Have You Hired a Contractor in Oakville?
Many contracting companies promise the perfect renovation or remodelling experience for your home in Oakville. Too often however, we’re let down by fly-by-night companies, or lack-luster quality or workmanship.
How do we really sift through all the companies out there? I’ve found a few ways to cut the clutter and find the great renovation experts throughout the GTA. I’m going to share these tips with you!
Renovation Tips To Find A Good Contractor Near You!
*From a Guy Who’s Needed Help Over and Over*
In case you want to jump ahead to a different section of this lovely remodelling contractor guide to choosing wisely, you can use this table of contents:
- Prologue – Story of my own lack-luster renovation
- Failure – Where I decided it was time to hire a pro contractor
- The Search – Digging through all of the reno company listings
- Trial and Error – Very obvious title, check it out
- Big Clues and Signals – Shortcuts to successfully finding someone to help
- Conclusions – Final words and parting wisdom
1) Prologue – My Wife ALWAYS Wants to Paint. But I Don’t.
For as long as I’ve been out in the real world on my own, I’ve been married. For the entire duration of this period – My wife wants to paint. Anything and everything it seems. Painting must offer some soothing relaxation benefits, otherwise – Why?
In the earlier days, it would be just a matter of making our first home ‘ours’. So every room needed to be touched up, and updated to our own colour palette. I didn’t realize it was a revolving door of renovations, though.
I believe we started with Home Hardware in Oakville or Canadian Tire in Mississauga basic paints, that would’ve been $20 per can. A steal of a deal for a young couple customizing their first abode!
The Renovation and Updating Cycle Continues in Oakville and the GTA
For years this cycle continued, and my patience for home renovations projects, tiny, small or big really started to drift away. We progressed to a condo, then to our current house.
All the while, updates, upgrades and renovations never ceased to be top of mind for my pretty young wife. Is it nesting? I suppose with a lot of children, nesting can get pretty out of hand… What, with all the mouths to feed, right?
happy smiling woman painting interior white wall in blue and green color of new house
In our current house (In Oakville, Ontario), we’ve definitely got more adventures – Or rather, SHE has. We’ve also occasionally hired out help for certain jobs, like a full carpet installation in the upstairs, and then some minor electrical work to install lights in the bedrooms… (Because in the 1970’s, home builders didn’t think people wanted ceiling lights in their homes, I suppose?).
Losing Hope
However, with some of the more epic jobs endured, I really discovered my inability to perform in a quality workmanship like manner. I lacked the finesse for such things. Oh, there’s much more on this:
2) Failure – How I Cannot Do Renovations Myself. AT ALL
I really lost all hope in my renovation abilities. I am not a contractor, I am not a professional renovator. At all. If there was a drop dead moment, I couldn’t name it… But it probably involved installing a door in December. Last straw.
People Have Natural Skills – And Natural Inabilities that Cannot be Repaired
I am quite proficient with computers, and organization of information. That’s what I can do. I don’t know about you… When it comes to doing anything in the physical world, forget about it. It ain’t my bag, and if it involves a measuring tape, or combining any pair of numbers that precede a saw cut – NOPE. It will end up needing to be redone – Please hire a professional at home renovations if you’re like this!
The front door that I tried to install myself was not the first time I’ve tried to install a door. This was the second attempt.
The first attempt a couple years prior was so bad, that the door needed to be hip checked to close properly. Finally, I got the nerve (or was provoked! That’s my story!) to try to do it once more.
The door section at the Rona in Oakville was a lot more inspired than the stores I had previously visited. This store made me feel like I was going to be able to DIY as they say.
With confidence, I bought, and went home.
The Shape – NOT by Edward Sheeran
Lord love a duck, I guess not all door openings are created equal. I’ve never been so confused in my life.
How is it that all sides can measure up properly. But when you go to plop in the door (Mind you this particular renovation project was a door attached to the frame with hinges… All in one) it doesn’t line up.
I’ve watched countless renovation and remodeling shows on TV that show me how this works:
- Budget project
- Plan project
- Buy stuff from home improvement store
- Bang a hammer 2 or 3 times
- Fast motion through what looks like easy work
- Boom, project completed, and it’s only been an hour
…You’re telling me that’s not how this is supposed to work?
The shape varies based on so many different factors. Apparently you do need to be a professional contractor to do this. So I did what most DIY’ers would do. I made it work, or at least to a 75% effectiveness and completeness rate.
I know many of the ‘spouses’ out there want perfection. Many may also be on a budget. These two things do not intersect very much. If you want construction perfection – Hire a contractor… If you want to stick to a budget… You do it yourself. At some sacrifice of quality.
With all of the winter air coming through the crack at the top and side of my door installation… I reckon it will not be too long before the budget aspect of renovation project planning is tossed to the curb.
Thus allowing project perfection to become the only guiding star. And that’s just fine. We’ll hire a professional carpenter or renovation contractor. No problem.
3) Digging Through The Experts – Choose Your Adventure
For now, I’m going to summarize by saying that, thanks to my search, I have found Bearder Construction that covers not just the GTA for renovations and remodelling, but also Oakville, Ontario.
I am thankful for that, as this crew seemed to be able to bridge the gap between quality and budget, and allow me to please my wife on this and many other successful interior projects.
Visit Bearder Construction for more information on the specialties and service area.