brick-homes / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Repainting and refinishing brick facades
Exterior cladding

All about painting brick, is it a good idea and what paint to use?

Is painting brick a good idea? Bricks will absorb moisture from the interior of a home and they need to be able to expel that moisture; applying paint to the exterior can cause the paint and masonry to lift, peel or crack as it can become susceptible to freeze thaw cycles in cold climates. Beyond just aesthetics, moist...

Alternative wall coverings to drywall
Walls and Roofs

The best alternatives to drywall for finishing interior walls

Walls in residential homes are almost exclusively finished using gypsum board (either recycled or synthetic) because it is cheap and easy. It is however, not the only option for interior walls, and it has some other competition - especially in areas that may get humidity. We will start with drywall, but also list off a...

How to Insulate Exterior Walls from the Outside US Canada Ecohome
Walls and Roofs

The easiest way to insulate walls from the exterior in older homes

How to insulate house walls from the outside Adding extra insulation to the exterior walls of an older home when renovating or remodeling is a great way of improving a home's walls thermal performance and reducing energy use while reducing heating bills, carbon footprint and improving a building's comfort level. It may...

Understanding sound transmission in homes
Insulation and soundproofing

Understanding sound transmission in buildings

Before embarking on any structural changes, it is most important to understand that the sound isolation between two homes is not determined only by the common wall or floor. All the other parts of the construction - side walls, ceilings, floors under walls - can transmit sound. Flanking sound transmission (see below), ...

Real estate

Real estate

For most of us, purchasing or building a home will be the biggest investment of our lives. This section is about knowing what to look for in new homes to get the best value for your dollar, or what to look for in a building lot for the same reasons. What to look for in a location: Being close to where you work and pla...

Home construction
How to Find Qualified Green Building Professionals

Hiring professionals or doing it yourself

1. Hiring an architect: We discussed previously the idea of choosing an architect that specializes in high-performance Eco-friendly home design and can co-ordinate the work. They should be able to help you find general contractors and subcontractors that can help you carry out your work according to plan. This route is...

Techniques for reducing sound transmission in buildings
Insulation and soundproofing

Controlling sound transmission in buildings

The first step to controlling sound transmission in buildings is assessing the situation. What kind of noise is it? Noise in buildings is usually assigned to one of three classes: Airborne sound: Sound such as voices, TV or stereo sounds. The source does not strike or vibrate against the structure of the building. Stru...

Buying a Fixer-Upper vs. Move-In Ready or New Home, Which is Best?
Real estate

Buying a Home: Is a Fixer-upper, New, or Move-in-Ready Renovated Property the Best Choice?

The classic dilemma when buying a property is whether to buy new, to buy something older but move-in-ready, or to buy a complete fixer-upper? For a first-time homebuyer seeking an eco-friendly home it's even more complicated! This puzzle can feel as baffling as choosing between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice cre...

Smart homes: Remotely control and monitor your energy consumption
Efficient home design

Smart homes: efficiency, comfort & convenience at our fingertips

So what is a smart home? When paired with intelligent and connected home devices, the phones that most of us carry in our pockets can make our homes safer, more comfortable and durable, and reduce our home energy consumption by as much as 30% if carefully configured and specified. Heating systems and lights can be turn...

Resilient Homes, why they're important in dealing with Climate Change
Lifestyle and environment

Resilient Homes; Why we need to build to withstand climate change events

Future-proofing homes for Climate Change:  Anticipating future climatic challenges and constructing resilient buildings to withstand them should be an important consideration when building any new home - but we're often told that "a Green Home costs more", and too many people then decide in the face of resistance from ...

How radiant floors work
Delivery: radiant, forced-air and decentralized

How to design for thermal comfort in a home

Have you ever noticed that at times you can feel cold in your home even though the air temperature is exactly where you like to keep it? That's because, contrary to what most of us think, air temperature is not the main factor that determines human comfort in a building. To illustrate a point, let's start outdoors. I m...