What makes a home green / Guides

...arnessing a naturally-occurring physical reality, 'the melting point'. When looking for commercially available phase change drywall and other building materials, we first came across Thermal Core, a drywall product said to contain microscopic acrylic capsules of a substance called Micronal, a high-purity paraffin wax...

...an make getting around often cheaper and quicker. Access to car share programs is also something to look into that can make a transition to a car free life a bit more painless. 2. Find green-lifestyle organizations in your area. There are many organizations, groups and web resources that encourage and teach green l...

...ady and able to offer up any information that makes you feel at ease with such an important financial investment. Do solar installers have a NABCEP certification? A certification from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners is not a prerequisite for declaring oneself a solar installer, and there ...

...al component of a wall system is having an intact air & vapor barrier . Without one, you sacrifice durability, energy performance and comfort. Air leakage makes homes drafty and very costly to heat, and escaping moisture will wreak havoc inside walls. Stripping exterior walls to the sheathing is a great starting place ...

...arket were made with materials that had different rates of expansion and contraction, which put additional wear on materials, led to seal failures, and caused films to slacken leaving that wavy look that was acceptable to absolutely no one. But even if the wrinkling doesn’t appear right away, it could still happen ov...

...at easy is better as far as gardening is concerned – then a lasagna garden may be the perfect fit for you. A Lasagna Garden is an easy way to convert a lawn into food producing garden Lasagne gardening also saves waste , as it makes use of materials that would otherwise be sent to landfills. So a big lasagna ga...

...ants as a priority. A home must be relatively simple and affordable to occupy, operate and maintain. Features: Ease of access to mechanical components for routine maintenance Designed for human comfort and ease of use. Exceptional indoor air quality Natural lighting Covered parking and entrances Materia...

...ally hard to say; there are so many variables and criteria to consider. Eidelweiss is a simply designed yet elegant Scandanavian feel, passively heated slab-on-grade rancher capable of housing a family of 4 comfortably in a sustainably sized home, without resorting to building a Tiny House . And best of all, it was d...

...air quality of our homes. Your carpet can be a warehouse of dust, dirt, pet dander, bacteria, mold and mildew. It might get vacuumed regularly but the fibres will absorb and hold any airborne contaminants and chemicals used around the home, including actual carpet cleaners. A handmade natural wool area rug is a nic...

...ain papers and cardboard contain chemicals, heavy metals and plastics Lasagna Garden size is Limited. It simply would not be practical to try to do an entire field in the lasagna garden method. In certain climates lasagna gardening encourages pests – slugs, snails, vermin, snakes and even alligators can all nest in...

...ance of any existing vapor barrier . In extreme cases you may want to hire a professional to check it out. Some home inspectors travel with a thermal imaging camera which can give you an accurate idea of where problem areas are in your wall, or we have used an affordable DIY option that can highlight problem areas wh...