leed-durability-plan / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

  Creating a durability risk evaluation and management plan means determining the specific risks and challenges your home would face - starting with the climate zone where you are building and moving on to building lot particulars. Two neighbouring homes will face many similar issues, but may have greatly differing one...

Water and moisture wreak havoc on homes, affecting function, durability and our health. Given that kitchens and bathrooms are the main source of humidity, we need to put extra thought into designing these rooms so they consume less, last longer, and help us maintain healthier homes. Durable water resistant surfaces wil...

What is the difference between a slab on grade & a crawl space? A slab on grade, or ‘frost protected shallow foundation’ is exactly that, a slab of concrete on the ground. There’s more to it of course, but let’s start with a ‘win’ in the comprehension department shall we?  A slab on grade rests directly on the gro...

Fitting Windows, how to fit windows correctly to avoid air or water leaks  Watch more Green Building videos here The Edelweiss LEED Platinum V4 Demo House has been oriented towards the south to increase passive heat gain and reduce energy demand during operation. Choosing higher quality windows on all sides of your ho...

Learn how the Ontario Climate Change Action Plan can benefit you directly.  In June 2016, the Ontario government adopted a new Climate Change Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation, industry and building sectors. This will be backed by an investment of $ 1.9 billion annually over the nex...

As part of its shift to a low-carbon economy, the Ontario government just released its Five Year Climate Change Action Plan to promote the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. What this means for homeowners and buyers, is that before a house can be put on the market it will require an energy audit and rating, w...

1. Make a realistic budget and schedule: This is, without a doubt, the starting point to a successful build - don’t underestimate the time and money it will take to complete a build or renovation. Even professional contractors tend to underestimate the costs and duration of a project. Get advice from multiple professio...

We've seen more and more headlines calling 3D Printed homes, "the way of the future," with their "construction in less than 24 hours!" Billed as the ideal solution to counter the global housing crisis and more resistant than traditional homes, the answer to the climate emergency according to many media reports is 3D pr...

Exceptional Prefab Eco Homes - introducing the Abri range These ultra high performance prefabricated homes have a size to suit every family and budget. With a contemporary style and extremely high quality of construction, these bright and well designed homes are an affordable and high quality choice when thinking of bu...

Shipping container homes are gaining popularity globally, especially as Tiny Houses, as they can be seductively attractive with their modern looking lines, colours and shape - but one question we've been asked consistently is: "Are shipping containers Good or Bad as homes - and for the Environment?"  Like many great id...

Invasive plants are defined as plants from other continents, countries or even other regions of Canada. Humans have been introducing foreign plants to new lands since the 17th century, for horticultural, agricultural or medicinal purposes. Due to a lack of natural competitors they can often propagate swiftly and comple...