residential / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

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

Gray water recycling

...residential purposes. It is also essential that you have a good number of easily-accessible, coarse filters as they are the first line of defence against obstructed pipes, which moreover need to be cleaned on a regular basis. While many aspects of sustainable building and lifestyles are cost effective, gray water recyc...

Construction of a 3D printed concrete home © all3dep.com
Architecture and plan design

3D Printed Homes: Is this the Future of Residential Construction?

...residential and commercial construction boom. Verdict: 3D homes are still in the experimental phase. They don't seem to offer any real cost savings at this time. We will have to wait a few years to obtain more conclusive data. 3D Printed homes, a solution to the housing shortage? For many media outlets, one reason for ...

Wood is certainly the future of construction for mid-rise buildings in Canada
Wood and organic materials

The construction of mid-rise residential buildings in Canada - wood or concrete?

...residential wood construction projects. CLT & glulam wood frame structure in residential mid-rise construction in Canada  - image © Adrien Williams The strategy: helping builders succeed by adopting modern cost-effective practices for mid-rise residential construction Are the true benefits of wood-frame glulam c...

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...

Water efficient bathroom fixtures
Plumbing and water heaters

Plumbing & water

Home water consumption in Canada: On average, Canadians use over 300 litres of water per person, per day. Compare this to consumption in the UK of 200 litres per day, and 150 litres per person per day in France. Hopefully, as we see the beginnings of water shortages hit closer to home, this serious issue will garnish m...

Wooden mid rise construction time lapse video
Wood and organic materials

Mid-rise construction time-lapse video with CLT & glulam beams

...residential building) The glulam beams and CLT wood panels for the Arbora mid-rise were constructed quickly with only 7 on-site workers, giving a nearly 600,000 sq. ft. surface area that was finished to create a community of 273 condominiums, 30 townhouses and 130 rental units for a total of over 430 residential units....

How do Heat Pumps Work? Ecohome Explains all about Heat Pumps...
Heat pumps, geothermal and AC

Heat pumps: what they are and how they work

Heat Pumps explained simply When it comes to residential heating and cooling systems, few types of heating systems are as energy efficient as heat pumps. But what exactly are heat pumps and how do they work? In short, a heat pump is simply an electrically powered device that is capable of transferring heat from one pla...

Understanding sound transmission in homes
Insulation and soundproofing

Understanding sound transmission in buildings

Before embarking on any structural changes, it is most important to understand that the sound isolation between two homes is not determined only by the common wall or floor. All the other parts of the construction - side walls, ceilings, floors under walls - can transmit sound. Flanking sound transmission (see below), ...

Are low-flow shower heads worth the money?
Bathrooms

Are low-flow shower heads worth the money?

...residential homes. A more efficient shower head can pay for itself in 6 months of savings on your hydro bill Conclusions from an in-house test done by our Quebec office Ecohabitation shed some light on modern water saving fixtures. The consensus is that you can't actually tell the difference between a 9.5 lpm and a hig...