Cindy's Blog

There's one thing I'll definitely say about the Richmond area (particularly the West End)- the real estate market may be a bit slow, prices down, and so on right now, but there really does seem to be loads and loads of renovation going on, everywhere you look! There are at least three homes in our very small neighborhood undergoing major renovation, and I seem to drive past at least one home that's doing a "pop the top" every day. (If you're not familiar with this term, it's where one day there's a ranch, and the next there's a huge colonial, or some other multi storied behemoth).

With all of this renovation, it definitely makes me question the practices, or at least wish, that we were all a bit more sustainable in our building, particularly, perhaps, when renovating an older home. Most of the time people think that "green building" is just for new homes, and they don't think about all of the things they can do in a renovation that can be more sustainable.

I may have mentioned that my husband and I completed a major renovation on our home just over a year ago. During the course of that process, I learned a tremendous amount about the good, the bad, the ideal, the expensive, the available, and the unattainable. There really are so many ways to make the renovation process cleaner, more efficient, and healthier, that I'd love to share a few resources that we even have (or will soon) here in Richmond.

Perhaps most exciting- the long awaited opening of Ecologic at 1606 W. Main Street. Check out their progress at their website! They will have loads of green building supplies, sold retail- from sustainable wood products, to flooring, and even AFM SafeCoat paints (already available, even before they open, if you give them a call!). It's going to be terrific!

If you're looking for a great green builder/ renovator, give Cityspace Construction a call. Blue Crump and his team have a great commitment to changing the landscape of Richmond building- they do solar and so much more, and really know what they're talking about.

My next post will be about ways that you can renovate/ restore or decorate more sustainably- in Richmond, or anywhere!