Project Materials and Process

This was a challenging project with an extremely unique building style and lots of different custom material choices. The designer had a very particular finish look in mind and each made many changes along the way. We are used to changes as projects progress and with our great supplier relationships we were able to source the exact materials she wanted on short notice.

Insulation

The existing insulation had been damaged by water over time and was the original old R-12 insulation which was the norm in the 80’s After removing all the old insulation we installed new R-22 Pink Fiberglass insulation to greatly improve the efficiency and comfort.

As a part of the insulation installation, the vapor barrier required extensive replacement and repair. All of this work was done from the exterior and included new 6mil poly where possible, taping all holes and tears, box-taping all penetrations from electrical boxes and outlets.

Sheathing

Once the insulation was complete we proceeded with new sheathing on the building. The original sheathing was 3/8 inch plywood and we upgraded it to 1/2 inch plywood throughout. This heavier sheathing helps make the building more solid and slightly increases the sound resistance of the wall assembly.

House Wrap

Before the exterior siding can be installed, all of the new sheathing needs to be covered in a water-resistant yet breathable house wrap. We used Tyvek house wrap which protects against water ingress while at the same time allowing the wall assembly structure to breathe.

Years ago builders used tar paper or other similar products to help waterproof the walls. The problem with this method is that buildings need to breathe, especially in the damp and humid B.C. climate. We discuss this topic further in our post about the best house wrap products on the market.

Rain Screen

As a part of the long term water management goal of this project, we installed 1/2 inch rainscreen under all siding materials. This pressure treated material provides an air gap between the siding and the building paper which helps the building breathe as well as allowing air flow behind the siding materials.

This building is just a block away from the ocean and during the worst storms will be buffeted by rain, wind, and salt water. This rainscreen gap will help the building to dry out after an intense storm and ensure that all the hard work that went into restoring this building keeps it looking beautiful for decades to come.

Windows

The windows on this project were all replaced as well. The designer had chosen a custom silver framed vinyl window assembly and they all had to be ordered 6 weeks ahead of installation. Installing this many windows into an older building like this takes a fair bit of time but our crews got it done without a single scratch on the custom coloring.

Changing the windows to higher quality dual pane argon filled windows really helps the energy efficiency as well as significantly improving the sound deadening performance.

Doors

All of the exterior doors on this project were replaced with new fiberglass and full glass pane patio doors. All of the doors were custom painted to match the exterior look of the building.

Just like the insulation upgrades, window replacement, and sheathing replacement, changing the doors significantly improved the energy efficiency and sound resistance of the building envelope.

Allura Cement Panels

The main siding material chosen for this project was Allura Fiber Cement. These panels are made of fibrous cement and are extremely good at providing long-lasting waterproof finishes. Being made of fiber cement, these panels are resistant to bugs, rot, and damage from the elements. Fiber cement is a premium siding material choice and comes with a 50-year material warranty.

The Allura panel system installation is an exposed hardware system which means that the heads of the mounting screw are visible and create a nice pattern on the finished siding. All screws used for this are stainless steel and then top coated with the final coat of paint.

The designer on this project wanted a custom color so we chose to use pre-primed panels and had them multi-coated in our paint booth. Each panel got two coats of Alkali resistant primer and two coats of Emerald premium paint. After installation all panels got one more coat of paint to cover all exposed fasteners and complete the new look.

Longboard Siding

As a feature material for this project, the designer chose to use two different colors of Longboard aluminum siding. This is another premium siding product that is made out of aluminum and has an extremely long life span. The specific design choices were both wood-grained products that look like real wood but provide a much longer lifespan without the need for maintenance or upkeep.

These custom wood grained color contrasts really bring a custom look to this project as well as a unique and high end look.

Flashing, Trims, And Finishings

To compliment the silver windows on this project we used custom bent silver flashing for all windows, doors, and laps. Having a great relationship with many local building suppliers allowed us to have theses custom flashing pieces bent up as we needed them and always ready in just a few days notice.

The Allura siding was installed with E-Z trims which are an aluminum trim piece that prevents water from getting behind the cement panels while at the same time providing a beautiful finish that matched all the other silver features on this building.

As a part of the high end finishing and details of this project we used perforated metal bug-screen to stop any insects from getting behind the siding materials.

Project Completion

“This was a challenging project that had many facets to it. The timeline was short but never wanting to miss a deadline I pushed my crew. Every day we saw more progress which encouraged us to keep going and we are extremely happy with the final product.

This was one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs I have ever undertaken and it is the one I am most proud of thus far. Whenever I am in White Rock I still go out of my way to drive by that building.

Completing that project was one of the proudest moments in my career and is what solidified my decision to focus on renovations. Renovations are a business of redemption; it is seeing value where others do not and making it better than it was. That is what this project means to me.” John Burton, Owner