Installing dense-packed cellulose in newly-framed walls By: greening homes

August 22, 2016
Green Materials, Indoor Health, Site Stories

Cellulose is an excellent insulation choice because of its high recycled content, low embodied energy, and – unlike foam-based insulation – it does not contain petroleum products. Its low off-gassing potential made it the ideal choice for the owner of a full-house gut project in Leslieville, whose health condition makes her sensitive to a variety of […]

Read More

Fort McMurray fires shine spotlight on toxic homes By: greening homes

June 14, 2016
Green Materials, Indoor Health

Several weeks ago we watched in horror as parts of Fort McMurray, surrounding communities and significant patches of the boreal forest went up in flames. Just recently we were reminded of another danger – the public health impact of toxic ash left over by burnt buildings. An article by the Canadian Press draws attention to […]

Read More

Greening Homes’ lasting legacy for youth home By: greening homes

June 10, 2016
Community, Green Materials, Indoor Health

On June 6, more than 20 Greening Homes crew and Legacy Project volunteers assembled and presented benchers and planters for Eva Phoenix’s new home on Brant Street in Toronto, helping to bring the outdoors in for the youth who live in this important transitional facility.  This initiative was part of the Canadian Green Building Council […]

Read More

Get ready to go green on your next home renovation By: greening homes

May 20, 2016
Green Materials, Resource Efficiency, Waste Diversion

This blog was published on Toronto Home Shows’ website, May 16, 2016. Once considered a niche market in the residential building sector, eco-friendly homes are becoming a mainstay, thanks to anticipated policy changes by the Ontario government. Ontario’s proposed Climate Action Plan includes new building code rules to improve energy inefficiencies and move homes off […]

Read More

Greening Homes wins two BILD awards for Summerhill renovation By: greening homes

March 11, 2016
Announcements, Awards, Green Materials, Indoor Health, Resource Efficiency, Waste Diversion

Greening Homes is thrilled to announce that it is the recipient of two BILD 18th annual Renovation & Custom Home Awards, one for Best Green Renovation and the other for the category: Best Renovation $300,000 to $500,000. The awarded project is a modern open concept renovation of a 100-year-old Victorian Semi-detached home in Summerhill. The awards were […]

Read More

Foam-Free Assemblies By: greening homes

February 2, 2016
Green Materials, LEED for Homes, Passive House

One of the most eye-opening seminars for me at the recent North American Passive House Conference was a talk by Carri Beer (Brennan+Company) and Michael Hindle (Passive to Positive) titled “Foam Free Assemblies for a Net Zero Passive House in Western Maryland”.  Michael spoke with great passion about the importance of material selection criteria other […]

Read More

Building healthy homes through non-toxic construction adhesives By: greening homes

November 30, 2015
Green Materials, Indoor Health

Building beautiful projects that are healthy for their occupants is one of our top priorities at Greening Homes. It’s our fourth core pillar: Ensuring Healthy Indoor Air Quality. We accomplish this by setting up dust separations, protecting sensitive materials and HVAC systems from contamination during construction, running HEPA air scrubbers, and using low-emitting and non-emitting products […]

Read More

Choosing Warmboard for this reno’s radiant floors By: greening homes

November 27, 2015
Green Materials, Project Update, Resource Efficiency, Site Stories

At our full-house renovation in Leslieville, the owners have decided to install a radiant heating system featuring radiant floors in the basement, first floor and second floor washroom with Stelrad radiators in the remaining rooms. We carefully reviewed three radiant floor options for the first floor, which included the staple-up method, lightweight over pour, and […]

Read More