"choosing windows"

choosing windows / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Paints, finishes and natural coatings

Choosing safe paints

...choosing non toxic paint and finishes for your home. Find all you need about indoor air quality in the Ecohome Green Building Guide, or see these pages: The importance of air quality in homes How to choose between a HRV & ERV ventilation system How to prevent mold while building and renovating basements How...

Walls and ceilings - interior surfaces

Choosing the best drywall - video

...choosing drywall, find more about green home buildng in the Ecohome Building Guide and these pages here: Wood ceilings or drywall, which is better and which is cheaper? Choosing safe healthy paints to protect indoor air quality Non toxic wood finishing oil for furniture and finishes Non toxic natural MDF alte...

Wood and organic materials

All about wood

...choosing sustainable wood products, Find all you need to know about sustainable high end home construction in the Ecohome Green Building Guide and these pages below: How to build a performance home with less lumber and more insulation How to choose a wall system for energy efficient home building Which is better,...

HRV and ERV

Choosing between an HRV and an ERV

...choosing formaldehyde-free kitchen cabinets is recommended.) To remove the excess humidity generated by normal human activity in order to ensure building durability and efficiency in heating, and to help prevent mold & mildew in homes. Health Canada recommendations for optimum indoor air quality © Health C...

Roof coverings

Which is Better - Metal Roofing or Asphalt Roofing Shingles?

...choosing the more expensive roof covering difficult. Asphalt shingles may be the only option for homeowners on a budget, or those looking for a traditional look. For such cases we would at least encourage choosing a more durable shingle with as long a lifespan as possible but don't believe the hype about a long warran...

Choosing where to live

Moving to the country - living a rural lifestyle

For those that aren't made for the bustling lifestlyle of cities, small towns can be a dream come true. The nature of small towns is one of community and accessible downtown cores. Essential services like grocery stores, banks and post offices are usually grouped closely together, as are schools, so children can ofte...

Choosing where to live

Living a greener lifestyle in the suburbs

The ecological impact of suburban living: U.S. studies regarding the energy impact of population by location shows 55% of the energy consumed by a family living in a house in a suburban area is from travel. The figure drops to 26% for the same family living in the same house located in a neighborhood where work and key...

Exterior cladding

Choosing the right exterior siding for fitting, cost comparisons & appearance

...choosing and installing siding, it's important to remember that the exterior wall surface of your home needs to be able to be able to dry. That means allowing any water that gets in to drain out, and letting humid air escape - in modern energy efficient green homes using sustainable home design, the siding's principle ...

Insulation and soundproofing

Choosing the right insulation: the pros, cons and applications for walls, slabs and basements

Not all insulation materials are the same, and they are not always interchangeable A basic understanding of how walls work is needed to help you understand what you can reasonably expect insulation and building materials to do for you when they are part of a wall assembly. If you have a working knowledge of building sc...

Wall assemblies - new construction

Lumber choices for wood frame construction - choosing timber for framing & building homes

...choosing wood for framing: Canadian Lumber Standard timber, commonly referred to as CLS wood timber became popular in Canada for building strong and durable timber-framed homes but is rarely referred to as CLS lumber in North America. This timber is usually manufactured from kiln-dried fir, pine, or spruce. It is then ...

Wood stove and biomass heat

Choosing the best wood-burning fireplace inserts or stoves for heat output & the environment

...choosing a stove for a sustainable lifestyle and for the minimum environmental impact. When choosing a stove or fireplace, below is an example of some of the numbers that you will need to look at, their value lies mostly in being able to compare one wood burning stove against another: Maximum output capacity with dry ...