Duane Hicks
The town maintenance garage at Riverview Cemetery has been transformed from drafty and rundown to eye-catching, energy-efficient, and built to last for decades to come.
Contractor Ed Kaun and Sons Ltd. are wrapping up the final work on the building this week.
In an interview Friday, Travis Rob, the town’s sustainability co-ordinator, said the upgrades were “long overdue.”
“It was just a concrete block building that we have, over the last couple years, started utilizing more in the wintertime,” he noted.
“So the comfort issue was starting to become prevalent.
“It needed a roof, it needed new windows, so at the same time we figured, let’s improve the insulation,” added Rob.
The building was built in the 1970s and this is the first time any major work has been done on it.
Before the renovations began in late August, the building had no to little insulation, drafty windows and rotten doors, a roof that badly needed re-shingling, and an aged exterior comprised of stucco and cedar shakes.
Since then, Ed Kaun and Sons has repaired the roof and put on new tin roof panels, replaced the stucco and cedar shakes with dark green cement board siding, installed white vinyl windows and new aluminum and fiberglass doors, as well as insulated the attic and exterior walls with R15 insulation.
Wayne Kaun said their job was “to take a cold, old block building and make it warm.”
The project cost about $96,000 and came in on budget.
While some residents have commented to the Times about the cost, Kaun explained it required more extensive work than some people may realize.
“There was no insulation,” he stressed. “Basically, we were doing a whole wall of insulation and siding it, and putting in new windows and insulating the attic.
“The insulation—there was none there—so we had to styrofoam and strap the building, which made it more labour intensive than just siding it,” he added.
Ed Kaun and Sons were the lowest bidder for the job, explained Kaun.
“In a nutshell, because we were involved, we actually helped save taxes—came in on budget, on time, no extras,” he remarked.
“Any building that the town has and they upgrade with insulation, they’re saving the taxpayers money.”
“This is an electrically-heated building and electricity is not getting any cheaper,” noted Rob.
“The town’s thrilled with how it turned out,” he added. “It looks like a brand new building.
“We chose materials that are low-maintenance, so they have a long lifespan on them and we don’t have to worry about coming back and painting in a year or two,” Rob continued.
“Very durable materials.”
Kaun noted the materials are under warranty for 50 years.
Ed Kaun said the green siding complements the cemetery.
Rob said he’s not aware of any town buildings that will require a similar level of renovations anytime in the near future.
