After a Flood – Homeowner’s Checklist
Protect your health and prevent further damage to your home by following this step-by-step guide to restoring your home after a flood. After a flood, it’s important to restore your home to good order…
How to Improve Home Cooling with Trees
While green homes often sport all manner of technical solutions to keep them optimized and efficient, the landscaping can have a significant effect on the building and its energy use. Site…
The Pyramid of New Water Sources
Today is World Water Day and it just so happens that Jerry Yudelson, noted green building authority and author, has released a new conceptual tool to help people understand where water will come from…
Home renovation tips for empty nesters
The kids have moved out, and there is a noticeable amount of extra space in the house. Walls that were once covered with movie posters are left bare, and the all too familiar sound of the stereo…
Intelligent Cities – Capturing graywater in Tucson
Would you water your garden with what goes down your shower drain or out your washing machine? In Tucson, Arizona, and an increasing number of water-starved western cities, more and more residents…
Xeriscaping – A sustainable landscape option
Whether by conscience or necessity, many people are looking to reduce their water consumption. The perfectly manicured emerald lawn may certainly look lovely but normally requires a great deal of…
Earthquake awareness – tips to prepare for ‘the big one’
Not all of our readers live in earthquake zones but coastal BC is very much aware of the need to be prepared for 'the big one'. A province-wide initiative resulted in Canada's largest earthquake…
Backup Power For Your Home
The following list of topics pertaining to backup power for your home is covered in the About Your House — General Series from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). You rely on…
4 design tips to brighten a dark kitchen
I’ve found that when clients have a dark kitchen, perhaps because of small windows or because of the low exposure to sunlight, they usually want to go overboard when trying to brighten up their…
When to replace windows
“Replacing windows is one of the best investments a homeowner can make today. New energy-efficient, eye-appealing, easy to operate and maintain windows add value to the home, especially at resale…
Fall & Winter Seasonal Maintenance Guide — Northwest
Living on Vancouver Island, I cannot but suppress a giggle about the two seasons in the Pacific Northwest, being rain and not rain. While this article focuses on some of the unique aspects of…
Smart Storage – Get organized with built-ins and more
Get organized with smart built-ins, shelves, drawer organizers and more for mudrooms, basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, living rooms and more. After all, decorating with storage in…
Universal Design: 12 Tips for Designing Safe Bathrooms and Bedrooms
A friend of mine was talking about the experience of caring for her elderly mother and noted, "I never thought our family home (a two story cape, built in the early 1950s) could be so hazardous."…
