By Daniel Ladue • Photos by Jessica McCafferty
At some point in our lives this is a familiar scenario. Your family is growing.
The house is too small, and prices for a new home leave you breathless.
Thoughts revolve around the possibility of adding an extension to the existing structure, renovating the basement or attic or going all out and adding a second story. Decisions to make. Then who’s going to do it?
The problem that most of us face is that we haven’t got a clue how to go about a renovation job of that magnitude. It isn’t just the construction, but the installation of plumbing, electric and, considering the warmer summers we’ve been experiencing, cooling, as well.
Merit Heating and Plumbing has been providing heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) services in Clinton County since the 1990s when Douglas Walker, Sr. started the business. In time, his son DJ, Doug, Jr. bought the business from his dad.
The company services a wide area. “We service all of Clinton County, said co-owner Justin Boire. Their work is 100% residential. Not only does the company install heating and cooling options in new homes and additions to older homes, it also provides ongoing maintenance and 24-hour emergency repair. “Who ya gonna call at 2:00 a.m. on a frigid January morning when it’s -5º and you’ve run out of fuel or the furnace has just stopped functioning?” he remarked. Justin Boire is honest when he says that the average homeowner knows little about heating and cooling systems.
An initial consult with Merit Heating and Plumbing will include clarification as to what the client is looking for, how much he’s willing to spend and whether the addition includes bathroom and water hookup. In a hypothetical situation, I asked Boire what was entailed if a client wanted to add a 13’x15’ extension to an existing home. After the builders lay the foundation and frame the space, they’ll sheath and roof it, then install windows. It is at that point when Boire and his team are ready to work.
According to “The Spruce,” an online home improvement website, “crucial services, like electrical, plumbing, and heating/cooling are ‘roughed-in,’ meaning the behind-the-scenes elements like pipes, wiring, and ductwork are installed while the walls, floors, and ceilings are still in their raw framed condition, with the framing members exposed.”
After insulation and drywall are added and finish-work on the interior is completed, HVAC technicians return to complete the installation and final hookups for light fixtures, wall switches, outlets, and HVAC equipment, although some of this work may be done simultaneously with the interior finishing work.
There is no doubt that adding an extension to a home is expensive, but Merit’s share of this add-on seems like a bargain compared to the price of other components. Boire suggested a ballpark figure of $6,000 – $7,000 for their services—a small price to pay for heating and cooling a room of this size. If the addition includes a bathroom, that price can rise to about $10,000.
A Growing Field
Justin Boire graduated from Beekmantown Central School in 2010. Like many students, he was sent a strong message to go to college, but that wasn’t something he wanted to do. He knew he preferred to enter the work force, but was still unclear as to what he wanted to do. After a series of jobs, the last one as a sous-chef at Latitude 44 Bistro, he reached out to his friend Doug Walker, whose father had started Merit Heating and Plumbing. Within a week he was hired. After some light training, Walker started teaching Boire the art of the trade. He admits he was “thrown into the fire.” First, he was hired on as a helper, but under the guidance of a master HVAC specialist, he began to learn the profession. He wasn’t an absolute stranger to machinery. He’d grown up on a farm and equipment was always in need of repair. From an early age he’d acquired mechanical skills out of necessity. Those skills translated well to his new line of work.
One of the things that appealed to me as I spoke with Boire was Merit’s willingness to help those who are less fortunate. As active participants in the New York State-run Heating Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), Merit Plumbing and Heating is on-call 24/7 for those who qualify. Depending on eligibility, HEAP can assist people with necessary fuel, repairs to oil or electrical systems, and emergency services for all sorts of problems.
As a former teacher, education is still important to me. I asked Boire what programs are available for high school students for his line of work. He bemoaned the fact that no such program currently exists, but wishes there was one. For a year, he advertised for a helper and only one person showed interest. If students are trained in the basics of heating, plumbing and air conditioning, he’d be more than happy to hire them. “It’s a growing field,” he commented, and there is plenty of work to go around.
The appeal of a young person right out of trade school is that he/she is as current as possible in the trade and can bypass the early stage of apprenticeship and jump right into working full time in the HVAC field.
Hotter Summers
This summer has seen an uptick in the number of people requesting central air conditioning in their homes. Clients are usually older and are tired of lugging window units out of the basement or attic, installing them, then reversing the process again in the fall.
Our longer and warmer summers are also an impetus for many people. Day after day of hot and humid weather is making many people rethink the cooling systems that have worked in the past, but aren’t working as well today. The Merit staff can install a new cooling system, do the necessary pluming to retrofit it into the current ventilating system to make it all work. Central air conditioning is far more efficient than individual window units and the money spent to install this system is returned summer after hot summer.
Boire, who is currently in partnership with Walker who plans to retire in a couple of years, exuded an enthusiasm that was encouraging. Liking one’s life work almost always means the work that’s done is top-notch.
Merit Heating and Plumbing
1080 Military Turnpike, Suite 7
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
518 566-0956
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