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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Ontario Costs Basement & Footings ICF Foundation Cost • Real-world drivers ICF Foundation Cost in Ontario: What It Really Costs (and What Actually Moves the Price) If you’ve been trying to price an ICF foundation in Ontario, you’ve probably noticed…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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.…
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.…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
