[Greenbuilding] Rebuild or Refurbish

[Stephen Collette]

You have asked an interesting question. I think all of us have stood  
in such a building with the mortgage in one hand and a hammer in the  
other.

It can be about green building and is. Refurbishing is almost always  
more green than new construction. You are reusing materials and  
keeping materials out of the landfill. That is important. You are  
keeping with the local vernacular architecture, which is also  
important. It can (not always) be cheaper. It may not seem like it,  
but it can be less hassle on your family. Sure you may have years of  
renos with disruption, or you could live in a trailer on your  
property for a year or two while you demolish, and rebuild. Both are  
hard. I grew up with my dad constantly in reno mode. There wasn't a  
room he didn't mess with at least once. That was life. I am doing it  
now with my house (1880's story and a half, with 2 bedrooms and one  
bath as well). It's cheaper in the long run, because I'm doing the  
work. It's hard and stressful and sometimes you just want it done,  
but we do it because we want to make that difference in our families  
lives, that change for the better, so I replaster these old walls  
instead of drywalling, because it's better for humidity control. Etc.

Now for you, I don't know. I know my skills and my limitations and I  
know how far I can push my abilities to do the work and still run my  
business. I know that there are times when I call in someone who I  
pay.  I know when I reach that point that I do that, because it makes  
more sense than me scratching my head or swearing all day. You need  
to know your limits and base your decision making on that.

I recommend a second opinion on your house, get someone who really  
knows about buildings to come and do a thorough inspection. A  
builder, or building scientist, who knows buildings. (George Swanson  
in Austin might be someone to start with) (he's not on this list, so  
email me direct and I'll give you his info) Get the insulation  
tested, ( you will have to check your state's regs on who can test  
for asbestos). Then you have an idea of where to start and what is  
and isn't salvageable. Once you know, then write it down, start the  
pros and cons columns going. When you know exactly the condition of  
this house, the walls, etc, then and only then can you make a  
relatively accurate idea of the cost. Then you can compare that to  
new construction. Go ask the neighbours what they paid for the work,  
what went wrong, what did they find, what caught them off guard, etc.  
Talk to the builders, bring doughnuts and they'll tell you  
everything. Find out from the city building officials what they know  
about these homes. They do the inspections and know the work that  
goes into these homes.

I hope that gets you started. Most old homes can be fixed up and can  
be worth the effort put into them. You need to know for sure whether  
this one is. If not, move on.

Stephen

Stephen Collette B.B.E.C
Principal

Your Healthy House
Indoor Environmental Inspections & Building Consulting
www.yourhealthyhouse.ca
stephen at yourhealthyhouse.ca
705.652.5159


>
> Hi, this is my first post here.  I have read some of the previous
> digests and you guys seem to know quite a bit.
> My question is not entirely about green building.. at least not yet..
> once I move on and make a decision on my current situation I'm sure  
> I'll
> have some questions that are more related to the focus of this  
> listserv.
>