Ground cover for shade/ Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

“完美的草坪”伴随着非常沉重的环境成本!
Landscaping

Which are the best bee-friendly & Eco-friendly alternatives to grass lawns in backyards?

...forgrass -groundcovers! Choosing an alternative to grass as a backyard play areaforkids is not reservedfor‘hardcore environmentalists’; there are very sensibleground-coveralternatives that actually save a lot of maintenance, cost and water these are commonly referred to as “Groundcover.”GroundcoverPlant...

Urban farming
Landscaping

城市农业将美丽的花园变成了杂货店!

...groundcovers available that are low maintenance, require infrequent cutting and are even edible. View The EcoHome Guide to Eco-Friendly Lawn Alternatives andGroundCover这里的植物入侵物种:狗勒藤在安大略省和西魁北克很普遍©Ecohome在过去的几个世纪里,…

Dog strangling vine invasive species
Landscaping

Avoiding invasive species when landscaping

...coverforbirds and insects); They create migratory corridorsforurban wildlife by linking green spaces with each other (some plants may be sought by visiting species of birds and butterflies); Local plants improve biodiversity and create a local seed pool; They are less likely to consume large swaths of land al...

Frost Heave Prevention Helps Stop Frost Heaving Breaking up Home Foundations
New foundations and slab-on-grade

霜冻隆起的原因是什么?Preventing frost heaving is down to good foundation design

...forthermal mass . There is hardly any limit to theforce that can be exerted by water when it freezes; even the weight of tall buildings cannot withstand the damage that can be caused when iceforms below them. Aforce of 19 tons per square foot has been measured with one seven-story reinforced concrete frame buildi...

Step by step guide for slab-on-grade home construction
Slab on Grade

Slab-on-grade construction: the ecoHOME A to Z Slab building guide

...forthe insertion of perforated pipes that will be usedforradon evacuation purposes (see "Radon gas evacuation" below). The pipes should then becovered with a small amount of crushed stone. BUILDINGFORMWORKfora slab on grade: Defining the boundaries of the concrete slab can be done easily with wooden stak...

Outdoor solar shower
Solar thermal collectors

DIY solar hot water shower for the great outdoors

...forboth. Check out the step-by-step DIY solar shower instructions on the Endeavour Centre website.

Prefab frost-protected shallow foundation insulated form kit
Slab on Grade

Raft slabs - How to build Insulated Frost Protected shallow foundations (FPSF) on problem soils

...forunder a raft foundation Insulated slabforming systems Corner detailforinsulated slabforming system Skirt detailforfrost protected shallow foundation slabforms Rebar detailingforslab foundations Slab-on-grade floors are often heated, which provides a very comfortable and even dis...

Water efficient bathroom fixtures
Plumbing and water heaters

Plumbing & water

...Fora complete guide, see our pages on rainwater collection and storage . Aside from reducing your consumption ofgroundwater and the energy requiredforpumping, rain water is really the best thingforyour garden. Wells can have minerals that over time will contaminate your soil. If you are growing vegetables, y...

Resilient home construction - Kenogami House of the Year
Efficient home design

"The Most Resilient House in North America"

...forSustainability Northern Quebec isn’t a place where one might expect to lookfora model of resilience . It’s bone-chilling cold in the winter with 10,450 heating degree days per year (Fahrenheit degree-days, base 65°F); there isn’t all that much sunlight in the winter, and Quebec—let alone northern Quebec—isn’t t...

Rain barrels for storm water management and rainwater harvesting
Rainwater Collection & Watering

Introduction to rainwater harvesting

...for收集雨水。一座1000平方英尺的房子每英寸可以收集2300升雨水。So in an average year with 23 inches of rain in Toronto,forexample, that small roof could collect 53,000 litres of water. Rainwater collection and storage: A water catchment systemforroof rainwater is simple, an...

Passive Solar Home design at it's best - Kenogami House - EcoHome
Passive solar home design

Ecohome Kenogami House wins Home of the Year Award

...coverageforthe Saguenay region of Quebec, the Kenogami House had its heating system turned offfora 10 day stretch in February, yet maintained indoor temperatures in the mid 20s (°C) and dropped only to 20.4 °C after consecutive overcast days. To balance temperatures through the home, unheated water is pumped thro...