When Marion Riedle and her husband, Ron Gavillet, decided to take the roof and attic off their Glencoe home, they had no idea it was a project they could undertake during the dead of winter.
“I thought it was out of the question,” said Riedle, who imagined that her split-level home would be pierced by cold drafts and snow flying inside.
The couple, who have four daughters ages 4 to 10, are adding a fourth floor to their house, which will feature a playroom, two bedrooms and a bathroom. Because of a delay in getting a building permit, their start date was put off until winter.
Their assumption that winter is a bad or even an impossible time to do a home renovation or addition is a common misconception, according to contractors and other experts in the field.
Many people think they have to wait for warmer weather to do their home remodeling or additions, said Michael Klein, president of Airoom Architects and Builders in Lincolnwood, which is building the couple’s addition.
“Contrary to what many people might expect, winter does not impede the construction process or create problems for homeowners pursuing remodeling or addition projects,” said Klein.
Riedle, for instance, said she was surprised at the warmth and coverage provided by tarps that workers laid over her house during a week recently when it was without a roof.
“They have these enormous tarps,” she said. “It’s like you have this huge blanket or raincoat over your house. And its completely waterproof.”
She also found that carpenters and other tradespeople were able to start work on her project immediately and, seemingly, with fewer distractions from other jobs. “This is a down time for the trades. They were able to pounce on the project,” she said.
Klein echoed Riedle’s discovery that the period from December to March is a time that offers many pluses for people undertaking a remodeling project or addition. These significant benefits include lower prices, shorter waits, better crews and improved service.
Klein said his company does as many as 40 to 50 jobs during the winter.
A broad range of interior and exterior projects can be tackled in the winter, said Kevin Stough, community development director for the Village of Carol Stream. “We still have people pulling permits for basement finishing, for moving doors and many other types of improvements [in winter],” he said.
Remodeling a basement, for instance, may not require exposure to the elements at all and could be done just as easily and possibly less expensively in the winter than in the summer.
Because of lower demand in winter, “you can certainly get better prices on materials,” Klein said.
Compared to spring and summer, Klein estimated that construction prices for homeowners can be 4 to 8 percent lower in the winter. Lower demand also means that materials may be delivered faster and that contractors may be eager to work at a price that is less than what they are able to charge during peak construction season, he said.
“People are willing to work and they want to keep their men busy during the winter time,” Klein explained.
For projects that involve exposure to the elements, the main concern of builders is protecting the site. For instance, a layer of straw and heavy plastic can keep ground soft and moist so that concrete crews can break it even in frigid weather.
Construction of additions usually requires a hole to be cut into a wall. It does not, however, have to mean that cold drafts will chill everyone in the house.
A temporary insulated wall can be installed, or tarps can be provided, to keep heat in and drafts out, Klein explained.
“Even when you’re ripping out roofs and second floors you can do it as long as you keep people protected from the cold.”
Though Riedle said her family felt warm and protected during the renovation, she noted that it was important to work with the contractor to determine which rooms and vents to close off in order to keep the area where her family was living toasty.
“There was a week there where my heat was going through the roof,” she said. “You have to struggle to get it [the heating] right.”
Winter weather is often more manageable for builders than the heat and downpours they face during spring and summer. “If the project includes a roof tear-off, snow is easier to control,” Klein said.
Other tasks also can be completed despite the cold. For example, bricklayers may use tents and heaters to maintain a temperature that allows them to work. According to Klein, costs of these extra measures are typically borne by the contractors themselves, not by the homeowners. He advised that homeowners make sure it is spelled out in a contract who is responsible for paying for winter heating costs.
“If they’re not in your contract, then you’re left open to additional charges,” Klein said.
When interviewing with potential contractors, he also advised meeting at their offices and even looking at the equipment they use during the winter. “You can kind of get a feel about whether or not they are equipped to do a winter project,” he said.
Seeing a hundred tarps and plenty of heaters, Klein said, is a good sign that they are used to working in the colder weather.
In addition to contractors who are ready and eager to work, another possible benefit of doing a project in winter is shorter waits for getting building permits.
Stough, of Carol Stream, estimated that his department turns out building permits about a day faster during the winter.
“That’s because we’re committed to turning building permits around in a quick manner, whether it’s a busy or a slow time of year,” he said.
Winter, however, is also a good time for homeowners to arrange to meet with or phone staff to discuss their proposed projects, particularly if they anticipate any improvement that is complicated.
The permit process, according to Stough, “does not just involve coming in and filling out an application. Most require an architectural plan.”
In the simplest of projects, the village may allow a hand sketch done by the homeowner to serve as an architectural plan. Other projects, such as building a deck, shed or swimming pool also will require a plat of survey, which shows how the improvement will be situated on a lot.
In Carol Stream, once a building permit is granted, construction must start within six months, and it remains in effect as long as the project is progressing, Stough said.
Of course there are times in winter, such as when it gets extremely frigid or snowy, when it may not be possible for a builder to work, or for a village inspector to give a stamp of approval on a particular project.
“It would be hard to do an outside inspection of a deck, if there is 1 1/2-feet of snow on the ground,” Stough said.
“There are always going to be days in winter when you’re not going to be able to do everything,” added Klein. “But there are those days in spring, summer and fall too.”
Although Riedle’s family could have moved out during their renovation project, they are glad they decided to stay.
“Except for the noise during the day, you wouldn’t even know it’s going on. I never, in a million years, would have guessed how painless this would be,” she said.
