Off-gassing / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...off-gassing, is a crucial factor to consider when designing a high-performance building envelope. To achieve an initially high R-value (e.g., R-6.0 or more per inch), manufacturers use special blowing agents (gases with a much lower thermal conductivity than air) to inflate the foam’s tiny, closed cells. While highly e...

Are foam insulation panels a green choice? The short story is, maybe. And the long story is, well.... When we launched Ecohome about a decade ago, our mission was to create a green building website where homeowners and builders could learn how to make informed design and product choices and build sustainable, energy-ef...

  Is vinyl flooring safe in homes or toxic? The production of vinyl (also known as PVC- polyvinyl chloride) accounts for approximately 40% of the chlorine gas produced in North America. Vinyl is highly polluting in production, and as a building product it is susceptible to UV exposure, causing it to break down and rele...