"how to install siding"

how to install siding / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Doors and trim

Interior home finishing - How to create healthy and sustainable homes

...to put caulking if you can live with a more traditional look of trims, but regardless of how much you use it, try to find brands that are VOC-free. VOCs will continue to release toxic fumes for years after application. Water-based sealants and adhesives will be less toxic, and while silicone has a heavy ecological foo...

Decks, porches and gazebos

How to stain or paint Cedar wood decking when renovating old decks

...toxic to work with, more toxic to humans and pets while they cure and off gas, more difficult to clean up and they take longer to dry. Will an oil stained deck last longer than water based? Some say yes and some say no, so we tend to lean towards protecting environmental and human health when given the choice. Also, as...

Concept and design

How to protect your home from wildfires - a burning need to know.

...tory - had one thing in common: no combustibles close to the house. Even a few feet of stone around the foundation made a big difference. Precautions to cut the risk of fire in homes. It’s not always top of mind to think about fire when you’re looking for a home, but if you want to buy in the wildland urban interface,...

New foundations and slab-on-grade

What causes frost heave? Preventing frost heaving is down to good foundation design

...to fill your head with their own misconceptions to get the job. In most cold climates we have grown accustomed to having basements, and adopted the notion that a house needs to be in the ground to be below the frost line. That just isn’t so. You also do not need to pile dirt against the side of your house to stop it f...

Food production

Lasagna gardening - the easiest vegetable garden at home?

...topsoil, mix them together or sprinkle the soil on top. When ordering soil, you can also ask for a soil / compost mix to save a step, and lay that directly on top of the leaves. Different plants will benefit from different types of compost, but cross that bridge when you get to it; this is a rookie gardener page to get...

Concept and design

Important tips for a successful build or renovation

...to get you to the next stage of funding, you may find your project comes to a screeching halt. So be prepared and don’t rush into it! Take a look at these pages for some help in maintaining the cost of your project as low as possible: Top tips for building green homes on a budget How to stay on budget when building a ...

Tiny house

Are tiny houses good in cold climates?

...how to find more environmentally-friendly spray foam with lower emissions. A tiny home built on a slab on grade that isn’t going to have to move is a better idea than one that does move, but the reality is that a lot people are into Tiny House living partly to be able to travel with it. Which brings us to the one bui...

Cleaning and maintenance

Tips for keeping air clean during renovations

...to mention that they are present in the colourants. Check for asbestos: Asbestos can be present in homes built or renovated untill the 1990s. In the presence of asbestos, any renovation should be done by professionals to prevent health risks, not only to the workers, but also to the residents. How to identify asbestos...

Ventilation

Ceiling fans and air circulation- video

...how to start a garden and growing food at home in the following pages: Heat pump buyers guide - which heat pump is best? All about passive heating and cooling How to heat and cool your home without AC How to build a backyard greenhouse in cold climates Find more about green lifestyle choices and home constru...

Efficient home design

"The Most Resilient House in North America"

...to build a home that would keep his family safe no matter what nature threw at it. He sought the input of Ecohome and its Quebec counterpart, Ecohabitation, and together they set out to create a net-zero-energy home in this harsh climate. Along with engineer Denis Boyer, architect Lucie Langlois, and the director of Ec...

Windows and doors

Our top tips for buying high-performance windows

...How to install windows properly: Proper installation is the key to long window life and high performance. Buying the best windows in the world will be a waste of money if you install them poorly. Windows should be installed airtight with no thermal bridging and be able to shed any moisture that finds its way in. ...