Structural Wall Design

Wrap existing building envelopes in continuous insulation to eliminate thermal bridging and move the dew point safely outside the structural wall. A deep dive into building science, material selection, and structural detailing for high performance. Comprehensive thermal overcoating: a homeowner's & pro's guide…

A comprehensive guide to building with straw, covering durability, R-value, fire safety, and how to create a high-performance, beautiful, and sustainable home. Straw bale homes: a homeowner's & pro's guide There is a long standing myth that straw bale construction is an obsolete building method of the past, which is…

A homeowner's guide to the pros, cons, and costs of building with ICF blocks, and why they are the secret to a better, more affordable high-performance foundation or a whole resilient home in the toughest areas with high winds or structural loads. ICF blocks: A homeowner's guide to building a home with ICF…

A comprehensive guide to installing exterior insulation (EIFS) on brick homes, covering everything from surface preparation to attachment methods. EIFS over brick: a homeowners and pros guide EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems) are increasingly popular in new construction, and an excellent solution for…

A definitive guide to Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS), covering their components, benefits, drawbacks, and critical installation practices for superior energy efficiency. EIFS exteriors: a homeowner's and pro's guide In the world of modern building, you've likely seen homes and commercial buildings…

All about hempcrete - a carbon-negative and highly efficient building material for sustainable construction and renovation projects. Hempcrete walls: a homeowner's and pro's guide More people all the time are looking for more healthy and eco-friendly building materials that are sustainable, resilient and non-toxic…

Explore the timeless beauty and sustainable performance of rammed earth walls, covering everything from construction to climate adaptation for your eco-friendly home. Rammed earth walls for homes: a homeowner's & pro's guide Rammed earth as a building method dates back thousands of years, and in recent years, it has…

Stone farm houses from the 1800s are beautiful heritage homes to restore. But how do you insulate a stone house and keep the interior and exterior appearance as they are? Well, that's tricky, but this guide will give plenty of good advice to follow. Should you insulate an old stone house? Those beautiful old stone…

Larsen truss wall systems are ideal for improving wall insulation when renovating homes & for building new homes with high performance insulation systems & double-stud walls. Larson truss wall systems for new green home building & renovations for max wall insulation A Larsen Truss is a type of lightweight & non…

Whether a house is worth rebuilding or is better torn down depends on a lot of factors, many of them personal, but also financial considerations like grants, sustainability & current condition of the building structure. Should I renovate, remodel or rebuild? This very question comes up a lot for me during site…

Tips for preparing your house for winter: how to make your house more efficient to save money on heating, more durable to save disasters & maintenance issues & more comfortable to keep the family toasty through the winter. Top Tips for preparing a home for winter Extremely low temperatures over winter can test your…

With the help of The Healthiest Home in Ottawa, a couple in Aylmer, Quebec are the first in the National Capital Region to build a home with an innovative wall panel system from a U.S. company called K-Tect. Brian Allemekinders and Deidre Yukich say that despite their new home being twice the size of their previous…