Your go-to blogs if you want to learn about the "how-tos," "methods," "tips," and "trends" related to construction.

In September this year, we began our condominium renovation project at Telus Garden Residences, and it ended this last October.  The owner wanted to incorporate a modern luxury design for each section of her property. The unit initially had a living space with dark hardwood floorings, and its kitchen also contained old-fashioned cabinetry. Since it has outdated features that don’t match the owner’s goal in mind, our solution was to perform a major renovation that includes a flooring upgrade, room remodeling, and incorporating an open floor plan which has been highly consented to by our client. 

We started with flooring. Blonde wood was our top pick for this particular project because the owner wanted a modern-looking unit that is best represented by the material. Aside from being trendy, it helps produce a bright and airy atmosphere that our clients deserve. 

We temporarily covered the flooring, then we repainted the whole unit with Sherwin Williams’ Emerald MT EW creamy paint. 

Next up, install customized cabinetries and furnishings. For this unit's kitchen, our idea is to turn it into a professional chef’s dream, so we constructed space for gourmet kitchen appliances and customized cabinets with the help of Munroe woodworking. 

We picked Cambria Skara Brae granite for the kitchen island and backsplash. The deep vein design added more elegance and character to the kitchen, which was one’s dark and mundane. 

The customized cabinets work automatically, which is one of the things we loved about this renovation. This has become possible as we replaced the unit’s kitchen sink, faucet, and dishwasher and installed the ones from  Miele, a high-end domestic appliances and commercial equipment manufacturer that has been in the industry for about 120 years.

A Murphy bed was also incorporated into one of the rooms. This multifunctional furniture is a wonderful space saver. It kept the client from using another space for a home office because the murphy bed could be transformed into an office table whenever the client needed one. 

Are you ready to see the final look of The Garden Residences Renovation? It’s live on our site, have a look and let us know how it helped you with your renovation goals. 

In September this year, we began our condominium renovation project at Telus Garden Residences, and it ended this last October.  The owner wanted to incorporate a modern luxury design for each section of her property. 

 A downtown Vancouver renovation turned one of the Garden Residences units into an incredible condominium that’s modern, efficient, and appealing. 

ICFs, otherwise known as Insulating Concrete Forms, are foams that can create a solid reinforced monolithic concrete wall. It is a popular alternative framing method to traditional wood-frame housing, especially for contractors looking to build comfortable and environmentally friendly homes. 

ICF works similarly to CMU (concrete masonry unit); they need to be reinforced with horizontal and vertical rebars before filling with concrete. Vertical rebars structurally support the wall from collapsing, while horizontal rebar prevents cracks from developing. If the rebars are spaced too far apart, either the horizontal rebar or the vertical, they may result in cracks resulting in more significant construction problems in the long term. Therefore, those looking forward to building homes using ICFs must ensure that the steel frames inside are correctly installed and based on the engineer’s specifications. 

Now, what might happen if you have the wrong spacing installed if the ICF and forms are already in place? Will there be a remedy? Can ICFs still be used? Or should they just be disposed?

Well, the good news is that considering the time, yes–as long as the rebar and concrete pouring on ICFs don’t take place yet–ICFs can still be used without compromising the quality and durability of the wall. 

Using concrete reinforcements that work equally well with rebars like Helix Micro-Rebar and Buckeye’s UltraFiber 500.

Helix Micro-Rebar is a steel pin fiber reinforcement that can help fix rebar problems. It is a cost alternative to rebar, mesh, and other additives, providing strength, durability, and crack control. (Steel Fiber West)

Buckeye’s UltraFiber 500, on the other hand, is a fiberglass/cellulose mixture that provides secondary reinforcement in concrete in terms of temperature and shrinkage crack control. Here are some advantages of Buckeye’s UltraFiber 500:

Reduces the formation of intrinsic cracking in concrete. Based on a report, Buckeye’s UltraFiber 500TM  in concrete results in 85% fewer cracks than concretes without fiber. 

Reduces concrete permeability and absorption

Provides enhanced hydration, which improves concrete strength properties

Improves bond strength between rebar and cement paste

Both Helix Micro-Rebar and Buckeye’s UltraFiber 500TM  are mixed with concrete and then poured into the ICFs. These fiber reinforcements are helpful remedies for any ICF rebar issues your contractor may encounter in the future. The decision to use Helix or UltraFiber 500 may now depend on your homebuilder and your budget. 

Rebar is vital in ensuring the long-term durability of the monolithic concrete wall. However, if issues with it arise, solutions are always available. If these issues are encountered while stacking ICFs, never ignore the problem. Investigate, Research, and Resolve the issue immediately. 

Will there be a remedy if spacing on ICF rebars occurred?

Every construction company that aims to build a new home prefers a construction site that’s totally clear from any distractions that could prevent them from working fast and efficiently. One of those distractions is trees that grew or were planted on the site. However, from the perspective of home buyers and realtors, those trees are vital. Based on a National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) study, 89% of the homeowners who participated want builders to leave as many trees as possible on their property. In another study, they learned that 43% of the homeowners surveyed actually spent up to $3,000 more on the treed lots they built. Aside from improving a property’s market appeal, trees also help make one’s home function more efficiently. Trees help a lot in energy conservation. If they are situated ideally, they could aid in cooling the home during summer and provide some warming during winter. Overall, trees help a lot in improving the marketability and function of one’s home. 

Considering the benefits provided by trees and the value it offers to realtors and homeowners, we want to preserve as many trees as possible for our construction site in Watling but, at the same time, cater to the needs of our construction team to work faster and efficiently through clearing the site if given a chance. The good thing about our site in Watling is that only one cedar tree needs to be removed, and it was done with the help of VI Tree Services. 

The trees protected by the orange fences you see in the photo above are just trees on the sidewalk. Thankfully, they’re not part of our site, so we were not stressed about which trees should be preserved or which should not.  

Considering the benefits provided by trees and the value it offers to realtors and homeowners, we want to preserve as many trees as possible for our construction site in Watling but, at the same time, cater to the needs of our construction team to work faster and efficiently through clearing the site. 

Which trees from the construction site should be preserved and which ones are not?

Tree Removal - Watling Street, Burnaby, BC

In our previous blog, we mentioned how vital the process performed by our demolition partner, MWL was in keeping our construction team and the future homeowner safe from a hazardous event that may arise in the future if the concrete and asphalt were not removed. The dangerous event we were talking about refers to the possible impacts of an old furnace oil tank buried in the site. 

The presence of an oil tank was first suspected when copper lines appeared during the site excavation. For those who didn’t know, if copper lines like the one in the photo below were found, there is a high possibility that an old furnace tank exists on the site.

If that oil tank weren’t taken out, it may result in many unforeseen events that could risk the stakeholders’ lives. Firstly, if it was not discovered right away, the backhoe might accidentally cause it to explode, putting our team’s lives in danger. Secondly, suppose it wasn’t discovered and didn’t explode. In that case, it might still cause health hazards because the oil tank could produce a potentially explosive mixture once blended with other construction materials. Thirdly, if it remained undiscovered or ignored, it could contaminate the soil or the water, which may harm the homeowner’s health in the future. To prevent these dangers from occurring, we immediately contacted the city to verify if any permits were pulled to remove the tank in the past because the previous property owner didn’t mention anything about it. We have also connected with Tank Tech to help us scan the area to check the existence of an old furnace oil tank. 

The process of detection and digging out oil tank and soil sampling took a couple of hours.

Unfortunately, an old furnace oil tank was found.

Considering the result, we immediately arranged an oil tank removal request with Tank Tech. Note that this process requires local and environmental permits before taking place, so if you encounter a similar problem in the future, always keep all the requirements in mind. 

Tank Tech took care of all the processes to remove the oil tank successfully. When it was done, the next thing we did was have the soil tested to ensure that it was not contaminated, and if it wasn’t, we could finally continue the excavation process. 

The soil test result came, and the laboratory test indicated that the soil was healthy. The ground was hard-packed, and thankfully, very little oil spread out. If the soil test failed and petroleum or toxins were detected, the excavation would cost a lot more since the excavation would all need to be shipped to a remediation yard in Alberta.

This is the first time we have encountered such problems because either the information was kept from us or the previous owner didn’t know about it. In our next construction project, we will ensure that such concerns will also be discussed. Nonetheless, we believe this event demonstrated some of the good construction practices that our team employs to keep everything smooth and headache-free for our clients. 

Removing old furnace oil tanks matters.   

Oil tank removal - Watling St., Burnaby, BC

The photo above shows the process of concrete and asphalt removal at our new custom home construction project at Watling. These processes are necessary to excavate the property and inspect the soil before fully laying out a sturdy foundation for the home. We have partnered with MWL, a trusted Coquitlam-based service provider, to perform concrete and asphalt removal and all other processes in the site preparation and excavation stage. They removed the slabs from all applicable areas, including the driveways. They also removed the retaining walls and old chain link fence embedded in the concrete. 

The work lasted for several days and yielded satisfactory results. The photo below shows the appearance of our construction site after the removal of concrete and asphalt. 

The processes performed by MWL made the site ready for an unexpected need for soil inspection because something had been found after the removal of concrete and asphalt. Find out what we discover on the site on our next blog. 

The photo above shows the process of concrete and asphalt removal at our new custom home construction project at 

The removal of concrete and asphalt is vital in ensuring a good foundation for one’s home. 

Concrete and Asphalt Removal - Watling Street, Burnaby, BC

The primary reason we put up fences is to keep our property secured. 

Whether the property is livable or not, we want to ensure that no one can freely access it whenever they wish. By protecting our property from intruders, we cover not just the property but everything else inside it–our family members, cars, pets, and farm animals. 

But how sure are we that they are protected? What if storms and strong winds started to pass over it? Will they still be secured? 

The answer may depend on the quality of fence materials you will use. Two of the most popular fence materials that you could use are wood and vinyl. These materials vary in different ways but provide the protection you need. The only question, however, is, which one is better in terms of security and durability? Let us help you find out as we share the strength and weaknesses of wooden and vinyl fences over the next section. 

Wood fences are probably one of the most popular among the four. As a matter of fact, it is the first thing that comes to our mind when we talk about fences. Remember, when we draw homes during our younger days, we often draw white wooden fences (a.k.a. Picket fences) surrounding them. If I had to imagine the finished version of my fences, there would be rows of lavender, blue hydrangeas, or climbing roses right behind it. 

Photo: Artinsur Blogspot.com/Pinterest; Stocky United/Pinterest

It might lovely, isn’t it? But for sure, the fences in my imagination are just for aesthetics. If we consider the security it could provide, it might fail. Trespassers may find their way in and do whatever they want easily. And not only them. Wild animals like bears, such as the one that has been recently sighted in the Coronation Park, may also get in and find themselves comfortable while eating their favorite honey dip. 

Those are some possibilities if one has decided to put up those white wooden fences and live nearby forests where wild animals live. Well, if that’s the case, there are still many forms of wooden fences that you can put up over your backyard.

Lattice - features diagonal slats that cross one another and are mainly used for gardening. This type of fence is perfect for training climbing plants. 

Photo: Garden by yours truly/IG(left); Pinterest(right)

Louver - consists of horizontal BUT narrow slats that are slanted like the old look of curtain blinds. 

Photo: Takasho Global/IG(left); Nicolas Morel/Pinterest(right)

Post and Rail - consists of horizontal posts usually placed 6 feet apart and 5 feet tall. These wooden fences are commonly seen on ranches and farms. It helps prevents livestock (except sheep and goats :D) from getting out. 

Photo: Crispin Jones on Unsplash(left); Molly/Pinterest(right)

Vertical boards - consist of vertical slats that could be as high as six feet or more. 

Photo: Andrej Lišakov on Unsplash(left); Pinterest(right)

Solid Panels - consists of vertical and horizontal slabs above and beneath them. It provides privacy and security. 

Photo: Home for the Harvest/Pinterest(left); Love Home Designs/Pinterest

Woven Panels - decorative fences that look like the usual rattan furniture. This type of panel is aesthetically pleasing, but heavy maintenance is needed, making it very pricey to sustain.  

Photo: House of Art/Pinterest(Left); The Enduring Gardener / Pinterest (right)

If you’re taking wood as fence materials, here are some reminders; Some of them especially if not constructed properly could not withstand strong winds. Wooden fences are also prone to warping and cracking, mainly the low-grade lumbers.  To prolong their fence life, they need to be maintained. Staining and sealing them every 3-5 years is a must. 

Now let’s move on with the second on our list, vinyl.

Vinyl fences are new compared to woods, but they were for quite some time. While not everyone took risks in using them, those who did benefitted greatly from doing so. Those who put up vinyl fences within the past twenty years witnessed how good this material was, and it was testified by their sons, daughters, and even neighbors. 

“I am glad that after 3 years, it is still holding up great.” - Jim B. 

“They do well in UV light. My parent's neighbor had this installed 15+ years ago, and they look brand new still. We’ve had ours for a few years and no issues” - Millenial Living/YT.

Aside from being durable, vinyl fences require low maintenance as well. It doesn’t get dirty quickly, and homeowners who have them under pine trees don’t find any problem with sap. If ever it does, simply use a power wash to clean stains. 

In terms of its capacity to withstand a strong storm, the damage could occur only if the vinyl fences are too rigid and probably if they weren’t built correctly. 

Which among the two popular fence options do you think will be the most promising for your home? 

Each of these fence materials has its own strengths and weaknesses. To mitigate the chance of encountering its flaws, build a strong foundation for your fences, install them properly(do not force them to fit if they don’t), and maintain them regularly.   

And before putting up your fences, don’t forget to consult with a licensed land surveyor first to be sure of your property boundaries and be knowledgeable about the location of your underground utilities to avoid deadly explosions like the one below. 

Shocking moment man building a fence gets a VERY nasty surprise

According to the news source, the man said that the edge of the property is his, but the field where a gas main was situated belongs to a farmer and probably, the gas main probably overlaps with the man’s property below the ground. 

The same thing may happen in Burnaby and Tri-Cities since gas main are very common in the area. In one of our projects, we discovered a gas main in the site. The previous owner of the property probably didn’t know about it, so he didn’t tell us but the thankfully, it was discovered, and no one was hurt when our construction project started. We were able to avoid it by simply following the rules and regulations set by the local government and performing procedures that ensure everyone’s safety. 

The answer may depend on the quality of fence materials we will use. Two of the most popular fence materials that you could use are 

Fences are meant to protect whatever they wrap around, but what if they can’t protect themselves from strong winds and possible damage?

Concrete is one of the most durable materials used in construction. However, its strength might deteriorate over time, depending on how the concrete was processed. If too much water is mixed with concrete, if it dried too fast, or if the amount of concrete used compared to its purpose is not balanced, the concrete may deteriorate a little quicker than expected. The deterioration starts with defects, and they may appear in the following forms: 

Flaking (otherwise known as Spalling) - This defect is exhibited by the concrete when small particles of cement paste peel away from the finished portion of its slab. 

Cracking (otherwise known as shrinking) - Cracking will always occur with concrete. This defect can be categorized into two, major and minor cracking. Minor cracking is normal; it is the result of aging. As concrete ages, it develops stronger bonds and hardens. During this process, minor cracks are expected.  The lines (or valleys in concrete) are where planned cracks are intended to form. 

However, cracks due to certain conditions could lead to major issues, which could be dangerous.

The defects mentioned could lead to the deterioration of the concrete beyond the acceptable level. The usual causes of these defects are the following: 

Weather
The weather plays a significant role in the concrete's properties, just like how it impacts stone and soil. The rain heavily influences the consistency of the concrete, making it prone to cracking or flaking. The consistency of the concrete will not change immediately, but the results may manifest over time. 


Temperature
Hot and cold temperatures impact the concrete as well. When it is hot, the concrete tends to contract, and the contraction will result in cracking or shrinkage. The concrete tends to expand when it is cold, mainly below the freezing point. Additives could be mixed into the concrete to prevent freezing, but they come with their own set of issues. Settling could happen due to the moisture under the concrete that freezes when it is cold. If this occurs frequently, it could create internal pressure, and the surface layer of the concrete will be stressed, leading to uneven settling.  


The Concrete Mix 
The amount of water poured at the job site. There are cases when workers put more water in the concrete mix than what is required because it makes the concrete easier and faster to pour and spread. However, along the process of hardening and drying the concrete, water evaporates, resulting in shrinkage. If there more water evaporates, the shrinkage will also be worse. This shrinkage is not good because the pressure it creates pulls the slabs apart, resulting in cracking.

Weather and temperature impact the concrete negatively, leading to defects and, later on, deterioration. Since these factors are inevitable, it is only necessary to check the concrete slab in your place on a regular basis and assess concrete whether it's up for replacement or repair. Crack measurements that are more than 3 mm (1/8") in width are deemed unacceptable and therefore need to be attended to. However, how will you determine if the concrete needs to be repaired or replaced?  

Repairing is usually done by refinishing, adding layers over the top such as epoxy to fill the cracks, or resurfacing, a method that scraping the top layer of concrete adds a thin layer overtop. We don't recommend any of these ways, as they will still have underlying issues. If there are cracks on your concrete, here's what you need to do or your homebuilder needs to do: 

Inspect the concrete area for the possible existence of utility lines. (call before you dig services)

Once cleared of utility lines, jackhammer and remove

Reuse road crush, OR Lay the ground with new rock (if the existing road crush is unusable)

We hope these tips help you know whether you will replace or repair your concrete. Employing the right process to address the cracking or flaking of your concrete is vital in ensuring its durability and, simultaneously, securing everyone from possible danger. It is also important to be appropriately executed so the work will not be repeated, thus, preventing you from paying extra costs. 

It is deemed unacceptable and therefore needs to be attended to. However, how will you determine if the concrete needs to be repaired or replaced?  

Making the right decision saves you from a lot of trouble, including making your homebuilder go back and forth to fix your concrete repeatedly, resulting in more bucks coming out than having them in. 

Last May 14, demolition at our Burnaby project was completed. Two structures were demolished–the carport and the main home. It is done with the help of MWL Demolition, whose price seemed fair, upfront, and transparent. To get their service, Lucullan simply provided the details of the requested work, agreed on the scope of work and price, signed a contract, and then scheduled the demolition. This was planned several months in advance..

Before the demolition day arrived, we performed a variety of tasks. One big thing that is very common in old homes is to remove Asbestos. Asbestos in this home was found in the vinyl kitchen flooring, the drywall joint compound, the ceiling texture, and the attic insulation. While removing asbestos, we still had the power to the home to run their filtration fans to ensure no asbestos dust particles floating around would escape the environment. But once that was done, we had to make sure that the existing service to the home was canceled and the power line was disconnected. Water which was previously still on for use in toilets because contractors still had to do their business, was also shut off from the street rather than from the main shutoff in the house so that it wouldn’t interfere with the demolition. Then we also performed some reclaiming of materials such as recyclable copper, electrical fittings, some wood, and insulation (unrelated to asbestos). 

The whole site should be enclosed to ensure the safety of the public and minimize possible accidents that could happen during demolition. 

Regarding workers’ protection, here is some advice: 

Don’t let them start the job without any protective equipment. This is the time when building materials are falling from the sky.. 

An initial assessment of the job site should look for potential hazards. Anything from an overhead power, the location of tree protection barricades, to some random pipe sticking in the ground should be investigated for danger. 

In addition, they should establish a system for the demo that everyone on site knows about, such as demolishing each structure wall-by-wall so that it could just fold on itself.

There should be designated areas for different materials or for people’s safety, which are often referred to as mustard stations where people are directed to assemble in an emergency.  

To minimize the emission of asbestos and other hazardous dust, debris, or chemicals into the atmosphere, workers keep the structure wet throughout the demolition process. This doesn’t always occur if there is no water recapture method or if hazardous material abatement has already occurred.  

A successful demolition is one where the protection of everyone is taken into account. Never perform a do-it-yourself demolition, or else everyone else health and safety, including yours, will be compromised. If you’re planning to work on a demolition project for a home renovation or new home construction, please always get the service of industry professionals and keep in mind all the tips above. 

Before the demolition day arrives, the general contractor must make sure that the existing service to the home is canceled and the power line is disconnected. 

There are important safety measures that should be observed before, during, and after demolition.

Salvaging materials is good. Economically speaking, it is cost-efficient for the contractor and homeowner, income-generating for those who are part of the job and all-related jobs, and helps the government in many other ways. Environmentally good because salvaging materials recycle a lot, which helps lower the level of carbon emissions. Due to these benefits, salvaging materials have become required in demolition. 

Last May, we started the demolition, and here are some materials that we have salvaged, 

Our construction manager decided to keep them all in one place, sort and sell them later. 

In other demolition, more materials can be salvaged; Asphalt shingles, drywall, glass, windows, reclaimed wood, and steel. These construction materials are made tougher than others, that's why they have high recycling value. Shingles can be reused to patch potholes.

Drywall has a lot of usages, too; the gypsum in drywall can be used by gardeners to nourish their plants. It can also be reused again to create new drywall, and like shingles, that gypsum can be used to patch potholes too. The paper in the drywall, on the other hand, can be recycled too. Meanwhile, glass, windows, reclaimed wood, and steel have more obvious usage once it is recycled. 

Our site in Watling Street Burnaby also has some of these materials. However, we were not able to salvage them. We were unable to reclaim the windows and some of the lumber materials due to time, storage, and labour costs. When pulling out windows, an OSB (or plywood) is needed to be placed as window coverings to prevent environmental issues. However, since the demolition occurred so quickly, we were not able to arrange their salvaging. In the case of lumbers, they need to be pulled out one at a time, and for the type of demolition we are currently into, doing them requires WorkSafeBC approval–tasks that we can no longer accommodate due to unprecedented constraints. For these reasons, we find salvaging windows and lumbers more costly than beneficial, thus leading us to complete the demolition process without them. 

In other demolition, more materials can be salvaged; Asphalt shingles, drywall,

Salvaging materials is a must-do task in every demolition. 

Salvaging Materials – Watling Street, Burnaby, BC

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that has been proven useful in various industries. Its usage started even before our ancestors began recording history. Back then, asbestos is mainly used for wicks in lamps and candles. However, as technology advances, people discover that asbestos is not only limited to lamp and candle usage. They discovered that it has chemical properties that make up a good fabric, paper, helmets, and insulator. 

Asbestos was further commercialized in the 1800s, and since then, it has been widely used by various industries, including construction. It was commonly used as a drywall joint compound and ceiling insulation because of its malleable property that’s vital in building, binding, and strengthening commodities. However, as years passed by, it was discovered that asbestos caused health hazards once they were inhaled. People who were exposed to high asbestos levels acquired lung disease, and since a lot of studies have proven the significant relation between asbestos and lung problems, its usage has been discouraged. In some countries, it was even banned. Take note, however, that asbestos usage was not banned completely, although some industries were still trying to figure out a better replacement for it. 

A lot of materials were tested to replace asbestos, particularly in terms of insulation, and vermiculite was one of those. From the 1920s up until the late 1990s, Vermiculite was widely used as home insulation in American homes until it was discovered that the mine where most vermiculites came from was contaminated with asbestos. Unfortunately, the single family home we’re currently working within our Burnaby site has been one of those homes that were built when vermiculite was widely used. And since there’s a high possibility that asbestos is present on the property, asbestos testing was initially implemented to identify which part of the home contains high levels of it. 

The test revealed that there are indeed sections of the home which were exposed to the high levels of asbestos. 

The management of Lucullan Properties immediately took steps for asbestos to be taken out. They coordinated with MWL Demolition Team to ensure that all asbestos, drywall, and toxic substances that may possibly be found in the home would be taken out. 

The removal of asbestos, drywall, and hazardous substances for the Burnaby property took place last May  and cost our company roughly $25K to $50K for the old, approximately 2720 sq ft. Fair enough to keep everyone safe from the dangers of asbestos. 

Vermiculite was widely used as home insulation in American homes until 

Homes built with materials containing asbestos may seem  harmless but studies over the years have shown they’re not. 

Asbestos Removal – Watling Street, Burnaby, BC

Homeowners/contractors who face challenges and hardship complying with the bylaws are recommended to appeal to the Board of Variance for its relaxation. The process happens once a month and the appeal made before the board can either be approved or denied. Check the flow chart below to be familiar with their process: 

Note that, if the appeal is denied, the Board will not hear another appeal based on the same variance for the same property within one year in accordance with the Board of Variance Bylaw Section 14. In short, it is very important not to miss the opportunity to get approved, or else the month-long process could turn into a year or so. 

Aside from what we have mentioned earlier, the property must meet four conditions. And they should ultimately be part of your reasoning. Let’s discuss each one in the next section. 

1. The property in question cannot yield a reasonable return unless a variance is granted

In our Watling St. project, the need to go beyond the measurement set for the front yard and vision clearance intersection set by the City of Burnaby is vital because it may disrupt the whole house plan, may take longer than expected, and ruined the supply chain we have prepared. Therefore for us to prevent these issues, the relaxation of some zoning bylaws was requested.

2. The need for a variance is due to the unique circumstances of the property and not to the general conditions in the neighborhood

The exact address of our site in Watling is one of the four unique properties in Burnaby. They are unique as they are reverse pie-shaped lots with forced back lane driveway access. Where the front of the home is wide, the rear side of the lot is narrow and lane-facing. Most pie shape lots are in cul de sacs, where they have the wide side of the lot like the rear yard and you would have a front driveway on the narrow front section. The other 3 properties are 4761 Watling Street, 4738 Victory Street, and 4758 Victory Street.  

What makes it one of two unique properties is that those two homes on Victory Street, have an at-grade section that is currently filled with gravel where people can park cars, while the two on Watling Street, have a landscaped ditch that prevents cars from parking and extends the distance from the road with a wall of foliage. This ditch was a city of Burnaby initiative to help reduce Stormwater Runoff. This distance is 13 feet. So we have a perceived 34 feet distance from the street to the front of the proposed home for my home if a vehicle was parked there. Those homes on Victory Street, such as 4738 Victory Street, would appear approximately 26 feet before seeing a vehicle. What is being asked of us is to put our home 37.58 feet away from these parked vehicles (12 ft more than similar reverse pie-shaped lots). 

For the typical pie-shaped lots in cul de sacs, having the 24.61ft is simply done. Homeowners just have to place a driveway/garage in the front. It is very practical and easy to follow. However, with this home blocked by that vegetated/treed storm water ditch, and a rear lane requiring the vehicle to park in the rear, building a driveway/garage is quite complicated. Thus making the intentions of the bylaw make us feel a bit impractical because it pushes the home towards the back and at the same time, the garage is restricted due to the rear distance vision sight line requirement.

Also, compared to the block of homes on Watling, 24.6 feet front setback would put us awkwardly in the furthest back position of all the homes on the street. 

3. The granting of a variance will not alter the essential character of the locality

The vision clearance of all the other pie-shaped lots on this block all utilizes 0 ft of clearance since they all have 6 ft or greater fencing or vegetation. The board may think that 0 ft of clearance might be unacceptable, but in reality, the vision on the adjacent side is quite clear due to the fact, that this corner isn’t a typical 90-degree corner. The shape of both lane way entrances, is a slow curve on a 30 km/hr speed zone, with massive speed bumps. That from the edge, allows you to see 244 ft of vehicular activity (the entire distance of the park to the other laneway entrance) from your front perspective. In contrast, a 90-degree laneway limits your vision. I have included images of both laneway entrances for referencing all with the current situation of 0 ft clearance. We are planning to do 12.33 ft which will significantly increase vision clearance. These changes will not alter the essential character of the locality and will not impact the neighborhood negatively. Instead, they could contribute positively since it optimizes the capacity of the residents to avoid accidents and unnecessary hustles. 

4. The hardship is not the result of action taken by the applicant or a prior owner

The home was originally built in the 70s and since it was bought no significant changes were made to alter the property. Thus all the hardships were not caused by any action taken by the current or previous owners. 

With the 4 pillars of reasonings, as well as the points and actions mentioned in our previous blogs, our appeal has been approved and the Burnaby permit was finally granted to us. 

The video below is the actual process that our team underwent with the Board of Variance regarding our appeal: 

Board of Variance - 4737 Watling Street

NOTE: Before the hearing took place,  one of the board members even walked around the property one evening to inspect our site in Watling. (Seems like we passed the inspection, 😄)

Getting a permit may sometimes be challenging and complicated but there’s always a way. We hope that you were able to take advantage of this information and apply the methods which you find applicable to your situation once you encounter problems in getting your Burnaby permit. 

Aside from what we have mentioned earlier, the property must meet four conditions. And they should ultimately be part

Some bylaws can be relaxed but they depend on certain reasons. 

The Board of Variance Process and 4 Pillars Reasonings

The waiting time, even if it is short and quick as six months (five months prior to the Board of Variance + one month Board process), can sometimes feel like it was stretched out to twelve months especially when new problems arise. 

In this blog, we will share with you the struggles we encounter while waiting for the permit to be approved. During the last few days of our journey in getting the Burnaby Permit, someone managed to dump their garbage off at our site in Watling St. even if it was fenced up. 

To resolve the problem, the team reported it to the City of Burnaby for wrongful disposal–which is apparently a very common issue faced by homeowners and contractors while waiting for their permits. The city later on cleaned up the garbage and James, our construction manager made sure to lock each and every possible way of entry to avoid possible illegal dumping and squatting while we were waiting for our permit to be approved. 

Illegal dumping and squatting is a common struggle faced by most property owners in Burnaby, particularly those who owned or bought properties that remained idle for long periods of time. These properties, known as “zombie homes”, have become a haven for the homeless and a headache for owners who wants their properties renovated or demolished for new construction. According to Burnaby Now, the number of zombie homes went up in the previous years. An alarming statistic that most homeowners believed to impact the price of homes. 

To help decrease the level of zombie homes, we have presented the struggles we faced in hopes of having our variance considered. And thankfully, it was considered! 

In our next blog about our experience in getting the Burnaby permit process, we are going to share the four pillars of reasoning that should be included upon submitting an appeal to the Board of Variance. Stay tuned. 

During the last few days of our journey in getting the Burnaby Permit, someone 

Delays in getting permit are not the only issues that can be encountered during the initial construction stage. There could be more and knowing some of these struggles might help  contractors prepare for the worst.  

Burnaby Permit Delays Lead to Unnecessary Struggles

The pre-construction stage is very crucial in determining the success of the project. Without the approval of the city in charge of the building and development, the whole project will not materialize and all the planning will turn into waste. If you’re planning to build a single family home in Burnaby, Lucullan Properties highly suggests that before you plan with your architect and contractor, let them visit your site first to review all the requirements as well as the do’s and don’ts to prevent paying the high cost of doing major revisions or incurring heartbreaks because you have to compromise your house plan. 

Success is not guaranteed though. There’s going to be some obscure and minor fine print in the city bylaws that make no logical sense. Sometimes, even if you’ve done many tasks with your contractor, unforeseen issues may still come up resulting in the rejection of your house plan. But don’t worry! In case you encounter this type of issue, there’s still a solution for your permit to be approved. We, at Lucullan Properties, have experienced this issue first hand and in the next three blogs, we will be sharing with you what we did to have our permit approved including the timeline, the struggle, and the Board of Variance process. 

In one of our current projects, we encountered some trouble in getting a permit due to the measurement set for the front yard and vision clearance intersection which went beyond the requirement set by the City of Burnaby. Please note that these happened due to the unique circumstance of the property and did not cause any negative impact on others. For these reasons, our next step was to appeal to the Board of Variance. The Board of Variance is the governing body in charge of the relaxation of the zoning by-laws that may conflict with a property. The process with the Board usually takes a month but coincides with the Board of Variance’s meeting. We had to submit our proposals at least 2 weeks prior to the meeting to get on their meeting’s agenda.  And if the variance is not approved, you cannot apply for a variance for another year. When we had ours, thankfully, only took us about one month and we were approved. Thanks to our team who worked passionately and wisely to ensure that all the requirements were complied with, and to the Board of Variance, for considering our appeal to have our permit granted. 

If you’re wondering how it’s done, let’s now dive into the details of our Burnaby Permit Process for our Watling St. project. 

Last February 15, we received an email from the City of Burnaby’s representative stating that the plan we submitted had some deficiencies. According to her, the design isn’t complying with quite a few of the bylaw requirements and she recommended we go to the Board of Variance. The city’s response was immediately brought up to the Watling St. team to be addressed. The team carefully reviewed the comments revised the plans and studied the requirements needed to deal with the Board of Variance successfully. To get started with the Board of Variance process, we put together a hardship letter (letter of appeal) based on the recommendations and suggestions made by the representative and our team. Here’s what happened after: 

March 5: The hardship letter, along with the revised plan was sent to the Board of Variance.

March 17:  Lucullan Properties received the Board of Variance’s response regarding the hardship letter we sent and advised us about the schedule of the zoom conference where our appeal of variance will be presented and judged. 

April 7:  The meeting with the Board of Variance was held, we argued our case, and thankfully, our appeal was considered, and finally, we had our permit*! 

The timeline above may seem fast and smooth but in reality, it’s not. We encountered many struggles related to our property overall through the permitting and variance process and we will be sharing them with you in the coming blogs. Stay tuned. 

*Overall, it took us six months including the five-month waiting period prior to the Board of Variance process which just took a month. 

If you’re planning to build a single family home in Burnaby

There are no specific formula to shorten the board of Variance process but learning from the timeline of others may help.

Known for its beautiful outdoor views, the presence of homes with large, floor-to-ceiling windows in the Tricity (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody) cannot be questioned anymore. Single family dwellers love to have window walls because they provide unobstructed views of the beautiful sky, bring in loads of natural light and provide a greater connection with nature without compromising indoor comfort. Because of these benefits, the number of home buyers who prefer window walls for their custom homes has grown significantly over the past years. 

Considering these changes, we at Lucullan Properties prepared 3 tips that homeowners can review to choose the right window wall for their custom home in the Tricity. 

1. Determine the best material to use based on your climate. 

Last year, some parts of British Columbia were at the epicenter of two top-end weather extremes within a few months (Euronews). According to Environment Canada, the previous extreme weather conditions that the region suffered were mainly caused by climate change. With this in mind, if you’re currently planning to convert your traditional concrete walls into glasses, you must ensure you get the best for your custom home. The brand, Innotech from Surrey, BC, could help you avail the suitable materials for your window walls. Innotech offers different types of windows based on your preferences. In particular, they offer “Picture Windows,” which features a defender hardware system with multipoint locking hardware, steel reinforcement, and welded frame and sash construction that work together to defend your home from Mother Nature and casual intruders (Innotech). Tap the link to know more about the feature of Picture Windows from Innotech.

2. Inspect the features of the glass wall

Once you know the type of glass window to install, the next step is to inspect its accessories–the threshold and the hardware and finishes. 

A flush threshold is usually the most recommended when it comes to wall systems that utilize glass because it is known for its seamless transitions from indoor to outdoor or from room to room. It cannot only provide a smooth indoor-outdoor experience, but most importantly, it could protect your custom home from external and uncontrollable particles that may enter.  

In cases where flush thresholds are not available, simply make sure to choose a weather-resistant threshold for protection, especially during unprecedented typhoons. Get the advice of your contractor or your most trusted glass wall supplier for more tips. 

Aside from the threshold, another feature that should be considered is the hardware and finishes that will be installed on your window wall. Take note that aesthetics are not the only thing to consider but the long-term functionality of every feature that makes up your window wall. 

Always test the durability of the hardware and finishes and the availability of it in the market in case it was destroyed unexpectedly. 

3. Review how you want your custom home to be set up

Once you identify the material that you think will be best for your window wall and inspect its features, the last thing you need to do is review the room layout. 

Will there be furniture or appliances beside the window wall?

These are very important so you can avoid unnecessary home setup revision, especially when you’re planning to put a glass door beside your window wall, particularly the folding doors, because it may require you to completely take out any furniture near it as they may obstruct or get in the way of the folding door. To prevent this problem in the future, review your setup now, or you may want to adjust the type of door you’ll buy so the home setup you have in mind will not be compromised. 

Single family dwellers love to have window walls because they provide

In a place where you can access the beautiful sight of nature, know what type of window can be best paired with your home to maximize the view. 

3 Tips to Get the Right Window Wall for Your Custom Home

When you take into account all of the materials, equipment, contractors, and preparation, it can be quite costly. However, spending more in the renovation stages will also save you money down the line. 

I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Renovating your home can be costly if you want it done right. Although the actual renovation cost might change due to where your house is based and just how much of a fixer-upper it needs, you're still looking to shell out tens to hundreds of thousands. 

At the same time, spending money on ensuring your home is in a habitable state before renovation will save on costs down the line. The same can be said for the renovation itself. As another way of putting it, quality doesn't come cheap. In home renovation, you pay for what you get.

As we said, how much the overall cost will be, depends on a few different factors. Size, the region you live in, and how much work needs to be done should all factor in.

According to Home Advisor, renovation for a 2,500-square-foot home costs anywhere from $15,000 to $200,000. Here's a breakdown of that range: 

Low end: $15,000-$45,000 - covers inexpensive updates like trim, paint, landscaping, flooring, and counters.

Mid-range: $46,000-$70,000 - includes everything on the low-end, plus a bath or a complete kitchen remodel and possibly higher-end flooring.

High end: $71,000-$200,000 - covers low- and mid-range projects options, plus custom or high-end cabinetry, a chef's kitchen, a private dock with boat lift, double-sink, and vaulted ceiling in your bathroom, and an extravagant entertainment area.

Start by getting free estimates from local contractors

When you're planning to remodel your home, you should always ask the experts for advice. Asking questions can only broaden your mind, and any local contractors will be able to give you their estimates, which you can then take into account. Note that different contractors have different ways of showing you their estimates. So here are some tips: 

Never go with your first option. - If you have three contractors to choose from, and your first choice is the contractor who gives you the cheapest estimate, better validate your option first. The first contractor may present you with the cheapest estimate, but the 2nd or 3rd contractor offers much better work quality that justifies their higher estimates. While our guts are often correct, it is way better to verify things--after all, your home is at stake.

Interior projects: Kitchens, baths, flooring and electrics, painting, lighting, drywall, etc.

Roofing: Installation and replacement costs for various types of roofs, prices for materials (asphalt shingles, metal, cedar, slate, etc.)

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