"Renovation"

Renovation / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Bathrooms

Faulty toilet flappers are the leading cause of leaking or running toilets, here's how to fix them

Why fix a leaky toilet flapper? Another of the jobs that sat on my Honey-Do-List for quite a while longer than I care to admit has been to fix the leaking toilet flapper in the bathroom at the cabin - made worse by us being off grid and only having a relatively small amount of water available in our outside rainwater c...

Bathrooms

DIY Bidet installation video

Should we consider adding a bidet? Although quite popular in Africa, Asia and Europe, the bidet has been slow to gain popularity in America. Could it be that we are just creatures of habit? Does the idea of a jet of water blasting your nether regions seem a hard leap to make at first? Well, you’re probably not the on...

Walls and Roofs

The easiest way to insulate walls from the exterior in older homes

...renovation and insulation project is educating yourself - so you don’t get talked into the wrong wall system by a poorly-informed general contractor. Start by watching our ‘building science made easy’ video below. What is the right amount of insulation for walls? Determining your climate zone will help decide on an ...

Walls and Roofs

Condensation on windows is a pain but is it a problem & how to stop it?

...renovations and repairs So, the question is – what should we do about condensation? How do we fix and prevent condensation in our homes? Condensation in homes – the basics So what is condensation? Condensation in its purest form is caused when humidity in the air comes in contact with a cold surface and it condenses ...

Interiors

Are laminate countertops good for a sustainable green home?

...renovations or sustainable green building techniques in general, visit the EcoHome Sustainable Green Building Guide Pages here.

Wall assemblies - new construction

Larsen truss wall systems with double-stud construction & extra insulation for new homes & energy efficient home renovation

Larson truss wall systems for new green home building & renovations for max wall insulation A Larsen Truss is a type of lightweight & non structural double-stud wall assembly that allows for thicker insulation, is ideal for dense-packed cellulose insulation wall systems and a very high R-value building envelope...

Healthy indoor air quality

Why you should Never Install Air-Con in a Home with a Vapor Barrier

Vapor Barrier + Air-Con = Damp Moldy Walls So here's a little known fact that most HVAC installers won't tell a potential new client for central air; Polyethylene vapor barriers in combination with air conditioning in homes can rot walls because of the condensation they may cause. This is why if you have a newer home w...

Basements improvements

Why are basements moldy? How to fix or Prevent a Moldy Basement

...renovation beginning with breaking and removing the existing concrete floor. Most older basements have very limited head room and owners are often reluctant to lower it even more by adding insulation to the floor. It also allows for the addition of a radon evacuation stack, which is the perforated tube and T-junction i...

Kitchens

Formaldehyde-Free Green Kitchen cabinetry for a Non-toxic Home - Price Comparisons

...renovation by River Woodworks © Ecohome Custom green kitchen renovation by River Woodworks © Ecohome Formaldehyde-free kitchen cabinet renovation by River Woodworks © Ecohome Green kitchen cabinets in a Custom kitchen renovation by River Woodworks © Ecohome Article written with the ...

Paints, finishes and natural coatings

Natural wood finishing oil is non toxic too

Livos is a Quebec manufacturer of natural wood finishing oils, and they are very transparent about the composition of their products which are mainly plants and some other natural materials. There are also no heavy metals used in the colouring pigments, so it is a completely sustainably-made and healthy product. "In o...

Walls and ceilings - interior surfaces

Wood Ceilings or drywall - how to choose your ceiling material & what's the difference in cost?

Wood ceilings - what's the the skinny? Ahhh, the charm of a wood ceiling, seriously, what's not to like? The intent of this page is less about talking you out of installing gypsum board (drywall), and more about giving you a little encouragement if you are hesitantly considering a wood ceiling. It’s a natural product t...