I am always amazed at house construction where so often things are half built or more while people are running around beginning to think about "extras" that should never be though of as "extras" but as part of the essential system. So time for one of my lectures -- (you asked for it).Heating is o...
Bernice from Midland, Ontario wants to know how to get more insulation into her vaulted, or cathedral ceiling.The common problem with structures like this, that we call "compact roofs", is that there is not usually enough space for a lot of insulation and a lot of ventilation. In fact, when the ...
What is an Enviro Home? It is an energy efficient R-2000 house that in addition meets a series of environmental requirements that relate both to the process of construction as to the final quality of the house.One example of environmentally friendly construction practices is the re-use of wood. ...
Ted is looking to build his own home and wants to know if he can get a book that will give him the specs for an R-2000 home. He wants to do it right!The answer is Yes and No, Ted. There is a publication that illustrates many of the techniques used in R-2000 homes, in fact there is a new edition...
Joan from Armstrong, BC is having trouble adjusting the ventilation system in her new home to keep condensation off the windows. She told us the kind of system she has and said that it was required by the building code. Actually no specific system is required by any of the building codes. ...
Air-change ventilation systems exist that take stale air out and bring fresh air in so as to not rely on cold air drafts for the entry of fresh air to the house. They are simply a box with two fans. In a few of the warm spots of Canada these are legitimate systems on their own. In most of Canada ...
I remember years ago, touring Quebec delivering CMHC builder and renovator courses in an effort to get contractors into trouble free window installations. Aside from the fact that they all had the funny habit of installing their windows in French, I was really intrigued to discover that each regi...
June is building a new home in Kenora and they have decided to make what is often called a double wall structure to have room for lots of insulation. They are intending to build with 2x6 walls and then add another 2x4 on the inside to hold more insulation. They have been told that they could do s...
