How to / Guides

...How to spot an Ice Dam on a Roof © Ecohome Ice Dams can cause damage to homes and buildings © Ecohome Now you know what causes Ice Dams and How to Fix Them, find more Tips for Getting a House Ready for Winter , Why is there ice in my attic, and how to fix it? and the Best Energy Saving...

...how to stay on budget during a construction or renovation project? PR - Obviously it is important to be rigorous in monitoring costs at every stage. It’s not enough to establish a detailed budget – you need to comply with it, and track all the expenses during construction and renovations to ensure that the establishe...

...to reduce your environmental footprint in these pages : How to sort and dispose of compost and household waste Use your kitchen waste as compost to grow food in a backyard lasagna garden How to dispose of construction waste responsibly Where to buy and sell used building materials online F...

...How to" Guides are here on Ecohome Some of the most popular questions we get asked about noisy baseboard heaters are… What can I do to stop electric baseboard heaters making clicking and banging noises when they’re turned on? Why do baseboard heaters continue to be noisy when switched off? How to deal with ...

...to PM2.5 has been associated with respiratory and cardiac issues. When patients who already have respiratory or cardiac conditions are exposed to PM, their symptoms can worsen. For example, asthma patients may suffer flare-ups. According to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, outdoor particle levels increase t...

...to be great but it needs to allow continuous drainage without creating pockets where water can be trapped inside wall assemblies (referred to as perched water ). Correctly installed siding should also allow air to flow through from top to bottom, taking advantage of natural convection to remove moisture. 1x4 and 1x3 ...

...to building smaller homes which don't sacrifice quality of life is ensuring that they are designed to make the best use of their space no matter how limited. However, you must also ensure that there is sufficient privacy by eliminating unwanted sound transmission through walls. In this way, smaller homes can give the i...

...to reduce waste is to plan ahead to keep it at a minimum; here are some suggestions on how you can do that: Design your house with reduced waste in mind by keeping the plans at sensible dimensions. If you plan lengths to be 4 and 8 foot increments instead of 5 and 9, this makes the best use of industry standard dim...

...How to find a certified Green Builder? It’s not common to find a reliable ‘green home listing’ or ‘green pages’ in specific regions, so choosing a quality general contractor with experience building efficient homes can be tricky. Here are some tips of where to look, what to look for, and what to avoid. First, start...

...to go check the intake. How to clean HRV cores and filters: First check the air intake to make sure it is clear of debris Open the main hatch on the HRV unit, the core and filters should be fairly easy to remove. Pay attention to how they come out to ensure they go back in in exactly the same position. If the...

...to avoid using your stove on the hot days. Preparing cold meals like salads, sandwiches or fruit plates can be a huge help in keeping your home temperature down. Take short showers or shower cold: a hot shower can add a lot of heat and humidity to a home, not to mention the residual heat that will radiate from the ho...