adhesives-sealants / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Interior solid pine door
Doors and trim

Interior finishing

Adhesives and sealants: Modern homes have a lot more caulking and adhesives than older homes. Adhesives are liberally applied to many surfaces for ease and speed of job completion, as well as to prevent squeaking between flooring and joists, for example. Functionally speaking, caulking is used to prevent moisture and a...

Healthy indoor air quality

The impact of ambient fragrances on our health

Given that we spend about three quarters of our time indoors (counting both home and work), it is essential that we work to ensure clear indoor air quality. Contrary to what many people believe, indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air. How is inside air worse that outside air? The air you breathe inside orig...

DIY cork flooring pros, cons & installation guide with video
Flooring and stairs

Cork flooring installation - the eco-friendly flooring choice, with "how to" video

Cork flooring, pros & cons Cork is a renewable resource, harvested from trees without killing them. Although it comes from far away (mostly Portugal), its carbon footprint from transportation is quite reasonable given that it is light-weight and can be made very thin - so a lot packs into a shipping container. Cork...

Using caulk to make a seal, but which type is best?
Air and vapour barriers

Which is the best caulk or sealant for caulking windows and bathrooms etc?

Which is the best caulk or sealant? Finding the right caulking, and better still finding non-toxic caulk for sealing windows or doors, first requires identifying the exact type you need, which means choosing the right caulking for different surfaces and substrates. Hang on tight because discussing the various chemical ...