Concrete homes assembled with insulated concrete forms give homeowners a superior comfort, solidity, durability, resistance to natural disasters, quietness, and energy efficiency. What are insulated concrete forms? Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) are hollow blocks or panels composed of expanded polystyrene foam that is stacked up […]
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The price of solar panels is down. It’s fallen by more than 75 percent since 2009, according to prominent environmentalist Bill McKibben. This drop reflects increased efficiency, both in the manufacturing process and in the panels themselves. Still, the initial cost of buying and installing a […]
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Canada imports oil from Saudi Arabia, Libia and other foreign countries to a tune of about a million barrels a day, which comes as a big surprise to most people. While this is no doubt great news for the Saudi royal family, it is bad news for […]
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“BuilderBooks” recently released “What Green Means to Home Buyers: Perceptions and Preferences”, a new study of home buyer’s choices focusing exclusively on green-performance innovations in the new home building industry. The study explores buyers’ attitudes towards various green building features, ideas or concepts, and the possibility that […]
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History of In-Floor Heating In-floor heating, also called radiant floor heating, has been used for centuries. The Romans channelled hot air under the floors of their villas. The Koreans directed hot flue gases under their floors before venting them up the chimney. In the 1930s, architect Frank […]
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Canadian federal government has adopted a national standard for lighting efficiency that came into effect in 2014. Most, if not all conventional, incandescent light bulbs do not meet the required performance level. The objective was to make sure that more efficient bulbs such as Compact Fluorescent Light […]
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Deciding on individual specifications within a custom home build is based on personal choice and preference, however; there are quite a few specifications that most, if not all, homeowners universally want – regardless of family size or status. To help you understand which items should be on […]
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Flying Cars or No Flying Cars, the Future Needs Energy Efficient Homes Our planet will be a very different place in the coming years. By 2050, Earth will be home to another 3 billion people, of which 70% will live in cities. Although many things about the […]
Read more →With energy and utility costs expecting to rise in the next few years, investing in environmentally friendly products can help you save energy, water—and perhaps most importantly, money. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of products that will help you live green. Energy Efficient […]
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Home Automation – What’s Next? While it was something, once seen, in science fiction movies and futuristic films, home automation (also known as SMART homes) are becoming an increasing trend as technology makes a greater push into society. With an increasing prevalence in a modern home building, smart […]
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If you’re purchasing a home from a new home builder, it’s important to consider which, if any, upgrades you’d like to have installed by your builder. While it’s important to create the home of your dreams, it’s also important to consider the resale value of you upgrades […]
Read more →Most builders, especially mass production builders, build to the Ontario Building Code standards only; meaning that they build to the minimum acceptable standards, equating to more profits for them. In Supplementary Standard SB-12 Energy Efficiency For Housing, March 15, 2013, update, you can see those rules up to date. If, […]
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Current trends indicate that, in 2015, new homes will be smaller, greener and more casual. At the end of 2014, NAHB Research Centre conducted a survey online in two phases. The first phase used screening questions to identify recent home buyers, who purchased a home in the […]
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Ontario Home Builder Claims Minimum of 50% Energy Savings on New Homes As North American households face heating bills averaging at least 20 % higher than last years; the connection between household energy use and energy prices is evident to everyone. Energy efficiency remains the quickest, […]
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One of the first questions asked when planning a home is “How much will my project cost?” Questions involving pricing, can’t be properly answered simply by information posted on the internet, regardless of how much information is supplied in one article. Same goes for the insulated concrete form (ICF) […]
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Building Homes With Accessible Design One of the significant demographic trends in the North America during the past two decades has been the increase in the percentage of individuals with disabilities. It is projected that by 2030, 25 percent of all North Americans will be over the […]
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Why You Should Spend More Time Thinking About Steel Frame Homes Lightweight steel framing is a practical, code approved solution to a few of the challenges that builders face today when using wood in framing homes. Although the idea of steel creates a picture of heavy material, the […]
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You’re buying a new house. You’re thrilled and relieved. But if you’re like most new-home buyers, you’re also confused. What, precisely, do you need to know — and how hard is it to find out? First on your need-to-know list is the price. That is easy enough […]
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R-value Explained Energy efficient construction is booming, driven by higher fuel prices, record-setting temperatures, and more stringent energy codes. Contractors are pushed to find better solutions for the building envelope. While R-values have been the traditional measure of energy effectiveness, evidence now points to other factors that […]
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As North American households face heating bills averaging at least 30 % higher than last year; the connection between household energy use and energy prices is evident to everyone. Energy efficiency remains the quickest, cheapest, cleanest way to help you lower your home energy bills, extend the […]
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Solar water heaters can reduce annual water heating bills by 50% to 80% Water heating can constitute 15% to 25%, or more, of the energy use of a home. The approximate annual cost to operate water heaters ranges from $300 for a minimum efficiency gas-fired unit to […]
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What is formaldehyde? Formaldehyde is a colourless gas. At elevated concentrations, it has a strong, pungent odour and can be irritating to the eyes, nose, and lungs. Formaldehyde is released into the home from a variety of indoor sources. Some resins, or glues, used to bind […]
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By Diane Swanbrow News and Information Services With high winter heating bills on the horizon in much of the country, a new U-M study shows that the total energy used during the life of a typical home in the U.S. heartland could be reduced by 65 percent […]
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Imagine you’re having a new house built. Workers prepare the building site then a 6-metre tall crane-like gantry is brought in and installed on rails either side of the house. The machine rolls back and forth extruding fast-drying concrete and building up your house layer by layer. […]
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For years, climate contrarians have pointed to snowfall and cold weather to question the scientific reality of human-induced climate change. Such misinformation obscures the work scientists are doing to figure out just how climate change is affecting weather patterns year-round. Understanding what scientists know about these effects […]
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