Construction Archives - Always Plumbing & Heating

Putting a Legal Basement or Garage Suite in Your Home

The process of incorporating a basement or garage suite in your home is not simple and it requires that you do things carefully in order to ensure that the suite is compliant with the laws in your area.

This is a project that can lead to a great source of additional income if you plan to rent that space out. This is a decision that many homeowners are making in current times due to the current employment crisis that the entire world is facing.

The good thing about a legal basement suite is that even if you don’t rent it, you can always have it as a private area for any member of your family to use and for guests. There can always be a way to make use of space that is set up in a way that turns it into a private location.

The main thing to keep in mind is that this is going to require that you set the area up with plumbing and HVAC, state of the art equipment, a secondary furnace to keep utilities separate, smart plumbing fixtures, and more.

Plumbing & HVAC Considerations with Basement Conversions

Ensure proper drainage around your home to protect against flooding
To protect against mold, consider adding a dehumidifier if you live in a damp area
Consider adding a Flo by Moen smart water shut-off valve, in the event of a water leak. This can save you tens of thousands, and offer you peace of mind especially if you have tenants in your basement.
Consider adding a secondary water heater so you don’t have to worry about running out of hot water yourself. Also, if you add a second water heater on its own meter, your tenants can pay their own utilities separately
Have an additional furnace installed just for the basement suite. This will ensure your tenants stay comfortable and can control their own climate. Also, the gas company can add a separate meter so the tenants can pay for their own services
Ensure your sump pump is operational and maintained. You may consider having a second sump pump installed in your basement, for optimal protection. You can also add a wifi sump pump alarm, which will alert you should there be any issues. Read more about maintaining your sump pump.

Plumbing & HVAC Considerations with Garage Conversions

Ensure you have adequate insulation that meets current residential building codes. This will prevent heat loss and keep your tenants comfortable
Have a furnace installed to heat the garage loft. This can be tied into your existing services, or you can set it on a separate meter if you wish
You will need a plumber to install all the pipes and fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom. You will need water lines, drain lines, and shutoff valves installed to meet building codes.
As with any income suite, it is always a good idea to add a smart water shut off valve, such as the Flo by Moen. This will detect any leaks, and send you alerts to your phone. If a slow sustained leak is detected, it will turn the main water off to the suite after a certain number of minutes. If a major leak is detected, it will turn the water off immediately to prevent any disastrous damages.

We have vast experience in this process and our team will evaluate the area to give you an estimate on costs once we have seen the property and the space for the suite. It’s important to remember that the basement apartment has to be smaller than the actual property size, and there needs to be a separate exit and entrance.

There are also rules regarding the electrical setup, but those are going to depend on the space and on several other factors. The important thing is that the modifications that are made in the basement can ensure the safety of those who live in the suite.

Keep in mind that because this is separate from the rest of the house, you will need to take extra precautions to ensure that it will be an area that can be safely inhabited by someone as a completely separate structure.

Always Plumbing & Heating has a great team of experienced professionals that will help you get through this process as quickly as effortlessly as possible. We will help you with the process from start to finish, to ensure that you are making an educated decision on your project, in the most cost-effective manner. We have assisted many homeowners with the plumbing and HVAC in their income suite developments, and we are seen as experts in the area. Let us take the worry off your mind, and send us a message. We will provide a free estimate on the plumbing and HVAC costs of creating your very own legal basement or garage suite.

Top 5 Ways to Heat Your Finished Basement

Winter is just around the corner, bringing with it guests and family gatherings for the holidays. It’s the perfect time of year to make use of the additional space from a finished basement. Unfortunately, colder winter temperatures also mean cold basements. It’s not too late to make sure your basement is properly heated in time for the holidays. Whether your basement is one big room or a few smaller rooms, these top 5 ways to heat your basement offer a solution to meet your needs.

1. Add registers to your existing HVAC system.

Adding registers to your existing HVAC heating system is a great option if you have the ductwork in place and you want to make use of the entire basement. This will allow the current HVAC system to climate control the finished basement like it would the rest of the house.

In most houses, if the existing HVAC ductwork is not already in place it can be expanded to accommodate the additional space and make room for more registers. This may also require upgrading your system to accommodate the extra work. This is an excellent option to truly make the basement seem like an extension of your house.

2. Install a wood pellet stove.

These stoves burn condensed wood pellets and push out warm air with a small fan. Their dry fuel creates more heat, causing them to burn hotter and cleaner than traditional fireplaces.

Wood pellet stoves do require installation and they need to be vented to the exterior of the basement wall. The wood pellets come in mulch size bags, making them easy to store and have on hand when needed.

3. Use Electric space heaters.

If you’ve lived in Edmonton long enough, chances are you’ve used a portable space heater. They are cost efficient to purchase and do not require the help of a professional. Electric space heaters are excellent for giving heat exactly where you need it. They may not be the best choice for a large basement as they are the least energy efficient on the list. However, they work best for smaller spaces or to supplement other heating solutions.

4. Electric Baseboard heaters.

Baseboard heaters are easy to install and have a relatively low cost. They are great for Edmonton winters where heating is a priority. A baseboard heater offers a permanent way of heating your basement, but its range is limited. At least one will be needed for each room to have consistent heat in that area. They also take about 30 minutes to fully warm up.

5. Install basement radiant floor heating.

Radiant heaters are a relatively more expensive heating option to keep your basement warm, as they require installation beneath the flooring. Basement floors are made of concrete slabs allowing the cold to permeate through the floors. Electric radiant floor heating uses the concrete slab to conduct heat that is absorbed by the basements surroundings. These heaters evenly heat the room from the ground up, leaving the basement with warm, dry floors and living space.

This method of heating is the most energy efficient on the list allowing energy savings over time and they are considerably less obtrusive than baseboard heaters. Their sub-floor installation helps your finished basement to maintain more consistent temperatures, heating evenly throughout.

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Oftentimes, the basement’s heat source is either inefficient or not strong enough to heat the entire area. Being subterranean, the basement is naturally cooler and loses more heat than the rest of the house. To help your heat sources be more efficient, make sure enough wall insulation and adequate subfloor underlayment has been installed. This will limit the heat loss from the entire room, saving both money and energy.

If the basement is still struggling to stay warm, try combining several heat sources. It can be difficult for your HVAC to regulate the naturally cooler temperature of the basement and the rest of the house. Try installing baseboard heaters or using space heaters along with your HVAC to make up the difference. Having this in place can help balance your HVAC system and significantly cut back on your basement’s heating needs.

Whether it’s a new system or an upgrade to your current one, our technicians at Always Plumbing & Heating can help make your finished basement the perfect extra space. Need help with your basement heating? Call us at 780-489-8118 (Edmonton) or 587-601-1253 Fort McMurray to schedule an appointment today!

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Tips for Building a New Home in Edmonton

We understand the decision to build a new home is not one to be taken lightly. From day one there is nervousness and anxiety until the day you move in. The professionals at Always Plumbing and Heating have been in the business for over 16 years, so we pulled together our best tips for building a new home in Edmonton or Fort McMurray.

Make a Plan

Every home starts with a plan. There is a vision, turned into a floor plan, and then into a blueprint. Each stage calls for organization and materials. Floor plans are available online at Floorplanner and Room Sketcher or you can opt for a stock plan such as these. Stock plans naturally save time and money, but if customizing, you can always hire an architect.

Expect Bumps Along the Way

As with any major project, there are always changes to plans, bumps along the way, and delays. If you don’t expect them, you’ll be frustrated most of the time your home is being built. Just enjoy the process, because building a new home is a marathon, not a sprint!

Hire the Right People

Finding the right people to entrust with your new home is a project in itself. Always Plumbing & Heating have been working on home renovations for over 16 years, which has informed how we handle coordinating new builds. We understand the emotions and timelines that go into building a new home, and hope to work with you to have a small part in making your dream home a reality.

Invest

You are building a new home, so we understand the entire project is an investment. However, the last thing you want to do is get a cheap HVAC system in your newly built home. Without a proper system and professional installation, you could end up with poor performance, mold outbreak or an astronomical utility bill. We’ll make sure we get the right size unit for your new home and install it correctly with our guarantee! With our affordable financing options, it will be a breeze.

Enjoy!

You may not see it yet, but your dream home can be a reality! Soon you’ll be moving into your newly built house, with brand new plumbing and heating, ready for you and your family to make their own. You’ll look back on this process and remember the fun parts, and hopefully the people that all made it possible.

We would love the opportunity to be a part of building a new home in Edmonton or Fort McMurray for you. Please give us a call at 780-489-8118 (Edmonton) or 587-601-1253 (Fort McMurray) to discuss your options!