Tips

Historic Renovations

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We have completed many historic projects over the years.  If you are considering a historic renovation project a 20% tax credit is available as an incentive to encourage you.  The first step is to see if your proposed project qualifies.  Here are the Secretary of The Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation:

  1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building, its site and environment.
  2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved.  Ther removal of historic materials, or alterations of features and spaces that characterize a property, shall be avoided.
  3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place and use.  Changes that create a false sense of historical development shall not be undertaken.
  4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
  5. Distinctive features, finishes and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.
  6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced.  Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture and other visual qualities, and if possible, materials.
  7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used.
  8. Significant archaeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved.
  9. New additions, exterior alterations or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property.
  10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.

Historic renovation is also one of the most green forms of construction.  Finding a new use for a historic building may well save the structure from the landfill.  Careful analysis should be conducted, though.  Old is not always historic.  Historic structures are notorious for construction cost overrun issues as well as operational costs that exceed those of new construction.  As the project is considered, it must be determined if the project is being approached altruistically or for profit.

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Green = Many Things

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Where is it written that a green-built home must be small?  Monthly energy bills determine a home’s carbon footprint, not its size.  In fact, a 10,000 square foot house with zero energy bills is far greener than a 1,500 square foot energy hog.

I would argue that a large home built with no wood, using concrete, steel, and polystyrene (a petrochemical product) is far greener than a smaller home built with wood.  This is because the concrete house can last 300 years with no maintenance, while the “earth-friendly” wood house is subject to mold, mildew, rot, termite and fire damage (despite being recycled, reclaimed, salvaged, or sustainably grown FCS-certified).

The periodic replacement of inferior building material, such as wood, is far more wasteful to our natural resources than a concrete house built to last.  Durability trumps embodied energy.

Green building encompasses five elements:  durability, energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor air quality, and the environment – not just the environment alone.  A fact sometimes lost on many advocates of green.

Dueling theories aside, there is one thing on which all building science experts agree.  To save money every time, place resources into the exterior building shell envelope, not into mechanicals or renewables.

Lee Hitchox – Taken from BMail; Builder Magazine

Dormers

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Ever wondered what kind of dormers you have on your house?  Or are you thinking of adding dormers to your house and not sure how?  Remodeling Magazine had a quick one page article on adding fitting dormers to an existing house that could help.  A search for “dormers” on their site produce a whole host of useful articles on the subject.

Dormers serve many functions:  They can be purely aesthetic to the exterior elevation, adding curb appeal to the structure.  They can allow light into the interior space.  They can add ventilation.  They can add headroom and usable floor space in cramped attics.  Deciding on what you want your dormer to do is the first step.

In Pursuit of Green

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Obtainable Green

 I ran across the above graphic in an article from Multifamily Executive, a magazine I get at the office, titled Obtainable Target by Laura McKenzie.  I’ve written here before about my concerns regarding the cost of “green” vs the claimed savings.  From my experience I have my doubts about the above claims of costs vs returns as well as the exageration rate of concerned contractors.  There is no doubt that in some cases there are legitimate savings to be obtained through green building.  I just want the clients of Easterday Construction to pursue green with their eyes open.  Greenwashing can be found in the form of shams from hucksters as well as exageration by wishfull-thinkng zealots.  Beware of both.  Do the math for yourself.  Easterday Construction Co., Inc. would be happy to help you.

Russell Voss Receives NCCER Certification

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Congratulations Russell!  Russell completed Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) Green Worker NCCER course “Your Role in the Green Environment” and received certification for this achievement.  This was an afterhours course presented by Dave Weitz, a trainer at ABC’s Michiana Training Facility.  Russell made the committment to attend this course and passed with flying colors.  We’re proud of Russell!  Easterday Construction Co., Inc. encourages all of our employees to pursue continuing their education and we feel knowledge of Green Building will be valuable to Russell and our company as we go forward.  We’re encouraging Russell to share what he has learned with the rest of the ECC crew.

Russell Voss NCCER Certificate