Many homeowners will spend money to update the look of their houses over time - this might mean upgrading a kitchen, bathroom or exterior finish. This kind of project is called a 'renovation' and usually involves a professional who specializes exclusively in this type of work.

When someone is a RENOVATOR, it means that they work on existing buildings to maintain, upgrade or repair parts of structure, finishes or control layers. The job requires skills in problem solving and a depth of knowledge about how buildings are constructed.

Many renovators spend their entire career upgrading kitchens and bathrooms for homeowners, while larger renovation companies may take on complete home remodels that see the entire inside and outside being rebuilt.

RENOVATION TYPES:

A renovation project may deal with a building in a number of ways. The type of renovation will be based on homeowner needs, building code and budget constraints:

• Gutting and Rebuilding - This strategy would see the highest level of intrusive work and the most expense. A gut job may include removing interior and exterior layers, changing electrical and plumbing and rearranging interior walls and supports. There may be structural work done, requiring help from an engineer or architect.
  
• Cosmetic Renovation - This might be the least expensive and least intrusive type of renovation. A cosmetic change might include installing new exterior finishes or repainting surfaces. The structure and systems are likely not affected with this kind of renovation.
  
• Modernizing - When a renovation is done to a kitchen, bathroom or living space to bring in new fixtures or upgraded systems, this is called 'modernizing'. Some older buildings may have plumbing or electrical systems that need to be brought up to date to comply with current building codes. This type of renovation may happen as part of the process of selling a home.
  
• Aging In Place - This type of renovation would see a building altered to create a more liveable space for an elderly person or someone with mobility and/or medical issues.