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Replace Old Windows Throughout the House

There are a lot of reasons to update your windows. While some newer houses really don’t need the windows replaced, if your home is older than 20 years and still has the original windows, you might want to consider new ones. Here are some reasons to replace old windows and how you can benefit from doing so.

Condensation

If your windows seem to gather a lot of moisture on their panes, or ‘sweat’, you may have a condensation problem. Windows that condensate are not doing their job. When quality windows are made, they’re made with two panes. These panes have a gap between them. That gap is filled with a clear gas that’s heavier than air and helps insulate your windows.

Windows that are single-pane or that are old enough to have leaked out their insulating gases, will not have this insulating ability. This leads to condensation collecting. The same way your cold glass of water will gather moisture from the hot air, the warm interior side of your window will collect moisture against the cold outside weather. This wouldn’t be such a problem if condensation didn’t run down the window and collect on the sill or the window track. Collected condensation can lead to rotting of the windowsill and mold. It’s time to replace old windows if they’re collecting water and leading to mold growth.

Insulation

Do you remember that insulating gas we mentioned? Those gases are a very important part of what makes quality windows quality. If your windows are more than 20 years old, there’s a very high likelihood that they no longer have these gases. That means your windows are not insulated properly. 

Uninsulated windows are a huge weak point in your home’s temperature regulation. On hot days, your windows will leak in heat. On cold days, your windows will leak in cold. Getting old, uninsulated windows replaced will replenish the barrier you have between your home’s temperature and the outside temperature. Do you know what that means? You save money!

If your windows aren’t insulating the way they should be, you’re paying a lot more money to heat or cool your house. The heat or AC you pay for, getting your home to just the right temperature, is literally going right out the window if your windows are outdated.

Professional Window Replacement

If you live in Toronto and you need your windows replaced, Premier Group Contractors is the perfect team for you. Our team has specialists for all kinds of contracting work – including window replacements. So, when you need to replace old windows, give us a call. We’re more than happy to send our qualified crew to help.

Plus, we don’t just do window replacements. We also do remodels and renovations. So, if you want the size of your windows altered, we can get that done right too. We look forward to hearing from you.

What Kind of Kitchen Flooring is Best for You?

Planning a kitchen remodel? Or, maybe your kitchen flooring is just really worn out? No matter what the case, if you need new kitchen flooring, you’ve come to the right place. Premier Group Contractors has flooring experts ready to make your kitchen floors as beautiful as you’ve always wished they could be. But, before you call us up, let’s help you figure out what kind of flooring is best for your kitchen.

Linoleum

If you’re considering linoleum for your kitchen floors, you should know a few things about it first. The first thing you need to know is that there’s a chance you have linoleum mixed up with vinyl. A lot of people use linoleum as a catch-all term for synthetic flooring that goes on in sheets. However, linoleum and vinyl are very different flooring types.

Linoleum is a pretty thin flooring that is cut to shape just like vinyl or carpeting. However, it differs from vinyl in that it’s pretty hard to the touch. There’s not much cushion in it. Instead of denting or tearing from damage like vinyl might, it’s more likely to split or get deep scratches in it.

This flooring is cheap and fairly simple to replace as a whole but it doesn’t come with a simple repair solution and it doesn’t last many years in a kitchen without sustaining unsightly damage.

Vinyl

Vinyl, on the other hand, is made with multiple layers of differing materials. They each serve a different purpose. These multiple layers allow for some more cushion when walking across your kitchen floor.

Vinyl can come in multiple forms. There’s sheet vinyl, which is cut to shape like linoleum or carpeting, and there are vinyl tiles. The most popular of these tiles are luxury vinyl tiles, or LVT. LVT are a lot thicker than sheet vinyl and are comparable to laminate flooring. They’re typically high quality, thick, durable, and look beautiful.

LVT come in both tile and plank shapes. This allows you the choice between LVT that mimics tiling and LVT that mimics wood flooring. That’s not all, though! The plank shape can even come in different wood grain textures to make your kitchen feel even more luxurious.

One of the benefits of LVT is that, while it’s not cheap to replace the entire floor, you can replace one rile or plank at a time. Any damage your kitchen floor acquires can be repaired easily with a spare piece.

Hardwood

Hardwood flooring is a timeless classic, both inside and outside of the kitchen. If you’re a fan of hardwood, it’s no doubt on your list of flooring types to consider for your kitchen remodel. However, does hardwood really make the best kitchen flooring?

While hardwood looks stunning just about anywhere you put it, using it in the kitchen comes with a number of expensive risks. For one, it’s very easy for hardwood to retain water damage when used in the kitchen. Plus, you can’t use harsh chemicals to clean hardwood flooring, so if you cook a lot of grease-producing foods, your floors might be hard to  get adequately clean without damaging the wood.

Hire Premier

No matter what flooring type you settle on, our team of experts is here to help. Give us a call when you’re ready to do your kitchen remodel and we’ll give you the quality results you deserve.

Convert Your Unfinished Garage into a New Room

If you have an unfinished garage that you don’t usually use for your vehicle, you’re missing out on a huge part of your home’s potential. The garage is one of the most underrated and underappreciated rooms in the house. That’s because, more often than not, the garage is completely unfinished and turns into a storage room. And, it’s not even a good storage room if it’s unfinished. The lack of seal from the outside allows for bugs, moisture, and temperature damage to anything stored inside. So, Premier Group Contractors suggests you convert your unfinished garage into a space that’s worth a lot more.

The first question that’s probably popped into your head is, “What can I do with an unfinished garage?” The answer? Just about anything! Here are some rooms you can convert your unfinished garage into.

Studio

While garage bands, historically, involve shoving whatever instruments you’re using into the existing garage space, why not take it a step further? You can turn your garage into a finished studio. It can be any kind of studio you want.

  • A music studio will give you the space necessary to set up drums, guitar stands, sound equipment, and more. If you’re a musician with a lack of space, this might be the perfect solution. Turning a garage into a music studio can be done easily. Clearing out the garage, putting in insulation and drywall, and adding appropriate lighting is all there is to it. Turn the blank walls into a gallery for your favorite artwork, records, and band merch or paint them over. It’s all up to you.
  • A painting studio is a fantastic choice for your garage. By finishing the garage and sealing any cracks that might let in moisture or bugs, you’ve got a large room of the same quality as interior bedrooms.
    The big difference is, in a garage studio, you can open up the garage door and let in a little bit of nature when you’re feeling it. Enjoy the fresh air and take some inspiration from the sunset right outside.
  • A darkroom for your photography is also completely possible by renovating your garage. Use the abundance of space to set up for the development process. There’s plenty of room for hanging up photos to dry. Plus, there’s plenty of wall space for your favorite photos to be displayed.
  • A private office or soundproofed workspace can also be a great use of your studio.

Lounge

Those who work from home or have space-intensive hobbies aren’t the only people who can use a finished garage. For those of us who love hosting friends, the garage can be turned into a really stellar lounge.

Place some couches and other seating, a bar space, a coffee table, and any other hosting furnishings you can think of. When your friends come over, you’ll have somewhere less formal to retreat to. Plus, as always, theres the wonderful perk of being able to open the garage door. This makes a lounge the ideal use for the garage if you live somewhere that gets nice and warm for part of the year. Letting in the summer sun while you and your friends crack open a beer just can’t be beat. 

Bedroom

That’s not all though. You can also convert the garage into a pretty fantastic bedroom. Whether you’re looking for an upgrade to your current master bedroom or you’re looking to make room for kids, the garage is there for you.

No matter what you plan to do with your garage, Premier Group is here for you. With our team of excellent and varied contractors, we can have your garage finished in no time. Give us a call and we’ll be more than happy to help.

Renovate Your Attic into a Functional Room

Do you have an attic that’s just collecting dust? Turn it into something useful for your home! The attic, for many people, is one of the most underused rooms in the house. This can be for many reasons. For some, it’s the lack of accessibility. For others, it’s that they don’t need a large storage space, so it goes unused. Premier Group Contractors wants you to know that you can make your attic a useful part of the home. Here’s how you can renovate your attic into a functional room.

Improve Accessibility

For many people, the attic is inaccessible because it doesn’t have any stairs. These attics are often in the garage or top floor, depending on how many floors your house has. If your garage has no stairs, you might be able to add some. During the renovation process, adjusting the location of the attic entrance can be done fairly easily. This gives us the opportunity to add stairs or a permanent ladder that makes going into the attic easy.

Walls and Floors

The first thing that must be done to renovate your attic into a functional room is adding walls and floors. Attics typically have no flooring, or may have a small area of plywood flooring. This won’t do for a finished space. Our team can put up standard drywall, insulation, and wood flooring. This is really what makes an attic feel more like a regular room in the house.

Electrical

The next thing that you’ll need to feel at home in your new room is electrical. For one thing, you’re going to want some lighting that’s more than just a bare bulb. Premier Group has electrical specialists on our team and can have your attic room outfitted with lighting and outlets, easy.

Window Changes

If your attic space is attached to one of the outer walls, we may be able to add a window as well. Attics may even have existing windows or vents. In this case, we’ll make changes to them if necessary. After all, we want your attic room to have light and the potential for fresh air, but we don’t want it exposed at all times like it is with a vent or a badly sealed window.

With the potential for a new window comes the potential for a window seat. Adding a window seat to your attic room will give it additional charm and comfort.

Even further, you could potentially have a balcony added to this room. If your attic space opens out onto the roof, implementing a balcony isn’t actually that hard. The supports are already there. All we have to do is  reinforce them, build the balcony where it’s desired, and ensure the shingles are sealed properly so as not to leak water into the attic.

Choose A Use

This attic space can be used for just about anything once it’s done being renovated. Use it as an additional bedroom, a higher quality storage space, an office, a reading nook, and so much more.

Give us a call at Premier Group Contractors if you want to make your attic a valued part of the house. We look forward to hearing from you.

Get Exposed Plumbing for Your Interior Design

Do you want an interior that’s both elegant and strong? Exposed Plumbing might be just the thing. Exposed plumbing is one of many fantastic, interior design trends at the moment. There are a lot of reasons why people are crazy for this design choice. Let’s check out a few of them.

Strength in Design

Interior design tends to lean toward elegance quite a lot. To find a strong, somewhat masculine design can be hard. Modernism can be seen as somewhat masculine and so can dark and sleek. However, if you want your home to feel like it belongs in this century and you don’t want everything to be black, what do you choose? Exposed plumbing is a featured element of industrial design – a popular and strong design choice for recent years. 

Accessibility

Another perk of exposed plumbing is that it provides plumbing accessibility. Should you get a leak in your pipes, the puddle will show up on your floor, instead of in your walls. Instead of growing mold in your insulation, you’ll simply have to wipe up the water and call a plumber.

Plus, when the plumber arrives, the accessibility makes it easy to reach and fix the problem. For pipes hidden within walls, a plumber may have to remove drywall to fix a problem. The extra time and work makes the service much more expensive. With exposed plumbing, drywall getting in your way is no problem at all.

Personalize

There is a level of personalization one can do with exposed plumbing. For one thing, you’ll be able to choose what kind of pipes you want showing. For many, choosing pipes that are coated in copper on the outside is a great idea. It helps them blend in with other warm design choices they’ve made.

For bathrooms, you can also personalize how you expose your pipes. You can have complete exposure of pipes overhead and along walls or you can expose only certain parts. For instance, you could install an old style of toilet that has water pipes come in from the ceiling. Showers can have exposed pipes from the faucets to shower head. Wall-mounted sinks can have their drain pipes exposed beneath the basin. Go big or go minimal – It’s completely up to you.

Hire Someone You Can Trust

If you know you want exposed plumbing in your home, it might be time to find someone to hire. There are a lot of companies to choose from in Toronto. However, here’s why Premier Group Contractors is the best choice.

Premier Group has been providing contractors for almost 20 years. In that time, we’ve built a great rapport with the community at large. Our reputation has always been quality and friendliness. Plus, our team is made up of contractors of all specialties. No matter what you need done in your home, we can send a team with your specific needs in mind. We have someone for drywall. We have someone for lighting. And, we even have someone for plumbing. Many of our team members can do a whole bunch of things.

Whether you’re looking just for plumbing changes or want your entire bathroom or interior renovated, we’ve got you covered. Give us a call if you want to discuss a job with us. We look forward to making your home everything you hope it will be.

Why a Deck is the Perfect Summer Home Addition

After a while of living in the same place, things can get pretty boring. Now you’ve got the financial stability to improve your home and make it a more enjoyable place to be. If you’ve been looking for a home upgrade and can’t decide what you want to do, Premier Group has the perfect solution. A deck is the perfect summer home addition. Here’s why.

Sun for the Soul

A lot of people have a natural love of the outdoors. After all, what’s better than sitting outside, the smell of fresh air in your nose and the warmth of the sun on your skin? However, for many people, the outdoors is just not that impressive. They’ve got everything they need inside.

Well, there’s one angle you may not have considered. Sun is actually really good for you! Did you know that over 40% of people in Canada are not getting enough vitamin D? Vitamin D is responsible for a number of functions in the body. When you don’t have enough of it, you can become depressed, fatigued, have trouble sleeping, and have lower skin quality.

Having a deck built allows you to enjoy the sun and outdoors with a little more ease. No need to lie in the grass. Putting out some deck furniture can make it easy to spend some time outdoors each day. Even ten minutes of sun a day can raise vitamin D levels, improving both your mental and physical health. So, grab yourself a mixer and a good book and sit out on your new deck for a little while.

To Each Their Own

The really great thing about having a deck is that you can use it for pretty much anything. Everyone has their own preferences in how they spend their time. Use your deck in whatever way suits you.

Some may want to throw a barbecue or other kind of party. Gather friends, sit in camping chairs, and share a beer while you enjoy the sun. 

Others may prefer less social uses. Bring some blankets outside and watch the stars without the hassle of dewy, wet grass. A deck provides a dry space to set up and also distances you from many of the bugs that enjoy your lawn.

And, of course, there are those of us who have a passion for plants. If you love growing flowers, herbs, or any other kind of leafy friend, a deck will be your new favorite place. We can even build in plant benches for you along the outer edges of the deck. This allows tiering of your plant pots. You can line up all of your plants and water them with ease this way. Plus, once you’ve got the deck covered in beautiful foliage, you can use it as your own little oasis.

A Safe Staycation

Lastly, because of COVID-19, people have had to cancel a lot of their summer plans. Try not to lament the loss of travel. You can have a fantastic staycation right from your own backyard. A deck provides a lot of lounging opportunities. Whether you have kids, live with your partner, or are all by yourself, a deck can improve your summer staycation.

Give us a call at Premier Group Contractors if you want to talk deck building for your summer home addition. We look forward to hearing from you.

Toronto’s All-in-One Bathroom Remodel Contractors

Toronto's All-in-One Bathroom Remodel Contractors

Tired of your bathroom feeling like a chore to use? Bathrooms tend to lose everything but their base functionality after a handful of years in use. Tiles are often put down wrong and end up breaking. Layouts can be an absolute nightmare. Laminate countertops can easily get damaged. Don’t settle for a bathroom that’s been ruined by time. You can count on Toronto’s #1 bathroom remodel contractors, Premier Group Contractors, to give you the bathroom you deserve.

What Can be Done?

The better question is, what can’t be done? Well, we probably won’t have an easy time getting ahold of a solid gold toilet, but aside from that, nothing! Because our team is a group of contractors with varying, individual skillsets, we can band together to make anything happen. Here are some examples of ways we can improve your current bathroom.

Layout

If you’re looking for a full bathroom remodel, you’ll almost definitely want the layout changed. Bathrooms are oftentimes given only a fraction of the space they truly need. Therefore, it’s fortunate they can be expanded and rearranged. With the know how of professionals like ours. Walls can be repositioned and plumbing can be adjusted in no time.

Work together with our team to determine the different possibilities for your bathroom’s layout. There are sure to be many options. This is especially true if your bathroom has a lot of space or if you intend to expand it. 

Fixtures

Next up is fixtures. Your toilet, tub, and sink might not be what they used to be – if they were ever good to start. Having these replaced with better ones can make a massive difference in the appeal of your bathroom. For instance, some people prefer toilets with a more oval-shaped seat. Some prefer a smaller seat. Some showers come with built-in grips and some don’t. Sinks can come in so many different styles, we couldn’t possibly list them all.

Countertop

Along with your new sink, you may want to consider a new countertop. Countertops are one of the first things in a bathroom to need updating. Laminate countertops are quick to fall apart because of their cheap build. Consider changing to a natural, stone countertop or something like Solid Surface, which is also available in Toronto.

Tiling

Cheap tile flooring and backsplashes are so common in bathrooms that people forget they can have quality tiling. For one thing, smaller tiles are faster to break apart. If your floor is made up of small tiles, just know, it can be improved. Large tiles not only last longer, they have a much more luxurious appearance.

Paint

With any bathroom remodel comes a new coat of paint. Whether you go for a new color or not is completely up to you. Just know that we can freshen up your bathroom’s entire appearance with some fresh paint. 

Hire Premier Group

If you want your bathroom remodel done right, hire the best bathroom remodel contractors in Toronto. Give us a call at Premier Group Contractors and we’ll be happy to schedule a consultation with you.

3 Great Uses for an Empty Basement

3 Great Uses for an Empty Basement

If you’ve got yourself an empty basement, you might be wondering what to do with it. Basement spaces are a fantastic opportunity for a lot of different things. It’s really just a matter of what’s right for you. So, here are 3 uses for an empty basement that can all be achieved with the help of Premier Group Contractors.

Entertaining Space

If you love having friends over and want somewhere you can really enjoy bringing company, an entertaining space might be the right choice. Trying to host parties are gatherings when you just don’t have the space for it is a huge bummer. However, get your empty basement turned into an entertaining space and friends will be flocking to your place in no time. 

Use the wide open space to add a kitchenette and wet bar. Mount a TV for watching movies and playing games. It can be a great idea to soundproof the room so you can watch movies without making noise upstairs. You can even put in a pool table or any other kind of entertainment that suits you. Do what’s right for you and your circle. The possibilities are endless. 

Some fun additions that Premier Group can help with are:

  • Dimmable lights. These are perfect if you have a bar and TV combo, allowing guests to get themselves drinks without interrupting the room’s lighting for the movie you’re all watching.
  • Integrated shelving. These shelves can line the walls beside your TV. These provide ample space for game and movie titles as well as consoles.

Individual Suite

If you don’t find yourself hosting friends much, you might find turning your basement into a suite is more useful. This move can make renting out your basement space a possibility. Plus, if your basement is exposed to the outside on any wall, we can add an exterior door. An exterior door will make it so you and your tenants don’t have to share space.

This is an easily achievable space. Putting up additional walls makes adding a bedroom and bathroom easy. Giving your future tenants a bedroom, bathroom, living space, and kitchenette is enough to charge apartment rates. Just remember to be good neighbors too!

Room for Kids

If you’re uninterested in the more entertaining uses for an empty basement, you might be thinking about kids. Whether you have kids already or are waiting to start a family until you have more room, the basement is an incredible asset. An empty basement can turn into multiple additional bedrooms, a new bathroom, and even a playroom, depending on the size. Give your family what they need to grow into individuals and have their own space in your home. 

If you already have kids and they’re getting older, giving them their own space downstairs is also great. You may be able to give them an upgrade in room size and you can say goodbye to sharing a bathroom with them. Plus, every couple likes having more space to themselves. With the kids downstairs, you can worry less about someone stumbling in when you’re looking for privacy. Plus, you can even take down the wall between your room and one that’s just been vacated. Turn your master bedroom into something truly worthy of the title. You can even make or expand an existing on-suite bathroom. 

Hire Premier

Premier Group Contractors is the best group in Toronto for doing this kind of job. Everyone on our team has varying skills. That means they can all work together to make a cohesive crew of experts. Give us a call if you want to set up a consultation.

Unique Light Fixtures That We Think You’ll Like

There are a lot of light fixtures on the market these days. So much so, that we couldn’t possibly list them all if we wanted to. However, we at Premier Group have picked out some of our favorite styles. Take a look at some unique light fixtures that we think you’ll really like. 

Cage Lighting

This unusual and industrial type light fixture style is the perfect addition to a minimalist or industrial home. Cage lighting is a, usually simple, metal cage that fits over a bulb. These cages come in many different shapes and styles. From pendants to boxes to spheres, you can find one in just about any shape.

Often, cage lighting features wrought iron, making it a great design point for contemporary or rustic, industrial interiors. For those fixtures that choose other materials, you can find stainless steel, copper, and even white-coated steel. When taking into consideration the variety of colors and materials, there really is a cage lighting fixture for every interior design style.

Punch-Out Lighting

If you want something that straddles the line between gothic and rustic, punch-out lighting is a great choice. Imagine a black, iron, geometric cage for your bulb. Now imagine a number of small shapes and holes punches out of the metal. This allows your light fixture to cast small rays of light all throughout the room when it’s dark. Or, during the day, it functions as a sort of glowing centerpiece, radiating warmth from within.

Copper and Bronze

Copper and bronze are incredibly popular right now, especially with the rise of industrial interior design. However, these materials don’t just go with industrial. They also fit in with rustic designs. Do you have a chic farmhouse aesthetic? A bronze light fixture would do just perfectly above your kitchen table. On the flipside, if you have a city loft with exposed pipes and a dark and rich color palette, copper would fit right in as well.

Both copper and bronze have something in common: they’re warm and rich in color. That makes them a great addition in many different styles. The only thing limiting their use is our imaginations and aesthetic limitations.

Orb Lighting

Last but not least, we have orb lighting. These light fixtures are simple spheres that surround our lightbulbs. These fixtures can come in a variety of sizes and colors to suit whatever your interior may look like. Combining different colors sizes, and heights for a multi-bulb light fixture works beautifully. Whether you want this fixture above your dining room table, in your kitchen, or illuminating your bedroom, its bubbly aesthetic will add youth to any interior.

No matter your choice of light fixture, if you need lights installed or electric wiring redone, Premier Group Contractors can help you out. We have a team of specialists who know their way around electricity and lighting like you and I know the way around our own home. Give us a call if you want to discuss appointment openings or have questions about the extent of our services. We look forward to hearing from you.

The Best Places for Mosaic Tile

Have you ever seen a mosaic tile surface before and just been overwhelmed by how beautiful it looked? Us too! Premier Group Contractors knows exactly why people are so hyped up about mosaic tiles. That’s why we want to talk about the best places you can implement them. You’d be surprised by how many creative places you can use them.

Don’t DIY

While it’s tempting for people to DIY mosaic tiles, it’s actually not the best idea for most people. The process of breaking apart glass by yourself very frequently leads to people getting injured. Cutting a hand, stepping on glass, and getting tiny shards of it in your eye is not as difficult as it sounds. Smashing glass can lead to all kinds of complications that many people don’t think about when starting their project.

Not to mention, actually setting a mosaic pattern in a way that looks good and won’t fall apart can be really tricky. That’s why we want to offer our services for mosaic tiling instead. That way you get a mosaic, free of injury, and we get the opportunity to serve new and valued clients. It’s a win win!

Countertops

A great place for mosaic tiles is on the countertop in a bathroom. If done right and coated with a clear resin, your countertop will remain smooth and easy to use while showing through to a beautiful array of colored glass below. Use this as an opportunity to implement more of your bathroom’s accent color. Or, if your bathroom needs a more extensive pick-me-up, we can repaint and retile as well, among other things.

Backsplash

Using mosaic tiles as a backsplash in your kitchen is a great way to add a little pizazz to the room. You don’t have to go with outrageous colors either. Consider some black, grey, and white glass. You can even do greyscale with the addition of a single other color. This combination of glass will allow you to add some shine and color to your kitchen backsplash without making it an eyesore. Plus, even in greyscale, mosaic tiles are much more fun than regular ones and add a lot of character.

Fireplace

A fireplace is such a great centerpiece for a living room. Unfortunately, people often let their fireplace blend into the wall. It’s incredibly common to go for a really bland choice in stone. Why let your fireplace turn into part of the background when you could really make it a centerpiece? Using subdued glass colors, you could surround your fireplace with a mosaic. Browns, blacks, and reds are a great choice for this mosaic.

Hire Premier

No matter what mosaic tile project you want done in your home, Premier Group Contractors is the best choice in Toronto. Our team has years of experience bringing people’s interior design dreams to fruition. You can rely on us to deliver exactly what you want. Plus, we have a contractor for everything. If mosaic tiles aren’t the only thing you’re after, you can hire more from our team to complete any other design tasks you need done as well. Give us a call today and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.

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