Sustainable Construction

Friday, January 21, 2011

Addition Pictures

Final pictures of an addition we finished recently. As you can see, it's bigger than the original house (which you can see at the very left of the first picture).




Thursday, January 20, 2011

Weatherizing Your Home

With the bitterly cold winter we've had so far, it's easy for heating bills to skyrocket. Here are some good tips to help you weatherize your home.

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/h2weatherize

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Basement Certificate of Occupancy in the District

For those who live or own a property in the District of Columbia, it can be a daunting process to learn and make sure you're complying with the requirements for things such as building permits and certificates of occupancy. Fortunately, DC's Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) has recently updated it's website to make it easier to understand and apply for the appropriate permits. For anyone considering remodeling work, I'd highly recommend visiting the website to learn more about the permit process. Although the contractor you hire should have an understanding of the process, as well as a sound knowledge building codes, homeowners (and potential homeowners!) who understand compliance requirements are definitely ahead of the game.
Here's a link to the DCRA website: http://dcra.dc.gov/DC/DCRA
Also, for those of you who own a property and wish to secure a bit more income by renting out a basement, here's a very useful checklist for understanding everything that you need to have to make sure your basement qualifies for a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O): http://rentmydcbasement.com/checklist/
Happy New Year!