In our industry, we have the chance (!) to see some designs, construction, landscaping or many other mistakes.  But this one is the worst I’ve never seen !!

This picture comes from a web site named failblog.org;  if you visit this site, you will see a lot of failures but the picture of this house is hilarious !

Don’t worry !  At Drummond House Plans, we can offer you the “reversed version” of the original design !  If you reverse the plan of this house, you can keep the tree and do not look like a fool !…

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A few days ago, I got and e-mail from a friend in Alabama, Architect Bob Chatham from Chantham Design Group, who featured in a very interesting TV episode from Dany Lipford.

The video will explain you the details of a green house and also how you can be greener in your existing home ! 

Congratulations to Bob who designed the featured house of this video.  The Fairhope Green Home Project is the first house in the state to receive Gold Certification from the National Association of Home Builders Green Building Program. 

Remember one thing if you build green,  this type of construction is a real team work !

Enjoy !

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You’ve thought about it for so long and now, you are close to start building your home !  What an exciting decision but are you ready ?  Are you stepping down this path for the firts time ?  Nervous ?!…

Like any process, building his home can be tricky and there are many important details to consider as you get started.  Have you decided on a style of home yet ? There are many styles as American, Bungalow, Cottage, Country, Crafstman, and many more.  Try to find the style of a friend’s or a neighbour’s home that you like and you will probably find what you like.  Write down or draw the details you like and and keep it in a file;  once you will meet an architect or any plan designer, you not forget anything.   Browse the Internet and you will maybe find the home of your dream through a Stock Plan Collection, or you can do some modifications of a stock plan through the original designer or do a complete Custom plan.

Where you build is very important too.  If you already own the land you plan to build on, your options will be more open than if you are building in an established subdivision.  One thing very important though;  make sure you have your land before buying the plan.  Some people bought some plans and bought the land after…  They noticed that the home they dreamed of can not be built on the land they bought !

If you buy a land in a subdivision, make sure you know very well all the restrictions and limits from the developer.  These “covenants” are in place to assure that all the homes in the area are worth about the same and this will protect the value of your investment in the future.  Always remeber that a house is an investment that you have to protect and, even if you do not think about it now, you may want to sell it some day !  Protect it !

There are a lot of things to consider about the location of your new home: Distance to shopping, Schools, work have to be thought about.

Finding the right contractor is your next step.  Talk to some friends or relatives about their experiences and make sure, when you have identified the right contractor that you get at least 3 bids plus the names of satisfied customers you can contact.  Always remember the old adage: “If it is too good to be true, it problably is !”  To ensure that both you and your builder are satisfied with the work, make sure the details are spelled out in a written contract.  The time you spend at this stage and on the plan stage will avoid any confusion later on.

With the internet and groups like the Canadian Home Builder Association and your provincial groups, reams of information is available to help plan your home.  The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation also offers useful information including valuable question and answer sheets.

Beyond choosing a good contractor, you will also need a lawyer and a banker to handle legal matters and financing.  Finally, remember that some home builders are more concerned about structural integrity and the attractiveness of your home from the outside.  Remember that the interior should also be designed for practical concerns like – will all the furnitures you already have fit ? Do not hesitate to contact an interior designer before starting to build;  they will help you to maximise your living space and avoid mistakes you will see once you live in your home !

Want to build green ?  Many links like LEED and Built Green can surely help you.

Enjoy !

this post was based on an article from the Cottage and Home Plans magazine provided by Tim-Br Mart. Some information was also supplied by CMHC and CHBA.

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Reducing the energy consumption of a home can equally be done by opting to use household appliances having an optimal energy return, from the refrigerator to the range to the dishwasher, without forgetting the washer-dryer duo.

Products displaying the ENERGY STAR symbol are certified to comply with the program’s specifications.

Purchase of these products instead of the classic models can allow a reduction of electric bill thus contributing in protecting the environment; consuming less energy effectively reduces the quantity of electricity produced and, by doing so, limit greenhouse gas emissions.

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For the majority of people, a greener Christmas involves a lack of snow on December 25th!  A greener Christmas in this case would mean lesser garbage and energy saving.

It is well known that the Christmas season encourages more waste.  More shopping usually involves more bags, boxes and paper. 
Do you shop with your reusable bags this year?  Yes yes, the ones you most often forget at home, or realize you left in your car when it’s too late!  Using them not only for grocery shopping really helps reduce the consumption of plastic bags likely to end up in the waste bin!

What about gift wrapping?  Why not recycle it?  Or for example,  use brown paper and decorate it using things you already have at home.  Many gifts do not require wrapping such as, sport event tickets or a homemade dinner!  How about gift certificates?  Some even say that “re-gifting” is ok….

Sending Christmas cards?  Why not do it using the web this year?  The message will get to your loved ones rapidly, and no paper will be wasted in the end.

There exists so many different ways to be more earth friendly during the Holidays, that everyone can find something that suit them.  Some may wish to one or many things to reduce their consumption during the Holidays.  I for one think that if everyone chose one thing to do out of the many suggestions out there, our planet would be a little better off for the start of the new year!

Another great site to visit for more tips is Earth Easy.  Get out there and be creative!

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Electronic thermostats reach a more uniform temperature than conventional bi-metallic thermostats.  What’s more, their use can save up to 10% on the costs of heating.

Conventional thermostats work thanks to a simple mechanical reaction between the unit and room temperature.  This system lacks precision and causes variations of more or less 2 degrees Celsius from the desired temperature, which can mean a difference of up to 4 degrees Celsius.

As for electronic thermostats, they react to the slightest change in room temperature because it is continually measured by a detector.  Variations being more or less 0.5 degrees Celsius, the temperature is more stable since the maximum difference does not exceed 1 degree Celsius.

With a programmable thermostat, additional savings can be had if it is adjusted to reduce the temperature automatically at night and while absent.  For example, a reduction of 3 degrees Celsius in an 8 hour night brings a reduction of 4.5% of the cost of heating, a small change which can translate into significant savings.

Source:  The Guide to Ecological Options, APCHQ

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Traditional shower heads consume about 14 liters per minute with some even reaching 20 liters.  The flow of eco-energetic shower heads is somewhere around 5 liters a minute with some allowing for adjustments from 3.8 liters to 9.5 liters.

Most models use less water and energy without reducing pressure.  Savings of approximately 15% on the cost of heating water and a reduction of 30% of shower water consumed can be obtained.

Additional savings can be had if the shower head is equipped with a stop flow button to temporarily stop the flow while soaping up or shampooing.  Rinsing can then resume at the same flow and temperature as before.

On average, a family of four uses 460 liters daily.  If a shower head with a flow of 9.5 liters is used, savings of 150 liters a day are possible, that’s 55,000 liters a year.  With a 5 liter model, savings would be 275 liters; that’s twice as much and an impressive annual reduction of 100,000 liters!

According to Statistics Canada, in 2005, 60% of Canadian households claimed they used water saver shower heads, while only 42% did in 1994.

Those who own wells and septic installations will also benefit of a savings in electricity as pumps will work less.  (Source:  OEE Natural Resources Canada)

Source:  Le Guide des options écolos, APCHQ

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We are all more aware or at least sensitized to the importance of being more ecological, to recuperate, reutilize, restrict certain uses, etc.

I want to talk to you about composting because I find this ecological method fantastic!  What’s more, I find that this is a very educational method to teach our children, the next generation.  When we really take the time to think about it, and those who practice composting are well aware of it, an unbelievable amount of what we throw out is in fact still useful.  Think about it!  Your morning coffee filter (filter made of biodegradable materials), your banana or apple peels, your egg shells and leftovers of the cucumber you prepared for your snack are only some of the examples that you could recuperate by composting!  You reduce the contents of your garbage by half, and this only at breakfast!

You know, we are lucky in our country not to have to pay to dispose of our garbage.  In Switzerland, citizens must pay for disposal, so it goes without saying that the effort put into recycling and selecting is practiced a lot.

My parents have been practicing composting for a few years now so I witnessed firsthand the benefits and above all the quantity of compostable materials!  Don’t be deceived because, yes, it does take some effort on your part.  Personally, I believe this is a practice which can easily be integrated into your daily routine.

Some will say “yes, but it stinks!”  So, to these people, I answer “NO it does not stink!”  Nowadays, many hermetic containers or vats exist in the market.  I can even confirm that when you open the cover, no odour is detectable.  You will also not be able to say  “..I don’t want it to smell during my summer pool parties..”  This container is identical to the one my parents presently use.  Sure, I admit that it resembles something out of Star Wars, but hey, we can also be creative!

In the house, they have a small plastic bucket with a hermetic cover, which they periodically empty outside.

You can surely see that this is a method which fascinates me tremendously…

I am waiting for your comments and tricks as well as other methods you use for composting at home!

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Over the last few days, I did a cleanup of different magazines I receive from around the world which relate to construction.  Interesting articles can be found within, which I never have time to read, but sometimes I stop to look at recent developments in our industry.

I stopped on an article from the magazine Trends, published by the Ontario Home Builder Association which reports on many recent developments on the market.

One of these is the Rain Water Pillow from the company of the same name.  I find this product amazing and its use… simplicity itself!  Click on this link to visualize its use.

As its name implies, the rain water pillow is a big 10’ x 10’ pillow which gathers up to 1000 gallons of water.  You can then attach your hoses to this ‘pillow’ to water your plants, lawns, gardens, and even wash the car as this product is equipped with a filter!  You can even hook it up to your automatic irrigation system!  Everything must, of course, be stored during the cold season.

You want to make a simple gesture?  This is the kind of product which we could all have; imagine the quantity of drinking water we could have saved with the rains we received this past summer!  We could have sold our water pillows to arid countries!  It’s true, I was forgetting it’s a sin to make money with Quebec water…

(original content available on www.yvescarignan.com)

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Who would have known that everytime we flush we are actually flushing away valuable and natural fertilizer.  At least that’s what Dave claims in his article “Sustainable Sanitation“ found on the blog called “On the Level“.  It is actually on Bob Vila’s website.  Although most of us know who Bob Vila is,  I personnally remember him from a very funny family sitcom called Home Improvement.  I really enjoyed the show.  Too bad America’s more into the “reality shows” now…  But enought about that, let’s get back to the main subjet cause I could really get sidetracked!

In this day and age everyone is trying to figure out better ways to recycle and save energy.  Sometimes, little do we know that some very basic ways of re-using energy exist very close to home.  Actually, in our homes!  Who knew that urine is filled with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, three ingredients in artificial fertilizer. Feces also have these components in lesser amounts but produce methane, which can burned and used as “biogas.”  

I have often heard that if stuck in the woods with an open wound, urine can be a very powerful, effective and needed antiseptic.  But, I had no idea that it could actually help trees, grass and garden’s grow!  Nature really is intelligent.  We have much yet to learn from her (mother nature).

I’m sure this piece of information will please many men who enjoy a good outdoor “relieving” session;)  It will now be difficult for us women to complain….

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