New Regulations and Old Tax Credits

In case you haven't heard, there is a new lead paint abatement law in effect as of April, 2010.  If your home pre-dates 1978, when the sale of lead paint was prohibited, your contractor must be certified in lead paint removal if they are disturbing more than six square feet of area during a renovation.  While this will surely add to the cost of your renovation, studies have shown that even a small amount of lead paint ingested or breathed in can cause neurological damage in children.  The safe removal and mitigation of renovation activities is a good thing for everyone.  You can read more about it here: http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm

The Consumer Energy Efficiency Tax Credits are in effect until the end of 2010.  These tax credits may cover renovations like windows, doors, insulation and roofs.  Read more about it here: 
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

Be an educated consumer when it comes to renovating your home!

Balancing preservation and renewal

Here is a good series on old houses and new energy efficiency initiatives by The National Trust for Historic Preservation.  The first post in the series refers back to an older blog in Scientific American, which is worth reading, too.

http://blogs.nationaltrust.org/preservationnation/?p=9421

A Little Can Go A Long Way....

There are many ways to measure the success of a home renovation.  For some people, it's the brand-new, gussied up curb appeal, or the sparkling kitchen or bathroom fitted with the most up-to-date fixtures.  Others measure success by less tangible gains:  re-wiring to get rid of the old knob & tube wiring, or adding that extra insulation that keeps the house just a bit warmer.   One of the best ways to measure success is to realize big gains with minimum effort. 

Here's a case of a renovation that is a success on many levels.  When I first saw this house in a small historic district, it was not hard to see the quality in spite of the layers of accumulated bad building materials.   The house dated back to the early 1900's.  It was originally a Sears kit house, though we could never find an exact match for the plans and elevations.  Many significant original details are still intact, including the full 6x Gumwood trim and casing, and the beautiful french doors throughout the first floor.  My clients' big issue with the house was that at 624 s.f. per floor, it was small, even for the two of them.  We added a master bedroom suite to the first floor, and renovated the kitchen and the exterior of the house.

The unsung success of this renovation is the added space on the second floor.  The second floor originally contained two small, cramped bedrooms with varied ceiling heights, and a tiny full bath.   By bumping out a few feet on the rear, and rebuilding the roof, we added 160 s.f. of new space to the second floor.  This is not a lot, until you consider the results.  Now, we have two roomy, airy bedrooms and a completely renovated full bath with room for a second floor laundry.  So the tiny house with beautiful details ends up with three new bedrooms, two full baths and a powder room.   Perfect for the current owners, or a new family in the future!