Readers Survey - Exterior Energy Efficient Products
We asked builders and renovators how important energy efficiency is to their clients - the people who buy the final product. Consumers buying new homes or doing major renovations are offered many new products and they have various reasons for making this big purchase, so how important is energy conservation to them?

Making Energy Efficiency Cost Effective
When asked to write an article about new energy efficient building products, I was asked to avoid theory... but I can't totally. The problem is that if you just look at one product at a time, you can't possibly get it right. Payback on any individual item is dependent on the overall effect of all other energy conservation efforts.

Building Communities - Not Just Homes
Scott Hill started learning about real estate and building long before he took any business or engineering courses.

LEEDing Edge Landscaping - Going Green without Grass
Frequent watering restrictions and new city bylaws limiting the use of pesticides have many homeowners looking for alternative solutions to traditional grass lawns.

Joie de Vivre - CHBA's 64th National Conference sparkled with life and creativity
Back-dropped by the gorgeous snowy landscape of Charlevoix, Quebec, the 2007 CHBA National Conference, held February 23 to 25, offered delegates a superb line-up of dynamic speakers, focused business sessions, lively entertainment... and even a chance clown around!

Rooftop Ice Dams: Attic Insulation Indicators
Winter and Canada go hand in hand, so it's not surprising that, every year, a number of our houses are affected by ice dams. These icicles are more than just a visually interesting formation of water. In addition to presenting a danger of falling ice, they can also cause water leakage inside the house.

The Insulation Dilemma: R-Value vs. Real Value
With energy costs increasingly taking a huge bite out of the monthly budget, energy efficiency is the top consideration among homeowners and home improvers.

An Airtight Case
Building an exterior wall assembly so that it will stay dry is not easy, but it can be done with attention to detail.

The State of Windows in 2007
An Energy Rating is a composite number that allows everyone from homeowners to professionals a level playing field when comparing the energy performance of different window systems. It is made up of three heat loss factors and one heat gain factor.

Testing:
TOOL TALK by Jon Eakes
I receive a lot of tools to test out; sometimes they are just minor competitive changes to standard tools and sometimes they really break ground.

Wanted! One Good Construction Manager
Picture this: You are a home builder who constructs an average of five houses a year. You market and sell a product of quality. You almost always deliver on time... You just do the rest... all of the rest!

Selecting Construction Software: You’re better at IT than you think
If you are like most construction executives, you don’t view yourself as a software technology expert. In fact, you probably approach new information technology (IT) projects with trepidation and hand them off to the back-office staff or third-party consultants.

Avoiding "Sick House" Syndrome
There is a tug of war in the green building arena. If you build houses that are so energy efficient they're airtight, building materials take longer to off-gas and you risk creating a sick house.

A Strong U.S. Economy
The U.S. economy is turning out to be a lot stronger than expected. It advanced at an annual rate of 3.5 per cent in real terms in the fourth quarter, measured from the previous quarter. Consumer confidence, an important leading indicator for spending, was running in January at its highest level since May 2002.

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