Speaking Contractor
Learn the Lingo Contractors Use Before Starting Your Renovation
One of the more frustrating things that homeowners face early on in a renovation is understanding the “trade lingo.” Most homeowners who have owned a home for a while understand the basics of home language like footprint, foundation, furnace and many other terms. When it comes to misconceptions about materials, terminology and acronyms used, many get lost in the conversation.
As this weekly column is directed towards home renovation, I am going to touch on one of the best certification programs in Canada, then a short list of some of the most often used contractor terminology.
ENERGYSTAR
In Canada we have a federal department called Natural Resources Canada that provides leadership in two of the more well-known energy rating programs, ENERGYSTAR and EnerGuide. You will see stickers applied to appliances from the EnerGuide program if the appliance meets a certain level of energy efficiency. It may also have an ENERGYSTAR sticker. ENERGYSTAR is an international program developed in the United States for products and new homes that meet an energy rating typically greater than 10-20 percent of minimum regulated standards or building codes.
EnerGuide
EnerGuide is a 100 percent Canadian program that rates energy consumption of appliances and other products, including homes. The nice part about EnerGuide is that it has an excellent rating system for older homes. This process uses a certified EnerGuide auditor doing a blower door test on your home to rate how energy efficient your home is. The test will give you a before-renovation rating including a report with suggestions on what to do to improve your home. Then the auditor will return after your renovation to do a second blower door test to determine how effective your retrofitting has been.
Get the Green Building Project Checklist
Use this handy checklist on your next project to keep track of all the ways you can make your home more energy-efficient and sustainable.
Air envelope
I will admit to being guilty of this, using “trade slang” or acronyms that only those in the trades understand. One of the most misunderstood terms is air envelope. In technical terms it means the layer of air that surrounds an object or entity, the aircraft industry uses this term constantly. In housing, it is used to describe the many methods of sealing that create a physical barrier in a home so the conditioned air in the home remains in the home. The better the application of an air barrier, the greater the energy efficiency and indoor comfort creating this envelope.
Damp-proofing
In older homes, specifically those with a block basement you may hear the term “damp-proofing” applied to the outside foundation, leaving those to think that by using this tar-like coating it has waterproofed the basement. In fact after a few years this coating will fail and the concrete blocks will absorb water (in some cases lots of water) and only a recognized waterproof application like blue skin or yellow jacket will keep your block basement dry. If the coating on the outside of your block basement above grade, called parging, is falling off then it’s time to cosmetically clean it up. I have often heard the statement that parging helps waterproof a basement – that’s wrong. Parging is simply “mortar wallpaper for blocks” as I often called it. It’s a cosmetic coating and nothing more.
Framing
If you are having any interior walls moved or added you may hear the terms stick frame, platform frame or simply framing. These terms are all the same, they mean the method of assembling dimensioned lumber to create a wall. The term “take-off” is not being impolite, rather a document that tells the contractor how much material he will need. This is often arrived at from the drawings that the designer or architectural tech has provided.
GFI / GFCI
There are a couple of electrical terms that were a constant inquiry from our clients, that being GFI and AFCI. The initials GFI and GFCI are identical terms used to describe a ground fault circuit interrupter. They can be located at the actual plug or as a breaker in your electrical panel. This electrical safety device is designed to cut off the electricity if dampness is present. They are required in kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor outlets. Along with the presence of water, they will detect some faulty wiring or damaged appliances.
AFCI
An AFCI or arc fault circuit interrupter is now required for most rooms including bedrooms in Canada. An AFCI is capable of detecting the difference between a harmless arc created by activating a light switch or plug and a dangerous arc like one coming from a worn or defective lamp or extension cord. These breakers, located in your electrical panel, can be sensitive and annoying. If you have one that constantly trips and there is no faulty wiring found, it’s not a cheap replacement.
HRV
Moving on to the conditioned air in your home, which is usually called HVAC. This term stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning and is sometimes used even if the home does not have an air ventilation system. If you are considering a major air barrier upgrade in your renovation, then an air ventilation system should be in your plans. There are two methods here, HRV and ERV. The most common is the HRV or heat recovery ventilator system. These systems collect the stuffy air via a room-by-room duct system or as part of your furnace ducting. They recycle the air by pushing it through a heat exchanger inside the HRV cabinet to the exterior. This outgoing air heats this exchanger so the inbound air is warmed, reducing the stress on your HVAC system. They also have some ability to remove excess moisture in your home.
ERV
The next generation of air quality conditioning is called an ERV or energy recovery ventilator system. It takes heat recovery and moisture control to a higher level and is common in upper level energy efficient homes. By my experience doing renovations, an HRV is suitable for most renovated homes that have attained a respectable air barrier.
Mini-splits
There is considerable interest in heat pumps nowadays and this general term is often confused with a mini-split system. Sometimes called a ductless heat pump, a mini-split is a type of system with an outdoor heat pump unit and one or more indoor units that are located in hallways or individual rooms without the need for traditional ductwork. A conventional air source heat pump can be connected to a duct system. Heat pumps do not generate heat, rather they move heat from one place to another by absorbing the heat energy from the outside, even in the winter.
Over the next couple of weeks we are going to look at installations and materials that can help your home withstand the extremes in climate change.
Have a Home Renovation Question?
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