Robert Soens Explores Home Rejuvenation Through Renovation

When analyzing an existing structure to decide whether to renovate or tear down and build new, there are many important factors to consider. Every project is unique. With all the variations in clients, priorities, budgets, needs and other concerns, there is no one easy answer. I write this with the hope of helping you work through the thought process of this question for your own, unique project.

One of the first things to consider is whether there is anything unique or special about the existing structure? Is there a historical or an architectural significance to the house? A large percentage of the homes that I work on in the in-town neighborhoods of Atlanta are beautiful older houses, many with significant architectural features and materials, including heart pine framing and flooring and intricate trim details. These beautiful homes are worth saving, renovating and bringing up to date. I believe it’s a joy to take an older home and make it energy-efficient, healthy, durable and comfortable.

Next, you’ll want to consider how solid the existing structure is and how extensive the changes are that you plan to make. If you have a good, solid structure and the changes planned are minor, tearing down would probably not be worth the expense.

The next question that I would ask concerns what it would take to not only make the planned changes, but what it would take to get the performance of the house to the level you want. When I talk about the performance of the house, I’m talking about the energy efficiency of the structure, the healthy environment within the house, and the comfort and durability of the home.

Depending on the age of the home, the work needed to move an existing house to a high level of energy efficiency can be quite extensive. Many existing homes were built with little or no insulation, single-pane glazed windows, poorly sealed HVAC duct systems and leaky building exteriors. Getting all of these problems fixed may literally call for stripping the house down to the bare framing. This may not be practical for you, so considerations should be made about what can be done within a renovation budget that gets you the maximum benefit for the dollars spent. While there is a simple rule that the more insulation the better, opening up the walls to insulate may not be the best way to spend your money. If you choose to renovate and are on a budget, I would suggest you prioritize sealing the building exterior, replacing single-pane windows and optimizing the HVAC system. If you can insulate the crawlspace and attic, that should be done as well.

Since bringing the home up to today’s higher green standards is a must, there’s another important facet to our decision making process: If we are going to invest the money in the project to do it right, we should be looking at what it’s going to cost to do the project and what the value of the home will be once we’re done. Starting with an estimate of the cost to renovate, we could then look at the cost of tearing the existing house down and the cost of building a new, high-performance house from scratch, as well as what the value of the new house would be compared to the renovated house.

Typically, you’ll find that the cost of keeping the house and renovating is going to be less than tearing down and building new. But, you will likely find that the new home, if built right, will have a higher market value. The total cost, desired budget and the spread between final values should be looked at carefully.

While saying that, I want to immediately follow by saying two things for these two different paths. Older homes many times have a character, special features or beauty that may be difficult or expensive to replicate in a new home. Be careful before you tear down, for you may be tearing down something very hard to replace. At the same time, tearing down and starting from scratch opens up possibilities that may be difficult or prohibitively expensive to achieve with a renovation. I have seen clients struggle with the idea of trying to turn an existing house into something it simply is not. Sometimes you’re simply better off starting over. [See Jody Guokas’ take on demolition, at right, for information on greening a new build.]

Robert Soens is president of Pinnacle Custom Builders, Inc. located in Decatur, GA. Robert has been in the construction business for over twenty years and has run Pinnacle for the past twelve years, building and renovating homes in Atlanta. He has specialized in green construction methods since 2001 and can be reached at 404-373-7027 or www.pinnacle-custom-builders.com.

Jody Guokas Tackles How to Rebuild and Recycle

When is it “green” to tear a house down and start over? I was faced with this question after weeks of planning, financing, and finally the demolition of what began as a remodel project in West Asheville in 2006. Eight months later, I stood in a brand new “HealthyBuilt” home amazed at the transition. If faced with this question, it’s important to weigh the environmental pros and cons of such a decision.

A house contains a huge amount of resources, both tangible and intangible. The working life of a house also consumes resources as the building is heated and cooled, lights are turned on, plumbing is used, etc. Remodeling a home essentially recycles all of the resources that are in that home, which is an enormous amount of material. Reusing a home keeps those materials out of the landfill and eliminates the need to create replacements. In general, this reuse of materials will probably outweigh the energy savings of a new home.

But, there are other considerations. Older homes can pose health problems—from mold to mildew to dust. Without proper upgrades, the existing house may never be able to meet the comfort needs of the occupants. Most often though, the huge breadth of work on a remodel project may be what sends someone over to the side of demolition.

If demolition is the route decided upon, there are many things that can be done to ensure that the teardown is as eco-friendly as possible.

Reuse: Many of the materials in an old house can find use in a new structure. Infrastructure is already in place to find new homes for most plumbing and electrical fixtures, cabinets, mirrors, appliances, etc. Habitat for Humanity HomeStores will actually come to your site and pick up these items. Wood is probably the most abundant resource in an old house, and flooring is probably the most valuable. As long as it hasn’t already been sanded too many times, most flooring can be torn out and reused in a new house. This is one item where the cost to tear it out may actually be less than the cost to purchase new. Architectural woodworking is always worth saving. Many salvage yards will pick up your materials. Fireplace mantels, doors, windows and stair parts are also items that can easily be used in a new home.

Structural wood is sometimes the most overlooked resource in an old house. Much of the wood that old homes were framed with is of a quality rarely seen today. Inspect the wood for knot size and quantity. Also check out the density of the growth rings. It may take some time and energy to resurface this material, but it may turn out to be very valuable wood that is expensive in today’s world, such as old growth chestnut or heart pine.

Recycle: If you’ve found a new home for everything usable from your old house, start thinking about recycling. Metal is on the top of the list here. Old homes are filled with wire, pipe and sheet metal, and no matter the condition, all of these things can be recycled. Look to scrap yards in your area and for people that will come to your site and haul away the scrap metal for you.

Sometimes, though, the best way to be as conscientious as possible about your demolition is to be creative and patient. It’s easy to fill a dumpster and have it hauled off. It’s harder to see that old, dirty and painted wood may actually be an incredible new cabinet to be used for years to come in a new, healthy and energy-efficient home.

Jody Guokas is the owner and operator of JAG and Associates Construction Inc., a local general contractor committed to making green standards the norm in urban infill development. JAG Construction specializes in spec and build-to-suit construction within the city limits of Asheville. Jody can be reached at 828-216-0914 or jguokas@yahoo.com

Back to New Life Journal..