project-management / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

The following is an interview with Patrick Ranger, General Manager at Belvedair, a construction company specializing in the design and construction of green homes. Patrick is trained in business administration and information management, and is an experienced green building project manager. JP – Patrick, please tell us...

Curbside pickup of garbage, compost and recycling: To facilitate recycling and waste management, first determine just what services are available in your municipality so you can sort your waste properly. Not all collection and disposal services are the same in all regions - recycling, compost collection, toxic waste de...

There are probably only two general desires we share when imagining a dream house - we all want the nicest one possible for the least amount of money. And we want both of those things right away, rather than waiting a lifetime to see the 'payback' for noble design choices we might have made to save polar bears, bees, p...

Stormwater - why it's important to choose permeable surfaces for paths & driveways As cities expand into the green space around them, naturally permeable landscapes are replaced with buildings, roads and parking lots. This inhibits the natural water-filtering process that happens when micro-organisms in the soil br...

The sooner you register a project the better.  Ideally before design even begins, as knowing the requirements and understanding the rating system can help you from the initial stages, even as early as picking a location to build.  But a  project already underway is still eligible under certain conditions. Depending on ...

While governments have a role in shaping and improving the built environment through zoning, development bylaws and other means, developers also play a large role. They choose where to build, the types of homes or buildings that get built, and many of the details that make up a home, neighbourhood and community.  The b...

When buildings are decommissioned there can be a lot of valuable materials that could be used again, but when buyers can’t find sellers, otherwise usable materials are being sent to a land fill. There is a growing amount of used building materials that can be found at online classified websites such as Craigslist and K...

DIY Green Roof Installation The following DIY green roof video shows the steps needed to ensure your green roof will not leak. Watch more Green Building Guide videos from EcoHome on YouTube here The most common building material used for roofing in North America is asphalt shingles, and because of their poor durabili...

Though we all diligently cart our plastic to the curb for recycling, the sad reality is that only about 7% of it is commercially viable for recycling, the rest ends up as landfill. Plastic is a petroleum product that until now has been very inconsistent and unstable when returned to an oil form. Recently a North Americ...

The best way to reduce waste is to plan ahead to keep it at a minimum; here are some suggestions on how you can do that: Design your house with reduced waste in mind by keeping the plans at sensible dimensions. If you plan lengths to be 4 and 8 foot increments instead of 5 and 9, this makes the best use of industry st...

setting up a rainwater catchment system If it is not for financial reasons, why are you installing a water tank? Here are some reasons: To do your part for water conservation; to be able to water your garden with some independence from water restrictions; to use rainwater for laundry, showers and toilets; for increase...