Green, Healthy & Sustainable - Renovations, Additions & New Buildings

Explore this small sampling of what is possible in a Green, Healthy & Sustainable Renovation, Addition, or New Building;

WALLS – EXTERIOR

  • Local, reclaimed, recycled, or windfall, wood framing and/or posts
  • Durisol insulated wood concrete forms (cement bonded blocks)
  • Strawbale (straw, hemp, flax) & cob (earth & straw mixture applied by hand)
  • Chordwood (earth and wood logs)
  • Earth - Rammed earth, earth bag, compressed earth block, adobe earth blocks
  • Local natural stone (non-quarried)
  • Wine, jug, beer bottles (e.g. Heineken WOBO beer bottle bricks)
  • Urbanite – recycled discarded, broken concrete rubble (foundation stone)
  • Lime Plaster finish

WALLS – INTERIOR

Local, reclaimed, recycled, or windfall, wood framing and/or posts

  • Magnesiacore (100% non-toxic drywall vs. typical gypsum drywall)
  • Eco-drywall
  • Earth, lime plasters with natural pigments
  • ‘0’ or low VOC Paints & Finishes
  • Lazure painting technique (organic paints, glazes & pigment washes)
  • Water based stains, clear coat finishes, natural pigments, milk paints

ROOF

  • Wood shakes
  • Recycled plastic shingles (Enviroshake)
  • Clay, Terra Cotta, slate tile
  • Lightweight concrete (Unicrete)
  • Metal (sheet or interlocking)
  • Minimum 2’ overhang to protect plaster finishes
  • Cellulose Insulation (blown recycled wood fibre/newspaper)

FLOORS

  • “0” or low-emitting VOC’s & glues for compressed flooring, sealants, finishes
  • Natural wood – Recycled, reclaimed, FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council - certified to come from sustainable forests)
  • Bamboo, cork, sorghum
  • Compressed earth
  • Hempcrete (concrete with lightweight hemp includes high insulation properties)
  • High fly-ash concrete (40% fly ash content)
  • Radiant in-floor heating
  • Pure wool, cotton or bamboo, loose carpets

CABINETRY/COUNTERTOPS

  • “0” or low-emitting VOC’s for cabinet boxes, doors, sealants, finishes
  • Solid wood – reclaimed, recycled, FSC certified (sustainably harvested wood)
  • Bamboo, Plyboo, sorghum
  • Medite, straw/wheat board (no formaldehyde off-gassing)
  • Glass, metal
  • IKEA cabinets/doors (constructed with high European standards of low formaldehyde off-gassing)
  • Countertops - compressed earth (built up in multiple layers with oil in-between), high fly-ash concrete, papercrete, Verterazzo (glass colourfully embedded in concrete), recycled plastic, tile (mosaic, recycled, glass, ceramic), granite/marble, stone, salvaged stone slabs or wood, solid or butcher block wood with water based adhesive

LIGHTING

  • Design for as much natural light as possible
  • CFL or LED light bulbs in basement, hallways or outdoors (limited healthy light spectrum – has only 2 of required 7 rays)
  • Full spectrum incandescent lights (used sparingly for best quality of light)
  • Beeswax or soy candles (paraffin is made from crude oil by distillation then purified by solvent refining)

ELECTRICAL, EMF & GEOPATHIC STRESS PROTECTION

  • Design electrical wiring to not cross the pos. & neg. lines (creating large EMF zones), master turn off switch at bedroom door & no outlets or lines near or under bed
  • Include tools & design features to protect your from electrical, EMF (electromagnetic) & geopathic toxicity

AIR

  • Air Purifiers, Ionizers
  • Air Filters – HEPA
  • Living wall systems, Plants
  • Mold prevention – Natural oil cleansers & air diffusers

WATER

  • Purification filter system (remove chlorine, chloramines and the carcinogenic by-products of disinfection as well as heavy metals, herbicides and pesticides)
    • Oxidation (removes metals and chemicals, including chlorine/chlorine byproducts, iron, manganese & hydrogen sulfide)
    • Ultraviolet light (kills bacteria, protozoa, and viruses)
    • Micron filters (sand, dirt & fine particles - Giardia and Cryptosporidium)
    • Deionization
    • Reverse Osmosis
    • Water softening
    • Life force regeneration

RENEWABLE ENERGY EFFICIENCY

  • Increase insulation in walls & roof (e.g. Cellulose)
  • Geothermal
  • Solar – Active (PV panels) & Passive (thermal mass of floor or walls to store heat)
  • Wind power
  • Water power - hydroelectricity/micro hydro
  • Wood stoves, masonry fire places
  • Biofeul, Biomass
  • Bullfrog power (switch to Ontario’s green electricity source)

WINDOWS

  • Insulated windows - triple-glazed, argon-filled (reduces heat transfer)
  • Insulated glass (Guardian Industries - R12, vacuum-glazed super glass)
  • Solatube skylights
  • More window on south side, less on north side of building

WASTE SYSTEMS

  • Compost food waste & compost toilets
  • Greywater filtration & re-use
  • Managing waste water with a wetland indoor or outdoor garden - grey & black water filtration
  • Low flush toilets

GARDEN

  • Organic compost & plants
  • Permaculture microclimate
  • Rainwater collection cistern
  • Minimal grass tuft area
  • Hardscapes paved with permeable materials

FURNITURE

  • Recycled or sustainably-harvested materials and free of harmful chemicals
  • Solid wood, bamboo, wicker
  • 100% cotton/wool/bamboo, natural upholstery

APPLIANCES

  • Energy efficient appliances – Energy Star rating
  • Consider discarding microwave, dryer & dishwasher
  • Add a cold cellar pantry

MATERIALS

  • Pure wool, cotton, hemp, bamboo; curtains, tablecloths, upholstery, sheets/pillowcases, linens, blankets, throws, feather duvet

CLEANING

  • Natural cleaning supplies (no ammonia, bleach, etc.)
  • Essential Oils, diluted