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CottageLady
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2016 22:20
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Hi Everyone,
I love cottage country anywhere but especially in Canada where we are fortunate to own a 750sf cottage on an island in the 1000 Islands. The property sits at the edge of the island and was built about 55 years ago.
It is in rough shape and needs a lot of tender loving care and renovation. The cottage does not have insulation and I unfortunately do not know much about its construction other than it was not built on a bedrock foundation nor does it have insulation.
We will need to do new electrical, walls, floors, windows, and I am thinking about expanding to include a loft above the bedrooms and another 300sf room off the side for a dining room/bar/breakfast area.
The biggest issue is my husband and I are not local to the cottage nor are we knowledgeable about construction/renovation technical details.
I am worried about getting taken advantage of by a contractor as we will need to rely on them for their expertise and I have heard they will take short cuts but charge top dollar because we are not local.
Therefore, my question is whether you have any general advice for us:
If we take the walls down to the studs, is it hard to create a new room off the cottage?
Is raising the roof two feet a lot of work and if we do not raise and redo the roof can we do the addition?
Where is the best place to get wood i.e. railroad ties and or beams for the loft area?
What type of windows do you recommend?
We would like to move the bathroom to the middle of the cottage at the back between the two bedrooms i.e. Jack and Jill style. Is moving the existing plumbing a big deal since it needs to be replaced because it is original?
That is many questions and I really appreciate all of your advice and suggestions.
Thank you!
CL
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2016 23:10
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Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you have a big project.
If you take the walls down to the studs, it will make it easier to do the addition because you have easy access to the framing.
Raising the whole roof two feet is a lot of work, but you do not have to raise the existing roof at all to put in the addition, even if it has a higher roof.
Don't use railroad ties in your building. The preservatives in ties are very poisonous. If you can find a small local sawmill you may be able to order beams cheaper than those at the lumberyard.
Double pane windows are best for insulation. As far as brand goes, visit door and window showrooms and see what you like and what fits your budget.
If you have to replace the existing plumbing anyway, it's not a lot more work to move the bathroom. When you reconfigure the walls in the cottage, be sure that you don't remove any roof support, or replace it if you do.
Do the project in phases. That way you can get a sense of the workers involved and their honesty, and whether you want them to continue. Talk to your neighbors and ask if they know good contractors.
Gutting the house down to the studs is a lot of work but really gives you the opportunity to properly fix everything and properly insulate.
Hope this helps.
Send us pics!
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2016 23:13 - Edited by: Steve_S
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Ohhh you have a nice spot on the 1000 Islands there and quite premium due to desirability & location, location, location.
I would suggest first in finding out what the building reg's are through the township. I think Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands is where you're at, so here's a link to their building dept. Check out the info on by-laws, renovations and permits there and don't be surprised with various restrictions because of where your located.
They may have a copy of the last plans for your property as well but sadly, when a lot of the townships & counties went through the amalgamations a few years back, things got fairly waylaid in most places... Would be great if you could get them though.
I advise managing your information initially when talking to the building dept. as some can be quite reasonable and easy to work with and talk to, while others... shall we say, can be quite Trying... Most I've dealt with over the years have been pretty good up front and generally open to discussing things and options before getting into things...
Posting pictures of your place such as the foundation / piers, exterior, it would help people to visualize it better and give better answers.
Can't say anything about contractors there but there is a bit of a building boom everywhere right now (Canada 150 preps for next yr) + the usual cottage building season on top... That usually means more $, tougher scheduling & planning. It may be prudent to consider using a project manger who can organize the trades and handle the details and quality control. Of course this costs as well but could save you a heap the other way around.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 16 Jul 2016 13:24
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Quoting: CottageLady Hi Everyone, I love cottage country anywhere but especially in Canada... We will need to do new electrical, walls, floors, windows, and I am thinking about expanding to include a loft above the bedrooms and another 300sf room off the side for a dining room/bar/breakfast area. Therefore, my question is whether you have any general advice for us: If we take the walls down to the studs, is it hard to create a new room off the cottage?
I think this would make it the easiest. Then you can also inspect eh structure, no where load carrying walls/beams are and a great time to install good insulation, new wiring and plumbing too.
Is raising the roof two feet a lot of work and if we do not raise and redo the roof can we do the addition?
Roof, no trouble, but do you mean ceiling? Ceiling can be tougher, longer walls means a splice. So to have the strength, I would imagine new exterior longer sheeting to overlap and tie the splice together. So this means new exterior siding. Do a section at a time, or add lots of bracing, a stud wall, open on both sides has no real lateral strength. So tackle a section at a time maybe?
What type of windows do you recommend?
Well, double pane vinyl is my favorite, I like the grids in the glass. If you have open stud walls, and do add new siding, you can purchase nice std sized windows and frame them in.
We would like to move the bathroom to the middle of the cottage at the back between the two bedrooms i.e. Jack and Jill style. Is moving the existing plumbing a big deal since it needs to be replaced because it is original?
With the walls opened up, great time to do this. Use PEX plumbing too, makes life so much easier.
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 16 Jul 2016 18:17
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I would recommend reading the series of books by Sarah Susanka called "The Not So Big House". There are maybe 5-6 books in the series now. They deal with the small details most people overlook in designing and renovating their homes. The basic premise is that maybe you don't need to add on as much space as you think.
Carpentry books and internet sites can give you the basic knowledge of construction but these will help you visualize details that will help make the finished cabin beautiful.
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 18 Jul 2016 09:05
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get two prices, one price to do all the improvements you want and one to build new , There won't be much difference except for demolition cost to the old cottage , you may be able to do that yourself . good luck
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CottageLady
Member
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# Posted: 19 Jul 2016 21:24
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The advice you have given me is very helpful. I am going to share all of the good information with my husband and we will consider all of it. We are heading to the cottage next week and I will share the feedback we get from our prospective contractors when we return.
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CottageLady
Member
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2016 18:40
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Hello,
Because this post is going to turn into me reporting on our project I am going to open a post in the project forum.
Best,
CL
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CabinBuilder
Admin
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# Posted: 15 Aug 2016 16:40
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CottageLady update
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