ICF vs Wood Frame Construction: Which is truly better? We finally have scientific proof! Who wins in the ultimate battle: ICF vs Wood Frame Construction? Now you can see for yourself. Run this interactive simulation—just press Start—and watch how temperature and heat flux evolve over a 72-hour period […]
Read more →
In today’s housing landscape, making the most of every square foot has become essential. As living costs rise, homeowners increasingly seek innovative ways to maximize space in their custom homes without sacrificing style. Modern home design has evolved beyond traditional room layouts, embracing adaptable spaces that serve […]
Read more →
Making ICF Walls in Ontario Smarter: How Microencapsulated PCMs Can Save Energy and Boost Comfort Imagine your home’s walls as high-tech energy buffers that not only keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but also help save on energy bills. For many Ontario […]
Read more →
Georgian Bay Housing Market Outlook 2025: A Rebound with a Splash of Humor The Georgian Bay housing market is on the cusp of an intriguing turnaround—a story of recovery, rebirth, and, dare we say, a touch of whimsy. For years, this picturesque region, with its sparkling waterfronts […]
Read more →
Sustainable Homes Ontario: The Future of Eco-Friendly Living I. Introduction 🏡 What Are Sustainable Homes?Sustainable homes aren’t just trendy buzzwords—they’re the future of housing. These eco-friendly abodes are designed to reduce carbon footprints, maximize energy efficiency, and minimize waste. In Ontario, sustainable housing is taking off as more […]
Read more →
🏠 Introduction: Why Custom Home Pricing is Not as Simple as It Seems If you think calculating the cost of a custom home is as easy as multiplying square footage by a fixed price, prepare to be pleasantly (or unpleasantly) surprised. Pricing a custom home is like trying […]
Read more →
ICF vs. Stick-Built Construction in Ontario: The Ultimate Showdown When it comes to building a home in Ontario, you have two primary choices: Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) or traditional wood-frame construction. It’s kind of like choosing between a reliable tank and a wooden cart—one’s built to withstand just about anything, […]
Read more →
Introduction: Welcome to 2025, Where Your House Roasts You Better Than Your Uncle at Thanksgiving Picture this: You stumble into the kitchen at 7 a.m., and your coffee maker greets you with, “Late night? Let me guess… another true crime marathon?” Meanwhile, your thermostat adjusts the temperature while muttering, “Socks in July? […]
Read more →
Explore the true cost of geothermal systems in 2025 with humor and practical advice. From installation to long-term savings, we break down everything you need to know. Is Geothermal Heating Affordable in 2025? Let’s Break Down the Costs If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to harness […]
Read more →
If Ontario’s home-building scene were a hockey game, it’d be a triple-overtime thriller: unpredictable weather, ever-changing rules, and a passionate crowd (read: homeowners) cheering for their team. From the misty shores of Lake Superior to the bustling streets of Toronto, building a home here is equal parts […]
Read more →
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 […]
Read more →
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 […]
Read more →
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 […]
Read more →
“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 […]
Read more →
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 […]
Read more →
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 […]
Read more →
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 […]
Read more →
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 […]
Read more →
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 […]
Read more →
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, […]
Read more →
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 […]
Read more →
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, […]
Read more →
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) […]
Read more →
