Neighours of High Park Magazine: Plan well. Be patient. Renovating a home during a pandemic
Greening Homes | Renovations done responsibly
by greening homes
2y ago
Greening Homes’ founder and President, Chris Phillips is an expert contributor of Neighbours of High Park Magazine. This article appeared in the June 2021 issue ..read more
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Job Post: DESIGNER / ARCHITECT / PROJECT MANAGER
Greening Homes | Renovations done responsibly
by greening homes
2y ago
Location: Toronto, Ontario Project Manager/Designer – Residential Renovation Are you awesome at what you do? Do you want to make a difference in a challenging industry? Are you a designer, architect, or project manager who knows residential renovations? We’re looking for a Project Manager/Designer who wants to join a growing and multi-award winning renovations company, and help us build amazing green projects for our Toronto clients. If you are committed to change, are familiar with developing and overseeing residential renovations work, and are looking for a challenge we want to speak wi ..read more
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The treasure of reused materials in a home renovation
Greening Homes | Renovations done responsibly
by greening homes
2y ago
Toronto is a treasure trove of heritage houses. Every one of them has stories to tell. Imagine if the walls really could talk! What would they tell us about the early inhabitants? It’s easy to wonder when regarding a unique fixture, the finish of an old fireplace, beautiful mouldings or a gorgeous stain glass window.  Often, our clients of older or heritage homes want to maintain elements of what has been in their home for ages. We are happy to oblige! Not only does reusing these materials maintain an aesthetic, it helps reduce landfill waste, one of Greening Homes’ core values. Eighty-ei ..read more
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New federal grant and loan to improve home energy performance
Greening Homes | Renovations done responsibly
by greening homes
2y ago
By Christopher Phillips, Founder and President of Greening Homes Ltd. In March, I wrote about federal support to help homeowners offset the costs of home energy retrofits that improve energy efficiency and comfort, while reducing energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions. In June the federal government announced an update. Its new Canada Greener Homes Grant offers homeowners up to $600 for the cost of pre- and post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluations, and up to $5,000 total for the implementation of eligible retrofits. The program is slated to last for seven years and provide up to 700,000 grants ..read more
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A Century-Old Semi in Toronto Gets a Sustainable Makeover
Greening Homes | Renovations done responsibly
by greening homes
3y ago
Greening Homes’ Morse Street project once more attracted attention with this House Feature in Build with Rise, May 25, 2021. Marianne and Luke Windisch take sustainability seriously. “We certainly both try to live sustainably,” says Marianne Windisch. “We bike everywhere with the kids all year long. We do have a car, but it’s electric. We generally try to minimize our environmental impact where we can. But we also believe in doing things well, once and for the long term.” With that last statement, she’s referring to the family’s home renovation, completed in 2018. Young and newly married, the ..read more
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Greening Homes named finalist in three 2020 BILD Awards
Greening Homes | Renovations done responsibly
by greening homes
3y ago
Greening Homes is thrilled to be a finalist in the following three categories for the 2020 BILD Renovation and Custom Home Awards! Best reno (no addition), $250K-$500K (Willingdon project) Best Kitchen under $100K (Willingdon project) Best Washroom (Crescent Road project) Designed by Greening Homes’ in-house design team, these finalists were part of full-gut renovations. Willington Project. For the Willington project, located in the Kingsway neighbourhood, we opened up the main floor to create an inviting space. The once boxed-in galley kitchen now features a stunning island for the family to ..read more
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Plan well. Be patient. Renovating a home during a pandemic
Greening Homes | Renovations done responsibly
by greening homes
3y ago
Planning is everything. This was true before the pandemic and is very much so now. When it comes to renovating your home, planning begins with fully aligning your project’s scope with your budget. Why is this so important? According to a 2019 CIBC Home Renovations Poll, 39 percent of home renovations went over budget. I often hear of projects going over by 30 percent or more. For a $100,000 project, that’s $30,000! Of the homeowners surveyed in the CIBC poll, only 32 percent had a detailed budget. Ironically, homeowners typically resist upfront detailing because it takes time and subsequently ..read more
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The feds invest in greening your home
Greening Homes | Renovations done responsibly
by greening homes
3y ago
The Prime Minister made a big announcement in December that will have far reaching impacts on home renovations. Buildings account for 17 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions – 22 percent in Ontario and a whopping 55 percent in Toronto.  This sector also generates a lot of jobs, which are urgently needed to help rev up an economy stalled by the pandemic. The Canadian Green Building Council projects that “a COVID-19 pandemic recovery plan centred on green buildings could create almost 1.5 million jobs all across Canada by 2030.” One announcement of note is changes to the federal ..read more
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When high performing walls are allowed to breathe
Greening Homes | Renovations done responsibly
by greening homes
3y ago
By Chris Phillips I last blogged about the perils of spray foam insulation, highlighting its high carbon impact and potential risk for off-gassing, which can compromise occupant health, and vapour impermeability, which can degrade masonry walls over time.   Toronto’s centenarian brick houses were designed (intentionally or otherwise) to allow vapour to flow in and out, in both directions. These houses get top marks for ventilation, but poor marks for energy efficiency. A renovator is challenged to add insulation and air seal the building envelope, while also ensuring the long-term durabil ..read more
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Spray foam: buyer beware
Greening Homes | Renovations done responsibly
by greening homes
3y ago
Polystyrene spray foam has become the industry standard for home insulation. Typically, contractors love it because of its high insulation value and low permeability, which eliminates the need for an air barrier. Its a two-in-one solution that, at quick glance, delivers an easy and cheap energy upgrade option for homeowners. But “easy and cheap” gets you only so far. Unfortunately, this industry standard can create several problems down the line which are costly and could compromise indoor air quality.   The problem starts when a contractor fails to apply building science to the project ..read more
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