In what I expect will be an ongoing series of cost-related posts, today we’re going to a closer look at the windows we selected and their associated costs. We have a total of 35 windows in the house, plus one sidelight next to the front door and two french doors in the kitchen. All of the ...
One of our goals with this project has been to construct the most energy efficient and eco-friendly building envelope possible. This has required that we pay close attention to the various insulation values and invest in the most efficient HVAC system we can afford. Regarding the insulation, it’s looking like we’ll have the following: ...
We’ve made significant progress in the past week, although the sky opened up on Saturday and I fear the rain may slow us down over the next few days. Regardless, the walls are all up on the second floor and I managed to slip in over the weekend to snap a few pics. I actually visited the ...
One the reasons we were originally attracted to our home was the large maple tree that sits in the front yard. It’s quite large and quite beautiful, but we’ve come to realize that a large maple tree equals mountains of leaves in the fall and dead grass around it (who knew grass needed light to grow? Shocking, I ...
Well, for those that watch the evening news, you probably just found out that we don’t exactly qualify for the ecoENERGY rebates that we once thought we did. I’d been contacted by CityTV a number of weeks ago about wanting to come and record the demolition of the house. After it went down, I was interviewed ...
I’d read very little about drain water heat recovery (DWHR) systems prior to this weekend, but after seeing it referenced in some Energy Star documentation I decided to look into a little further. Put simply, a DWHR unit captures heat from your waste drain water and redirects it back into system. It’s estimated that it can ...
In order for us to qualify for the ecoENERGY grant program, Dritan Sahatci of GreenTech came by the house today to administer an energy audit. The audit was incredibly straightforward, cost $341 (although we’ll get $150 back) and took all of 90 minutes to complete. Dritan inspected the insulation in the basement, walls and attic (which was ...
I just got back from a meeting with the architects, and I’ve got a few updates to share. First, we’ve decided on the windows – it’s looking like we’ll be going with Marvin Integrity windows throughout. They have pultruded fiberglass frames, plus dual sealed insulating glass with an Argon gas fill, and a Low E II coating ...
I dug a little deeper, and it looks like we do indeed qualify for the energy rebates I mentioned a few days ago. Because the property has a preexisting address, utility connections, etc., any work done to the house (regardless of the scale) is considered a “renovation”. So ring the bell, it looks like our project just got a little cheaper. Next step is to schedule an audit and get the ball rolling.
The Canadian and Ontario governments are now offering up to $10,000 in rebates when you improve the energy efficiency of your home. If you were considering an energy-efficient upgrade, this is definitely something you should look into. The program is actually pretty simple—your house first undergoes an energy audit to determine what its “EnerGuide” rating is. ...
