On a visit to Louisiana, I first noticed how much the right door adds to the look of a building, especially a house. A door can connect strangers or attract new customers, newly repainted it will convince a wavering home buyer, sometimes it provi
des hints of the amazing adventures within. Yet, as friend who also works within the heritage 
community noted, so often it’s the last or forgotten part of a renovation. How unfortunate! (The pictures are a few favourites from a poster, Doors of New Orleans.) 
Tag: renovation
Garbage Collection, Building Code, and Unexpected Challenges
Burnaby, where I live, recently moved to bi-weekly garbage collection, which has made me realize how much of our household garbage is plastics – not a comforting observation for anyone trying to live more sustainably. So what do 
municipal services have in common with heritage? Lots, especially when you discover that oil-based products are key components in the BC building code’s new energy efficiency requirements. I’m glad the code includes allowances for alternate solutions when renovating heritage homes, but since, for many people, retaining heritage character and value is interlinked with sustainability, there are definitely some new challenges in achieving current standards of energy use.