Cost of Solar System for Your Home
Whether you’re remodeling your home or on the hunt for a new one, the cost of a solar system is on everyone’s radar these days. Installing a solar energy system can give your home that extra edge while saving you…
Harvey
Harvey Juric has been building custom homes for 40+ years and writing about energy efficiency for 20. He’s based in Tiny Township, Ontario, and leads ICFhome.ca, building energy-efficient homes across Southern Ontario.
All You Need To Know About Construction Lien Act In Ontario
Construction Lien Act In Ontario – Introduction Those involved in the construction industry are continually faced with financial risks not encountered in other commercial contexts. These financial risks stem from the fact that most construction work is carried out by…
Straw-Bale Home Construction
Straw-bale home construction is a building method that uses bales of straw (commonly: wheat, rice, rye, and oats straw) as structural elements, building insulation, or both. The first straw-bale structures we know of were built about a hundred years ago by European settlers in the…
Post and Beam Homes
Post and Beam construction is a method of building homes with heavy timbers rather than dimensional lumber Where low energy running costs are matched by precise engineering quality and a new home doesn’t need to come at the expense of…
20 Essentials of Great Log Home Designs
Everything you need to know to create a warm, comfortable, attractive log home. Over the last 30 years, architects and designers have taken log cabin design to places our founding fathers could scarcely imagine. Yesterday’s one-room cabins have become full-fledged…
Construction Insurance: It Is Not As Difficult As You Think
Insuring Your Home While Being Built – Construction Insurance Even though insuring a home while it is under construction or being built is not directed by any laws, it is a must, especially if you finance all or a part…
18 Signs to Avoiding Contractor Scams
At the beginning, we have to state that only a small percentage of contractors are bad apples. Those who are will cost you large in time and money. Fortunately, scammers and con artists are pretty easy to spot as long…
The Cost of Home Building – Dreaming of Building a New Home, but Worried About the Expense?
How much will my dream home cost – What you need to know about a cost of homebuilding: If you are considering having a custom home built, the following information will help you get an idea of the home building…
Ontario Septic System Guide 2026: Costs, Red Flags & Inspections
Ontario • Septic Due Diligence Buyer Guide • Risk + Compliance Last Updated: January 2026 Buying a House With a Septic System in Ontario (2026): Red Flags, Records, and Real Negotiation Power If a home has a septic system, you’re…
Radiant Floor Heating and Hardwood Floor
Living in a radiant heat home provides you with a level of comfort that no other heating method can match. So, how do you combine this luxury with valuable hardwood floor? Is the combination of radiant floor heating and…
Guide To Operating & Maintaining Your Septic System
In this Guide To Operating & Maintaining Your Septic System, you will learn that the way you treat your septic system will influence how long the system lasts and how well it functions. If you own or rent a property…
Insulation R-Value? – Don’t Forget About Air-Sealing
By Leigha Dickens When we talk about energy efficient building, everyone wants to know about the R-value. “R-value” (that’s the inverse of the BTUs of heat transferred per hour per across a square foot of surface area per difference in temperature,…
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) – All You Want To Know
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) represents another choice for builders seeking alternatives for R-30 (or higher) walls for single and multifamily construction. Although a substantially different system than the more typical ICF construction methods, SIPs can achieve equally impressive results cost-effectively…
Energy Efficient Home For Sale in Tiny Township
$579,900.00 Energy Efficient Home – Less than $100 per month to heat this 1600 sq.ft. home in the midst of the winter: Wow, is the only word to describe this luxury “to be built” home! Executive 3 bedroom/ two full…
Hydronic Heating
Invisible, Clean, Quiet, Efficient and Dependable – Living With Hydronic Heating is One of Life’s Simple Delights In North America forced air heating is still the most popular because of its low installation costs. However, it is the most expensive…
Geothermal Heating Costs
A geothermal system is a heating and cooling unit designed to extract the natural heat stored in the ground during the winter and discharge heat from air conditioning to the relatively cold ground in the summer. This article discusses geothermal…
Energy Efficient Home
Title: Energy-Efficient Homes: Your Guide to Saving the Planet (and Your Wallet) Without Living in a Cardboard Box “Design energy efficiency into your home at the start, and the benefits will pay off for years to come.” Ah, the wisdom…
Wind Turbine – Should You Install One In Your Back Yard?
1. How do residential wind turbines work? A wind turbine, which is installed on top of a tall tower, collects kinetic energy from the wind and converts it to electricity that is compatible with a home’s electrical system. In a…
Insulated Concrete Forms – FAQ
1. What can you build with Insulated Concrete Forms? Cast in place concrete walls for bearing and non-bearing walls that have superior insulation built-in. You can use ICFs for foundations, exterior above grade walls, sound walls, residential, commercial, and industrial walls.…
Building With Insulated Concrete Forms
Insulated concrete forms (ICF) is a method of building walls for reinforced concrete ordinarily manufactured with a rigid styrofoam insulation that stays in place as a permanent interior and exterior walls. 9 Things You Should Know Before You Start Building…
Solar Radiant Floor Heating – What You Need To Know
Solar hot water heating systems are compatible with radiant floor systems for a multitude of reasons: 1. The radiant floor system requires water temperatures in the same range that the solar system can generate. 2. Hydronic baseboards and fan coil…
Best Wood Burning Stoves in Ontario (2026 Guide): Regulations & Top Brands
Ontario • 2026 Update CO Alarm Rules Changed Jan 1, 2026 Keyword: wood burning stove Best Wood Burning Stoves in Ontario (2026 Guide): Regulations & Top Brands Wood heat in Ontario has quietly changed lanes. It’s no longer the “backup…
Insulating Concrete Forms – What you need to know
ICF-great-case-study Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF) wall most commonly consist of concrete between polystyrene foam, although other form materials such as polyurethane, recycled wood and cement mixtures exist. The foam is usually two flat pieces of either expanded polystyrene (EPS, average…
Simple Kitchen Ideas
Update your kitchen with kitchen design ideas for everything from kitchen cabinets to kitchen islands. You don’t have to be stuck making meals in a kitchen that’s as dead as a doorknob. With little imagination and some effort, you can…
The Reality Behind Home Energy Consumption
Expensive is just one of the words that people today use to describe electricity bills. It seems that every day, the cost of electricity keeps getting higher and higher. Because of this, we all tend to look towards alternative energy…