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Archive for the 'Healthy Housing' Category
By Yves Carignan
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 !
Read the rest of this entry (2 Comments »)By Richard Martin - BC Distributor
This morning, I awoke to the wonderful sound of tree frogs croaking in the forest beside our home. At last spring appears to have truly sprung here on Vancouver Island!
As I sat listening to the frogs doing frog things, my mind began to wander to all of the spring things on my “honey do” list. I was brought back to reality when a rather loud croak occurred from what sounded like inches away from my head. I looked over and to my astonishment a very small, but vocal, tree frog sat perched on the fig tree by our now open patio door. Hmm… one of the items on my list was fixing an errant downspout. Somehow, it felt like there had to be a connection here.
In areas like Vancouver Island, rain is bountiful until the summer heat and then it can be surprisingly dry on our “Wet Coast”. Collecting and reusing rainwater can equal dollars and sense. Having your own natural reservoir can reduce water bills and storm sewer charges, alleviate demand on local water supplies and bypass strict watering schedules.
While planning to build any home, and more particularly one where reliable water supply may be an issue, it is a good idea to look at the logistics of water harvesting. A publication of particular value may be the Rainwater Harvesting Frequently Asked Questions, a project of the Islands Trust Fund. This publication targets an area where water collection has become a heated and urgent topic.
Whether you have a dependable water source or not, rainwater is better for your landscape than treated water as it is rich in nutrients, will reduce fertilizer requirements, and does not contain chemicals.
There are many ready-to-use collection options and rainbarrels available. At one of the recent Home Shows we participated in in the Comox Valley, we were introduced to the RainXchange Rainwater Harvest Systems. It is an intriguing rainwater collection system that integrates discreet, scaleable, and flexible rainwater storage with a circulating/filtering system and water feature. Of course there are also a number of innovative DIY solutions which abound on sites like YouTube. (Some of them are quite amusing!)
Regardless of the option you choose, remember to store your water safely. Be sure that children cannot access your storage vessel, ensure that you filter any debris from getting in and fouling your water, and make sure you screen the intake to prevent mosquito breeding. One final safety note… make sure you have an overflow plan. A 2000 sq. ft. roof generates 1,250 gallons of water for every inch of rainfall! A tiny rainbarrel will overflow in no time!
Speaking of showers, it is time to get Kermit out of the house and back where he belongs! We have a nice rain falling and his friends are calling.
By Timbermart
Filed under: Building, Construction, Design, Energy efficient, Environmental, Family, Flex Housing, Healthy Housing, Home
What if the home you are planning to build could be your family home for the rest of your life? What if, with a little planning, your new home could adapt to meet the needs of your family and change as your family does?
That’s the idea behind FlexHousing. A FlexHouse is a home designed before construction begins to be user friendly to its occupants at all stages of their lives and to make future renovations easier and cheaper for the homeowner to complete. FlexHousing can eliminate the need to move from house to house as the requirements of your family change over time.
WHY FLEXHOUSING
The first home for many couples is often referred to as a “starter” home, which is typically small and easy to maintain. Then, as children come along the first home is too small and that requires the costly and disruptive choice of moving. When the children are grown and on their own this second home becomes too large for only two people to take care of.
As the population ages, half of all homes in Canada will house people 55 yeas old or older by 2017. Also, with a declining population, fewer new homes will be built each year. So homes that are flexible will be in big demand. This flexibility not only is beneficial to the home, but if families don’t have the need to move, they stay in the neighbourhood longer, creating a stronger sense of community.
PRINCIPLES OF FLEXHOUSING
A FlexHouse isn’t a type of home style like a bungalow or two storey, it is the way it is designed prior to construction and is based on four principles.
• Adaptability
• Accessibility
• Affordability
• Healthy Housing
Adaptability: The home is designed to be renovated to suit changing needs.
A large bedroom can be made into two smaller rooms and used as either another bedroom or home office.
A space such as the basement can be renovated to become a separate apartment by roughing in plumbing for a kitchen and bathroom that will bring in extra income later on or be used by an aging relative.
Bathroom walls can be given extra strength during construction to allow for the installing of grab bars and other special items to assist less mobile residents.
Install counters and cabinets in the kitchen or bathroom that can be adjusted vertically on brackets or that can have sections that are lower so that people in a wheelchair can reach with them.
Building such features into a new home during initial construction saves time, money and inconvenience when changes are needed or desired down the road.
