siding-fiber-cement / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

The pursuit of a sustainable and fire-safe building envelope involves weighing complex trade-offs between different rigid insulation boards. While fossil-fuel-based materials like XPS and EPS face scrutiny for their embodied carbon and chemical blowing agents, they remain dominant for valid performance and cost reasons...

Siding is important! There is no stage of home construction that you should rush through, but if there were, it shouldn't be siding. Whatever type of siding product you choose, purchase and installation is not cheap, so you don't want to do it again anytime soon. Your siding needs to protect your home from the weather,...

Cedar shingles & shakes: a homeowner's & pro's guide Cedar shingles and shakes give a home a very natural feel that enhances any home's curb appeal. Known for their durability and insulation properties, these roofing and siding materials provide a beautiful, sustainable option for both new builds and renovation...

Siding installation The walls of your home are an environmental separator. Their job is to keep the inside in and the outside out. Exterior cladding or siding is your first line of defense against weather elements, and its job is to allow interior control layers (ie. the building envelope) to do their jobs without bei...

  This guide provides a comprehensive look at the key aspects of this topic. Below is an overview of the sections we will cover, allowing you to jump directly to the information you need. Comparison: metal vs. wood and other home cladding types Durability and performance Profiles and aesthetics of metal siding Metal s...

How to insulate house walls from the outside Adding extra insulation to the exterior walls of an older home when renovating or remodeling is a great way of improving a home's walls thermal performance and reducing energy use while reducing heating bills, carbon footprint and improving a building's comfort level. It may...

What is Shou sugi ban siding? © Resawn Timber Co. Shou sugi ban is an ancient Japanese carbonized wood finish created by burning the surface of wood to preserve it. The final product is also known as Yakisugi (yaki means to cook/burn and sugi is the Japanese name for cedar), but shou-sugi-ban seems to have won as the...

Stucco as an exterior home finish Stucco is a classic and versatile exterior finish that has been used for centuries to protect and beautify homes. A mixture of cement, sand, water, and lime, it is a durable and fire-resistant option that provides a seamless, monolithic look. However, choosing stucco for your home requ...

Prefab home kits are ideal for Passive House or LEED certified homes Écohabitation the French language Quebec organization, in conjunction with experienced LEED Architects & Passive House or LEED standard Kit home manufacturers, have launched a series of stylish & affordable prefabricated sustainable green kit ...

A comprehensive guide to hemp insulation: a sustainable choice for insulating homes Hemp insulation is quickly becoming one of the most popular materials chosen for sustainable property owners who want to improve efficiency and make their homes green. As the focus on green building materials grows, hemp has emerged as ...

Dense-packed cellulose insulation - the history In 2005, Metric Homes of Carp, Ontario designed and built Canada's first Energy Star labelled home in Canada. This home was built with dense-packed (or dense-blown) cellulose as the wall insulation of choice. Their intent was to produce a better built home with the goal o...