Building science / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...Building Guide pages. Which rigid foam insulation panels to use where - polyiso v EPS v Styrofoam & alternatives Compare the carbon footprint of wood v steel vs. concrete buildings Why building a green sustainable home is the most affordable option The best resilient design features for new home constructio...

...building envelopes.  "Building codes are making you do stupid things. The laws of physics trump code."  - Joe Lstiburek This article was inpired by building scientist Joe Lstiburek, one of the most globally trusted and well-known names in building science who has left an indelible mark on the building codes of the Un...

...Building Science Corporation has to say about this type of basement wall assembly - "The experience by the Building Science Consortium with these two approaches has been bad. The Building Science Consortium has concluded that these two approaches are unsuitable for use by the home building industry due to serious probl...

...building industry experts that we have read and spoken with, is that OSB has a perm rating of 2 and plywood has a perm rating of 10. Those are the perm ratings you will find on many building information websites, though it conflicts with what is found in section 9.25.2.1 of the Canadian National Building Code, which ra...

...building design prioritized thermal comfort for occupants, it is likely we would see a lot more radiant heating, and certainly better building envelopes. If you are custom building a new home, your best chance for a comfortable and efficient final product would come by employing a designer who leans towards high-perfor...

...building envelope will store and release heat, the more dense they are the more pronounced the effects are.  Intentionally adding greater amounts of thermal mass in a building can be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on a lot of factors, and there is no right answer as to whether or not it will benefit you speci...

...building science  makes mundane tasks like folding laundry a joy.  This particular episode was about phase change building materials (PCMs) and how they can be incorporated into buildings to improve energy-efficiency by harnessing a naturally-occurring physical reality, 'the melting point'.   When looking for commercia...

...building materials with thermal mass benefits is concrete. In contrast to paraffin, 1 kg of concrete (Cp = 0.88 kJ/kg·K) would need 15.8 kJ to do the same. For water (Cp = 4.18 kJ/kg·K), the amount of energy required would be 75.2 kJ. Capturing the energy usually lost to the sky is the primary goal of rocket mass heate...

...building codes might save you money not only in the future, but immediately. The purchase and installation of greater levels of insulation will increase building costs and your mortgage payment every month, but that can often be offset entirely when you are rewarded with lower utility bills. Meaning, your monthly expen...

...building in the Ecohome Building Guide and these pages here :  How to properly insulate an attic When to replace old windows and when to repair them Which is the best insulation for attics? Top tips for small home repairs that save energy Find out about the benefits that come with a Free Ecohome Network Membe...

...building to passive solar principles, here's a general timeline for building an insulated and frost protected slab-on-grade foundation.   Remove the approximately 6 inches of organic material, two feet beyond where the building footprint will be. Build a retaining wall if necessary to create a level building surface. ...