Category: Sustainable Construction

Sustainable Construction, Uncategorized | March 9, 2011
Breathe Better

Did your breathing sound like Darth Vader this winter?  Maybe there are some things that can be done around the house to improve the situation. Improved indoor air quality is a very important aspect of new home construction.  As Home builders build ‘tighter’ envelopes in a quest for increased energy efficiency, the necessity to exchange or purify bad air in the home…

Sustainable Construction | February 21, 2011
Carstairs Recycles

We have always encouraged our clients to recycle.  By providing recycling bins at our turn overs, we hope to get the ball rolling on a great new household habit.  Carstairs happens to have an excellent recycling Depot.  Years ago the local Lions Club started the origional depot in the industrial park.  Now the Town of Carstairs manages it in the…

Gold Seal Fun, Sustainable Construction | February 14, 2011
Keep warm while keeping the planet cool

On Thursday, February 17, 2011, WWF is calling on all Canadians to turn down their thermostats 3° and wear a fun, wacky sweater to symbolize their commitment to the environment. You can participate at home, in your community or in your workplace. WWF-Canada has even created participation toolkits to guide the development of your own National Sweater Day party http://wwf.ca/takeaction/sweater_day/

Sustainable Construction | February 11, 2011
Moisture in New Homes (Attics)

With the advent of new building codes for High Intensity Residential Fires two years ago, came some new moisture problems in the attic spaces of new homes.  The new fire code restricts venting of eaves in some situations where homes are closer together.  this potentially life saving code revision has , in some cases, reduced the opportunity for proper attic…

Sustainable Construction | February 10, 2011
Moisture in New Homes (windows)

Yesterday we talked about a common moisture issue regarding condensing furnaces.  Each winter, after the first really cold period, we receive a number of calls about moisture on windows.  I am not a scientist but I understand the basic reason for this.  A friend of ours (Darrell Paul) specializes in better building practices with regards to moisture and air tightness.  I have…

Sustainable Construction | February 9, 2011
Moisture in New Homes

The only thing worse than finding moisture in your new home, is hearing from your homebuyer that they have unexplained moisture in their new homes.  Often, I receive e-mails or calls about moisture in a new home.  Typically the questions revolve around three potential situations.  New building practices have led to more opportunities for moisture to collect within the home.  In this blog…

Sustainable Construction | February 7, 2011
Is your Builder Green?

What colour will your future to be?  There are a lot of builders today that pretend to be green.  Simply adding a high-efficiency furnace or better windows does not cut it.   Gold Seal Homes believes that building a house becomes the extension of every aspect of your life.  One great example is that healthy building materials and indoor air quality improving…

Sustainable Construction | February 3, 2011
should I water? Should I fertilize?

by: Olivia Cooper A garden requires watering, but there are ways to make your garden drought-tolerant.  The advantage of owning a drought-tolerant garden is that you save on water costs, watering time and your garden is beautiful even during dry spells.  Here are some steps in making your garden handle minimal amounts of water and remain attractive. Position plants strategically. …

Sustainable Construction | February 1, 2011
Drought-proof Landscaping

As many of you know I am an advocate of Xeriscaping which is a fancy word for drought tolerant gardening.  You may ask, why is Murray worried about this, he’s a home builder?  Well it ties into the whole philosophy Gold Seal employs of promoting a sustainable living environment.  Water conservation can start with dual flush toilets, low flow shower…

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