The Hammer: Recent Episodes
Canadian Contractor Magazine
The Hammer is your deep dive into the issues and information that drive Canada’s renovation and custom homebuilding contractors. Join Canadian Contractor editor Patrick Flannery as he talks to top experts from inside and outside the industry to generate new insights and ideas for your business. Find new and past episodes online at canadiancontractor.ca or subscribe through your favourite podcasting service.
A long-time contractor in his native Australia, Dan Morton became frustrated with using multiple software tools from multiple vendors, none of which could communicate with each other to generate a holistic picture of how his business was performing. So he went into the app business, creating JACK. In the process, Morton has learned a lot about how construction firms – even small construction firms – can use the information that is already in their offices to get better organized, find efficiencies and cut costs. He joins The Hammer to share some tips and insights.
Much has been said about the promise of AI and its possible threat to jobs. But how might this powerful new technology affect an old concern: your company's data security? David Mill, CEO and founder of Scelta, a Windsor, Ont., construction software provider, joins The Hammer to talk about the ways AI might empower bad actors to produce better scams, steal data from your systems, spoof your reviews and even damage your processes if allowed inside. We also discuss how AI-powered security might thwart these threats and allow you to operate with less worries about the old challenges.
CHBA is doing more than ever to serve, assist and represent its renovation sector members. Renovation Services director, Sarah Caron, joins The Hammer to talk about the special nature of renovation contracting as a sub-sector of the home building business. She explains the various member benefits and services to the industry that Renovation Services is offering, including the Renomark https://renomark.ca/ program, the Renovation Market Index and the various events and education sessions coming up. Finally, she previews Renovation Month, coming this October.
The effort to get our industry to fully embrace the latest technology tools grinds on. Amy Vilis is the director of housing growth innovation at DIGITAL, a Vancouver-based non-profit working on bringing technology and construction companies together for mutual benefit. Working with Vilis is John Reid from Faber Technologies, the developer of Faber Connect, an AI-powered software tool that connects construction companies to a pool of over 100,000 skilled labourers across western Canada. Vilis and Reid join The Hammer to talk about the potential benefits to contractors of "going digital" and about the larger productivity gap in construction that continues to hold us back from building the housing we need.
After decades in the commercial facade business building whole sections of skyscrapers in factories before shipping them to jobsites, Antonio Manchisi of Sapphire Balconies knows a thing or two about prefabricating construction components. He joins The Hammer to talk about how offsite and modular building are the norm in other parts of the world; how they can save costs, improve quality, efficiency and safety; and where they might not work best in residential renovation and custom building. In an environment where we're all looking to get more done faster with less skilled labour, Manchisi brings some hearty food for thought on how we structure our project process.
Paul Amato of Tallinn Advisory brings 20 years' of professional experience advising construction companies to the question of how to get the different parts of your organization working better together. He joins The Hammer to talk about what he means by “alignment”; the elements of a good mindset; the barriers to great customer service and quality; and how to build a culture that succeeds. Take some time with Paul to think about how you do business!
Contractors work in a high-stress jobs for sure, where frustration, time pressure, conflict and long hours can grind us down. We view workplace stress as part of the lifestyle, but Sandra Primiano from online mental health services provider, Dialogue, says it has very real and measurable effects on productivity and quality. Those effects can include workplace accidents and addiction problems, so it's something we need to pay attention to. Primiano joins The Hammer to explain how job stress leads to decreased performance; what signs might point to a co-worker who is struggling; and some practical tips for mitigating issues when they arise.
Skylights are a feature that transform an interior space when done right and risk a lifetime of headaches when done wrong. Modern designs have come a long way from the old plexiglass domes and now offer great energy efficiency, smart home options and the ability to improve the environment throughout a home. Mark Taylor, national Canadian sales manager for Velux and 27-year veteran of the business, joins The Hammer to share tips on how to do skylights right and really boost the impact of your renovations and custom builds.
Amanda Spann is the author of I Have an App Idea - The Essential Guide to Building an App Without Tech Skills and she has good news for all of us. You don't need to spend in the five figures or burn hundreds of hours of staff time to develop an app any more, thanks to new AI-powered tools and reasonably priced professional services. The even better news is, as experts in touch with the needs of their businesses, building trades professionals are in a position to make more useful and targeted apps than anything coming out of Silicone Valley. Whether developing something to help your team internally or making a product you hope to post on the App Store, there's an opportunity here to help your efficiency and potentially add a revenue stream to your business.
Embodied carbon and an increased focus on building resiliency are coming soon to a building code near you. When they do, we're going to need a lot of information about the amount of greenhouse gasses embodied in our building products and how to build structures that will last longer in the extreme weather events happening in the regions where we build. Kelly Doran and his team at Half Climate Design have stepped up with two new documents that are included in the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Housing Catalogue: the Materials Guide and the Climate Resilience Guide. Doran joins The Hammer to walk us through the new documents and explain how they will help as we make the adjustment to thinking about things we never had to before.
Materials Guide
Climate Resilience Guide
Half Climate Design
Building resiliency is the hot focus for sustainable building regulators developing the next wave of codes and standards we will all have to follow. Resiliency impacts our designs two ways: making buildings last longer with less maintenance, and making them resist extreme weather and natural disasters better. Both are related to climate change in that buildings that last longer prevent new carbon emissions from having to repair or replace them, and climate change is already leading to weather changes that our present designs are not ready for. Duncan Rowe, a principal with RJC Engineers, deals with these issues daily both as a building engineer and in his role sitting on various code committees. He joins The Hammer to discuss resiliency and how it might impact our designs and practices going forward.
Bryan Reid, president of Kindred Construction and Kindred Custom Homes, joins The Hammer to discuss B.C.’s latest attempts to make it easier to build homes. He covers the recent prompt payment legislation and a large attempt to streamline B.C.’s approval processes with 187 amendments to legislation. He also offers his perspective on whether these moves will make life easier for B.C. contractors and the sources of the housing crisis in general. Reid has a law degree and knows his stuff, so enjoy this informative conversation.
Growing concern over building emissions and occupant health has led experts to re-evaluate how we insulate and protect our homes. Spray foam insulation, once valued mainly for its high R-value, is now at the center of discussions about sustainability, environmental impact, and indoor air quality. How does spray foam contribute to lower carbon footprints? What innovations are shaping the next generation of energy-efficient and healthy homes? And how can builders balance performance, cost, and environmental responsibility? Mickel Maalouf, Building Science Expert at Huntsman Building Solutions, joins The Hammer to unpack the science and future of spray foam in sustainable construction.
In an business where trust is perhaps our most valuable commodity, the ongoing presence of dishonest contractors and outright fraudsters hurts us all. Alex Kimmich left the tools to do something about it, establishing the BetterBid online service that connects homeowners to a vetted list of reputable local contractors. He joins The Hammer to discuss the scale of the scamming problem in Canada today and go over some of the creative new methods these criminals are employing.
Toronto construction software developer CMiC has commissioned a study examining uptake in Enterprise Resource Planning software in the American construction industry and come away with many insights relevant to our market, too. Weiss has been working with contractors to provide digital solutions since the early ‘90s and has lots to say about how the tools and interfaces have changed between then and now and why smaller contractors should be taking another look at how things like AI can help them. Plus some hard truths about why our industry has been slower to adopt the productivity-enhancing technologies that have boosted other sectors.
Read the full study here
As new custom homebuilders working in the Toronto area, Joshua and his partner, Alvaro, were getting more and calls to build outbuildings on existing residential yards, home additions to add space for family and rentals, and fully separated basement living space – so-called Alternative Dwelling Units. The work has proven to be lucrative and relatively uncomplicated, with municipalities speeding up approvals even over Josh’s five years in business, so the partners have decided to make it a focus of their business. Josh joined The Hammer to talk about his journey to his point and share some tips and observations on the emerging ADU trend.
As executive director of Career Colleges of Ontario, Kate Bartz wants us to know that career colleges play a vital role in providing the skilled workforce of the future and will be an important part of the province’s mighty effort to build hundreds of thousands of homes in the years ahead. She spoke to Pat Flannery about what career colleges have to offer and how she hopes to partner with the province and our sector going forward.
Achieving good indoor air quality for our clients is something we probably need to think about more than they do. A homeowner may not give the topic a second thought…until their throat starts scratching and their nose starts itching from a poorly designed HVAC system. Mohamed Fouda sits on ASHRAE committees writing indoor air quality standards and joins The Hammer to advise us on how to protect homeowners’ health and happiness even as building envelopes get tighter.
For more information, contact Mohamed at Mohamed.fouda@wolseleyinc.ca.
Silica is one of the most common hazards at construction sites. Workers exposed to airborne respirable silica are at an increased risk of developing lung diseases like silicosis, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Meghan Friesen, Occupational Hygienist with the Ontario Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, discusses the hazards and health effects of silica, exposures in the construction industry, and the free online Silica Control Tool.
High-profile wildfires doing substantial property damage to urban areas in B.C. and Alberta have spurred NRCan to look at creating Canadian building standards for wildfire resistance. The consultation process has just begun, but it seems likely that some day soon we may see new codes requiring resistant windows, doors and other components in wildfire-prone areas. What might these rules look like? How do we determine if a product is sufficiently resistant to external fires? And what is the science behind making frames and glass that resists fire and prevents heat transfer to the home interior? Robin Urquhart has worked on rebuilding communities destroyed by wildfires and joins The Hammer to share his deep knowledge of this topic.
The difficulty, expense and delay in getting projects approved has been identified as one of the big reasons Ontario is nowhere near its homebuilding goals and not likely to be any time soon. Enter Arash Shahi and his non-profit One Ontario initiative to offer a database of municipal zoning bylaws and regulations that shows where building can happen and whether your project qualifies. One Ontario has the data and the software tools – what it needs now is provincial backing to legitimize regional planning authorities using it. Shahi explains what One Ontario is, what information it can provide and how it could be part of the path forward to getting this province out of its homebuilding logjam.
Gil Yaron of Light House is spearheading the launch of the Building Materials Exchange on Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland, B.C., with plans to expand. It’s a website where members can post excess materials from inventory or jobsites and offer them for sale or free to whomever wants them. The important wrinkle is the business-to-business nature of the site, allowing contractors to deal with other contractors and not so much the general public. There are the obvious environmental benefits of reducing waste, but avoiding charges at the landfill and being able to find free or inexpensive materials is a pretty attractive business proposition, too.
Canada, and especially Ontario, faces a housing crisis in which we are building less than half the new homes each year we are expected to need. But even so, housing starts dropped in Ontario in 2024. Radical action is clearly needed, and RESCON CEO Richard Lyall has some ideas. He joins The Hammer for some tough talk about the need for big cuts to development fees and taxes; new investment in infrastructure; harmonization of codes and standards; slashing of red tape in approvals process; the need to fight U.S. tariffs and more.
Jared Kress of Metropolitan Floors and Chris Maskell of the National Floor Covering Association of Canada join The Hammer to set us straight on the impact insulation class (IIC) for flooring. This is the number that tells us how much a flooring product prevents sound transmission to the space below from footsteps. Some condo boards and architects are specifying crazy numbers for these ratings, but what you get in a lab is often not what you get in the field. Kress and Maskell take us through how the rating is calculated, what impacts the actual performance in your project and what you need to tell clients who think your floor can be made absolutely silent.
Steve Johnston of Omnigence, a private equity firm investing in the construction sector, has a stark warning. He sees a real risk of long-term stagflation (inflation coupled with low productivity and high unemployment) in our present conditions and government policies. His white paper lays out the broad details, but he joins The Hammer to talk about the specific effects in Canada’s homebuilding sector and what will be needed to avoid them.
Movember is back with an added focus. The popular fundraising drive for men’s health has added support for mental health to its efforts along with prostate and testicular cancer. Mitch Hermansen joined Annex Business Media publisher/editor, Patrick Flannery, to talk about why these issues are important and what we in the construction community can do to help the guys who work for us.
When you’re done, check out Movember’s hilarious video Shit Mos Save Lives!
We had a great conversation with Damon Gray, owner of B.C.’s NZ Builders, about their innovative insulated concrete panels and some of the great things they can achieve with them. NZ is making high-performance homes, even Passive House homes, on Vancouver Island out of concrete and finding the material generates a more comfortable and healthy environment for their customers.
Espisito and Koblik, the husband and wife owners of Otis Interiors in Guelph, Ont., have discovered a better way of doing business. They leverage their creative and operational expertise with a careful design plan including intensive homeowner consultation, milestones, acquisition of all permits and drawings and a payment and procurement schedule to achieve a high level of preparation before anyone swings a hammer. The process could take as long as a year, but the result is happier clients, a smoother and more profitable process for the organization and higher quality results. Listen to them talk about their professional approach and how others might join the party.
New standards for energy efficiency and low carbon impact in construction are demanding new skills in the trades – skills your young workers might be more familiar with than you are. Chad Flinn, associate vice-president of academics at Red Deer Polytechnic, and Judi Varga-Toth, manager of the ImpAct-Climate program at Colleges and Institutes Canada, are working to educate today’s construction industry in how to design and install the elements of net zero homes, including the unique considerations for heat pumps, solar panels, EV chargers, continuous insulation and high-performance fenestration. Learning needs to be ongoing in this time of rapid change, and Flinn and Varga-Toth share insights and free online resources in this episode of The Hammer.
Ceiling systems have come a long way from basic white grids and tiles. No longer flat and forgettable, modern ceiling designs enhance aesthetics and can impact health and safety concerns. These days, many integrated ceiling solutions are also manufactured with sustainable and recyclable materials.
Listen to our conversation with Jamie Wright - Product Specialist in Ceiling Systems at Kenroc Building Materials. His career spans 20 years in the building construction industry and he prides himself in providing innovative solutions for his customers.
He joins The Hammer to share his knowledge of ceiling systems. Bottom line – things are looking up with Kenroc and CertainTeed products!
For more information, visit https://kenroc.com/products/ceiling-systems
Dave Henderson, senior technical services manager for the Residential Construction Council of Ontario, is concerned about the increasing complexity of building codes. He goes over at least six major changes that are proposed for the 2025 National Building Code update, each of which will add significant costs to new homes and renovations requiring permits. He reflects on his time working on code development in Ontario and how far we have come from the 10 principles of code development they observed then. Codes used to be about ensuring minimum, enforceable standards for safety…today, it looks like they are being used as a vehicle to push various government policy agenda.
We continue our series on updates to the National Building Code with Troy Ferreira, technical director for the Canadian Roofing Contractors Association. Ferreira has been involved with commenting and proposing revisions for the 2020 NBC, which has just come into effect nationally but is still being revised. We touch on new language affecting fire protection for spray foam, open cell spray foam requirements, asphalt core boards, snow loads, air tightness, energy efficiency and other topics.
Leor Marguiles is a partner at commercial real estate firm, Robins Appleby. From there, he watches as larger developers deal with the fallout from high interest rates and skyrocketing home prices: homeowners delaying or cancelling purchases they suddenly find unaffordable. He joins The Hammer to discuss the factors driving a spike in project delays and defaults and suggest ways that small contractors can deal with the uncertain conditions. Bottom line: stay out of court.
Terry Adamson, technical director for Fenestration Canada, joins The Hammer to preview the proposed changes to the National Building Code related to window and doors. Wider door openings for accessibility…tighter air tightness…solar heat gain requirements…upper storey window fall protection…glazing guard loads…it’s all here in an information-dense download.
Explore our 2024 playbook tailored for electrical contractors seeking a competitive edge. Uncover industry-best practices and stay ahead of the curve.
Vice-Chair Jack Slaughter of the Ontario Labour Relations Board and Jeremy Ambraska, employment and labour lawyer with Sherrard Kuzz (Coos) LLP join this episode of the Hammer to discuss the aging workforce, apprenticeships and training within the construction sector. Vice Chair Slaughter and Ambraska engage in conversation with editor, Kaitlin Secord, about mentorship and knowledge transfer, the importance of diversity and inclusion, how to the construction industry’s status among prospective journeypersons and the importance of being a progressive employer.
Facing a dynamic shift in every facet, the construction industry find itself in need of a revamping when it comes to the future of its workforce. From Support Ontario Youth, interim executive director Melanie Winter and program management lead Lea Valcourt join this episode of the Hammer to chat about their organization and its initiatives in supporting the future of construction labour. Winter and Valcourt touch on the crucial role that relationship building plays in progressing in the industry and share success stories of their boot camps. They also discuss adaptability and the key goals, priorities and future of Support Ontario Youth.
Cyber-attacks in construction are on the rise. Bad actors are finding this an attractive industry to target as they can access data and cause business interruptions, and even demand payment of a ransom. As construction companies and their construction sites become increasingly connected, any device connected to the network presents a potential cybersecurity risk, and a robust approach to reducing this exposure is essential. In this episode of the Hammer, Wayne Dorris, program manager for cyber security at Axis Communications, talks strategies for mitigating security risks on the construction site.
In the latest edition of The Hammer, we are joined by Austin Harvey, residential territory manager for ECCO Supply, to discuss heat pumps. Harvey touches on the reason behind the growing popularity of heat pumps, key considerations and factors for contractors considering heat pump installations, as well as pitfall and reluctancies. Harvey also discusses effective ways that contractors can help clients choose the best pump for their home.
There’s a lot going on in the world of green building and spray foam. Jean- François Lupien, the Global Director of Product Management from Huntsman Building Solutions joins us on The Hammer to discuss an innovation in spray foam technology as well as an update on what is going on in the industry and what Huntsman Building Solutions has been up to in 2023. Also, what contractors can expect to see in 2024 from the brand.
As labour and employment pressures build in the construction industry with impending retirements and an influx of projects, apprentices are more important now than ever. In this episode of the Hammer, we are joined by Robert Bronk, CEO of the Ontario Construction Secretariat, to discuss importance of apprenticeships to the future of Ontario’s construction industry and how the unionized sector is investing on training for apprentices. Bronk and editor Kaitlin Secord also chat about the benefits and obstacles of apprentices, and tools and resources available to both employers and apprentices.
Phil Warren, SFA Saniflo Canada’s Managing Director and Frédéric Boucher, Plomberie EPF’s President, join this special episode of The Hammer to discuss SFA Saniflo’s recent experience on their France factory tour, the company’s history, what they see for the future. Listen as Warren and Boucher chat with editor Kaitlin Secord about the company’s innovations to the plumbing world, their global presence and how they’ve grown in the Canadian market.
Liz Kovach, President of the Western Retail Lumber Association Inc., joins this special episode of The Hammer to discuss the association’s Let’s GO Build Program and their take on the recent labour market study. WRLA is a member-based organization that connects and educates the building supply industry in Western Canada to facilitate the growth of member businesses. Their Let’s Go Build program aims to enhance job opportunities and attract new talent in the lumber, building materials and hardgoods industry. Listen as Kovach and Canadian Contractor editor Kaitlin Secord discuss the future of the construction sector.
Join us in this episode as we delve into the world of door systems and explore the various options available to bridge the gap between the indoors and outdoors. Our expert guests, Russ Miller, JELD-WEN Canada's National Account Manager, and Mike Desmarais, JELD-WEN Canada's Territory Sales Manager for Ontario, will guide us through a captivating discussion on the types of exterior door systems, including the pros and cons of sliding versus swinging doors.Discover the hottest trends in door systems, and gain insights into the importance of proper installation for optimal performance and longevity. Furthermore, we'll explore the crucial aspect of security and learn how door systems can enhance the safety of your home. Whether you're a homeowner or a professional in the industry, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to upgrade their door systems and create a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. Tune in and unlock the secrets to finding the perfect door system that suits your needs, while maximizing style, functionality, and peace of mind.
In this edition of The Hammer, editor Kaitlin Secord sits down with Owen Thompson and Marilena Tricarico of Desjardin’s RenoAssistance to discuss their annual Renovation Intentions survey results and what these results can teach contractors. We also chat about strategy for navigating renovations in today’s economy and climate.
With greener homes on the rise, so is government funding for financial assistance. In this edition of the podcast, Kaitlin Secord, the new editor of Canadian Contractor is joined by Bonny Koabel of Access Rebates to discuss Enbridge’s Home Energy Rebate program, energy audits, the Greener Home Loan program, and how knowledge about these funding programs can help contractors and homeowners alike.
Mickel Maalouf of Huntsman Building Solutions joins The Hammer to discuss the crackdown on Radon in homes. As many as 3,200 Canadians die from it every year. It easily penetrates residences and enclosed spaces undetected. It’s the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Throughout Canada, there are homes with elevated levels of Radon that need to be assessed and treated. There is a cost-effective and protective solution. Huntsman Building Solutions’ CCMC compliant, HFO based closed-cell ccSPF insulation products have been tested for radon diffusion and are highly radon-resistant. When installed properly, they can protect a building from the ground up. In this podcast, we’ll address what builders and contractors need to know about Radon mitigation and the solution that will help them address the problem.
New concepts are emerging in construction contracts aimed at bringing project owners, contractors and subcontractors closer together as partners rather than bosses and hirelings. But to navigate these new structures, especially on today’s larger P3 projects, glazing contractors are going to need to be prepared for a world of enhanced transparency, data collection and communication. Michelle Throssell and Barb Hooley help contractors sail these stormy seas through international project management consultant, Turner and Townsend, and join The Hammer to explain some of the new jargon, outline the benefits of integrated project management and give us a sneak peek at what’s going to be asked of us in the years ahead.
Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) have been around for more than 40 years. Essentially used to create a sandwich of concrete between two layers of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam, the applications for ICF have continued to evolve over the years. In addition to their use for basements and foundation walls, Canadian builders are now using the technology to go up several storeys as well. To learn more about the possibilities, The Hammer staff caught up with Brian Corder, CEO and president of BuildBlock Building Systems and chair of the Marketing Committee of the Insulating Concrete Forms Manufacturers Association (ICFMA), to get him to share some great insights, and some technical details.
It’s a fond farewell to you from Patrick Flannery, editor of the Canadian Contractor B2B channels for the past 2 ½ years. But your magazine and this podcast will be in the very capable hands of Adam Freill, a veteran media professional with background in a variety of construction sectors. Freill joins The Hammer to introduce himself and talk about the role of B2B media in our businesses; the big trends he sees in the industry; and his plans for 2023 and beyond.
Whether it’s upgrades to an existing building or ensuring high-performing, durable, and passive building development projects, contractors need to consider a high-performance Air Barrier System (ABS). A strong air barrier is essential to a sustainable envelope. If fact, the building transformation required today and for future would not be complete without an Air Barrier System and its control layers contributing to a winning formula that is designed, designated, and detailed to control water, vapour, and air. The control layers of the Air Barrier System are placed throughout the building in properties such as the roof, walls, and floor, to the below-grade structures such as the foundation, slab, parking, storage, utility rooms, communication conduits, and more. In this podcast, we discuss how the Air Barrier System is a key aspect of a durable building envelope against the constant environmental stresses and the role it plays on our trajectory toward ongoing, sustainable, and impactful buildings.
Maxime Duzyk is the global director of building science and engineering with Huntsman Building Solutions. He holds a background in architecture and has been in the spray foam insulation business for the last ten years. Maxime is involved with different building envelope committees and associations in North America like CSC, SFC, SPFA, CCMC and ULC Standards.
Canadian Contractor author of the Ryan Report, Steve Ryan, joins The Hammer to share his thoughts on inflation, interest rates, housing prices and labour…all the big economic topics challenging us all. Why are expectations worse than inflation itself? Why do the prices of houses go down as the prices of everything else rise? Will workers be asking for more in the months ahead? Is there a recession on the horizon? Ryan delves into all that and more from his perspective as a long-time business consultant to Canadian construction company owners.
There are more government rebate programs out there than you can shake a stick at. Luckily, Bonny Koabel of AKR Consulting has a whole basket of sticks and spends most of her time shaking them at the various government agencies so you don’t have to. Bonny joins The Hammer to discuss the $547.5 million of funding that the Government of Canada has recently announced that offers everyone from provinces to small businesses incentives for the purchase or lease of eligible vehicles.
Mickel Maalouf of Huntsman Building Solutions joins The Hammer to discuss Radon abatement from the ground up. Radon, a colourless, odourless, radioactive gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Heavier than air, radon can accumulate in residential basements, increasing the risk of exposure to the homeowner. Radon can infiltrate in several places, especially cracks or openings in the floor, slab, cracks in the foundation wall, or sumps. A radon barrier around the basement using Heatlok Soya HFO closed-cell spray foam can seal and prevent radon infiltration. That said, let's talk about radon, recommendations for reducing it, steps to take for building or renovating a radon-free basement, what are some of the protection requirements and the benefits of using Heatlok Soya HFO.
There are more government rebate programs out there than you can shake a stick at. Luckily, Bonny Koabel of AKR Consulting has a whole basket of sticks and spends most of her time shaking them at the various government agencies so you don’t have to. Bonny joins The Hammer to explain three national rebate programs that can give substantial money back to homeowners building custom homes and renovating existing homes. Passing along this information to your customers could help overcome sticker shock and smooth the rails to a higher-value sale.
The Ontario government has announced a string of programs and restructurings aimed at improving and promoting skilled trades training. Robert Bronk is CEO of the Ontario Construction Secretariat, an agency that acts as a forum for construction contractors and construction unions to work together. As such, he has some great perspectives on the state of skilled trades learning and the apprenticeship system. In this episode, he talks about the new Ontario initiatives; how our apprenticeship system is viewed around the world; what is working and not working; how the education system has let skilled trades languish; and the intersection between apprenticeship and unionization.
Oversized windows are becoming increasingly popular. Homeowners are looking to buy products that help achieve a unique, customized look, while offering greater access to outdoor spaces and natural light. JELD-WEN of Canada experts Rob Adams and Chantale Brosseau discuss why oversized windows became a trend; how oversized windows work with building codes and energy efficiency standards; what challenges they create for manufacturing; how you can support your customers when they want oversized windows; and why JELD-WEN windows and doors are the right fit for your project.
We’ve watched the codes and standards tighten for years now, requiring windows and doors installed into new builds to meet ever-higher performance metrics for air/water ingress and insulating value. And they will continue to tighten as Canada’s code authorities follow the federal Roadmap to make all new buildings built in Canada meet net-zero energy performance standards by 2030. But what about the inefficient existing buildings out there that represent a far larger proportion of the homes in the country and therefore a much bigger impact to carbon emissions? Never fear, regulators have not forgotten about them. Frank Lohmann, director of building science for the Canadian Home Builders Association, joins The Hammer to talk about plans to create an existing buildings section of the National Building Code by 2025, which will focus on energy-efficiency requirement for renovations.
Recorded the day after Ontario returned Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives to majority government, Luca Bucci, CEO of the OHBA, joined The Hammer to register the association’s official reaction to the new government and share his thoughts on what should happen and what might happen going forward. He talks about why the OHBA is overall excited and positive about the PCs returning to power. The topic of housing prices and supply was important in the election and Bucci has ideas about things the new government might do to resolve the bottlenecks to development, including moving municipalities past the notion that development is always bad for the environment. Bucci is supportive of the efforts to reform skilled trades governance in Ontario and thinks there are things the government and the OHBA can do together to promote youth participation in the trades.
Now is the time for builders, contractors and even homeowners to consider protection against water infiltration from potential flooding. With high water levels and extreme weather from climate change, we are bound to experience residential water penetration problems. Join Maxime Duzyk, Director of Building Science with Huntsman Building Solutions, as he discusses what we should be thinking as far as protecting home basements from water damage. Sometimes water infiltration may be inevitable, so products that can withstand a flood and even maintained after they have been submerged in water, need to be considered. For example, using building materials that are not affected by water, like metal framing and spray foam insulation that is rated a class five by FEMA and that can survive wetting and drying, and be successfully cleaned after a flood. Join Maxime as he talks about building trend options that despite the forecast will protect the home.
Slow clap for the 2020 National Building Code and National Energy Building Code that have been released at last after long delay. Gord Cooke of Building Knowledge joins The Hammer to explain what’s in the new model codes for window and door providers, especially the tiered energy efficiency requirements that will probably soon be the law throughout the land. We’ve known about much of this for some time, but now it’s here to inform our product designs for years to come.
Last year in Ontario, 30 percent of all the working people who died from opioid overdose worked in the construction industry. It’s clearly time for we who employ tradespeople to pay some extra attention to this issue and be prepared to help those in our companies who struggle with substance use and misuse. To help, Jan Chappel, a senior occupational health and safety specialist with CCOHS, joined The Hammer to give us some advice on what to look for in employee behaviour that might indicate a problem; how to address the issue; and where to find the resources both you and your employee might need.
We all hate taxes. But is there a case to be made that contractors should pay what the law says they owe? Mike Yorke, director of public affairs for the Carpenters District Council of Ontario joins The Hammer to talk about the CDCO’s No Tax Fraud awareness raising campaign and make his argument for contractors playing it above board, especially when it comes to larger projects and payroll taxes. He talks about the billions that tax fraud costs the Ontario government annually and the unsavoury practices, such as human smuggling, that can accompany tax evasion practices. He also addresses some of the common objections to his position. Enjoy!
Mickel Maalouf of Huntsman Building Solutions joins The Hammer to discuss unvented roof and attic assemblies, how they work and key considerations. With home space taking center stage, conditioned, livable unvented roof attics and unvented cathedral ceilings are in demand and increase the resale value of a home. However, this can cause problems for traditional ventilated roof assemblies as the geometry makes it difficult to ensure air- and vapour-tightness at the ceiling plane. A Closed-cell spray foam solution for unvented roof assemblies eliminates the ventilation space and simplifies construction by providing intrinsic air and moisture sealing properties for a conditioned, durable, energy efficient and more livable space.
Jennifer Khan is EllisDon’s director of diversity and inclusion. She joined The Hammer to talk about why one of Canada’s largest general contractors has devoted serious resources to furthering the cause of greater acceptance of all identify groups in workplaces and the industry. We touch on just what diversity and inclusion means and how EllisDon is trying to advance the cause. We get into some assessment of the scale of the problem of intolerance in Canada and where the industry could improve. We discuss hiring quotas and whether they are a part of a diversity and inclusion strategy. And we talk about some things that contractors smaller than EllisDon can do to make their workplaces more inclusive.
The Ontario Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton, joins The Hammer to explain the newly formed Skilled Trades Ontario agency, which replaces the Ontario College of Trades as the apprenticeship and skilled trades regulator for the province. He gets into the need to replace OCOT and the priorities for the new organization, and shares some thoughts on the importance of growing the trades. Then, Gord Wornoff, Canadian Contractor writer, contractor and shop teacher, joins the podcast to break down the Minister’s comments and offer his take on how skilled trades are regulated and developed in Ontario.
Energy efficiency within windows starts with insulated glass. This is what keeps heat from coming in through your windows in the summer and cold out in the winter. During this podcast, we will discuss what an Insulated Glass Unit is and everything responsible for your customers’ home comfort.
Now for something completely different. Our brand manager, Navneet Matharu, joins The Hammer to take a look back at 2021, a look ahead to 2022 and a peek behind the curtain at what the Canadian Contractor B2B channel does and how it does it. Nav spends her days talking to your suppliers across the industry and thinking about how to help them communicate with you, so no one is better positioned to talk about the concerns and trends driving our business today. Happy New Year and all the best from the team at Canadian Contractor!
Torch-down and hot asphalt roofing membrane solutions have the advantage of being familiar. But what if there were an easier and faster way? Flintlastic SA self-adhering roofing systems from CertainTeed are field-proven, bear the same warranty as traditional systems and can be installed in almost half the time. The new self-adhering technology is so effective, it’s becoming more popular even for larger low-slope projects such as schools and warehouses. Commercial project manager, Abby Feinstein, and customer training manager, Joe Thompson, join this special episode of The Hammer to tell us all about it.
Our lives have changed faster than ever in the last two years, and those changes are driving accelerated evolution in design trends. Johanne Munger, national account manager and design expert for JELD-WEN Canada joins the podcast to tell us about three important emerging colour and concept trends and to share her advice on how contractors can use window and door products to give clients the experiences they want. Energy efficiency is top of mind, but people are also looking for homes that reflect their personalities.
Keeping an eye (and ear) on your critical materials, equipment and personnel is more important than ever. Luckily, technology in site security systems is advancing quickly. Gavin Daly of Axis Communications joins The Hammer to talk about the principles of security systems: what are the objectives? What is possible and not possible? What threats and opportunities should you consider? He touches on the other uses of site surveillance, too, including controlling access, identifying safety risks and improving operations. With possibilities for audio pickup, networked speakers, low-light and high resolution cameras, facial recognition and remote monitoring, it’s not about getting a grainy black-and-white video picture any more.
Michael Garrity, CEO of FinanceIt, joins The Hammer to explain the power of project financing as a sales tool for Canadian contractors. "This tool gives you the ability to solve your customers' budget problems, solve them right there and get them to move ahead." Project financing can help you do the kind of work you want to do and take your company in the direction you want to go: higher quality, better margins and a sweet portfolio of beautiful jobs.
Amanda Boyer, product manager for CertainTeed residential roofing solutions, joins this special episode of The Hammer to discuss NorthGate ClimateFlex designer shingles and the innovative design that adds durability and better energy performance for tough Canadian environments. ClimateFlex’s polymer-infused shingle resists cracking from freeze/thaw cycles; boosts the insulation value of the roof; holds its granules better; and is impact-resistant to better withstand hail and falling branches. The contractor’s needs are not forgotten, with high-visibility lines to aid different installation methods and a 50-year warranty. All that, and available in eight colours, too.
We know the pandemic has done SOMETHING to our supply chains. But what? Michael Gabert and the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors are tasked with understanding the prices and availability of all manner of construction supplies and generating accurate estimates and forecasts for their clients. So he was the perfect person to have on the podcast to explain why it’s so hard to get the things we need for our jobsites and plants. Michael discusses how negative effects from the pandemic snowball as they roll down the supply chain, starting at mines and ships and ending up as big delays on our loading docks. We get into inflation, interest rates, aluminum futures shipping containers and the outlook for our globalized trading system.
Maxime Duzyk joins The Hammer to tell us all about Huntsman Building Solutions' D-Max wall assembly system. Essentially, this simple system creates a break between the main wall studs and the exterior sheathing of a building façade, which is then filled with Huntsman's Heatlok Soya HOF spray foam insulation product. The advantages are impressive. Greater insulating values. The ability to install insulation from the inside of the building in parallel with façade completion. Thinner walls. Easier access for utilities and services. Fewer steps to wall construction. Lower jobsite heating and equipment costs. The list goes on. Maxime does a great job of explaining this potentially game-changing technology.
The Buildings Show, Canada’s largest construction show happening Dec. 1 to 3 at the Toronto Convention Centre, has been a popular destination for contractors because of the opportunity it affords to take in the broadest possible range of suppliers and conference topics out there. There’s always a nice selection of commercial glazing and façade construction products, but also HVAC, insulation, roofing, concrete and even property management solutions. This time, there’s a building envelope session but also many sessions aimed at “soft skills” in the construction industry: human resources, marketing, leadership, project management and other topics we know are critical but don’t always have time to think about. Since the Buildings Show is returning as a live event for the first time since the pandemic hit, we thought it was time to invite program director Teresa Baker to The Hammer to give us the full FYI.
In this special episode brought to you by CertainTeed, channel manager for exterior products, Kelly Warren, explains the growing demand for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly building products and how CertainTeed is working to meet the challenge. Backed by 350-year-old construction supplier giant, Saint-Gobain, CertainTeed is bringing a vision of longer-lasting, higher-performing homes to market with products like Solaris shingle granules that reflect solar heat and Cedar Impressions polymer siding that lasts longer than traditional siding. But the commitment to climate-friendly building doesn’t stop with the products; Warren also describes how CertainTeed’s contractor resources and extended warranty programs help its clients get the job done right and achieve the tough standards Canadian contractors will have to meet in the future.
Senior representative for sustainable building science, Mickel Maalouf, joins Patrick Flannery to talk about the growing demand for builders to show not only the energy-efficiency of their designs, but also their low contribution to climate change through embodied carbon. More and more architects and project owners are asking for Environmental Product Declarations that certify how much carbon dioxide was released in the manufacture, transport, installation, maintenance and disposal of building materials. Maalouf explains how choosing products with EPDs can satisfy your clients’ need to create a life cycle analysis for their designs and help them meet the tough environmental regulations of the future.
After years of discussions, roadmaps, studies and conferences, NRCan has settled on the route it wants to take to encourage Canadians to upgrade their homes for higher energy efficiency. The Greener Homes initiative was announced last fall and its online portal is now open for homeowners to register their projects. Senior director for the program, Ruth Talbot, joins The Hammer to explain the rebate program, what homeowners can get back in rebates, what projects might qualify, how the Energuide evaluations work and more. Green Homes Grants could be a powerful tool in our sales toolbox for years to come.
If you think women have the same experience as men in the construction world, think again. Canadian Contractor associate editor, Sukanya Ray Ghosh, speaks to Natasha Fritz, owner of Natural Carpentry. Natasha talks about what it took for her to establish her career in the industry, the changes she has seen over the years, the challenges women still face and the prospects for the next generation of women to join. This is a conversation that the industry frequently needs to have. Let’s make this industry a comfortable, conducive place for women to work in!
The new Greener Homes Grant for energy-efficient home retrofits presents an opportunity for you to upgrade your client’s homes with cutting-edge, high-performing windows and doors. Two experts from one of Canada’s largest manufacturers of Energy Star-certified fenestration products, JELD-WEN Canada, join Canadian Contractor editor, Patrick Flannery, to talk about just what Greener Homes is; how your clients can take advantage of it; what to look for in compliant products; and the potential benefits for your business. If you have any questions after the podcast please contact the JELD WEN Canada experts.
Presented by https://huntsmanbuildingsolutions.com/en-CA/ (Huntsman Building Solutions) Awareness is continuing to grow of the important role home energy use plays in Canada’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. In response, governments will be asking us to build more and more energy-efficient buildings over the next decades and beyond. Huntsman Building Solutions has a program to help contractors meet the challenges of these new and tightening requirements. David Dietrich, Huntsman’s national manager for residential segment and building programs, joins Canadian Contractor editor Patrick Flannery to explain this great program.
Gord Cooke, CEO of Building Knowledge in Cambridge, Ont., doesn’t have much time for talk about ROI when it comes to justifying higher performance windows and other building products in residential construction. Do we talk about ROI when buying a TV? A car? For too long, Cooke says, we’ve bought into the paradigm that the only way to sell energy-efficient products is to convince homeowners that they will save more money on energy than the marginal sticker price on the product. That’s just one of the out-of-the-box insights Cooke drops in this month’s episode of The Hammer. Enjoy!
Anyone in this business knows how to build things that work well and last a long time. That’s what contractors and renovators are good at. But what about all the other aspects of running a successful business? Sales and marketing? Administration? Customer communication? After-sales support? Michelle Kaplan came to the construction contracting world from the outside and quickly saw that small, independent contractors could use help in all these areas, and that homeowners would appreciate a one-stop-shop for trustworthy experts to do their jobs. Better Than New is Kaplan’s new venture in southwestern Ontario, and she joined The Hammer to explain her vision and where she’s hoping to take it in the future.
As event concepts go, Byron Brooks’ Builders and Brews has the twin advantages of simplicity and instant appeal. Let’s get together and drink craft beer. Brooks was inspired to launch his series of evening get-togethers for Calgary’s construction trades community when he saw how the local craft brewing industry collaborated to help each other with advice, labour and even supplies. So he joined forces with the brewers and started hosting casual events where contractors could get together, hear a short talk from an interesting speaker, then compare notes and lies over some wobbly pops. Byron joined The Hammer to tell us all about how it’s going, how he got the idea and how his background made him a fan of working with others in the trade.
Black Canadians have been part of our construction industry for as long as there’s been one, including many Black-owned contracting businesses. Now, a new organization known as the Afro-Canadian Contractors Association has come along to raise awareness of the good work they do, promote their inclusion and fair treatment and to help its members take advantage of the opportunities out there in our industry. Some grotesque incidents at Ontario jobsites last year attracted revulsion across the country, promoting construction leaders as high up as Geoff Smith at EllisDon to call for a focus on eliminating racism in Canadian construction. So it seemed like a good time to invite the president of the ACCA, Sephton Spence, to join The Hammer to tell us all about the new association and the proud history of Black construction work in Canada.
Building codes and the standards they reference continue to shift with the ongoing concerns about climate change and the new weather conditions our fenestration will have to endure. One observation we hear frequently is that it doesn’t matter how energy-efficient products are if they are installed incorrectly. Enter the CSA A440.4 window and door installation standard. George Torok chairs the committee developing this standard and joins the Conversation to share the latest updates that will be incorporated in the National Building Code’s 2020 revisions. George also puts out the call for you to get involved with the process to make the next round up updates, which will be starting soon.
Steve Nason is a building inspector in New Brunswick who has taken a special interest in windows and doors and the many issues around compliance with their codes and standards. It can be difficult for contractors to know when products meet their area’s regulations for things like energy efficiency and air/water ingress. Steve is here to help with some solid tips about using Fenestration Canada’s online calculator, reading labels and, mainly, providing the manufacturer’s quote sheets to building inspectors ahead of time so you know if the product passes muster before you buy and install. We also touch on some general issues of communication and enforcement and get into a couple other problem zones such as roof trusses and radon rough-ins.
From wildfires to floods to ice storms, our country is no stranger to disasters that do significant property damage. And climate change appears to be driving more of them every year. Jim Mandeville and FirstOnSite are, as the name suggests, some of the first people on site when disaster hits and they do important work coordinating the efforts to mitigate damage and rebuild afterwards. As such, Jim has had the chance to work with local home renovation contractors across the country who form a critical part of these rebuilding efforts. He’s seen a lot of wild stuff, and he knows a lot about the special challenges of reconstructing people’s homes and businesses after some awful event has taken them away. In this episode of The Hammer, we talk about what the contractor needs to know in order to be ready to assist in disaster remediation efforts.
Pandemic response expert Suzanne Bernier joins The Hammer to tell us what we’ve learned in nine months of pandemic about the virus, how it spreads and what businesses should do to combat it. We touch on some of the controversies around masks and lockdowns and whether surfaces are primary vectors for COVID-19. Suzanne looks ahead to the winter and the prospects for a vaccine – and the news is not all good.
On this special episode of The Hammer, sponsored by Huntsman Building Solutions, we’re learning about spray-foam insulation from top experts at Huntsman, Director of Engineering and Building Science, Maxime Duzyk and Director of Canadian Sales, Joe Upper.
Bonny rejoins The Hammer with crucial information on changes to various federal and Ontario pandemic relief programs. Overall, eligibility is tightening, but some new programs are on the horizon. We also chat about how effective these efforts have been and what is likely to happen to them going forward.
If there’s one thing Canada has, it’s trees. But right now we’re seeing lumber shortages right across the country and high prices when you can find what you’re looking for. What happened? Liz Kovachs is executive director of the Western Retail Lumber Association and she’s got some answers from her members and their suppliers that might surprise you. Hint: it’s not just the pandemic.
Following the environmental concerns raised in the Montreal and Kyoto protocols, spray foam companies were challenged to act proactively. They have emerged perhaps stronger than ever with new chemistry that does not harm the ozone layer or contribute to climate change. And, happily, the new formulations may actually make spray foam insulation easier to apply. We spoke with Simon Baker and Doug Brady about the new possibilities of spray foam insulation, it’s effectiveness as residential and commercial insulation and the need for proper training and certification for spray foam contractors.
With the retirement of founder Nancy Peterson, there are new stars in the HomeStars sky. Shir Magen and Megan Oldfield have taken over and they have big plans to expand Canada’s largest online contractor directory service. We talk about how HomeStars works to verify their database of 60,000 trusted contractors and connect the right contractor to the right job. The touchy topic of online reviews is broached, and Shir and Megan have some good tips for contractors looking to use the internet to overcome some of the obstacles of the pandemic.
Casey Edge, executive director of the VRBA, joins Canadian Contractor editor Patrick Flannery to talk about his new Leading Edge column in the magazine, affordable housing, municipal regulations, building codes, climate change mitigation, the B.C. market and more. Casey knows his stuff and isn’t afraid to share – buckle up for some spicy opinions!
How do we get young people interested in the trades? Ian Howcroft has some ideas and the organization he leads, Skills Ontario, is working hard in schools and through its Skills Challenge competition to seed the ground for our future workforce. In this episode, Canadian Contractor editor Patrick Flannery talks to Howcroft about how they’ve modified their programs to operate in the pandemic, possible future directions for apprenticeships, what draws kids to the trades and more.
We’re changing how we do things on jobsites: keeping workers apart, providing PPE and installing handwashing stations. But one of the big ways that coronavirus gets spread is just through people moving around. And with curbside deliveries only, the lineups and delays at the store can be significant. Luckily, there are site delivery services that can keep your crew on the job and away from the general public. Eamonn O’Rourke is the founder of one of these, and he told The Hammer how it works and how it helps.
Pandemic response expert Suzanne Bernier joins Canadian Contractor editor Patrick Flannery to look back at the chaotic last couple months, assess our response to the coronavirus and forecast where the health authorities will go from here. Bernier has helped craft Ontario and the U.N.’s response to previous epidemics – there is no better person to educate us about this crazy time.
Bonny Koabel from AKR Consulting joins Canadian Contractor editor Patrick Flannery to tell us what federal programs are out there to help you, who can use them and how to access them. Bonny has been helping small businesses get government funding for many years and we need her talents now more than ever. Learn about CERB, CEWS, CEBA and other things that don’t even start with C.
Government funding guru Bonny Koabel updates listeners on the most recent announcements from Ottawa about federal support for small businesses. Changes and clarifications to the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy, including when it will become available and how to apply. Also, discussion of the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, the Canada Student Service Grant and the Canada Summer Jobs program – all new or changed programs to help you take on summer students or help the ones you can’t.