Exterior Renovations
Creative Curb Appeal
The best home improvement to increase the asset value of your home and to maximize your return on your capital investment are those done on the exterior of your house. Home exterior renovation, redesign, recladding (e.g., Fiber-cement, brick, vinyl siding), window & door replacements, decks, fences and other outside improvement can immediately enhance a home's backyard and curb appeal while providing a return on investment of more than 80%.Ref
CastleCorp provides a full range of exterior renovation and residential construction services to meet your needs in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Home Exterior Redesign
The exterior of your house is its outward face to the world – A reflection of your personality, not just to those close to you, but to neighbours and those just driving by. CastleCorp's design consultants bring extensive experience in exterior makeovers, from giving your home a specific architectural style to creating a new one. We design a home’s exterior for beauty and functionality, guided by your desires and sense of style and from our own extensive experience.
Re-clad/Re-siding and insulating
Re-cladding your home to modernise it and improve R-value is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve the aesthetic of your home. It will also increase the resale value and can shorten the amount of time your home is on the market.
Fiber-cement siding is a popular choice as a replacement siding. Although its initial price is higher than many other types of siding, the durability and stability of fiber-cement means less maintenance in the long run. Stucco, brick, stone and wood can also be great cladding choices when quality products are used and the proper installation procedures are followed.
While the cladding is off, we have the opportunity to address other aspects of your home such as insulation, wiring, and plumbing in a much more cost effective way. The savings from increasing the R-value by adding proper insulation will offset the entire cost of the renovation through reduced long-term heating costs.
Windows and Doors
Entry Doors
The three most common exterior door materials today are wood, fiberglass composite, and steel.
One of the most efficient and inexpensive remodelling projects is the replacement of an entry door with a steel insulated core door. The cost recouped from such an investment is 86% upon resale. We recommend no less than a 20-gauge galvanized steel door with baked on factory paint for Ottawa's climate with a lifetime warranty that covers everything including rust. Lighter gage steel doors are notorious for rusting at the bottom and dent easily.
Fiberglass composite doors offer superior thermal insulating qualities, strength, and ease of maintenance. This type of door is most often chosen for its durability, and the fact they're almost maintenance free. These doors can last a very long time, and many models offer warranties for as long as the buyer lives in the house. Fiberglass doors are ideal in harsh and humid climates such as Ottawa. Fiberglass lasts longer than wood or steel, and its foam core offers a better thermal insulating protection than steel and wood.
Solid hardwood doors are by far the most expensive but can be that special feature that makes your home's appearance so elegant. Wood can be sensitive to variations in humidity and moisture. Wetness can cause the door to warp, crack and change shape reducing the effectiveness of weatherstripping. Sun can also impact the life of your wood door. Durable stains and high-gloss finishes are essential in protecting a wood door from the elements so that it lasts longer.
Windows
CastleCorp is one of Ottawa's first choices for professional residential window installations. We ensure your home's building envelope remains impenetrable and intact through flawless window installation to keep the wall cavity dry. All our installations comply with provincial and national building codes and the window manufacturer’s warranty requirements. Our goal is to protect against moisture infiltration, to maximize R-value and ensure the long-term durability of the windows and the surrounding structure.
Poor integration with the housewrap, improperly caulked and flashed installations, and other substandard installation techniques will void the warranty of your new windows and can expose the wall cavity to moisture problems. Moisture that leaks into a wall cavity can cause structural damage, compromise your electrical system and promote mould growth, which represents a health risk to occupants.
The superior quality window installation CastleCorp provides include:
- Integration of housewrap into the opening.
- Use of self-adhesive flashing tape on sub-sill.
- Window and door silicone caulk that meets or exceeds an ASTM C-920 rating.
- Full caulking of back of side and top flanges, not just edge (sealed bottom flange will trap water).
- Use of full waterproof sill pan.
- Shimming the window for proper spacing.
- Plumb, level and square jamb.
- Shim Min. 16 inches on the sill and every 24 inches on the jambs.
- Complete interior vapour barrier seal.
- Rust protected screws.
- Caulk the ends of shims.
- Low-expanding, high R spray foam.
- Full head jamb drip cap flashing up behind the building exterior cladding.
- Professional casing and siding installation.
- Thorough clean-up.
CastleCorp ensures windows are fully caulked and insulate to provide an air seal that completely eliminates drafts and water infiltration, applying low-expanding, high R spray foam.
Decks, Porches, Gazebos and Fences
CastleCorp specialises in designing and building high quality outdoor structures and living spaces that you can enjoy with your friends and family. It's not just our premium quality that makes us unique in our approach, we design and create outdoor extensions that enhance and blend in architecturally with your home so they look like they belong. We incorporate high performing materials, including decking, railing, and trim, with all our builds resulting in low maintenance costs and increased durability.
Our decks and porches will look the same for years to come. As with all our work, you'll receive personal attention from start to finish and a superior quality product from a team of highly qualified, experienced professionals.
For more information, please see our portfolio of Decks, Pergolas, Gazebos & Fences