A report produced by the Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential environmental benefit of building reuse. This groundbreaking study in a punny way says "don't break new ground."  It offers compelling evidence of the benefits of retrofitting old buildings to be more energy efficient rather than tearing down and building new.  The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building ...

No Comments »

Searching for the ideal wood flooring, windows or simple accents for your old home can lead you to many interesting places. There are the antique stores where old molding is stacked in a dusty corner. There's the auction house where you can find that perfect door--at a staggering price, perhaps, but perfect nonetheless. There is the warehouse or junkyard where it appears whole houses were taken apart and then left ...

(1) Comment »

You've polished those old hardwood floors, painstakingly restored the original windows and scoured antique shops for the perfect furnishings. Your old house might be as historically accurate as you can make it on the inside, but what about the outside? When it's time to upgrade the exterior of a historic home, many homeowners will go with vinyl siding colors and styles that are meant to mimic the look of old clapboard. ...

No Comments »