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TOTAL HOME MAGAZINE
FALL 2014
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growing percentage of Canadians
work from home in some capacity.
For people like Susan Fitzgerald
who work full-time running a
home-based business, having the right work-
place setup is an important factor in the
decision to work from home. After working
for about 10 years in their basement office
- a large but dark space with limited natural
light - Susan and her husband John decided
to convert their partially finished walk-up
attic into a bright and comfortable office
space.
Their first decision was an easy one. Susan
contacted Rob Martin from Way-Mar.
The Elmira couple have lived in an older
two-storey brick home for 20 years during
which time they have completed a number
of small and large renovations. About 15
years ago, they were introduced to Way-
Mar when they replaced some windows and
doors. Since then, Way-Mar has completed
a long list of projects for John and Susan
from outside railings to a complete kitchen
renovation.
Susan gave Rob an idea of the end result
she had in mind for the new office space -
one that would take advantage of the attic’s
natural light and provide overall comfort for
her and her assistant to work in everyday.
Their conversation began in the fall with
a goal of completing the renovation the
following spring. Susan notes that planning
ahead is important and, as with previous
projects, she told Rob when she wanted the
work to be completed and he built a plan
based around that.
The first stage of the renovation was to
gut the entire attic and then apply spray
foam insulation. As work has been done
to different areas of their home, John and
Susan have chosen to insulate with poly-
urethane foam because it provides the best
thermal protection. This makes a notable
difference in their older home even with the
natural insulating factor of the double brick
construction.
Since the attic is a place where Susan spends
a significant amount of time year round,
choosing spray foam insulation has proven
to be a wise choice. Susan says “it’s quite air
tight up here so keeping it warm in the win-
ter isn’t a problem. We ran a little infrared
heater this winter but needed to shut it off
by noon or it was too hot even on the cold-
est days. On really hot days in the summer,
I turn on the small window air conditioner
early in the morning and it doesn’t run very
much to keep it quite comfortable.”
In the overall design of the office, Way-
Mar was able to maximize the usable space
which is often a challenge in attics. Even
with low slanted ceilings, the office is full of
natural light and has an open airy feel with
a wonderful view of the neighbourhood’s
mature trees. Susan is certainly satisfied with
the move up from the basement. “There’s
just something about working up here that
I prefer.”
The open concept office also lends to long
term flexibility and resale value as the space
can easily be converted to a bedroom or
recreation room.
Based on her experience with several reno-
vation projects, Susan reflects that “renova-
tions always take longer and cost more than
what you first think. That’s just the reality
of renovations. You’re going to find stuff
along the way. You learn to prepare for that.
Having said that, there weren’t really any
surprises with this project.”
She also appreciates the collaborative
approach that Way-Mar brings to a project.
“Way-Mar always gives options and explains
the differences - taking into consideration
your personal preferences and priorities.”
Early on with this home, John and Susan
worked with different contractors and got
several quotes to help choose the best com-
pany. She says they learned the “hard way”
that not all contractors are the same. A few
times it looked like a good job was done on
the surface but things were done poorly or
incorrectly and had to be redone.
The couple feels fortunate to have connect-
ed with Way-Mar early on.“Way-Mar stands
out in their commitment to customer
service and quality. That’s worth a lot. We
have built up a lot of trust over the years so
we are never concerned that we are getting
ripped off or if the work will be done right.
I feel they always offer a fair price and we
get excellent value for our money.”
“We’ve built a good long-term relationship
so they know us pretty well. Way-Mar
makes suggestions based on what they think
is most suitable for us. We’re always happy
with the results.”
A
“Way-Mar makes suggestions based on what they
think is most suitable for us. We’re always happy with
the results.”