HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo 2010: Photos from the Show

Screenshot: HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo + Construct Canada
flickr.com: photos Toronto, Dec 2, 2010 @ Olga Goubar, wobuilt.com

We continue publishing of the series of articles about attending the HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo 2010 - Canada's largest construction industry trade show.

Elida shared with us an article entitled "What Is Coming up in 2010 National Building Codes? Find out How This Will Affect Your Business" and Lonya published an article about upcoming kitchen design trends.

Here are several photos from the construction expo floor taken by Olga - see the slide show at http://tinyurl.com/homebuilderexpo2010.

Enjoy and mark your calendar - the 15th Annual HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo is coming to Toronto on November 30 - December 2, 2011.

Season's Greetings and Holiday Wishes from Wo-Built!

e-card: Season's Greetings and Holiday Wishes from Wo-Built Inc.
Credit: MS Office ClipArt MH900440289

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

Thank you for all your support throughout the year.

We would like to wish you a joyous and memorable holiday season, with the hopes that the coming New Year continues to bring you happiness and success!

Warmest Holiday Regards,

Wo-Built's Team
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

To view the e-card, please click on the following link:
http://tinyurl.com/happynewyear-wobuilt

Home Decor: Hailey's Hot Tip of the Week: Save Energy and Money This Holiday Season

Save Energy and Money This Holiday Season
Credit: MS Office ClipArt MC900439781, MC900445432
2010 @ wobuilt.com

Save a bundle over the holidays using these simple energy saving ideas:

• Cold water for laundry
• Timers for lights
• House temperature down
• Full load (dishwasher / washing machine)
• Water heater temperature down

[ V ] Do all your laundry using only cold water (unless you are sanitizing items like cloth baby diapers).

[ V ] Make sure your porch light and holiday lights are all on timers.

[ V ] Turn down the thermostat as low as you can adjust to. We keep ours at 69 degrees rather than some homes at 72, and we use each other and cozy clothes to stay warm.

[ V ] Don't run your dishwasher or your washing machine until you truly have a full load, as you'll use the same energy either way.

[ V ] Turn down the temperature of your water heater. Wait an hour. Stand at the tap; let the water reach it's hottest point, and test it with your finger, carefully, and then your wrist. If it's too hot to bathe in, why waste energy and money heating the water that hot, only to have to cool it down. Instead, lower your water heater temperature until the hottest temperature you can get from your taps is just perfect for bathing or showering, without needing to cool it down.

Enjoy the season!

Hayley Snider
Snider Homes

2010 © Hayley Snider

Why Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood Is Doing Great Work for Our Community?

Photo Collage: Building the Friendship of Neighbours in Business
Wo-Built at Venus Creation in the Neighbourhood Gathering
Vivid Pizzeria (1067 St. Clair Ave West, Toronto), November 24, 2010
2010 @ Olga Goubar, wobuilt.com

Shopping locally, we support our neighbors. Sharing marketing ideas, helping each other do more business, and bringing new customers to the area, we stimulate local growth.
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

In November, Iain Morrison wrote an impassioned article about what Venus Creations In the Neighborhood is to him. If you didn’t get last month’s issue, Iain is new to the area and after meeting with Joe Furtado of Amar Flowers; he found neighbours with whom he now does business at least every other day. Joe introduced him to merchants on the street who in turn introduced him to others and now Iain is an active part of this very vibrant community.

But, this article is not about telling ‘A Day in the Life’ story of Iain, even though he is a nice guy and you should meet him. Instead, it tells the story of what YOU can expect from being part of Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood.

First, to be clear, Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood is NOT Joe Furtado. Joe quarterbacks a lot of the efforts to put it together, but he would gladly share the heavy lifting with our community. Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood isn't just for making Joe's business better - it's for making all our businesses better. Joe had the inspiration to start Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood and brought together neighbouring businesses that collectively ARE Venus Creations. This includes every business owner who attends our monthly gatherings and who advertise in the monthly publication – in short it’s YOU. That’s a big difference and an important one. Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood is a community of neighbors - businesses who benefit from knowing each other in different ways.

For example, at our last get-together at Vivid Pizzeria (“Go there” “Try it” “It was great – thanks, Peter!”) a new member, Mary Scalia of Bare Me Skin Care Clinic, shared a recent marketing effort she did that brought 500 new customers to our area! That gem of an idea was worthwhile and shared freely. This is just one example of the upside of having dinner together with friends. Another benefit is that we meet businesses we haven’t known before. When we can, we try doing business with our new friends. By visiting each other’s businesses and telling acquaintances about local merchants and services, we stimulate local growth. Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood is about joining together; sharing with our neighbors and helping each other do more business, share local interests and concerns, let the local community know what they would like to provide or advertise to their local business partners in a particular month, or simply, just meet and mingle.

In the course of meeting with the local businesses, I found great shopping at good prices - even some ‘Friends Priced’ deals. Since relocating our construction business to the area, I bought clothing, shoes, groceries, baked goods, catering, restaurant food, hardware, banking services and much more in the St. Clair West’s area.

Yes, I could have got all of this elsewhere, but shopping locally, I supported my neighbors while looking after our everyday needs. And, guess what??? They do the same for us. By doing business with friends and neighbours you benefit from getting what you need. But more than that, you make your business familiar to those who will find you when they need your products and services or when their other friends have those needs.

It’s pretty simple - people do business with people they like. Meeting with friends each month over food at local restaurants (at no cost to you… but just remember to tip the servers!), you get acquainted with the neighbours and they with you. Simple. Knowing you are there, what you do and how you can help them and their friends, you make a very direct and personal marketing connection that helps grow your business or at least survive rough times.

People have choices about where to shop. So why not make your business interesting to people who work all around you? Some call it networking. Others call it referral marketing. All you really need to know about Venus Creations in the Neighborhood is: you meet neighbors, talk, have an enjoyable night out and invest in making your business visible to the people who pass your front door daily.

We at Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Ari Berman
Management Consultant
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build
"Management Advice When Your Decisions Matter"

A Great Evening Celebrating CAWIC's (Canadian Women in Construction) 5th Anniversary

Booklet: CAWIC - Canadian Association of Women in Construction
Leadership - Mentorship - Membership - Partnership
Enhancing the Success of Women in Construction
Credit: www.cawic.ca

CAWIC Announces 5th Anniversary Celebration
The Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC), whose mission is to facilitate the success of women in the Canadian construction industry, is excited to commemorate its fifth anniversary of independent operation in Canada on November 17, 2010 commencing at 6 pm with an exciting evening of fun, food, fond memories and footwear as we walk through CAWIC's five years of success starting with a self-guided museum tour through the Bata Shoe Museum located at 327 Bloor Street West, Toronto, followed by delicious hors d'oeuvres and refreshments.

About CAWIC
CAWIC's membership consists of women of all ages and experience involved in many areas of the construction industry. CAWIC is proud to support its members through its core values of leadership, mentorship, membership and partnership.
Credit: www.cawic.ca

On November 17, I attended - together with Martina Ernst - the end of the year event organized by CAWIC. The goals of the Canadian Association for Women in Construction have always been very close to Wo-Built's Inc corporate goals. We wanted to participate and congratulate the organizers for elevating the profile of women in the construction industry.

The event was organized at the Bata Shoe Museum, a very appropriate location since the majority of the attendees were women. We all enjoyed and learned quite a bit about the social significance of shoes in history while perusing through the Museum and completing a quiz. This activity also gave us the opportunity of interacting with other attendees from various backgrounds: project managers, designers, construction companies’ administrative staff, and architects.

During the cocktails and hors d'oeuvres’ part of the event we re-acquainted ourselves with Angela Wilson, a past-president of CAWIC and, as always, an inspiration for us all; Ann Wilots representing George Brown College; and one of the young women recipients of the CAWIC annual bursaries, also from George Brown College.

During the speeches it was very interesting to hear the President of the Toronto Construction Association who talked about the future possibilities for women in construction filling in the shortage of project managers, superintendents, a various other positions where the Construction Industry foresees a future demand for new employees.

A very well appointed dessert table and auction completed the evening which serves not only as a fundraiser but as an important celebration of achievement for the organization and the women who run it on volunteer basis.

Elida Huignard
President
Wo-Built - Innovative Design and Build

Screenshot: dailycommercialnews.com: Canadian Association of Women in Construction celebrates fifth anniversary
by Patricia Williams, staff writer
Photo: CAWIC - Debbie Wadsworth, CAWIC past-president, Mira Fabian, president, and Angela Wilson, founding president.
Daily Commercial News and Construction Record, December 3, 2010
Credit: www.dailycommercialnews.com

links:
metronews.ca: Proud to be partners with CAWIC
"As an association executive, I know that the name of the game is membership. Myself and my colleagues in the construction and related sectors are always trying to expand our membership bases, knowing that there is strength in numbers...."
by Stephen Dupuis
METRO CANADA, December 09, 2010

news on twitter from @wobuilt:
Leaving for CAWIC (Canadian Women in Construction) 5th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION at the Bata Shoe Museum.- Congrat's Ladies for 5 great years. 5:41 PM Nov 17th via web from Corso Italia, Toronto

@lornaparsons In #Toronto we had a great evening celebrating CAWIC's (Canadian Women in Construction) 5th anniversary. Worthwhile event. 5:24 PM Nov 18th via web from Corso Italia, Toronto in reply to lornaparsons

Home Decor: Hailey's Hot Tip of the Week: Add a Little Bit of Magic into Your Home

Home Decor: Hailey's Hot Tips
Add a Little Bit of Magic into Your Home
Credit: MS Office ClipArt MR900116588
2010 @ wobuilt.com

Hailey's hot tip of the week:

• Add holiday flair around the home this season
• Make affordable decor changes to suit the season
• Add a little magic to any tree in your home
• For those of you who are missing the tropics and the warm weather

For holiday flair around the home this season, try these tips:

[ V ] After dinner each night, or anytime your oven is on, cut apples into wedges, put them on a baking tray, or into a glass Pyrex baking dish, drizzle with orange juice, sprinkle with plenty of cinnamon and a touch of maple syrup, then bake at 350 degrees until they're soft and your entire home smells like fresh baked apple pie.

[ V ] For affordable decor changes to suit the season, visit your favourite paper store or art store and pick up a few sheets of seasonally inspired wrapping papers, or Japanese/handmade paper. Use this to fill frames around the home.

[ V ] Add a little magic to any tree in your home! Have some extra holiday lights and no where to put them? Why not give your potted plants a glow this year and light them up too! It uses less electricity to light your home in the evenings by the glow of your trees, then by turning on those halogen pot lights above you.

[ V ] And for those of you who are missing the tropics and the warm weather that now seems so far away, take a visit to your local Loblaws, Super Store, or Fortinos for a gorgeous fresh tropical floral bouquet at only $19.99. With vibrant reds and greens, not only are the colours perfect for the season, but it's more original than Hollies on the table and will remind you that warmer days will be back again soon.

Happy Decorations.

Hayley Snider
Snider Homes

2010 © Hayley Snider

Home Décor: Hailey's Hot Tip of the Week: Intro

Home Decor: Hailey's Hot Tips
Photo: Hayley Snider, Snider Homes and SMS Interiors
2010 @ wobuilt.com

A while back we mentioned that Wo-Built went into partnership with Snider Homes to be able to give great value to renovation projects. As a Design & Build Contractor we love to partner with companies that have the same values as Wo-Built and help us serve our clients well. From Snider Homes each member is bringing something special to the mix. We were well impressed with Hailey Snider's ability of home-staging, interior decorating, room organization, decluttering, and rebranding your personal or business space.

We know you'll enjoy tuning in every Wednesday, for Hailey's Hot Tips of the week, to help you truly love your home or work space. From decor ideas to cost saving tips, and a chance to get free online advice for our top 3 reader responses - it's worth taking a minute out of your busy week, to stop by the site and see what's new!

From all of us at Wo-Built Inc and Snider Homes we wish you all the magic of the season, and a wonderful New Year!

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Upcoming Kitchen Design Trends

Photo: HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo 2010
Seminar Kitchen & Bath Design Trends for 2011 - Sold Out
Dec 2, 2010 @ Olga Goubar, wobuilt.com

Kitchen Designs + Upcoming Trends

We all know that when renovating, a kitchen update adds some of the best value to a home especially when you're looking to put your home on the resale market. Even if you're not looking to add to the resale value of your home, a kitchen update will always help refresh a tired looking home.

Having just attended the Kitchen & Bathroom Update at the Homebuilder & Renovator Expo in the past week, we had the opportunity to see some of the latest trends coming out of Europe, and how they are influencing kitchen designs in the North American market. What we saw were kitchens that were very utilitarian; almost on the verge of an office space design. Some kitchen appliances such as fridges seemed to be conspicuously missing, but the fact was that they were now being hidden behind cabinets and walls which gave kitchens a very open look. Other design elements that were seen were floating shelves and lots of base cabinets which were in keeping with the open concept. Countertops and islands were sometimes stacked with other countertops of different thickness giving them an asymmetrical look. And the kitchen colors that were predominantly used were cream, white (it seemed to be everywhere) and gray. Stainless steel was still a big design element and was seen quite often in the designs.

In North America, where kitchens are somewhat larger and are more traditional in their styles, designers are doing what is called transitional styling. They are taking some of those modern European design elements and mixing them with our more traditional styling to come up with some very unique spaces. All in all it was a very inspiring seminar, and one which gave us lots of wonderful ideas to create kitchens with innovative design elements and still retain their functionality.

We at Wo-Built Inc. are excited about all the new trends that we saw at the seminar and are ready to apply some of these designs to create the kitchen of your dreams!

Lonya Miller,
Writer
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Information About Seminar
HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo, December 1-3, 2010
Metro Toronto Conventional Centre
Seminar: Kitchen & Bath Design Trends for 2011
Category: Design Trends for Residential Buildings
Code: T211
Description: Kitchen and bath design has been elevated to an art form, with infinite options and new technologies to maximize both comfort and space. See how both kitchen and bath aesthetics are evolving and influencing design, materials, finishes, and colors. How can the latest trends in cabinets, countertops, lighting, and fixtures be incorporated to create a functional and luxurious space?
Speaker: Margaret MacDonald, Senior Designer AYA Kitchens and Baths Ltd.
Credit: www.homebuilderexpo.com

Here are several photos from the construction expo floor:

Screenshot: HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo + Construct Canada
flickr.com: photos Toronto, Dec 2, 2010 @ Olga Goubar, wobuilt.com

links:
wobuilt.com: Kitchen Designs – Are We Missing the Boat?
wobuilt.com: Kitchen Upgrade – Plan Yours Today!

What Is Coming Up In 2010 National Building Codes? Find out How This Will Affect Your Business.

Collage: Build for Tomorrow:
2010 National Building Codes of Canada
Credit: www.nationalcodes.ca

Recently, I attended the seminar “Significant Changes in 2010 National Building Codes Affecting Part 9 Buildings” at the Toronto Construction Show. This presentation was held by the Institute for Research in Construction from the NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA.

This is a guidance list for designers and contractors to check on the specific changes while working on designing and building residential projects.

Changes to foundation systems:

• Extra requirement of gravel and vapour barrier in basements and heated crawl spaces
• Changes related to the appearance of Radom gas now mandatory

Changes to insulation and heating systems:

• Use of foams as vapour barriers
• Hydronic heating better specified
• Fire and sound resistance ratings

Other changes:

• Range Vs cooktop ventilation requirements
• Ratings for wood products with phenolic adhesives
• Spans for Steel beams

Smaller changes:

• Washroom door sizes
• Starter strips
• Exhaust venting systems
• Location of Co Alarms
• Ducts for cooking equipment

Building codes are clearly an important basis for insuring good quality in structures. And we, as a design and build company working with our designers, architects, and engineers, design and specify interesting and innovative buildings taking all the codes requirements into account. The building code is the baseline for construction and we utilize innovative materials and methods that may provide better performance than the building code calls for to ensure best solutions for our clients.

The site where to check or request the building code is www.nationalcodes.ca or www.nrc.gc.ca/virtualstore.

Elida Huignard
President
Wo-Built - Innovative Design and Build

Here are several photos from the Construction Expo floor:

Screenshot: HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo + Construct Canada
flickr.com: photos Toronto, Dec 2, 2010 @ Olga Goubar, wobuilt.com

link:
National Research Council Canada: Significant technical changes in the 2010 National Model Construction Codes

Our Achievement Lunch

Invitation: Wo-Built's Achievement Celebration
Friday, December 3, 2010 at AGIO Ristorante
1351 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON M6E 1C5

On Friday we held our annual staff celebration at Agio’s, a great Italian restaurant at the edge of Corso Italia. We called it our ‘Achievement lunch’ since we had a lot to celebrate, even though this was a tough year. How better to celebrate this with than three amazing starters, a lovely salad and soup, Osso Buco and Pomegranate Sorbet. We were in heaven.

In summary we had a lot of good things this year happen to us this year.

We finished two home additions, both very special to us in their own way. One had great innovative design elements, such as a trap door and eye-catching stairs, two huge decks which look amazing and the other provided us with the opportunity to create an architecturally interesting building that was challenging to build, but provided amazing spaces. We also completed several smaller projects, such as kitchens and a deck.

On a personal note, we moved into a great office space with windows!! That made everyone really very happy, more productive and enabled us to have much closer team work.

We created WoBinna and Friends, our animated spokesperson. WoBinna represents our outreach to the younger generation to persuade them that the trades are a viable career option.

And finally we went into a strategic partnership with Snider Homes to be able to serve our clients even better than in the past. We were very pleased that Sandy, Zack and Hailey from Snider Homes were able to celebrate our achievement lunch with us.

We have of course many more things which we celebrated, such as the friendships we forged with our suppliers and clients, something very personal and dear to us. Often when things are tough we forget that we are still very fortunate in being part of an innovative, caring and successful company.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Collage: Wo-Built's Achievement Celebration
Friday, December 3, 2010 at AGIO Ristorante
Photos: Olga Goubar
2010 © Wo-Built Inc.

What Is Special About Our Design And Built Construction Company?

Poster: Wo-Built Design @ Build Construction
2010 @ wobuilt.com

We would like to share our thoughts and expertise about what makes us special as a construction company in prior to opening the 14th Annual Residential Construction and Renovation Trade Show (December 1-3, 2010).

Wo-Built Inc, is a one-stop shop design and build construction company.

We specialize in home additions and extensions, and we have extensive expertise in residential renovations. One of our most popular renovation services is kitchen design and remodeling. As a company we provide our clients with innovative designs and excellent construction practices. Each project starts with our unique "dream home assessment", and is a wonderful starting point for evaluating the pros and cons of any project that our client has in mind.

As a female-led construction company we believe that women have a special talent for providing care & attention to detail and we use the distinctive talents of women whenever possible. We call this our unique "Women's touch". We are also looking to bring Wo-Built's expertise to include commercial projects as well.

When we started the company we did so with a social mission in mind. We wanted to provide women an avenue to explore the trades as a viable career option. We are presently in collaboration with George Brown College to establish a course outline for a training program for women in the trades.

We also play a mentoring role for women as well as providing them an opportunity to work on our various projects and hone their skills in the trades to fulfill their dreams. In addition we have created a cartoon character called WoBinna in the hopes of encouraging more young women to consider a career in the trades as one of their choices.

As a company, we embrace "green" building whenever and wherever we can, and in each project that we undertake, we strive to minimize our ecological footprint as much as possible.


For more information, please contact us

Elida Huignard, President
Martina Ernst, CEO

Wo-Built Inc
Suite #3, 1287 St. Clair Ave West
Toronto, ON M6E 1B8, Canada
In the heart of Corso Italia

phone: 416-402-2679
ph/fax: 416-354-2555
e-mail: info@wobuilt.com
website: wobuilt.com

Follow us on social media sites

blogger: wobuilt
twitter: @wobuilt
facebook: Wo-Built
linkedin: Wo-Built Inc

Links to Media Publications about Wo-Built:

Toronto Star: Women at Work - Driving home the message
"Wo-Build and the Canadian Association of Women in Construction are working with the Pink Nail Project . The proceeds go towards bursaries to aid women entering the trades."
by Shauna Rempel
Published Jun 29, 2007

Toronto Star: Women and Education - Trades program offers lesson on repairing lives
by Daniel Girard, education reporter
Published Aug 27, 2007

Toronto Star: Breaking Down Barriers - Building on women's skills
photo by Jim Ross: Martina Ernst and Elida Huignard at the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Institute, founded Wo-Built.
"Women, if you're good with your hands, detail-oriented, like watching renovation shows and don't mind getting a bit dirty, then maybe a career in the finishing trades is for you. Painting, drywalling, carpentry and cabinetmaking are part of the vast array of skilled trades that don't often register on women's radar."
by Donna Laporte, real estate reporter
Published Apr 19, 2008

SNAP Bloor-West Village: Craft Market Hosts Home Design Series
Photo: Martina and Deborah from Wo-Built Inc. with Mary (middle) of Wise Daughters Craft Market
"The ladies from Wo-Built Inc., a local design and build company, brought their expertise and knowledge to Wise Daughters Craft Market at the beginning of April for the first of six interactive talks centering around making changes in the home, a major focal point at this time of the year."
Published May 2009

Proud FM Radio: Wo-Built's Interview on 103.9 FM
Published July 8, 2009

The Little Bungalow That Grew Up into an Elegant Palace

Photo-Collage: Residential Home Bungalow Renovation Project
Second and Third Floor Addition
2010 © wobuilt.com

We continue the publishing of the article "We Put a Lot of Steel in This Reno Project" about our another 2nd (and this time 3rd) floor addition for a residential home.

As general contractors we always want to be involved in building projects that are special. We are just finishing such a project. It was difficult, exasperating, fist shaking, with lots of obstacles, but the result is totally worth it. Totally!!!

We took a small bungalow and transformed it into an architecturally noteworthy building. This building is not about finishes, but about spaces, daylight, sightlines and openness.

The original bungalow presented many issues: the walls were not strong enough to hold the second and third floor addition. The foundations were not sufficient and the soil conditions were less than ideal. The site itself was narrow with access issues. We heard a lot of choice words from our trades when they had to work out how to do their work safely and fast.

The client wanted to preserve their first floor and the only option we had was to build a substantial steel structure around the first floor to support the upper floors. Our engineer consultant specified huge beams and columns, (we jokingly said that we were building the CN Tower, but as it turns out, wind loading on the building can be substantial).

The carpentry was fairly conventional and the trusses for the roof provide the structure for the studio space. The first batch of trusses was involved in an accident on the way to the site and we had a few worried hours before we knew that we would not be delayed long. The resulting interior of the studio space is spectacular.

As a female construction company we want to be more than just another general contractor. We want to provide the clients with innovative design and build solutions that are architecturally interesting and unique, as green as possible and are based on their individual needs. We are designsmiths and buildgurus.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Skilled Trades – A Rewarding Career: Building & Construction Trades Showcase 2010

Collage: WoBinna: Building, Construction, Apprenticeship!? Check It Out!
Building & Construction Trades Showcase 2010, Markham Event Centre
Saturday, November 27, 2010, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Credit: wpboard.ca

We at Wo-Built are pleased to support this great opportunity for students to find out about the trades organized by the Workforce Planning Board of York Region & Bradford West Gwillimbury, a non-for-profit, community-based organization working to develop solutions to local labour market needs and issues.

We would like to encourage everyone interested in joining the trades to attend the showcase. Our advice: talk to as many exhibitors as possible to find out if the trades are for you. Wo-Built Inc has the mission to encourage more women to choose the building trades as a viable and enjoyable career. Through our anime WoBinna & Friends we would like to create interest in young women to consider the trades as a possibility.

Event Details:

Building & Construction Trades Showcase 2010

When: Saturday, November 27, 2010
Time: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Where: Markham Event Centre
Location: 95 Duffield Drive, Markham, ON L6G 0A8

This special event is provided by the Workforce Planning Board of York Region and Bradford West Gwillimbury and funded by Employment Ontario.

Find out about rewarding careers in the construction industry.
Get the Facts on Skilled Trades

The Building Construction Trades Showcase is a perfect opportunity for you to explore and discover the many occupations and apprenticeship pathways available in the construction industry. Plus, you can interact with the experts and participate in hands-on, interactive displays.

Best of all... it's Free!

This is your chance to...

• Discover and get informed about Skilled Trades
• Talk directly to construction training professionals
• Learn about educational requirements and apprenticeships
• Ask about earning potentials, the future opportunities in construction
• Get involved with many interactive, hands-on exhibits

Who should attend...

• Students in grades 7 - 12
• Parents who are helping their child find a career
• Newcomers with construction qualifications
• Unemployed or changing careers
• Retraining or upgrading skills

Watch for special guest speakers and information sessions.

Skilled Trades... a rewarding career

Contact the Workforce Planning Board at: 905-967-0605
Email: tmsf@wpboard.ca
Web: wpboard.ca
Facebook: wpboard.ca/facebook
Twitter: @WPBoard

Follow WPBoard on Twitter:

Enter the Draw for an iPAD at the Building and Construction Trades Showcase. Talk to the experts November 27 about skilled trade careers. Nov 24th via web

Find out more about loans to help buy tools and equipment on November 27. It's Free! Nov 17th via web

New apprentices can receive a loan to help them buy the tools and equipment to perform the trade in which they are registered. Nov 17th via web

HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo: Best Practices, New Products and Technologies in Construction

Poster: HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo, December 1-3, 2010

Metro Toronto Conventional Centre, Shouth Building

Credit:www.homebuilderexpo.com

It becomes a tradition for our company to attend this Canada's largest construction industry trade show once-a-year. This year the 14th annual HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo will be held December 1-3, 2010 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building in conjunction with Construct Canada, PM Expo, DesignTrends, and Concrete Canada.


HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo
Strategies & Solutions for Residential Construction & Renovation

When: December 1-3, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 2, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Friday, December 3, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building

Construct Canada, PM Expo, DesignTrends, HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo and Concrete Canada at a Glance:

• Show Features 1050 Exhibits
• Hands-on Skills Training and Demonstrations: New Speakers, New Topics, New Features, and New Technologies
• Seminar Programs Tailored for Residential Construction: 450 Speakers, 200 Presentations and Free Demonstrations
• National Green Building Conference: New and Green Products & Services Recognition
• International Business Program: International Architectural and Interior Design Roundtable
• Show Guide Referencing Participating Exhibitors

Strategies & Solutions to Build On sessions in this year's program will discuss National Building Code changes, cost-effective building strategies, marketing tips to help grow your business, and practical green residential building solutions.

Here is a short list of some seminars to choose from:

• Seminar W120: Significant Changes in the 2010 National Building Code: Part 9 Buildings
• Seminar T121: How Better Project Management Can Improve Productivity, Lower Costs, and Improve Quality While Reducing Stress
• Seminar W122: Social Marketing for Homebuilders & Renovators: A Crash Course
• Seminar W121: Marketing Tips & Techniques for Homebuilders & Renovators to Use NOW
• Seminar T211: Kitchen & Bath Design Trends for 2011
• Seminar T120: New and Green Products for Residential Construction
• Seminar T300: An Energy Retrofit of Your Building Is Your Best Investment: The ROI Beats the Stock Market
• Seminar T115: When Does a Green Roof Make Sense? What Have We Learned About Green, White, and High-Performance Roofs?

To review these and other sessions for acquiring valuable updates on best practices and new products and technologies in construction business, please go to the Show's Events at a Glance page.

We are looking forward to attend this big 5 Canada's largest construction industry shows. See you at #HomeBuilder10 Expo.

We Put a Lot of Steel in This Reno Project

Photo-Collage: Residential Home Renovation Project
Second and Third Floor Addition
2010 © wobuilt.com

We are just about to finish another 2nd (and this time 3rd) floor addition for a residential home. We started with a small bungalow, whose structure could not support the new floors. But the client wanted to preserve their first floor interior, so our engineering consultants designed a substantial steel structure on which the other floors were built. We love steel for what it can do.

Stay tuned for more narrative about this difficult and exiting project: The Little Bungalow That Grew Up into an Elegant Palace.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Why We Use Real Architectural Models

Photo: The Model of a Residential Roof Line Design
2010 © wobuilt.com

The Fun and Usefulness of Real Architectural Models

With user-friendly computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D computer modeling programs easily available for use (and not just for the professional) why build real models?

For once, they are great fun to build. But time is money; as a business fun is not a great selling point. Hence: they are still extremely useful as a design tool for studying possible problems such as day lighting (or the lack of it), wind forces, aesthetic proportions and structural stability, to name but a few.

A computer modeling is still only a picture and in terms of determining scale and depth perception a physical mock-up is still better in bringing the space alive. It can be touched. It can be put into daylight simulators and wind tunnels. It can give a higher comfort level in the design. It mitigates risk. Once the project is built, changes are very difficult with large cost implication. A model avoids disappointments and creates realistic expectations.

Usually the physical environment is replicated in a scaled version. But if it concerns a component in an interior renovation, such as shelves, furniture or cabinets and the concern is access or ease of circulation, full scale working replica are useful.

There are two different types of models – a presentation one which is very detailed, pretty and realistic or the working model which is less detailed, usually not pretty, and often quite rough, made out of foam or card board but shows the issues which are under investigation.

As a design firm we frequently use working models to check or explain aspects of our projects which are special features, unusual geometries or help our clients with their visualization. It gives us and the client a piece of mind and, though an additional design cost, in the long run will save time and money.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wikipedia.org: Architectural Model
architectural-models.com: Why Use Architectural Models
Models are an excellent Communication Tool

Building the Friendship of Neighbours in Business

Photo Collage: Building the Friendship of Neighbours in Business
Wo-Built at "Venus Creation in the Neighbourhood" Gathering
Hacienda Mexicano Grill (1353 St. Clair Ave W.), October 21, 2010
2010 @ Olga Goubar, wobuilt.com

In the Corso Italia area, there is a community of merchants, residents, schools, visitors who come to see the goings on in this little village and even the construction workers who have been in, around and all over the area breaking and making roads. Merchants in the community have come together by the efforts of Venus Creations to market for one another to help develop more business within the neighbourhood.

However, this group of business operators has become more than just a network marketing organization - they have become friends who show kindness to each other, help one another with their problems and issues and get to know the personalities of the people. To name a few, Sunnyville Grill, RE/MAX Realtor, Amar Flowers, FunClips Coupons, Optometrist, Tiger Dragon Kung Fu, Agio Ristorante, IC Savings, AMS Advertising, Guardian St. Clair Village Pharmacy, Via Espresso, Portuguese Book Store and Venus Creations.

Just west of Davenport on St Clair Avenue, there are two restaurants next door to each other but at virtually opposite ends of the globe and styles of food. Chef Marino at Agio Ristorante creates four-star high style Italian cuisine in our very diverse neighbourhood of casual eateries. And, immediately next door to Agio you find the Mexicano Grill Restaurant where owner-manager Alejandro Rangel serves up a taste of his homeland.

This past Friday, Venus Creations held another of its evening social events where our local merchants meet and get to know about what's on offer in our area and to enjoy the friendship of neighbours in business. In Alejandro's Mexicano Grill, the food is a pleasant surprise for the uninitiated into Mexican food as you will see below.

Once people started to arrive, course after course stated to arrive each surpassing the previous one in flavours, texture and colour. Of course there were homemade nachos and dips that spanned from creamy guacamole to a hot cilantro-pepper dip that left our mouths tingling.

But, the most interesting and interesting looking dish was the carne mole - spiced chocolate beef in a soft tortilla. This was wonderful and not at all what it looked like. This dish looked like wedge shaped slices of tortilla drizzled with chocolate sauce. But, the flavour is rich, beefy, and spicy with a familiar trace of chocolate flavour and aroma. This was brilliant. Don't think of the chocolate so much as a chocolate bar - all sweet and chewy. Instead, image the delicate and complex flavours in an aged glass of port. Now map this complexity into the form of a beef dish and you start to experience this dish.

If for no other reason than to try this mole dish, do make a point of visiting the Mexican Grill for lunch or dinner. You will not be disappointed.

____________________________________
This article was contributed by Ari Berman, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in operations and process change. He has helped companies spanning aircraft builders to soda drink manufacturers to increase their value - finding and improving important details that never got attended to in past. His work in the construction industry includes overseeing commercial construction projects in retail shopping malls across Canada. He can be reached at 647-235-8181 or via e-mail on ari.berman@cmc-advisor.com.

By the way, the next gathering with Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood will be at Vivid’s Pizzeria on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 anytime from 6:30 pm. Come to try authentic Italian pizza, to meet and mingle with other local business owners and operators, to help develop more business within the neighbourhood. For reservations call Joe at 416-890-2692.

See you there!

links:
thetravelzine-torontosc: Agio Ristorante
thetravelzine-torontosc: Mexicano Grill
Urbanspoon Toronto: Old Toronto: Corso Italia Restaurants: Caribbean / Greek / Italian / Japanese / Mediterranean / Mexican / Portuguese / Vietnamese
MyStClair.com: Our Neighbourhood, Online
Toronto Corso Italia BIA
Facebook: AMS Advertising
AMS Advertising Inc.: Graphic Design, Web Development, Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing, Creative Printing, Copy Writing, Social Media Development
http://shoponstclairwest.com/
Shop on St Clair West: Your Guide to a Mosaic of Different Cultures
Portuguese Book Store
Facebook: Joe Furtado
Venus Creation in the Neighbourhood

Renovation Tips: Perfect Finishes

Screenshot: CTV >> NEWS >>Do-It-Yourself >> Getting the Perfect Backsplash
Bryan Baeumler, the host of HGTV's Disaster DIY, invites Canada AM to his home
and shows what every novice handyman can do - tiling a backsplash.
Credit: ctv.ca

This morning I watched CTV and Bryan Baeumler, Disaster DIY, gave some good tips about backsplash installation. This got me thinking. Visual effects are important in any room. There are always focal points in a room. If your finishes are not perfect around the focal points the effect can be disappointing.

Here are some points to look out for and some tips:

Tip #1: Windows and doors: If you tile around doors and windows, or have any other decorative finishes make sure the patterns are symmetrical on either side.

Tip # 2: Focal point around shelves: It is not only the shelves which become the focal point, but also the surrounding walls, baseboards etc. Make sure all the finishes in the immediate vicinity are well executed.

Tip # 3: Outside corners: Corners on the outside of shower basins, cabinets or walls will become focal points. Special care is required for these areas.

Tip # 4: Colour schemes: Before you start, have all the colours and materials chosen so you can see the full impact.

Tip # 5: Wood grain patterns: When using woods be cautious about grain patterns and how the finished product will look either raw or stained. Make samples.

Happy home renovation!

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built - Innovative Design and Build

links:
Apartment Therapy
Apartment Therapy Marketplace >> Canada >> Toronto
Wo-Built Inc: Design + Build Construction Company: Professional Versus Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Renovations
by Lonya Miller

Tales from the Renovation Track: Why Customers Should Never Be Their Own General Contractors

Collage: It Pays to Have a Good General Contractor
Credits: MS Office ClipArt - mp900399496

Here is the latest installment of Janice Bell’s now famous Tales from the Renovation Track – the series of articles One Woman’s Experiences of Being a Renovator. Now the understanding of why customers should never be their own general contractors.

Part 13 - Why Customers Should Never Be Their Own General Contractors

If you are considering a sizable reno to your existing home or office sometime in the future, I would advise you right now that you should not attempt to be your own general contractor. Why, you may ask? Because there is so much more you should know about renovations and construction than meets the eye. I can tell you first hand, that it is imperative that you do not attempt this if you have little or no construction experience. And, it is particularly true if you have to be at a full time job during said renovations and can only be on the site part of the time.

Your first mistake is not being accessible on site at all times. You might think that because you are available via your cell phone that this is a bit trifling, but a cell phone is simply not good enough. There are always a multitude of decisions to be made on a daily basis as problems may arise at any time, and you can be sure that they will. If you are not familiar with building jargon, you will certainly not understand verbally what the problems are to begin with. You need to be present to make those on-the-fly decisions or you will run the risk of delaying the trades and costing yourself more money and time delays. Sometimes though, the decisions are purely whatever option the customer prefers.

The second mistake, and this is a huge one, is timely coordination between the trades. I will give you an example of a customer/general contractor that I had experience with this year. The flooring guys were ordered in before the drywall on the walls was up. Here was this brand new beautiful oak hardwood floor, but Oh! I can't describe what a pain it was to ensure that the floor did not get marked up while I was drywalling, painting and placing baseboards. This whole process slowed me down considerably and also became a safety hazard as the floor was protected with sheets of 1/8 inch masonite whose edges provided ample opportunity for tripping. And if you get any drywall dust in between the cracks of any type of flooring, it becomes a major job to vacuum it out of there. And yes, you can put plastic down, but then it becomes slippery to walk on, and as a result becomes a safety hazard.

Ill timed coordination is costly too! The same customer ordered me to tear down the ceiling whereupon, once the joists were exposed, it became apparent that squirrels had eaten clean through the bridging between the joists. I was then told to replace all of the bridging. At the same time the in-floor heating contractors came in as a surprise to me and tore out all the bridging I had just put in! After they left, I had to reinstall it, thus costing this customer more in time and money.

A third mistake is trying to hurry things along a little too much. The same customer had ordered another tradesperson in to jack up the floor of the house. Now, this was a considerable amount, perhaps 2 inches or so. Normally, this is usually done no more than 1/8 inch per day at the fastest rate, but this customer was in such a big hurry that he ordered the fellow to jack it up all at once. Now, this request cracked all the lathe and plaster on the walls above the portion being jacked to the point where some of the lathe itself broke in two. After fixing this, I was told that I was too slow because the customer had gone on a website and found out that most drywall was done in three coats. I had to explain that this was not new drywall, but old plaster of which the lathe had to be repaired first and required more than three coats in some areas.

Trying to help doesn't make things easier either. The same customer, again, came in late one night and decided he was going to get the job done faster by sanding the dried mud of new drywall. I had put the third coat on already, and it just needed feathering at the edges. Not knowing there is a slight bow out over drywall joints, the customer proceeded to sand it flat, and re-exposed the paper tape which I then had to put two more coats on to fix. Again, more work, more time and more money.

Finally, naive customers are not aware of all the little details that go into finishing a job. The most common mistakes they make are not allowing enough offset from a sink backsplash to the faucets, so that your hands cannot get around them. Another common mistake is placing electrical boxes too close to doorways and then choosing wide casement which then has to have an ugly cutout to fit around them.

And one final thing to remember is that if you are the general contractor and something major goes wrong, you do not have the liability insurance to cover the repairs.

It pays to have a good general contractor!

Happy Renovations.

Janice Bell
Bell Renovating

2010 © Janice Bell

Tales from the Renovation Track: One Woman’s Experiences of Being a Renovator
Part 1: All in All
Part 2: Weld on Fire
Part 3: They Were Nailed
Part 4: It Pays to Be Honest
Part 5: Rural Renos
Part 6: Messy Is Costly
Part 7: Door Hell
Part 8: Just Where Do I Stop?
Part 9: Dressing for the Trades
Part 10: Very Painterly
Part 11a: Tricks of the Trade: Recaulking bathtubs / Placing peel and stick tiles
Part 11b: Tricks of the Trade: Wheelbarrows / Cutting a plastic pipe
Part 11c: Tricks of the Trade: Drywall mud / Admixtures
Part 12: When Common Sense Should Prevail
Part 13: Why Customers Should Never Be Their Own General Contractors
tinyurl: janicereno

Wo-Built Signs a Partnership Agreement with Snider Homes

Collage: Working Together
2010 © Snider Homes, Wo-Built Inc.

We would like to share exciting news with all of you. Wo-Built Inc just signed a partnership agreement with Snider Homes. You may know them as S.M. Snider Interiors and Exteriors, a company that has been providing quality renovations for over 31 years and you might have seen their motto "We work from the heart, not the pocket book".

We have been looking for a long time to partner with a company to be able to push our community efforts into a higher gear. It was important for us to find a company that has the same high ethical and community values we have and we believe we have found the right fit.

As we have indicated in previous postings we finance our social mission through our projects, we provide mentoring for women on our sites and for us to be able to help more women we need to be able to design and build more large scale projects. We now have access to resources on an ongoing basis to match larger projects and therefore are able to train and mentor more women to be successful in the trades.


Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
About Snider Homes:
Snider Homes - formerly known as S.M. Snider Interiors and Exteriors - Kitchens, Bathrooms, Basements, Additions - Based in Toronto and the GTA - Contracting company offering renovations for your home and business. Oakville renovations. Forest Hill renovations. Markham renovations. North York renovations. Richmond Hill renovations.

About Wo-Built Inc.:
Wo-Built Inc, a Design and Build general contractor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Our mission is to be the leading quality building company that is sought after for its innovative design and construction and is recognized for using the projects as a means to helping women, the community and the environment.

A Reflection: Making a Difference

Collage: Making a Difference - What Makes Us Tick!
2010 © wobuilt.com

We sometimes get caught up in the tedious day to day running of a company or projects and have to remind us of the greater picture, to be the best builder while doing good (or the long version of our vision: "To be the leading quality building company that is sought after for its innovative design and construction and is recognized for using the projects as a means to helping women, the community and the environment.")

Some key points of what we DO to achieve the vision:

• Design and build with the emphasis on good and innovative designs. We consider us a boutique firm, which can achieve the wow-factor in the design and the finished product.
• Renovations and construction of homes that make dreams come true and are green orientated, and of commercial spaces that help the branding of the business.
• Help women, by providing mentoring and, if we can, employment in the office and our sites.
• We encourage donations of gently used items from the project sites.
• We fight against preconceived ideas that discourage women to enter in the skilled building trades.

All of the above derives from our CORE believes of:

• Being socially minded – Wo-Built was founded on a social idea.
• Believing in fairness and fair treatment to all parties in all of our personal and business dealings.
• Our desire to create and provide the means to make dreams come true for our clients and the women we mentor.
• Teamwork and building positive relationships with our clients, trades and suppliers which are based on trust, understanding, patience and tolerance.
• Our desire to design and built beautiful spaces.

The biggest joy we have is when we see the wonder, pride and joy of our clients for their new home or business. Or when we can help a woman to fulfill her dreams of having a career in the trades.

We want to make a difference in peoples lives. This is why we continue to look for great projects, like-minded people and social opportunities to help – this is what makes us tick.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built - Innovative Design and Build

link:
Wo-Built Inc: A Reflection: Making a Difference
http://tinyurl.com/wobuilt18

A Little Culinary Gem in Corso Italia: Sunnyville Grill

Photo Collage: Sunnyville Grill - Little Culinary Gem
2010 © wobuilt.com

Having been in our new home, Corso Italia, for more than a few months now, we’ve had the opportunity to experience many of its culinary dee-lites. One little gem we’ve discovered is a place called the Sunnyville Grill. Located at 1218 St. Clair Ave. W., it’s a fairly new business to the area, but it has all the ingredients required of a good eatery. A warm and friendly ambiance, wonderful home-cooked food and reasonable prices. As a family-run business, Mom helps out in the kitchen, hence all the delicious comfort foods, while Loui, the owner, tours the entire café making sure things are running smoothly at all times. In short it’s one of our favorite destinations for a lunch-time break.

Sunnyville Grill also offers a wonderful catering service for events in the area. As a new business in the immediate area we have had the opportunity to use their catering services for a business meeting and can report first hand what a wonderful experience it was. Their service was prompt, the food was plentiful and all the dishes were freshly prepared. There was a good variety of food to choose from and judging from everyone's comments and the empty plates, all the food was delicious.

We will keep you posted on our many culinary adventures in the neighborhood, so check into our forum from time to time.

Lonya Miller,
Writer
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt.blogspot.com: Sunnyville Grill: Home-style Meal Cooked by Mom with Love
wobuilt.blogspot.com: Wo-Built Inc. Is on the Move!
foodpages.ca: Reviews on Sunnyville Grill
foodpages.ca: Sunnyville Grill - All Day Breakfast
chowhound.com: Hidden gems on St. Clair W?
"The space has been turned into Sunnyville Grill. They offer all day breakfast. I've only been the once--the eggs were cooked to order and the staff were eager. The decor is basic, but it's much better value than Boom."
By mikeb on Feb 02, 2010 08:39AM