Foundation / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...foundations for homes not only prevents foundations from cracking, it also reduces energy consumption and global CO² emissions. The negative environmental aspects of concrete use can be mitigated by good engineering to use finite quantities based on structural need, and by using it proactively for thermal mass. There i...

...foundations (depth and type). A high water table might limit your options for a gabion wall too - unless outside and the water streaks and stains add to the aesthetic you're going for.  Gabion cages can be used to build exterior garden furniture Gabion vs. concrete: carbon emissions  The gabion wall has many advantag...

...foundation drainage, sump pumps, exterior foundation waterproof membranes and interior walls that can dry. All of these solutions can be applied when doing a full basement renovation that includes excavating to apply foundation waterproofing and insulation (see our pages on how to renovate basements so they don’t turn ...

...foundation see here, but we'll give conclusions below. Typically, the construction of a single family home in Canada & North America starts with a poured concrete footing followed by an 8-inch thick foundation wall, generally 8 to 10 feet in height. In a cold climate zone a basement foundation counts on being burie...

...foundation choice? Or is a basement better? Traditionally, home construction often starts with a concrete basement foundation - But is that the best choice?  The first factors to consider when designing the foundation system for a home are lot size and soil conditions. When space is limited (with total footprint and he...