Ada Blvd - Net Zero Build Pt.2

After purchasing the property we took a look at the existing structure & overall floor plate of the house. We quickly determined that the base structure of the house was not ideal to work from for our infill. We had considered using the existing foundation; however, we would have needed to connect a new foundation with a settled existing foundation giving us concern for the potential long term issues that could arise.

Dismantling a House

Although we had decided to start from scratch, we wanted to make sure we salvaged and repurposed every item we could. In June of 2019, our contractor began the task of dismantling the existing house and garage!

The process began with removing all working fixtures (plumbing, lighting, appliances, cabinets, etc.). We are quite proud to say that most of these items found homes through Buy and sell sites, Upcycling, Kijiji, Friends/family and neighbours.

See below some of the gems we were able to find future homes for:

Cabinets, appliances, sunshine ceiling all reused.

Bathroom vanity was reused.

Toilet, bathtub & all fixtures were reused.

Some really interesting light figures throughout the house all found new homes:

Hot water tank & furnace too!

Once these items were carefully removed, all of the base materials were pulled and separated – even down to the nails! Metal was recycled. Wood was partially recycled, partially re-homed and partially set aside to reuse on the project for some feature areas if all goes well. Older homes really were made with some beautiful wood. Doors, windows, hardwood, roof trusses… you name it, we tried to give it all a second life.

See below some photos of the dismantling process:

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Some questions we were asked about the dismantling process:

Q: What was not able to be reused or recycled?

A: The items we didn’t recycle or reuse were drywall (Yes, there is a location in Calgary that can recycle it, however, when weighing the benefits of recycling against the fuel and transportation, we chose not to), fibreglass insulation, shingles, and the chimney. We were very impressed at how much was taken by people completing DIY projects around the city, including the most surprising to us – wood chip attic insulation!

Q: Did this add a lot of time to the project?

A: Honestly, yes. We knew at the onset of the project that environmental impact would be a priority. With the expectation in mind that we wouldn’t cut corners to simplify or speed up construction, we were able to view this process as the only way to achieve our goals. By adjusting our expectations we were not deterred by the time. That being said, our total time to dismantle was approximately 16 weeks for the interior, 3 weeks for the exterior/structure, and 3 days for the foundation.

Christine's Kitchen Renovation Pt. 2

Continuing from part one of our kitchen renovation plan, our plan includes the addition of a sliding door to a new deck with a pergola in the backyard. We recently received our permits allowing us to add an exterior door and build the new deck, so we are very excited to move forward with this new space plan for the kitchen:

Items that are on our wish list to incorporate:

• pantry and fridge close to food prep areas

• sliding door to the backyard

• coffee bar

• counter height peninsula eating bar

• the new sink centered on a existing window

• exposing the brick chimney between the kitchen and living room

• compost and recycling station

• lots of storage for small appliances

• pet food storage

Below are the labelled millwork elevations. This was a very important step to make sure we design the right amount of storage.

It goes without saying that putting together these drawings has allowed us to feel confident in the space we are investing in, not to mention that having these specifications will help us plan a budget that won’t leave us with unwanted or costly surprises once construction begins.

In addition to these drawings, I put together a basic render to get a more realistic impression of what our new kitchen layout will look like.

And these are a couple renders that were discarded through the design process. We were wanting to avoid cluttering the peninsula with a sink that could look messy when dishes pile up, and a cooktop that could obstruct the eating area of the bar.

Stay tuned for part three, where I will share the finishes we chose and inspirations for the general look of the materials that we want to use!

Christine's Kitchen Renovation Pt. 1

Almost exactly 2 years ago, my partner and I moved into a 1958 bungalow in North Glenora. We love this location and the house has proven to be as strong and stable as we thought when we first bought it.

Part of our bit-by-bit home renovation (with charm preservation in mind) is to upgrade our kitchen. As part of an extension that we think was built in the 80’s, the kitchen is quite large with a dining area and lots of windows. However, it is also equipped with a tiled countertop (i.e. 40 year old grout), very old fashioned cabinets (though they are solid wood!), a corner wall oven that takes up way too much space, and a layout that has us feeling like we are in a cooking show where the pantry is across the room and it requires a basket to bring supplies to the food prep area. See our existing plan below:

And this is what it all currently looks like:

My eclectic design mind appreciates that it feels a bit like grandma’s house with some modern pieces thrown in, but we are excited to make our mark on this kitchen while still appreciating and remembering where it came from. The care that the previous owners took in creating their home really shows… like, look at those well crafted solid wood cabinets! You sure don’t see that everyday.

Stay tuned for the next chapter of our kitchen renovation, where we talk about the fun stuff… new plans and inspirations!