Written by EcoRenew Contracting Ltd. in Edmonton
House today
Since establishing my environmentally conscious renovation business seven years ago, I have had the privilege of working on many amazing projects with green technologies and building methods. But one of the projects I am most proud of is the total renovation of our very first house.
One of the simplest things we can do to help our planet and work towards a greener future is to simply keep waste out of the landfill and give anything a second life with a little bit of TLC. I was fortunate that from a young age my parents fostered the idea of leaving the world a better place than I found it, and I know they are proud that I maintain this ethos as a renovator and general contractor in Edmonton today.
A green renovation done right
House at early stages of renovation
I recently received a call from the current owner of our first house. He let me know right off the bat that this was not a confrontational call. Instead, he proceeded to extol the virtues of the house and how well the renovation has held up. He was simply asking if I could let him know what was done and when it was done, as he was placing the house on the market for sale.
As prospective buyers like to know these things, I listed off all the projects and renovations we completed on the house and a smile began to grow on my face: new roof, dug around the foundation and did weeping tile and insulation, dug up the concrete floor in the basement and re-ran all underground plumbing, blew insulation in the original walls (without pulling them apart), refinished the hardwood floors, installed all new windows, blew in attic insulation, and of course, finished all the spaces to such an extent that they have lasted 15 years with nothing more than a few cosmetic changes.
Built green and built to last
My smile grew and grew as I remembered all the work and lessons that went into the space, but also because of the realization that this house held enough value that developers would not be tearing it down. Because of the work performed on the house, it could last another 80 years! This second life means that the house doesn’t end up in the landfill, the character of the neighbourhood doesn’t change, and I get a boost of happiness knowing that I played a part in creating more opportunities for this beautiful and comfortable bungalow to become a new home. All of the lessons I learned throughout the major home renovation of that small house have made it so that all the other houses I have worked on since are also less likely to see the landfill.
For your green renovation, contact EcoRenew Contracting Ltd. today!
This post first appeared on https://blog.renovationfind.com