"USA"

USA / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Lifestyle and environment

How to reduce energy bills this winter to help reduce the cost of living...

The current economic situation is pushing many Canadians and North Americans to reduce their expenses and consume energy more frugally - but that doesn't mean we have to act like Scrooge as we head towards winter. To face the rising cost of living driven by a growing energy crisis, here are some useful tips... Discover...

Tiny house

How can I put a tiny house on my property legally in the USA ?

...USA, and work hard to get the law changed where needed, and to give people access to this affordable type of home. To avoid being labeled as trailers or park homes, Tiny Houses on wheels still need to use standards available nationally related to the RV industry, and additional state laws typically require that they l...

Radon in Homes - Mitigation

Radon levels by State and Province - why a radon test is essential

...USA and Canada. EPA map of areas in the US at high risk of radon contamination in homes by State. Health Canada map of areas of Canada at high risk of radon contamination in homes by Province Where does radon gas come from? Radon is naturally present in the air at a minimal concentration, everywhere, all the time...

Planning and Design

Climate zones in USA & Canada for building homes

...USA & Canada? Using information gathered from 4,775 US weather sites, in the early 2000s, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory created a simplified map separating North America into 8 general climate zones based primarily on temperature. It was then divided into three moisture cate...

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...

Tiny house

Tiny houses - Washington State promotes tiny homes & eco-villages for affordable Housing in WA

WA paves the way for tiny home eco-villages: Tiny houses, also colloquially referred to as tiny homes, are both an increasingly attractive and affordable housing option as well as a trending alternative lifestyle choice across North America and Canada as people realize that “quality of life” doesn’t depend on surroundi...

Tiny house

Wikkelhouse: A tiny house made of cardboard

Seriously, no pun intended - it's just hard not to describe the cardboard Wikkelhouse as anything other than an extreme case of thinking outside of the box. It's like there is some kind of one-upmanship going on in the tiny house movement that has builders forever taking design and material use to new levels. Don't mis...