Built Green Condo Remodel
As one might imagine, trying to do a remodel in a condo might be challenging. This homeowner worked to align with the HOA while being neighborly to those effected by the construction process, in order to make significant changes that go beyond just a facelift. While challenging, being persistent and providing education to the HOA board proved invaluable to moving the project forward and meeting the requirements for Built Green.
Replacing the existing carpet with hard surface flooring throughout most of the unit was integral to improving the indoor air quality of this unit. While the HOA rejected removing the carpet due to the perception of reduced sound insulation of a floor without carpet, Mark was persistent and educated the Board on IIC ratings and why his proposed cork floor was a great option. This type of work had to be planned ahead and have approval to move forward. The existing synthetic carpet in the Primary Bedroom was replaced with wool carpet, a more sustainable option that naturally resists staining, stabilizes the indoor humidity by absorbing and releasing moisture relative to the indoor air and is naturally flame retardant.
Once things were approved, Mark made sure to reach out to neighbors about his project. He made sure to exchange contact info and to halt work when neighbors needed things to be quiet so they could have their meeting while working from home.
Because this remodel was in a Condo building, the walls and ceilings did not belong to the owner, so adding more wall insulation was out of the question. So was penetrating the wall and ceiling, which meant no ductless heat pump for more efficient heating. Fortunately, Mark was able to connect to existing ductwork to add an HRV for the unit and a heat pump water heater.
The limitations Mark had due to this remodel being part of an association, forced him to do more research to find solutions that helped improve the energy efficiency and comfort of the home. One such example was the interior storm windows that Mark found that reduced winter-time draftiness and reduced noise from outside.