What is a laneway house?
A laneway house is a smaller, detached home located where the garage would normally go on a single-family lot which includes a parking accessory (either inside or out).  Unlike coach or infill houses, you cannot stratify or subdivide to sell the laneway house separately; it rides with the property like a basement suite.  Currently, the maximum permitted floor area for a laneway house depends on the size of the lot it’s built on, but not counting allowable exclusions, they may not exceed 83.6 square metres (900 square feet).  Laneway homes typically end up being between 700 and 1,000 square feet if you include the exclusions.

Can I build a laneway house on my property in Vancouver?
You can build a laneway house on any lot 32 feet or wider in any RS single family zone in Vancouver.  Having said that, there are certain requirements & restrictions, one of the primary ones is that you need at least 16’ distance from the main house to the laneway.  If you are not sure if your home is in an eligible zone, call 3-1-1 or you can look up your zoning online, using VanMap an online tool created by the City of Vancouver.

There are many options out in the market for siding materials today.  In this blog post we take a look at the pros and cons of fiber cement siding and why we choose to use the popular brand James Hardie.

THE PROS
​

• COST SAVINGS: ​​Fiber cement costs less than wood, doesn’t attract pests, and resists water absorption to help protect against mold, swelling and cracking—buying you more mileage for your dollar.  It can be ordered in primed or pre-finished in one of their standard colours which is factory applied; therefore, a final coat will need to be applied on site, saving you time!

 

• CLIMATE SPECIFICITY: James Hardie is a low maintenance product as they engineer their siding and trim products for specific climates, ensuring that you get the best performance for your region.  It's hail-damage resistant and non-combustible (unlike vinyl) which is perfect for any side yard applications,  especially in the City of Vancouver where the bylaws that govern fire prevention are very strict.

 

• DESIGN OPTIONS & COLOUR THAT LASTS: Their fiber cement product is available in an array of standard colours which incorporates their baked-on ColorPlus® Technology which has greater resistance to fading, chipping and cracking, meaning less maintenance for you.  You can get the material in shingle, lap siding, panels, or board & batten format.  They also offer the materials in a smooth or cedarmill (wood grain) finish.  As a result, you can mix and match wood siding with fiber cement and it will look cohesive.

 

• GREAT WARRANTIES​: Below is a breakdown of the warranties for their products:

1. Color – 15 years
2. Cement board for exterior use – 10 years
3. Cement board – lifetime
4. Lap siding, shingles, panels, soffits – 30 years
5. Trim – 15 years
6. Weather barrier, flashing, seam tape – 10 years

THE CONS

• INSTALLATION & LABOUR COSTS: Hardie siding requires more planning, a larger labor force, and takes a bit longer to install due to its composition. It weighs about 300 pounds (100 square feet) compared to 60-70 pounds for vinyl siding.  The material itself is also more expensive compared to vinyl.

 

• Maintenance: It has to be re-painted periodically. Hardie board’s ColorPlus® Technology covers paint and labor for peeling and chipping of their finishes for only 15 years.  After that you're responsible for regular painting maintenance for your home.

 

• CORNER TRIMS REQUIRED: As we are unable to miter Hardie siding we are required to install corner trims which may be restrictive on the overall look of the home you're trying to achieve.

As you can see the benefits of James Hardie fiber cement siding greatly outweigh the cons.  This is why JDL Homes uses this material on majority of our projects.  For more information on this product please visit their website, here.
 

As the province of British Columbia has committed to the BC Energy Step Code to make buildings net-zero energy ready by 2032, JDL Homes is looking for additional ways to build more efficient homes for our clients.

You may have already seen our previous video on why we use Nudura Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs), but in this video we do a quick overview of the Nudura Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) and Siga Majvest, a weatherproof and permeable membrane used at our current Vancouver laneway new build to create an air/weather tight facade.

For more information on Nudura ICFs, please click here.

To learn more about the Siga Majvest, please click here. 

​JOURNEYMAN CARPENTERS

Full-time job
Your new company - 
We are an award winning design-build residential company that prides ourselves on crafting and revealing homes beyond all expectations.

Your new role - 
Our journeyman carpenters must be experienced in forming, framing, hand cutting roofs, stairs, and suspended concrete. Finishing carpentry is an asset. Knowledge and experience with ICFs and SIPS panels are an asset but not required.

What you’ll need to succeed - 
We need a professional proven self-starter with a minimum of 5+ years of relevant experience. You should enjoy working to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment. You must be organized, detailed oriented, and a team player with a good sense of humor who enjoys their work. You must have your own hand tools and transportation.

What you’ll get in return - 
This is an opportunity to join a forward thinking employer where teamwork is a key philosophy and exceeding client expectations is a must. You will be well compensated with a competitive base wage, extended health and dental benefits, and profit-sharing.

What you need to do now - 
If you’re interested in this role please apply right away by forwarding us an up-to-date copy of your resume to Anne at anne@1910cg.com, call us at 604.568.9983, or submit your resume via our website here.

Required language: English
Required license or certification: Valid Driver's Licence
1910 Ontario St
Vancouver, BC V5T 4G6

JDL Homes recently attended the GVHBA's Ovation Awards Gala held at Parq Hotel.  We were finalists in two categories, Best Exterior Renovation & Best Custom Home: Under $1 Million.  Although we didn't win we had a great time and would like to congratulate all the finalists and winners!  With more entries this year than the previous the competition was quite stiff!  Here are some photos of the evening we'd like to share.

Our very own Jeff Langford will be a guest speaker at the next Nudura ICF training seminar happening on Friday April 29th from 10am-3pm at the Vancouver ICF Training Center.

This will be a 4 hour hands-on training seminar and will cover everything related to ICF. From footing formwork to Helix micro rebar to embedding electrical wiring. 

We have worked with this product on several of our past projects and we are thrilled to be a part of this training seminar.  4.0 CPD points will be obtained from the full session. To register, click here.  Spacing is limited to 40 attendees.  To see photos from our last training seminar click here.

We are so thrilled to have been named finalists in the categories Best Exterior Renovation for our project The Charming Craftsman & Best Custom Home: Under $1 Million for our project Westcoast Living at the 2018 GVHBA Finalists Soiree!  We are very honored and would like to wish all the other nominees best of luck at the upcoming awards gala on April 28th, 2018.  To see more finalist project photos of all the categories please visit the Ovation Finalists Page.

You may recall two blogs we had previously shared, one was titled "Why JDL Homes uses Nudura Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)" and the other was titled "Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)".  The home that we have built in Kitsilano using these two building methods is now completed and the home owners couldn't be happier!  Below are some progress shots of thjis new build.