BradfordxHFG Q&A

Home comfort story

Hunting For George's Lucy sat down with us and ran us through their reno goals for their Lorne renovation.

 

 

1You’ve used a range of Bradford Insulation and CSR products on the Lorne renovation project. Please walk us through why you chose to use the below Bradford products and how they helped you complete the renovation the way you wanted to, on time, and to a high quality standard:

 

• Anticon beneath your metal roof.
  • The old roof was always noisy in storms and the only form of insulation in the ceiling was a foil backing that had been destroyed by possums. We replaced everything and wanted to do it once and right, fully sealed and insulated the new roof is totally quiet now.
• Soundscreen in your walls.
  • This house is now setup for multiple families to stay, so any extra sound proofing in the internal walls we can get is a bonus.
• Enviroseal wall wrap.
  • It’s an easy product to work with, simple install with two people we had the whole house wrapped and taped in a day.
• Bradford Gold in your ceiling and walls (how easy was it to install the Bradford Gold batts?)
  • In this instance it was a very easy install process as we had totally gutted the old section of the home. We removed the old horse hair plaster ceilings and the masonite walls that were all bucked and damaged.
  • The only extra step was a little more cutting down of batts and using lots of offcuts to get a good fit into the non standard size spacing of studs from a 1930’s home.

 

2What were the key things you wanted to achieve with the renovation of the Lorne house and what was the scope of the renovation?

 

We wanted to future proof an existing 1930s beach house and provide comfortable accommodation for family and friends. The scope of the renovation involved retrofitting the existing home to ensure it met the comfort and durability standards of the new extension.

3How did the planning for the renovation come together? Were there certain existing features that were must-keeps? Were some of those decisions hard to make?

 

There was no question of knocking down the existing home, there is a lot of history in the home so from the beginning our focus was improving what was already there and using those exterior features to help guide the rest of the house design.

4What were the biggest challenges of the Lorne renovation?

 

We faced a lot of challenges mostly with delays due to COVID restrictions. It was difficult to get products, materials and deliveries on time and not to mention labour shortage. As we weren’t building in a major city we had limited access to skilled trades and had to do quite a lot of jobs ourselves.

5What are the key attractions to renovating over a knockdown rebuild (a popular choice for older homes)? And how can homeowners know which is right for them?

You can save time and money if you renovate compared to a new build. Also the history of the home was important to us and our goal was to improve not demolish.

6Quality upgraded insulation products may not be something that all homeowners and renovators consider a priority. Why is a renovation the perfect time to upgrade your insulation?

Do it once, do it right. Insulating your home is a lot easier if you integrate into your renovation. It’s also important to think about the house in its entirety, if you only insulate half a home then it’s only half as efficient as it could be. For us, it was important to future proof the entire home and make sure every room in the house was comfortable.

7What general reno tips and advice would you give to homeowners contemplating their own renovation?

1. Have a clear vision and plan before you start. Moodboard your ideas, bring your selections together and work out your budget, so you can be confident in your decisions.
2. If you have the ability to do it yourself, do it! You can save money if you’ve got the time to do certain tasks yourself.
3. Time Management is a big one. Create a schedule, share it with all involved and keep it up to date regularly.

8What should be the top three priorities in any renovation?

1. Function and practicality. Make sure your renovation suits you, your family and your lifestyle.
2. Durability. Make sure you chose the right materials and products that will stand the test of time.
3. Comfort. You spend a lot of time in your home so you want to make sure it’s a comfortable space to live in.

9Any tips for renovating a house while living in it?

Try not to! It’s ok for smaller renovations but if you are embarking on a large build then you might want to arrange alternate accommodation. It helps to be able to step off site at the end of a long day and recharge.

10Delays in a renovation are almost inevitable. What are some planning tips that could help reduce the stress of delays?

Time Management is a big one. Create a program or schedule, share it with all involved and keep it up to date regularly. Communication is the key here. Make sure everyone is on board and across how its going to work before the project kicks off.