wall-cladding / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

What is the two thirds rule? How insulation and wall assemblies work best In the world of durable, high-performance green building, few concepts are as little understood as the two-thirds rule. It's pretty much common knowledge that in cold climates the vapor barrier goes on the inside of insulation, and in hot humid c...

LEED Platinum V4 wall design: building Science  The wall we designed for the Edelweiss house, Canada's first LEED Platinum V4 Home is best categorized as a 'REMOTE' wall, a high performance building envelope developed by the Cold Climate Housing Research Centre in Alaska. REMOTE stands for 'Residential Exterior Membr...

What is the best wall system for a home?  We're frequently asked which is the perfect wall system for high-performance LEED, Passive House or Zero Energy Homes, Well, a perfect Answer to that Is, first Ask the Right Questions! - After all, what is the best way to get from one place to another?  You have to choose betwe...

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...

Larson truss wall systems for new green home building & renovations for max wall insulation A Larsen Truss is a type of lightweight & non structural double-stud wall assembly that allows for thicker insulation, is ideal for dense-packed cellulose insulation wall systems and a very high R-value building envelope...

Is painting brick a good idea? Bricks will absorb moisture from the interior of a home and they need to be able to expel that moisture; applying paint to the exterior can cause the paint and masonry to lift, peel or crack as it can become susceptible to freeze thaw cycles in cold climates. Beyond just aesthetics, moist...

A technical guide to understanding the role weather barriers and rainscreens play in a wall, choosing the right products and installation tips for optimum performance. They're officially known as water-resistive barriers or WRBs, sometimes weather-resistive barriers, but in practical terms they are more commonly called...

  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...

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...

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,...

EIFS exteriors: a homeowner's and pro's guide In the world of modern building, you've likely seen homes and commercial buildings with a distinctive, smooth stucco-like finish. This is often an Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS), or an EIFS exterior. EIFS is a multi-layered wall assembly that offers superior t...