Re-Construction Tips

I have become a fairly regular reader of the brownstoner, the local brownstone-related blog with its always entertaining riffs on prices, renovation, nasty neighbors and other fascinating subjects. On the renovation forum, I have always been interested, and saddened, to note the amount of money spent on tearing down ("gutting" in the parlance) and rebuilding what were probably perfectly serviceable residences. I'm convinced this is true as there have been enough before-and-after photos to illustrate the point.

Construction is the largest creator of landfill-destined material. And when you consider the energy used in ripping out and renovating...well... It's probably worth it to look at these simple tips from GreenTips, from the Union of Concerned Scientists:

According to studies conducted for the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, residential construction and demolition projects accounted for 58 million tons of waste in 1996, and as much as 90 percent of this waste is recyclable. To help address this problem, the American Society of Interior Designers’ Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council recently released a set of guidelines for best practices in sustainable home improvement projects (see the related links).

With a little reading and advance planning, you can reduce the environmental impact of your next project—whether big or small—by adopting these strategies:

Reduce. Begin by thinking about the most efficient use of the available space and daylight, what materials or systems you can reuse, and

and how you can minimize the scope (and cost) of your project. You might even consider taking advantage of renewable resources such as solar energy (for electricity or water heating), wind power, geothermal energy (via a heat pump), or a combined heat-and-power system.

...

Deconstruct. When renovating an existing space, think “deconstruction” rather than demolition. Most things can be reused or donated, including flooring, siding, windows, doors, bricks, plumbing and lighting fixtures, ceiling tiles, unused roofing materials, leftover paints and varnishes, hardware such as nails and screws, and structural components.

Reuse. Before heading to the lumber yard or hardware store, look for a materials exchange such as Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores, which may offer both new (surplus/overstock) and used materials and building components.

Recycle Take whatever items you cannot reuse to a local recycling facility or materials exchange (see the related links). The EPA identified more than 1,000 asphalt and concrete recycling facilities nationwide as of June 2004, as well as 700 wood-waste recycling facilities and 300 “mixed-waste” recycling facilities that accept demolition debris.

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[Home Improvement]

The first step towards successful Home Improvement Remodeling is to find out how much your home is presently worth. The next thing you need to know is what is the top sales price in your area - for totally updated and refurbished homes - of the same approximate size as your home. The difference between the present value of your home and the ceiling price of 'like' homes in your area is your maximum home improvement remodeling budget for all and any works you plan to do around your home. http://contractor-remodeling-home-repair.blogspot.com.