Remodeling Basement in Home Renovations Real Estate Flipping Toronto

This summer we’re remodeling the basement and putting a sunroom on the front of the house.

Basement Renovation Starts With Amdry Sub Flooring

After lowering the basement floor and installing proper drains, Kevin elected to use Amdry basement flooring applied directly onto the concrete slab. We would then apply a thick orange coloured cozy shaggy carpet on top of that material – for sure, the kids will love it growing up, and then complain about our taste when they remove the mess in twenty years, but they wont remove the Amdry sub floor underneath… Kevin believes that will last forever.  It does have a space age look and feel, and the material is heavy duty durable and something that looks like it would last a long time in either dry or wet conditions a concrete floor sweats – and these channels in the material let the cement breathe

Amvic insulated wall panels are safe, secure, easy-to-install, and makes cozy spaces where your ears pop when the door closes.

Purchasing the material required more than internet searches – i had to pick up the phone and make some calls!  The basement walls are to be  composed of Amdry insulated wall panels and you can see Kevin Dugard selecting the best examples at the Rona at Islington and 401 in Toronto

It was a time and place – Kevin had an avocado submarine sandwich in the store Subway, and felt sick on the way home.  that this happened to me once too.

AMENDMENT  You can see more of us purchasing the basement flooring and insulated wall panels on Red Flag Deals and a similar notion about basement flooring and insulated wall panels on Toronto Forums where we’re now selling the surplus for Kevin who characteristically overestimated and bought too much after being given a great price for a large order.

A couple articles warned us away from other green trends , and so went with it and made a meme specific content  like Green Trends Bring Red Ink when Flipping Houses which has more pictures

Smojoe blogged about insulated wall panels and basement flooring and helping friends flip houses on his blog.

The Desire for More Solar Power and 100% Sustainability

A Visit to the Dentist

I finally made my yearly visit to my Toronto Dentist last week and surprisingly had a great conversation before all the dental work took place and was no longer able to talk.  I was intrigued with the amount of equipment and electronics in this place of business.  The continuous improvements in the world of electronics is incredible.  However, it made me think of the amount of power supply needed for such an office.  Sustainability is such a trend though these days.   It seems obvious as to why because of societies  such huge advancements, also comes the concern of long term maintenance of responsibility environmentally, economically and socially.   My dentist had everyday life to think about and the stress involved but also shared these concerns.   We casually discussed the idea of the use of more solar panels for energy supply in such a building so that the carbon footprint would be decreased.  Not an easy project to take on, but not impossible either.   Believe it or not this conversation all began with the discussion of my art work and the small studio projects that I have been taking on.   My art projects are small, but every little green step can be seen as a move forward toward an increase in sustainability.

Salvaged Materials Lead to Creative Ideas

I purchased some small 8″x8″ wood panels that were on sale  to work on and wondered what I was going to do with them.  I really enjoyed the texture of the wood rather than the canvas.  I would run my fingers over the brown wooden surface and feel the shame of painting over such a natural forest product.   However, I took this guilt and decided to see where I could go with it.  My inner voice told me that the wood panels were not meant to be merely painted on with acrylic paint.   They were meant for much more, with more meaning and fun.  I rustled up all my salvaged materials taken from broken and discarded computers, eye glasses, printers, and other things.   The visual arrangement play with the huge assortment of objects on the panels began.   Some of the objects needed to be manipulated but two images of owls appeared.  One was no ordinary owl.  It was a WISE CYBER OWL sitting on it’s perch with arrow keypads for ears.   Two other 8″ x 8″ wood panels suggested whimsical old style images of bicycles with the backspace keypad.   A few more changes need to be made to the creations before they can be considered FINISHED and for display and sale.  

The View of the City from a Distance

I have  created a few various cityscapes including a larger version of Toronto currently hung and for sale in Cafe Uno in the Distillery District.   However, the panoramic wooden panels size 36″ x 12″ just seem perfect for small computer pieces and other objects I have discovered among the discarded.  I love process of using acrylics and the blending of the sky.    I have a bit of a series with these and have 3 more additions of these 36″ x 12″ Cyber Cityscapes.   I do not attempt at realism but play with the possibilities of a simple perfect futuristic quality.  What can I say I am bit of a dreamer.     The line at the bottom is beautiful glass mirror strip salvaged from an old printer that was found in the trash.  I like to believe it adds a reflective quality to the piece.  I am a reflective person and find it a great learning tool if I use it correctly.  I guess I was hoping this futuristic type of city would take a reflective stance as well for possible growth and sustainability.  Remaining diverse and productive over time.

Toronto Artist Tries to Think of New Ways to Pay the Rent

Sustainable Living Artist Style

As sustainable living ideas and concerns increase people are thinking second before throw anything out.  As an Artist I am constantly sorting through things with the hopes that I can find discarded material a new life.  Living and working in an old warehouse building offers the opportunity and space to keep various materials and use them in creations.  Having a collection of material leads to adding another step to the creative process of  an  inventory management  so that things don’t get out of control and you have an excess of clutter of materials that can take on the appearance of  garbage.   I’ve had an excess of unusable computers given to me from an insurance company.    These computers were all intact and ready for my dissection.

Closet Space Devoted to Donations

I had to clear a lot out of my closet space for the computer and devoted a lot of time with tools to finding the beauty within.  I still have electronic donations given to me and have to turn them down from time to time for fear that I don’t have enough time to give them the attention that they need.  I try to use as many items inside as possible , but it takes a lot of imagination.

Electronic Reed Switches and Lunch Containers

The biggest challenge is finding time for all the ideas that come to mind.   Including the  reed switches, gadgets, keypads and other components can leave a feeling of transformational empowerment.   This is one of the reasons why I work with recycled items.  I can take the feeling of being broken and transform it into a rebirth.    I’ve even found a few abandoned small batman  lunch containers at post garage sale street sites and used them to keep some of my materials in.

Ikea Table Top Transformed

The reinvention of the old into the new is a theme that is becoming more common as concerns for our planet grow.   This piece was created with a discarded table top, plaster relief and computer components and electric devices inside.  There is a switch on the side that allows you turn a small light on inside to reveal the what is hidden beneath the relief sculpture of the torso.

Steel Bending Architectural Renovations

Architectural Explorations

My love of art and architecture follows me where ever I go.  Even on my walks.  I’ve always had a fascination from afar with architecture.  It  is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction.   I like exploring communities that surround me and seeing what works, in the material form of buildings.   I notice how some buildings surpass others, while many get transformed with many generations.   Some keep their architectural integrity while being renovated to fit contemporary times.  As as I  walk or bike ride in different neighbourhoods to explore the city I notice the various structures and materials.   I am constantly comparing and admiring.  Each unique community I have seen has homes that have gone through some incredible transformations.   I notice that are a few in need of some extra TLC.   I gather ideas for renovations in my mind sometimes when I see this.  I especially notice an abandoned church in my area.    It catches my eye and I get such a thrill to think of it’s possibilities.    I would love to have the finances to purchase and restructure while keeping it’s architectural integrity.  Many times the historical integrity is gone after renovations to meet the needs of today.   Some areas such as the Distillery District has learned to keep the importance of historical heritage within structures which can be a costly affair.

Distillery District Historical Integrity

Being a lover of the arts I enjoy architecture as well and one of my favourite places is the Distillery District.   It’s mostly because of the historical integrity  that was kept with the redevelopment of the building structures.   Everywhere you go in the Distillery you see signs of the old and the new.  I also love stumbling across buildings and unusual structures in other areas of Toronto. There is one particular cube like building located off of Eastern Ave that seems to be the home to a few people. This cube like structure located just off of the DVP is really interesting. It leaves me amazed and curious about the structural quality of the building. However, it’s been there for a while. It makes me think of the old warehouse building I’m living in now, in which was once a perfume factory and an old cleaners at one point. Most of all it makes me think of an abandoned old water tower I used to drive by everyday. I often wondered if it could be transformed into a cool building to accommodate people to live in.

Curvilinear Clever Structures

Most people are not aware it is possible to build such unusual paradigm shift buildings.   Especially because the round structure have a need for bending steel pipe in order to utilize space and have proper plumbing and firm structures.  But like aircraft in the sky houses can be built with curves too.  I did not think this was possible until I was introduced to a company located in California. I wonder if Yurts buildings and other clever structures take advantage of this power to bend steel and other metals. I am curious about how many powerful services out there are available.  It really does seem to be limitless.  Architects most enjoy the freedom with the  types of possibilities for clever structures.     I’m sure there is a high price tag involved with the extra amount of creative freedom.   However,  I like to imagine a street of curvilinear buildings lining a street with it’s, think outside  of the box, style.

Exploring Happiness for Bangladesh

Happiness Images With Children

I am fortunate to have friends teaching and living all over this planet due to my Montessori teaching experience. One of my amazing teacher friends works at an international school.  She came up with a great idea for an art project to raise funds for the street children in Bangladesh. I was intrigued when she told me of the idea and grateful for being involved.  She had her classroom and others participate as well. The classroom children were given the art exercise to visually describe what happiness meant to them. They took their paint and applied it to paper to illustrate what happiness look like.

Fortunately I get to work with these paintings as one of the participating artist volunteering my talents and time to the project.  I was surprised to receive 100 paintings on paper in the mail. I was delighted to experience each one and note the differences and similarities. As I looked through them I reflected back on my childhood days and admired the simplicity and beauty of each one.  In some paintings I could tell it was the process itself of painting that brought them happiness, not the end result. This thought brought me a moment of happiness as well.  I love when the theories I believe in are proven true.

Well, I began by taking my scissors out and cutting images. There were plenty of families, pets, trees, flowers, rainbows, butterflies and pizza. This is one of the beginning phases of the project. The step I am going to take is to plan the background and placement of the image objects. I have my work in store for me.  Here are photographic glimpses into the process. I am curious to how this large painting is going to turn out.  I have until June.   Stay tuned for more.

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