Thyme grass/ Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...grasslawns - ground covers! North American backyards have one main point in common – Kentucky bluegrass. But here we’re talking about ground covers and alternatives to thisgrass, not a bunch of fiddle and banjo players jamming in your backyard. The traditional greengrasswe use to cover our front and back ya...

WATCH MORE sustainable building VIDEOS Once a decision has been made to choose between a crawlspace or a slab foundation , you need to know how to finish the edge off durably. Typically the exterior edge of a slab on grade is made of EPS foam and can be parged. Having used rigid Rockwool panels meant we needed a...

There is no question that the best way to lower emissions as we scurry about a city is to travel by foot, bike or public transportation, yet it’s unlikely we will see the end of the personal vehicle anytime soon. Transit would need to become much more extensive and gas much more costly for us to see any significant re...

Slab on Grade foundation, detail design; the basics There are many different soil conditions and corresponding slab designs. This page is about how to build a thickened edge concrete slab on grade FPSF footing on soil with a high water table to prevent frost heave, by first installing drainage below the slab. Rela...

At last, a packaged solution for gray water treatment & recycling - the Hydraloop Reducing home water consumption is an increasingly important issue, as the world is already facing a global water shortage crisis. We don’t think much about it in Canada & America because most of us have yet to suffer the extreme impac...

How and why to claim the Canada greener homes grant Buildings, including homes, account for 18% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. With the new greener homes grant the Government wants to encourage Canadians to make homes more energy-efficient so they can be more comfortable and more affordable to run, while also...

Is an insulated slab on grade the best foundation choice? Or is a basement better? Traditionally, home construction often starts with a concrete basement foundation - But is that the best choice? The first factors to consider when designing the foundation system for a home are lot size and soil conditions. When sp...

Materials in a home that act as thermal mass are things like concrete, masonry, ceramic tiles, even a large volume of wood like timber frames. Intentionally adding greater amounts of thermal mass in a building can be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on a lot of factors, and there is no right answer as to wheth...

According to Natural Resources Canada, over 20% of the energy consumed in Ontario is used to run homes. Of that 20% chunk, 80% is used for space and water heating alone. That means that making the right energy choices for your home has a significant effect on not only your personal finances but also our environment. ...

加拿大绿色住宅资助计划在7年内投资26亿美元，帮助全国各地多达70万名房主提高他们房屋的能源效率，减少他们的能源账单，资助金额高达5000美元，用于对他们的房屋进行节能改造，资助金额高达600美元用于帮助……

If you're like me and you love to grow your own food but have limited access to all day sun, do not fret - a bountiful harvest is still well within your reach. Just like the gardeners that grow them, many vegetables will actually appreciate a little respite from the sun during the hottest months of the growing season....