Category Green Building

Straw Bale Homes in Ontario: How They Work, What the Code Says, and Where They Go Wrong

straw-bale-house-walls

A straw bale wall is bales stacked like big soft bricks, pinned or strapped, then plastered both sides so the plaster skins carry most of the load. Ontario permits them as an alternative solution under the Building Code with an engineer and a designer who have done it before. Expect a plastered two-

Tankless Water Heaters in Ontario: When They Make Sense, When a Heat Pump Water Heater Beats Them, and Sizing for a Real House

Tankless Water Heaters

A gas tankless (on-demand) water heater heats water only when a tap opens, so it has no standby loss, lasts 20 years, mounts on a wall and never runs out, and a condensing unit is 94 to 98 percent efficient. Installed in a new Ontario house it costs $3,500 to $6,500, more if the gas line and venting