Maintenance, Upkeep and Weatherization

Maintenance and upkeep must be a consideration for any building. Instead of maintenance, some owners only consider replacement of important building components.

Also, people want to upgrade their home's energy. Many members of our community are concerned with making the correct choices when determining how to retrofit their homes to make them more energy-efficient. There is a lot of information on the market place and sometimes this information is only promoting one choice instead of providing options for the building owner.

The current trend in the market place is to evaluate green retrofits based upon a life-cycle cost analysis which includes its manufacture, shipping, time in service and its eventual disposal or recycling—not just its performance rating on the day it was installed.

For more information on this, please refer to the publication ‘New Life Old Buildings' which can be viewed online at www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org/documents/VHF-GreenGuide-webbook.pdf . A copy of the publication is also available through the Town's Planning Department located on the second floor of Victoria Hall.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States has produced another excellent source when considering upgrading your home's efficiencies titled Quick Tips For Winter Weatherization Guide for Older and Historic Buildings. (http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/weatherization/)

Another resource is ConservePreserve Guidebook - Towards Sustainable Heritage (pdf) Windfall Ecology Centre, May 1, 2009.

If you have any favourite web sites, please submit links to Heritage Staff