Mike's Blog

Part 2

Conservationism...can a kid really get it?

So a week or so has passed since I started thinking about how to get my kids involved in conservationism. I've decided both kids need different approaches.

First my eight year old son. He is totally the get dirty type- he loves dirt...he is everything a little boy is supposed to be. So I've started getting him involved in my composting and planting efforts. He's really into the composting. He's even excited about taking the kitchen scraps down to the compost pile on the weekends. He thinks its "so cool" that that stuff...along with grass clippings, shredded newspaper, leaves etc...will one day be dirt. Dirt that helps plants grow. When we were at Home Depot this weekend- I pointed out the bags of compost for $4.96. He couldn't believe how expensive it was. I think I'm actually getting somewhere with him.

As for my 11 year old daughter. She's going to be the tough one. First- I want her to be considerate of the resources she uses- without growing to into a Birkenstock wearing tree-hugger freak. So I feel like I'm walking a fine line. I took her with me to the dump this past weekend on my weekly trash run. She couldn't get over how much trash was there and that it was all going to buried in the earth. So my next step was to get her interested in recycling. So I've put her in charge of "managing" our recycling efforts at home. And boy has she run with it. She's like the little recycling Nazi now. Heaven forbid she finds a water bottle in the trash can.

Anyway- my reason for posting this is I really feel we have to start with our kids. Reduce, ReUse, Recycle and Respect...it needs to be a lifestyle not just a slogan.

How Home Depot can help you Create High End Kitchens on a Budget

One of the strategies we are employing on our flips is creating kitchens that stand out from our competition. Our niche is the mid-end starter home. In our area those prices are about $130k- 170k. You normally dont find sexy kitchens in $145k rehabs. The typical kitchen is some new cabinets- probably white to give the illusion of light. Black or white appliances, vinyl flooring and laminate countertops are also typical.

In order to stand out in today's over saturated real estate market, we create luxury and sexiness for the masses. We created the look in this picture for under $6,000 including appliances. How?

1. Flooring- we found 18x18 tiles on Clearance at Home Depot for $.69 a sq ft.

2.The stainless hood vent was $346 at Home Depot

3.The cabinets are off the shelf Distinctions from Home Depot. $1700

4.Granite Countertops- $34 a Sq ft for 60 Sq Ft

5.Sink and faucet only $275

6. Appliances are all stainless "face" and were $2200

My point is- this is not an expensive kitchen- but when you put it in a $150,000 house- it creates a sense of luxury normally not seen. We wow our customers and our houses sell because of it. This is not a kitchen for a $500k house. But it is an economical way to bring affordable luxury and sexiness to the lower end market.

In this market- you need every edge you can get- this strategy may just help you beat out your competition on your next rehab

Church Hill is the Richmond's center of casual hipness and historic relevance. And now your pups have a place to go to enjoy it also. The Church Hill Dog Park just opened in the lower section of Chimbarazo Park. The great thing about this project is that it was the labor of love of several Church Hill neighbors.

Most "Church Hiller's" really dont have alot of yard for dogs to run and play. It's almost sad to see dogs confined to 12x24 backyards. And dogs never have really been welcome in the area's historic parks. So now your canine friends have a place to chill and hang out with their friends...they even have fake fire hydrants.

Though not a resident, I do love the 'hill. Adding the Dog Park just added to the amazing sense of community pride already prevalent.

Even if you don't have pups- the park is quickly growing into the spot to be seen on the 'hill. Come out- enjoy the views, the neighbors and of course the dogs.

Part 2

So I had an epiphany this morning. I was out turning my compost pile when my son walked out in his PJ's kinda fuzzy eyed and asked what I was doing. So I explained that I was turning the compost pile to help the decompostion process. Wow... I opened a WHOLE can of worms with that one. A 8 yr old boy really knows how to ask questions. For the next 20 minutes he asked question after question about composting, recycling, gardening, plants etc.

Thats when the epiphany happened. It's only been the past few years that I've really tuned into the need and benefits of conserving and reusing. But I've neglected to teach my kids. So Im brainstorming ideas on how to get my kids involved. Here's my thinking- Im going to give my kids the challenge to think of ways we can conserve and reuse. I'll suggest things like recycling, conserving natural resources, composting, gardening, etc.

This could be fun- although my new 6th grader will probably think Im a total dork. I'll keep you up to date on our progress.

Would you spend $14 to save yourself Hundreds of $ over the course of a year. Here's how...

After recently completing the EcoBroker Designation I became increasingly interested in tightening my home's envelope. So I decided to crawl under my house to check out the HVAC ductwork to see just how well it was installed.

Before I go any further- let me give you a little background on my house... I live a basic 3,000 Sq ft transitional built in 1999. It's like every other neighborhood that has sprang up over the past decade. One would think a $200k house(in 1999) would be built pretty well.

What I found in my crawl space made me furious. Ive been under the house several times- but I never really paid much attention to the ductwork connections. One of my ducts was barely attached- the duct was just fitted to the boot with nothing holding it. Before I went under I turned the air on so I could feel leaks. Each of my ducts were ill fitted to the boots and EVERY ONE had leaks. I could literally feel cold air escaping from each duct and junction box.

The fix was simple- I picked up some Nashua Aluminum tape from Home Depot for $14. And all I had to do was wrap the flexible duct one time with the tape- then add a second piece around each attaching the duct to the subfloor...making sure that I sealed the duct completely to the subfloor. It may take a little more tape for different boots but the point is to seal the duct completely. After the tape job was complete- I no longer felt cold air.

I've never checked behind my HVAC contractor when they do installs on renovations. But you can bet I'll be better prepared to check this going forward. I recommend you check your own ductwork... there are literally hundreds of $ of cold air escaping those ducts. For $14 and 30 minutes- you can stop the leaks.

EarthCraft Virginia is a certification program for single family and multifamily properties. The program is similar to the LEED certification but its more specific to residential real estate. The program has been wildly successful in Atlanta, Ga and EarthCraft Virginia is hoping to replicate that success here. If you haven't heard of EarthCraft I recommend you check out their website.

Recently I was looking around for a certification program for my GREEN renovation projects. There are so many investors out there hawking their rehabs as GREEN just because they installed a few CFLs. I want my projects to stand out and be recognized for the healthy indoor air quality, energy efficiency and sustainable building practices that we bring to the table with each project. LEED obviously is a popular choice...however I think EarthCraft is a little more relevant for what we do.

I talked with Sean Shanley, EarthCraft Virginia's Director of Residential Operations. He informed me that EarthCraft has Renovation Certification program in pilot stage right now. They are taking pilot cases on a case by case basis and hope to have the full program rolled out in the next few months.

The program will be similar to EarthCraft's current new home program in that a minimum number of points must be achieved, as well as a certain level of energy efficiency. When your project is accepted, EarthCraft will work with you to determine what renovations you are making. You'll receive a checklist for various ways to achieve points. Once completed, EarthCraft will come inspect the changes and award points accordingly.

This really is a great way to make your renovations stand out among a field of greenwashed crap.

On this Grace St project Im about to start Im going to be restoring the original windows. In fact- its required by the Historical District. But in order to make the home as tight as possible and eliminate energy loss- Im considering adding interior storm windows.

Interior storm windows will help to maintain the exterior integrity of the historical structure while adding considerable R-Value to the windows.

I've never actually seen interior storm windows in use and Im wondering if any of you have. I'd love to hear your thoughts on both the aesthetics of the windows as well as the performance.

OK Im on a mission...I'm looking for the absolute best Martini in Richmond. Im a huge fan of the Classic...copious amounts of vodka(Im a Goose fan...but whatever you like)...just a hint of vermouth, three very large olives stuffed with bluecheese...all served up.

So here are a few of my local faves...but Id really like to hear from some other Martini fans..

The Hill Cafe- Broad St in Church Hill...the Moldy I think is what they call my favorite. But they have several variations. I love the setting here too- the original Heart Pine floors, the cozy layout, the exposed brick walls...all create the perfect laid back Martini ambience.

Buckheads- Patterson Ave...I've long been a fan of Buckheads steaks. The bar is set up perfectly for a great cigar and Martini. Less pretentious than most upscale steak houses- Buckheads still maintains a casual elegance that makes it a local fave for steaks, chops and Martinis.

Mortons-Virginia St. Downtown...Im not normally the type to go for Chain restaurants....I traditionally favor Indie places that have character. But I cant help but love the massive Martinis that Morton's serves up. Just like their steaks- they dont skimp on drink size either. When you have a great martini the only way to make it better is to make if BIGGER.

TJ's- The Jefferson Hotel...While not really known for their Martinis- TJ's, which is the little brother of LeMaire's, offers a Martini any way you want it. I dont think these guys even have well liquors. Just like the Hotel and its namesake everything here is topshelf.

Europa- Shockoe Bottom... Im not a huge fan of Europa's food... I know a lot of people that love it- Im just not a Tapas kind of guy. But I do love the Martini menu. They make my personal classic just right!

Infuzion-Roseneath and Leigh...Im not sure if its actually the Martini I love at Infuzion...or the fact that Im drinking it in the East Coasts first Ice Bar. Pay the $15 fee to get in the Ice Bar- it's ummmm....cool.

I'm just about to start a new project- which I hope to chronicle on here. It's a beautiful 19th Century brick Italiante. It's a total gut job unfortunately. I'll be able to salvage most of the original mouldings but thats about it. The original heart pine floors were removed sometime ago. So here comes the issue...

I know Im going to have to replace the flooring so I've been researching sustainable and low VOC flooring. Of course Bamboo is an option...as is DuraPalm...reclaimed hardwoods...etc. But my god those options are 2-3X the cost of traditional pre-finished hardwoods.  Just today I visited a local eco supply center- they have some amazing offerings for flooring, countertops, paints, etc.  I was there to look at the DuraPalm flooring samples. The stuff is beautiful- but expensive...like $6-10 a sq ft. They had some great bamboo that doesnt look cheap(like the crap thats so popular), but even the less expensive stuff is $6 a sq ft.  For a 1500 Sq ft home thats $9k for flooring. That will blow a rehab budget fast!

So I decided tonight to check out Lumber Liquidators for their bamboo. I found some stuff by Morning Star  that I like- check it out. Its beautiful stuff and only $2.99 a sq ft. Man I was stoked to see that- so I did some research on. Do a Google Search for "morning star bamboo flooring review" and the very first review is this. Come to find out- while it may be sustainable- it's hardly healthy. The stuff is made with formaldehyde...exactly the kind of off-gassing stuff we avoid. Boom- there goes the cheap option.

So my question for everyone- what kind of floors are you guys seeing thats

A. Attractive 

B. Sustainable or reclaimed 

C. Low or No VOC 

and

D. Inexpensive.