rammed-earth / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Alternative wall coverings to drywall
Walls and Roofs

The best alternatives to drywall for finishing interior walls

Walls in residential homes are almost exclusively finished using gypsum board (either recycled or synthetic) because it is cheap and easy. It is however, not the only option for interior walls, and it has some other competition - especially in areas that may get humidity. We will start with drywall, but also list off a...

Aerial view of The Earth Rangers Centre (CNW Group/Earth Rangers)
LEED Homes

The Earth Rangers Retrofit a LEED Gold building and earn LEED Platinum

The Earth Rangers Centre located in Woodbridge, Ontario has been awarded LEED Platinum Certification from the Canada Green Building Council, for Existing Buildings (EB). The Earth Rangers Centre certified LEED Gold for New Construction in 2004, is home to Earth Rangers' Animal Ambassadors and staff and is also a showca...

Earth day celebrations for 50th Anniversary
Lifestyle and environment

50th anniversary Earth day 2020 taking place online

How & why we celebrate Earth Day, April 22nd Earth Day is one of the few globally celebrated days of observance in the world, with more than a billion people joining together in past years to show their support for environmental protection. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day (learn the history here) ...

Detergent-free eco friendly Laundry balls
Cleaning and maintenance

Do Laundry balls work?

While walking through a home show not long ago I came across a product that has always intrigued me, the laundry wash ball, some kind of magic bean that washes clothes without detergent. Curious but skeptical, I circled in for a closer look.  As the Ecohome Network is considered a trusted source of green building and h...

Tru Earth Eco strips laundry detergent reviews
Lifestyle and environment

Tru Earth Eco-Strip laundry soap reviewed as a liquid laundry detergent alternative

Do Tru-Earth Eco-Strips laundry detergent actually get clothes clean? Any new product such as this can be met instantly with skepticism, or at least perhaps ‘curiosity’ as to whether they will work as well as claimed. So the first question – Do Tru Earth laundry detergent strips actually work? We tried these laundry st...

Sustainable Habits at Home Make a Difference
Lifestyle and environment

Simple and affordable ways to live more sustainably every day

Let's be inspired, every day According to a recent survey sponsored by Google of more than 3,000 Americans by using a type of AI called natural language processing, which is where they cluster and analyze thousands of opinions by theme to identify how people felt about environmental issues.  The keyword for how we feel...

DIY Natural Earth Pigment Paint, Making it at Home is Easy
Healthy indoor air quality

DIY recipe for natural healthy paint

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 ...

Tips for Urban Gardening and Gardening in Small Spaces
Food production

Grow food at home: 8 great tips for growing food in small spaces

Many of us look forward to the unmistakable taste of fresh, locally grown vegetables and fruit, especially those that come from our own soil. For those of you who would like to grow food at home but have limited space, don't despair. Your dream of home-grown food is still within reach. You may be wondering how to grow ...

Keyhole Garden
Landscaping

The Keyhole Garden: An Introduction

A keyhole garden is a circular raised garden bed with a compost basket at the center and a keyhole-shaped path that allows access to the entire garden. The compost basket can be fed throughout the season and will continually break down and deliver nutrients to the bed for the duration, as will the chunky bits of organi...

Earthship in Taos, New Mexico, shame they don't work in cold climates
Concept and design

Do Earthships work in cold climates?

I'm not the Mike Reynolds who invented the Earthship, I'm the Mike Reynolds who thinks Earthships in Canada and other cold climates are a bad idea. A coincidence of names; just putting that out there so The Garbage Warrior doesn't get hate mail that belongs to me.  Where did the Earthship come from? It first showed up ...