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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-01-19, Page 15THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012. PAGE 15.Classified Advertisements Real estate Real estateHelp wanted Help wanted Tuckersmith Communications Co-operative Limited is a communications company offering a full range of telephone, security and data services in Huron and Perth counties. Position Overview:The Outside Plant Technician position is a full- time, permanent position that reports directly to the Plant Operations Manager. The focus of this position is to install, maintain and repair various telecom / data network elements. Attributes and skills should revolve around, but are not limited to the following: Skill Requirements: - Post Secondary Degree in an applicable field: (Networking, Electronics, etc) - Excellent troubleshooting skills - Solid organizational skills - Fibre/Copper Cabling & hardware installations - Strong interpersonal and communications skills - Proficient knowledge of telecommunication and security systems an asset Duties and Responsibilities: - Corresponding with clients - Completion and submission of reports, documentation or work/job orders daily - Adaptation to both individual deliverables and team responsibilities - Valid G licence with a violation free abstract - Installation and maintenance of networks (may include heavy lifting, climbing and operation of machinery) - Ability to work flexible hours, on-call outside of regular business hours. If you have the required qualifications and would like to join our team, please forward your résumé by January 30th, 2012 to the attention of the General Manager. Email: employment@tcc.on.ca Fax: 519-263-5000 Mail: 40023 Kippen Rd, Kippen, ON N0M 2E0 Tuckersmith Communications thanks all applicants; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted. OUTSIDE PLANT TECHNICIAN 519.482.3400 1 Albert St., CLINTON www.rlpheartland.ca Helping you is what we do. Broker of Record*** Broker** Sales Representative* 38527 BLYTH RD., AUBURN $99,000 UNB E L I E V A B L E VALU E ! Where else can you buy a turnkey business with the property and buildings included for under $100,000?? Don’t miss this opportunity to own a 48 seat restaurant b/w Blyth and Goderich. Incl showers for truckers, 349' of hwy. frontage, 2 res. lots, drilled well ('01), '06 reno’s incl. bar, furnace, A/C. New range hood & sprinkler systems in '09. Established for 40 yrs. Call Rick*** or Fred** MLS# 900758 Interim mayor named Amish community faces changes with new building code Because of a coincidence with vacation time, Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn and Deputy- Mayor Dave Jewitt are both heading out of the country for the next two weeks, resulting in the appointment of an Acting Mayor. Councillor Alison Lobb was appointed to the position at the Jan. 9 meeting of council, with all of council voting in favour of her appointment. Lobb took over the position of acting mayor on Jan. 12 and will retain the title until Jan. 24. By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Building a home became a lot more complicated, a lot more challenging, a lot more customizable and less expedient with the introduction of a new building code on Jan. 1. The code, which is already slated to be replaced in two years, is a change of direction from previous incarnations according to Ashfield- Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW) Chief Building Official Kirk Livingston. Livingston addressed ACW about the code during their Jan. 10 regular council meeting. “The new code will make it a lot more difficult to get a permit for a house,” he said. “There’s two paths to go to get a permit, you can match one of the 23 different criteria packages or use software to determine the energy rating of a house.” Both the software and the packages insure that new homes reach a minimum EnerGuide 80 level of energy efficiency. The old code had one system of matching versus the 23 in the new system. EnerGuide is the official Government of Canada system for rating energy consumption on many different products. Livingston said that the factors that are evaluated include the furnace, heating system, windows, domestic hot water heater and doors. “They all have to meet a certain energy efficiency to get the correct insulation level in the ceilings, walls and windows.” Each different package tells the builder or developer what they need in terms of insulation for different situations in the house. If, for example, the efficiency of a furnace is lower than normal, it will need much higher insulation ratings to compensate for it. “Basically, if the appliances are less efficient then the insulation is going to need to be better as are the windows and doors,” he said. The window-to-wall ratio will also play a big role in what values are necessary. “We have to calculate the area of the wall versus the area of the windows right from the ground floor to the ceiling level, including sunroofs,” Livingston said. “From that a home may fit in three different categories. If the home has 17 per cent windows in total outside wall and ceiling area they will fit into one package with lower insulation levels necessary. The next bracket is between 17 and 22 per cent and beyond that is a third bracket. Once a design goes beyond 22 per cent windows choices really get limited.” Livingston said that the applicant will need to know the efficiency rating of their appliances, the U ratings of all their doors and windows (which refers to temperature transfer) and the R ratings of all their insulation (which refers to how well temperatures are kept in the house) before they even apply for their building permit. Livingston said this will definitely affect the bottom line of contractors and individual home builders but that, in the end, it could result in a cost-saving. “It’s going to be more costly to construct a home, but it will end up cheaper to live in,” he said. “People will be paying far less for fuel with better insulation and more efficient appliances.” The entire code is underwritten by the amount of degree days an area has. “The need for insulation value is determined by what area a home is in, which is determined by the number of degree days,” Livingston said. A degree day is a method by which the amount of heating or cooling to maintain a livable temperature is measured against the number of days in a year. One of the other major changes in the building code is the requirement of occupancy permits before residents can move into a dwelling. Occupancy permits have been required by municipalities by bylaw (not ACW) and prevent people from moving into a home too early. The new code has integrated them making it a province-wide requirement instead of a municipality’s decision. “There is an enhanced list of requirements for certain components to be complete before someone can live in a house now,” Livingston said. “Approval agencies like the local Health Unit and the Electrical Safety Authority need to be contacted before someone can have an occupancy permit issued. The houses will need to be much closer to completion than before prior to people moving in.” Livingston said that, while initially it might be a struggle to get the word out about the changes, after that he doesn’t see it being a problem for developers and construction companies. “I think people will come around to the new policies,” he said. “The important step here is to get the message out to the public and the builders. We know it will be costlier, but homes will be better built. The only major change I see is that we will need more time to issue permits.” He stated that, as long as a builder or contractor has all the information before they begin designing a house, it shouldn’t amount to a huge difference. “Preliminary planning may take a week or two, but I would imagine projects will still be finished on a similar timeline as they are now,” he said. The Member Municipalities of the Bluewater Chapter of the Ontario Building Officials Association are holding a public meeting regarding these changes that is open to the public on Jan. 26 at the Howick Community Centre in Gorrie from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Those who plan on attending should contact Dave Wilson at dwilson@northperth.ca or 519-292- 2060, Ed Podniewicz at epodniewicz@northperth.ca or 519- 292-2058 or Dave Culp at dculp@northperth.ca or 519-292- 2061. By Denny Scott The Citizen The release of a new building code could spell out some problems for those who live “off the grid” like the Amish communities around Huron County. Previously, in Ashfield-Colborne- Wawanosh (ACW), concessions were made by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing when Chief Building Official Kirk Livingston spoke on behalf of the Amish residents to allow them to continue their style of building. Previously double glazed windows were the norm but they deviated from the building practices of local Amish communities who pass the trade of building their homes down through training and lineage. “We were able to work it so that the Amish could continue to make single-pane windows, provided they used storm windows in the winter with weather stripping,” Livingston said. “The code usually wouldn’t permit that as it required two-pane windows, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).” Double glazed windows are windows that consist of two panes of glass with an air barrier between them that provides some insulation. Livingston said that, under the new building code that was released Jan. 1, such concessions wouldn’t be likely and that the bar has been raised in what’s required for continuously occupied buildings. “The code now requires triple glazed windows,” Livingston said. “And any home being built will need them and they will need to be CSA approved.” By Denny Scott The Citizen Building code changes create complications