together we can rebuild our homes.

Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre has over 32 years of renovation experience. We carry quality cabinetry to satisfy any of your rebuilding needs, and have professional designers and installation technicians on staff that will work with you to restore your homes.

If we can be of any assistance, we are always here for you. Let us help you to rebuild your home and together we will not be beaten come hell OR high water.

Neil Samson
President
Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre

Tips from CAA insurance on making a efficient insurance claim:

• Contact your insurance company immediately
• Have your policy number ready
• Document and take photos of the water damage
• Ask your agent questions about your home insurance coverage and deductible.

Tips from the Canadian Red Cross for getting rid of water yourself and beginning basic flood recovery:

• Slowly use pumps and pails to remove standing water.
• Use a wet/dry shop vacuum to mop up the remaining water.
• Dress appropriately and keep children and animals away from the flooded area.
• Don't use flooded appliances, electrical outlets, switch boxes or fuse-breaker panels until an electrician has ensured they are safe.
• Clean washable items (such as clothes) immediately to prevent mould.
• Documents, books or photos should be air-dried.
• Throw out any medicine, cosmetics or toiletries that have come in contact with flood water.
• Soaked furniture should be professionally cleaned.

To download the Canadian Red Cross Guide to Flood Recovery, click here.

Athena Electric Helps Monarch Designers Stay Up-To-Date

Vicky Campbell
Master Electrician

When it comes to renovating, Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre's team of designers always put their clients' safety first. With this in mind, Monarch invited electrician Vicky Campbell to their Pickering showroom recently to give designers a refresher course on what to plan for when working on a kitchen or bath design.

Vicky Camlbell is a fully insured and licensed electrical contractor registered with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). Vicky is a Master Electrician with a Construction and Maintenance licence: this certifies her for any kind of residential or commercial electrical work throughout Canada.

"We use her on all our jobs that require an electrician," says Amanda Willson-Suppa. "She visits Monarch from time to time to make sure our team has a clear understanding of the building code and how it applies to electrical items in kitchens and bathrooms."

Vicky's 10 years of experience as an electrician include control wiring, knob and tube removal, aluminum removal and reconditioning, and any kind of power and distribution in a residential or commercial setting.

 

Behind the Walls: How Qualified Contractors like Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre Can Save Your Life

Planning a kitchen or bathroom remodel can be an exciting time for homeowners. Your new design usually means new cabinetry, appliances, furniture, lighting and more...a fresh new look for a tired old space.

A qualified kitchen and bath design team--while focused on providing you with what you're looking for aesthetically--will also be thinking ahead to what issues might arise once tear down begins.

At the top of their list of concerns? Electrical.

"During tear down, improperly installed electrical wiring is often the best concealed--and most dangerous--issue we have to address," says Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre president Neil Samson.

Here are some examples of what Monarch's team runs into on a daily basis:

Illegal electrical joints hidden behind drywall.

And to compound the problem even further, there is a joining of aluminum and copper wiring: this is not only illegal but it also a major fire hazard. There is a very strict protocol when joining copper to aluminum.

 

In this Pickering home, we found seven electrical infractions which are against the Ontario Building Code. The exhaust hood fan in this home was connected to a 4" plastic dryer hose. Not only is this a fire waiting to happen but it's also illegal.

"Sadly, these are not isolated incidents," admits Neil. "Our team uncovers these problems quite regularly. As a homeowner, you need to be aware of the potential safety hazards that might be lurking behind your walls."

"If you have any aluminum wiring in your home, we recommend you have a qualified and licensed electrician check all of the connections in your electrical panel on a yearly basis," advises Neil. "The screw-down connections on aluminum wiring can loosen; and for that reason, aluminum wiring is no longer approved for use in Canada."

When it comes to working with electrical, only a licensed electrician will do. "Don't hire a handyman to do an electrician's job," says Neil. "As the old saying goes: Jack of all trades, master of none. Insist that the electrician obtain a permit, and make sure that you receive a copy of the ESA (Electrical Safety Authority) inspection certificate. You will probably need it when you renew your home insurance."