Hiring Contractors-Water Heaters-Roofing Contractors
Hiring The Right Contractors
Just booking with a large big name company today does not necessarily mean that you are getting what you are paying for. Although large companies with big advertising budgets look very impressive to the average consumer, you have to remember that these large companies usually have to hire sub-contractors in order to maintain their very large customer base and don't really care that their customers in some cases are spending their hard earned dollars to obtain less than perfect results.
So the question that you should be asking yourself when booking with a large company to have them come to your home to do installations or repairs, is which type of person is really showing up at your door?
To better the odds, I personally only deal with smaller family owned companies that have one or two crews and the business owner is working with these crews on a daily basis to help maintain very high company and employee standards. It has been my experience that any companies that hire sub-contractors have a very poor quality control standard.
A successful small business owner has to work very hard today to build and maintain a good reputation in today's crazy world of smoke and mirrors.
I strongly recommend that you always check the company's "Google Reviews" and do your due diligence before hiring ANY contractor. In todays social media blitz, you do not have to go far to get information (either false or accurate) on potential companies that you are considering doing business with.
you should also check with the consumer beware list located here.
https://www.consumerbewarelist.mgs.gov.on.ca/en/cbl/search
STAY SAFE! Home Inspectors Ottawa-Ottawa Home Inspectors
Hot Water Heaters
Renting vs owning your hot water tank!?!?!
I recommend that every homeowner purchase their hot water tank from a reputable contractor or supplier like home depot.
Most hot water tanks can usually be purchased between $1000 & $2000 depending on the size & fuel type and are designed to last around 10-12 years
and if you own the tank & it leaks, the damages are usually covered by your home insurance. Tank rental companies do not carry flood insurance to cover any water heater leakage damages etc. and the rented tanks are now usually full of disclaimers that if anything happens with the tank it is your fault because you did not report it to the tank rental company. After paying out billions of dollars in damages, your home insurance may no longer cover flood damages from rented appliances like water heaters which means that you now have to try & sue the tank rental company for damages to your home from water tank related moisture damages to your home. WOW!?!?!?
Tankless water heaters vs Hot water tanks
Most rented hot water heater now come with a 15 year rental contract that can end up costing the consumer $10,000-$12,000 over the life of the contracts. A simple $50 per month tank rental times 12 months is $600 per year times 15 years is $9000.00
Even after the contract has expired , these tank rental companies continue to charge the monthly fee for no reason unless you actually contact them to cancel the contract. This makes for a very big uneducated consumer rip-off!!!
I have personally observed the homeowner still being charged the monthly rental fee on a 25 year old hot water tank.
TANK OR TANKLESS WATER HEATERS
Although tankless water heaters are the new trend, I have never liked this idea for Canadians. Tankless/on demand water heaters are supposed to be more energy efficient but consume a large amount of water as the tank runs cold water down the drain while it does the heating process. Some things to consider with a tankless water heater is that in the event of a power failure, your hot water source immediately terminates while a hot water tank can supply hot water for another couple of days with moderated usage. All things to consider when replacing your old hot water heater. If funds are tight, Home Depot also offers up to 18 months interest free on a home depot credit card when paid in full during the finance period.
Most new home buyers in the Province of Ontario now have to sign the tank rental contract at the lawyers office before they get the keys to the home. This is because in Ontario the new home builders sign agreements with these tank rental companies where they get a $1500-$2000 kickback from the tank rental company for each rented hot water tank that is installed in their homes.
This way the builder does not have to pay for a hot water tank installation themselves which becomes a win win situation for the builders & tank rental companies in the Province of Ontario.
This is another big consumer rip-off from the builders that the Ontario government is currently allowing then to get away with. Could you imagine buying a new vehicle from the dealership & having to rent the steering wheel?
If this is your situation, I recommend that you immediately file a consumer complaint with your local Ontario MPP and also your consumer advocate.
Only by taking action will change things for the better.
Roofing Shingle Replacement Tips
When replacing your roof shingles, I recommend that you always get at least
3 separate estimates from Google review rated roofing contractors
While most roofing contractors will recommend black coloured replacement roof shingles, as a previous roofing contractor myself, I strongly recommend that you consider lighter coloured shingles. Black/darker coloured shingles can have up to half the life expectancy of a lighter coloured roof shingles like a light gray or cedar coloured. This is because darker coloured shingles absorb a lot more heat from the sun and this heat dries out the shingles prematurely which means you will have to replace your shingles way more often. Great for the roofing contractors, but not great for your bank account!
In comparison, lighter coloured shingles will reflect the heat and this not only helps extend the life of the shingle, but it can also keep your attic space cooler which can also help lower your energy bills in the hotter summer months.
The latest shingle manufacturer innovation is called "Architectural Shingles" which are much thicker that the old 3-Tab shingles. This is why older shingles only lasted 10-20 years depending on the colour, while the newer thicker shingles can last 30-40 years depending on the shingle colour.