radon-water-0 / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Radon Mitigation - Installing a radon evacuation stack in a slab floor
Radon in Homes - Mitigation

Mitigating radon gas in homes

Radon gas builds up in homes and has serious health effects. Reducing radon gas in homes is cheap and easy with a slab floor barrier with proper sealing at junctions and evacuation stack which can vent naturally, or have a mechanical radon gas extractor fan fitted, depending on the levels of Radon in your home. Radon (...

Radon in Homes - Mitigation

Removing radon gas from well water

It is a very wise idea to have the air of your home checked for high levels of radon gas. Health Canada has identified exposure to radon gas as the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, estimated to be the cause of 16% of diagnosed cases in the country. A high reading may come, not from having a uranium so...

Preventing radon gas in homes starts with testing for radon - the only sure way
Radon in Homes - Mitigation

Radon Gas Awareness - Up to 10% of North American homes tested have unsafe radon levels

Why is Radon a Problem in USA & Canada? Radon gas is cancer-causing radioactive, invisible, odourless and tasteless in water and air, and we are surrounded by it without knowing at all times at some level. It is present in every breath you take, hopefully in very, very small quantities, but then how do we know? Rad...

Crawlspace radon barrier installation for radon mitigation
Radon in Homes - Mitigation

Removing radon gas from basements and crawlspaces

Radon Gas in Crawlspaces & Basements - why is it a problem? Radon gas was not high on the radar of builders and home owners over the last few decades, but as it is the second leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking) in the USA & Canada, it is quickly becoming a household term. Many newer homes will have rad...

Reduce water consumption with residential gray water recycling systems
Plumbing and water heaters

Gray water recycling

What is gray water? Or indeed grey water! The term “gray water” refers to all domestic waste water that is drained from sinks, showers, bathtubs and washing machines. While gray water can be reused, water from kitchen sinks or dishwashers is generally not recycled as it contains substantial amounts of grease and organi...

Water efficiency
Plumbing and water heaters

How to save money on your hot water bills!

How to save money on hot water: We will discuss a number of ways to conserve water, particularly hot water, but all of that starts with using less in the first place! Choosing low flow fixtures and toilets will save a considerable amount of water and money, and probably the quickest and cheapest way to save hot water i...

Gas powered tankless water heaters
Plumbing and water heaters

Are tankless water heaters good?

Tankless water heaters , on demand water heaters and  instantaneous water heaters are different names for the same thing - domestic hot water systems that do not include the storage tank that comes with traditional water heaters.  This type of water heating system can be advantageous in some climates, provided they use...

Installing a rainwater catment system
Rainwater Collection & Watering

Installing a rainwater catchment system

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...

Hydraloop gray water recovery and treatment systems
Greywater Recycling

At last, a compact & easy to maintain solution for gray water recycling & treatment - the Hydraloop

At last, a packaged solution for gray water treatment & recycling - the Hydraloop Reducing home water consumption is an increasingly important issue, as the world is already facing a global water shortage crisis. We don’t think much about it in Canada & America because most of us have yet to suffer the extreme ...

Are low-flow shower heads worth the money?
Bathrooms

Are low-flow shower heads worth the money?

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...

Heat pump hot water heaters, why they're a good idea
Plumbing and water heaters

How heat pump hot water heaters work and why you should get one

Heat pump electric hot water heaters, good or bad idea? Water heaters are generally the biggest energy drain in a home after heating. so Air-to-water heat pump water heaters are potentially a big energy saver, particularly when the main heat source in a home is an air source heat pump, as the water heater can in effect...