pellet-stoves / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

These wood pellet stoves need no electricity Burning wood to heat a home does not make you an eco-terrorist, let's get that one point out of the way first. Trees are a renewable resource and they are, in effect, solar energy batteries whose energy is accessed when we burn them.  After the 1998 Eastern Canada ice storm,...

There has been an increase in the use of wood and other biomass fuel for heating homes across the colder parts of North America & Canada for the last decade. In Eastern Canada and the USA in particular this trend was largely triggered by one storm in 1998. There was a noticeable spike in woodstove sales in 1999 thr...

Gas stoves - are we playing with fire? Fossil fuel gas stoves and gas cooktops, greenwashed as being 'natural' gas, are even more of a problem than most people realize, especially if concerned about the keeping everyone in the family in good health! The Asthma Society of Canada says that the number of asthma cases bein...

Wood burning inserts and stoves - which are best & which burn cleanest? Reading the specifications to find the best wood burning fireplace inserts or wood stove can be rather complicated, so how do you choose? Let's shake loose the important points from all the technical jargon and make the process a bit more enjoy...

Can you put wood burning stoves in airtight homes? There is an inherent feeling of resiliency that comes with having a wood stove, in that you know you can keep your home warm in the case of a power outage. The concern with wood burners in modern airtight homes is that fire needs a supply of oxygen. This guide covers t...

Understanding how firewood burns, the technical details Stage 1: The evaporation of moisture – otherwise known as “getting the d@mn thing going” If you’ve ever tried to burn wet or unseasoned wood in your fireplace you’ll know how very frustrating this stage can be. Gathering crumpled paper, kindling, an armful of smal...

Having a backup heat source that can operate without electricity should be an important consideration for many homeowners in colder climate zones, especially those who rely on a heat pump or electricity as their primary source of heat. In this guide, we will explore the various factors that can influence the need for a...

If a masonry heater is the refined, commercially installed option for thermal mass heating, the Rocket Mass Heater (RMH) is its radical, ultra-efficient cousin often found in the permaculture and natural building movements. There is nothing to stop anyone from putting rocket stove in a more modern home, as a technolog...

There is a specific quality of warmth that comes from a masonry heater that is unlike any other heating source. It is often described as feeling like the warmth of the sun on a rock. While standard wood stoves can overheat a modern, well-insulated home, a masonry heater acts as a massive thermal battery, storing intens...