low-voc / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

There is a current trend towards limiting the production of solvent-based paints, replacing them with solvent-free or water-based paints, often labelled as low-VOC paints or zero VOC paints. The move towards safe paint has led to a noticeable improvement in indoor air quality since the mid-seventies, and better even in...

Hemp is a very sustainable construction material that is no longer just a fringe product; rather, it is becoming a more accessible mainstream building product, most notably as hemp-batt insulation, and also hemp boards for cabinetry.  Why choose hemp building materials? The growing and harvesting of hemp is a far more ...

The floors you choose really create the atmosphere in your home and give it its identity. The first considerations should be to choose a durable and non-toxic floor to ensure safe indoor air quality. When you are making choices, find out the estimated lifespan and what maintenance is required to keep it in good conditi...

Are low flow shower heads worth it? So, let's start with this somewhat shocking reality -  North Americans will on average use over 1.4 million litres of water per year, or about 4 to 5 times that of most European citizens. This is according to the SDWF (Safe Drinking Water Foundation). That makes Canada and the US the...

Low-carbon concrete - green cement at last?  One of the most essential and commonly-used building materials in home construction, commercial buildings and city infrastructure is concrete, which has an extremely high carbon footprint, with cement production accounting for 7% of global carbon emission. This problem is c...

Construction is a dirty business, and living in a home under renovation can aggravate asthma and other respiratory illnesses, it can also lead to issues developing that people didn't suffer from before. Air that is full of dust and chemicals can cause respiratory irritations even among adults who don't suffer from such...

...low-VOC materials, minimizing the use of harsh chemicals, and ensuring proper ventilation, especially in new or recently renovated homes. Complementary strategies: In addition to air cleaning and filtration, practices like regular house cleaning, using doormats to reduce dust entry, and managing humidity levels can sig...

The challenges of specifying glass for windows, what are Low-E coatings? When it comes to building or renovating a home, choosing windows is about more than just the types of frames, what the frames are made of or how well they seal. It’s about specifying the right sealed glass units, which directly impact the energy e...

...low-VOC surfaces of various colors. The can be purchased pre-cast, or you can have them poured in place. The pouring-in-place option is a little trickier to get a quality product, as you would want to pour it and let it cure, then flip it so as not to have bubbles on the top.  Concrete kitchen countertop Soapstone ki...

Find non-toxic 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...

Making eco-friendly paint at home is easy when you know how If you want to decorate your home with healthy No VOC paints and finishes, you're in the right place! If you’ve ever stepped inside a natural building or a home with natural paints or plasters, you can tell instantly. Natural earth pigment colors and textures ...