"how to install siding"

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

Decks, porches and gazebos

Building a deck? Our top tips to make your deck last longer

...to enjoy a cool beer. This is why building code and permits exist - to ensure a minimum safety standard is met. Depending on how meticulous your municipality or state is, you may need a permit and you may need to show drawings to get one. This is why you should first learn what the local setbacks and permit requirement...

Exterior cladding

All about painting brick, is it a good idea and what paint to use?

...how it can help showcase reducing the carbon footprint of eco homes and sustainable construction. Find more pages about sustainable and resilient green building techniques here : Buyers guide for house siding - find the best exterior cladding here When to replace old windows when renovating How to install siding...

Real estate

Evaluating a home before purchase: how to recognize value and potential problems

...to see how clean they are underneath; they can be cleaned but that's a cost you should factor into an offer price. Bathroom water damage: Does it have wood around wet areas? Are there signs of water damage anywhere? Are the faucets leaking (and how easy are they to fix?) Are toilets and faucets modern low-flow models? ...

Efficient home design

What is a thermal bridge and why is it so important to break it?

...how walls work well and efficiently Rigid foam panels, which are best - EPS, XPS or polyiso? How to design a home for efficiency and thermal comfort Larsen trusses - how to insulate exterior walls to meet Passive House standards And sign up here to promote your business with a free Ecohome Network Membershi...

Heat pumps, geothermal and AC

Increased efficiency with heat pumps working in tandem

...To tackle that we have two heat pumps that together will drop that demand dramatically. A Mitsubishi 'Mr. Slim' split heat pump will provide heat to the house; we also have a heat pump water heater from AO Smith. The Mr. Slim operates efficiently down to -25 celsius at close to a 3 to 1 ratio of consumption, meaning 3 ...

Lifestyle, location and commuting

EV home charging stations - how to decide which is the best EVSE for you

...to install a home charger, read this guide to find out about electric vehicle charging, and where to charge EVs in public places. To be clear, it’s a bit misleading to say we’re providing guidance about how to choose EV chargers because we’re really talking about is choosing and buying the best EVSE - which is essentia...

Basements improvements

Why are basements moldy? How to fix or prevent a moldy basement

...too much or too little moisture in our homes. There are bacteria, viruses, moulds and mites that will show up on either end of the spectrum if your air is either too humid or too dry. As the EPA say, somewhere in the range of 35 to 50% relative humidity is generally assumed to be the best for avoiding most health risks...

Crawl spaces

How to insulate crawlspaces properly as part of renovating an older home

...to the walls behind the studs and into the cavities, you can leave enough room to do any wiring if required. Spray foam insulating basement walls © Bala Structures The foam needs to then be covered with drywall as fire protection, which can be attached to the stud wall. No vapour barrier is required in addition to sp...

Efficient home design

Insulation in green home building, a balanced approach to putting it where it does the most good

...to insulate a home; Find all you need to know about high performance construction in the Ecohome Green Building Guide, or see these pages: Choosing the right insulation for the right application Rigid insulation boards - choosing the best ones and where to use them How to design a home that uses less energy Res...

Lifestyle and environment

DIY non-toxic all natural Easter egg dye.

...how to make your own non toxic easter eggs, find more DIY home projects and all you need to know about sustainable lifestyles in the Ecohome Building Guide and in these pages : DIY recipe to make your own natural non toxic paint How to grow microgreens in your home DIY recipe to make your own horse chestnut lau...

Solar photovoltaic

All about solar panels - the different options and how they work

...today and how this technology is being applied throughout Canada and the world. About solar - how it works While the specifics behind solar power are perhaps a bit on the technical side for some homeowners, the basic principles are straightforward and easy to understand. Standard solar panels - or photovoltaics (PV) as...