Better Builder Magazine Summer Issue 2014

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ISSUE 10 | SUMMER 2014 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA

The Municipal IssueSharing the Vision of a

Sustainable Future

Priority Green ClaringtonDoing the Right ThingThe Value of EngagementCode Co-operationSpray Foam and Thermal BarriersWhat Homebuyers WantPu

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2 ISSUE 10 | SUMMER 2014

A b r e a t h o f f r e s h a i r .

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FEATURE STORY16 PRIORITY GREEN Clarington BY TRACY HANES, AMY BURKE AND AARON KOTHIRINGER

INSIDE THIS ISSUE02 Publisher’s Note: Shared Vision BY JOHN GODDEN

03 The Bada Test: The (Tricky) Business of Doing the Right Thing BY LOU BADA

04 Straight From the Hart: The Value of Local Engagement BY LENARD HART

06 Industry Expert: Code Co-operation BY GORD COOKE

08 Industry News: Working with Municipalities BY MICHAEL LIO

10 Builder News: Green Country BY ALEX NEWMAN

13 Industry News: Building a More Weather-Resilient Home BY MICHAEL LIO

24 Builder News: Local Improvement Charge: Using Home Equity� MVY�,ULYN`�,ɉJPLUJ`�� BY ALEX NEWMAN

27 From the Ground Up: Air Sealing and Protecting Foam Plastics BY DOUG TARRY

31 Builder News: What Homebuyers Want? BY TRACY PATTERSON

Cover: www.shutterstock.com

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ISSUE 10 | SUMMER 2014

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Publisher Better Builder Magazine 12 Rowley Avenue Toronto, ON M4P 2S8 416-481-4218 fax 416-481-4695 [email protected]

Better Builder Magazine is a sponsor of

Publishing editor John B. Godden

managing editor Wendy Shami [email protected]

To advertise, contribute a story, or join our distribution list, please contact [email protected]

Feature Writers Tracy Hanes, Alex Newman

ProoFreading Janet Dimond

creative Robert Robotham Graphicswww.RobertRobotham.ca

This magazine brings together premium product manufacturers and leading builders to create better, differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment.

Publication number 42408014

Copyright by Better Builder Magazine. Contents may not be reprinted or reproduced without written permission. The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the authors and assumed to be original work. Better Builder Magazine cannot be held liable for any damage as a result of publishing such works.

trademark disclaimerAll company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated.

undeliverable mail Better Builder Magazine 12 Rowley Avenue, Toronto, ON M4P 2S8. Better Builder Magazine is published four times a year.

Builders and developers seeking subdi-

vision approval and building permits

from a municipality are met with one of

three scenarios. The builder’s brand (energy

performance features included in a home)

along with the municipality’s requirements

will determine which scenario unfolds.

In scenario one, the builder’s brand meets

or exceeds the current Ontario Building Code

(OBC) energy performance requirements out-

lined in Supplemental Bulletin 12 (SB-12). To

review, SB-12 contains 13 recipes (packages)

for a builder to choose from and use so the

house will achieve an EnerGuide rating of 80.

Prescription Package J is the most common

way of meeting this requirement.

In scenario two, the builder is building to

current OBC SB-12, but the municipal planners

ask for mandatory labelling such as LEED or EN-

ERGY STAR. Many builders agree to this without

fully understanding the implications of the pass

or fail nature of these programs, and the added

costs of higher performance.

A story comes to mind I heard through the

grapevine. Amidst a prolonged approval pro-

cess, a builder became very frustrated (that’s

putting it mildly) because of a lack of com-

munication between the planning and building

departments of a municipality. After going

between the two many times and still not get-

ting an answer that made sense, he went to

the municipal offices. The two departments

sending the mixed messages were across the

hall from each other. After opening both office

doors, he stood in the middle of the hallway

and pleaded at the top of his lungs, “This

thing isn’t gonna move forward until you two

*******s agree on what you want me to do!”

This story demonstrates the spirit of co-

operation necessary to meet all needs of the

stakeholders involved in the building and de-

velopment process. Let’s call that spirit shared

vision, our third scenario. This is a collabora-

tive effort on the part of the major stakehold-

ers including builders, planners, building offi-

cials and homebuyers. Ah, my dream come true

– creating more sustainable homes through

consensus. This effort allows all involved to

better understand and direct the goals and

intended development outcomes while allowing

the builder flexibility and choice.

My earliest involvement with shared vision

was the Rodeo Fine Homes EcoLogic subdivi-

sion in Newmarket. It was a very collaborative

project that spanned almost five years. Rodeo

Homes was offered incentives from the local

municipality to build 60 per cent more effi-

cient than code. In this issue, Len Hart’s article

describes this process.

The Sustainable Housing Foundation was

asked by the Municipality of Clarington to

facilitate an engagement of builders named

PRIORITY GREEN. One key to the success of

this engagement is a sustainable checklist that

can be used to educate and upsell homebuyers

on sustainable features while satisfying the

municipal requirement of better than code.

As Lou Bada points out in his piece, doing

the right thing requires facilitation rather than

regulation on the part of government. Our

regular contributors Gord Cooke, Michael Lio,

and Doug Tarry underscore the importance of

working with building departments to foster

innovation and change.

In the new development landscape, differ-

ent approaches need to be introduced – an

approach where land use minimizes infra-

structure costs, intensifies residential use

while maximizing open and green space.

Aaron Kothiringer investigates the fused grid

approach. And lastly, Tracy Patterson reflects

on the wisdom of the late and great Steve

Jobs. “It isn’t the consumers’ job to know

what they want.”

True collaboration and vision help us sell

ourselves on a better future. I’ve made my

sales pitch on shared vision. Read on. I hope

you’ll buy in. BB

Shared Vision

publisher’snoteB y J o h n G o d d e n


3WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 10 | SUMMER 2014

A t the risk of sounding overly

mercenary and one dimen-

sional I’m going to state the

obvious – businesses exist for profit.

It always surprises me when busi-

nesspeople are asked why they do

what they do. They tend to recite

what seems like a corporate mission

statement. “At ABC Corporation we

strive to…customer focused…culti-

vate exceptional product and peo-

ple…corporate responsibility and en-

vironmental stewardship…” All these

great things are the mechanisms

we use to make money, but aren’t

usually viewed as an end in and of

themselves. Nor are they necessarily

mutually exclusive with profit. The

ideal is to make them necessary to

earn more profit.

On the other hand, I always twinge

when I hear government should be

run like a business. Government

should be certainly and unequivocally

much more businesslike. However, I

also believe many of the good works

governments do at home and abroad

would be difficult to justify in a

corporate boardroom. At the intersec-

tion of the public and private realms

is where it gets interesting. Politicians

speak about city building, but govern-

ment does not build cities or com-

munities, industry does – and only if

it’s profitable. Individuals and society

make these communities great. The

economy underpins it all. Government

is good at some things – and not so

good at others.

The often-cited new business para-

digm of the triple bottom line (profit,

people, planet) is interesting and

challenging for the new home building

industry. Though a more comprehen-

sive way of looking at the outcomes

of a venture, it has been criticized by

both sides of the political spectrum.

What is clear is that a market-based

approach in a market economy is a

requisite. Collaboration is better than

class warfare. The difficulty for new

homebuilders is the individual realiza-

tion or monetization of some of the

benefits accrued. If individual busi-

nesses become insolvent in pursuit of

the triple bottom line, then progress

can’t be made.

The best example of collaboration

I’ve been involved in was my experi-

ence in a new residential subdivision

developed in Vaughan’s Block 39 in

2007/2008. It involved an integrated

design process that yielded the first

of all ENERGY STAR housing devel-

opment of its kind in Ontario. All

stakeholders were present, and with

commonsense and goodwill made

it happen where an otherwise less

sustainable community would’ve been

built. The quid pro quo for the devel-

oper and homebuilder was an expe-

dited process. The proverbial carrot

was better than the stick.

Currently, the voluntary has often

become the mandatory. It is becoming

more difficult, if not impossible, to

make a compelling business case for

doing the right thing. Creativity will

have to replace bureaucracy if we wish

to move forward. Governments must

facilitate rather than regulate.

We all live on the same planet and

want the same things. It’s about time

we started acting that way. BB

Lou Bada is the construction & contracts manager for Starlane Homes.

The (Tricky) Business of

Doing the Right Thing

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When thinking about the

significant role munici-

palities play in growth and

development, we must acknowledge

the growing role local engagement is

playing in the process. Local govern-

ment is where much of the regulatory

hurdles builder/developers must face

to gain approvals for new develop-

ment, and when they

have to win over a

community to sup-

port their project,

this often means

overcoming any

not-in-my-backyard

(NIMBY) opposition.

Change is never easy,

and some people are opposed to it

in all its forms, but the vast majority

see the need for growth and change,

including new building developments.

Public perception and support can vary

depending on how the issue is framed

and how the process of engagement

is viewed. Interestingly, while it’s no

longer a number one issue for deci-

sion making, climate change and the

environment are core components to

most issues and still hugely influential

in decision and opinion making (often

manifesting as health, community or

pollution concerns).

All developments involve change

and change meets with resistance. In

many cases this resistance is simply

ignored and goes away, but as new

green field space runs out, more

development projects will be in built-

up areas and face serious opposition

from neighbours, whether in the

public and social media, or through

regulators and local governments. Not

only is the prospect of public scrutiny

increasing, but opposition is becom-

ing easier to do and do well with

Twitter, Facebook and the like. Simply

building to LEED or ENERGY STAR

standards is no longer enough to sati-

ate the concerns of local opponents.

Engaging and addressing local resis-

tance is key to managing opposition

and functioning with local govern-

ments. Let’s examine

a few examples.

Minto faced the

challenge of develop-

ing a plot of land on

the shores of Lake Sim-

coe, an environmen-

tally stressed lake that

receives far too much

phosphate runoff. One of the many

design standards set was that develop-

ment should improve the water quality

of the lake, with less phosphate runoff

postdevelopment than prior. While the

proposal was radically green and could

not easily be discounted, the project did

not get the necessary support needed,

in part because the engagement was

not up to the challenge.

Windmill Developments in Victo-

ria had an advanced LEED Platinum

project of its own on-site sewage

treatment systems, but still received

pushback from local aboriginal

groups who had unresolved land

claim issues in the area. Windmill ad-

dressed these concerns and eventually

invited band elders to be part of the

project, along with training and hiring

local aboriginal youth as construction

workers. Windmill’s engagement of lo-

cal opposition was exemplary in that

it addressed the issue and came up

with real solutions. It was this engage-

ment, not the green project, that won

over local opposition.

The Rodeo Fine Homes project in

Newmarket ended up with some 34

LEED Platinum-rated homes in a 200-

plus subdivision of ENERGY STAR-

rated homes, yet at one point it was

scheduled to have none of that, just

code built homes throughout. It was

the local support of a green building

project that was the only thing that

changed the plan. The difference was

a strong pro-green lobby by local citi-

zens, including a Grade 9 student for

the local Catholic school who got a lot

of media coverage. In an extraordinary

council meeting, many speakers got

up to petition the council to change

their minds about allocating the 34

homes to Rodeo, and this in turn got

the large code builder to upgrade

to ENERGY STAR. The code builder

tried to quietly duck under the radar

and get the additional 34 homes for

themselves, but the viral nature of lo-

cal engagement and the local support

turned the project around.

I recently saw a presentation from

pollster Greg Lyle, who clarified the

role of local engagement in the devel-

opment process. He noted that more

than any other issue, a sense of fair-

ness correlates strongly with whether

or not a project is supported or not

supported by the public. Addition-

ally, younger cohorts are less likely to

defer to authority than older ones, so

they are more likely to challenge local

government or committee rulings. Ad-

ditionally, Lyle noted that universally

regulators and governments are not

seen as competent, trustworthy, or to

have the public’s interests at heart.

This is a crucial point for builder/

developers, because simply following

The Value of Local Engagement

straightfromthehartB y L e n a rd H a r t

Climate change and

the environment are

core components

to most issues and

still hugely influential

in decision and

opinion making.


the zoning rules, or getting approval

from a committee of adjustment, is

not going to sway people to your side.

Ontarians are a skeptical lot, and

less likely to trust regulators more

than the Canadian average – 61% show

a mild to strong distrust of regula-

tors, 64% feel regulators make deci-

sions not based on the best evidence,

and 73% feel regulators’ decision-

making processes are not transparent.

All this is about 12 to 20% higher than

the Canadian average. The resulting

challenge that builder/developers face

when working with local governments

and local communities is that people

do not trust the regulatory process

will be in their or the environment’s

best interest.

Winning over public opinion is

complicated. Being legal might not be

enough, and building green might not

be enough, but engaging people in a

fair and open way just might mean

the difference in swaying public sup-

port for your project.

The last quote goes to Greg Lyle.

“Process is king. The way you run

your project is just as important as

what you are building.” BB

Lenard Hart is the vice-president of sales and marketing at Summerhill Group.

Strong local support resulted in the construction of the 34 sustainable homes.

energy rating

training &educating

sustainabilityconsulting


Usually I am challenging high

performance builders to look

ahead up the path of continu-

ous improvement, but a quick look

back can also be helpful. It helps

ensure that the foundation for future

change is solid. Think back about two

and a half years ago to the simulta-

neous introduction of Part 12 of the

Ontario Building Code (OBC) and the

accompanying Supplementary Stan-

dard SB-12, as well as the first look

at Version 12 of the ENERGY STAR

for New Homes program. Progressive

builders and their energy evalua-

tors had anticipated the changes and

sorted out which of the four possible

compliance paths was most cost ef-

fective for them. Those who chose the

prescriptive path evaluated the 30-

plus alternate building packages from

the six prescriptive tables, and found

the one that best suited their process-

es, housing type and trade base.

Let’s recognize that municipal

building departments across the

province were also looking at the

exponential rise in energy compliance

options that would be coming across

their counters and in the hands of

field inspectors, and wondering how

it would affect their processes and

challenge their technical capabilities.

Indeed, it was relatively simple for

individual builders to choose a com-

pliance path compared to the task for

building departments to understand

and sort through all the options those

individual builders might present, in-

cluding the technical requirements of

SB-12, the EnerGuide for New Houses

administrative and technical proce-

dures, the ENERGY STAR for New

Homes technical specification, or the

four alternative software programs

accredited by the Residential Energy

Services Network (RESNET) for the

Home Energy Rating System (HERS).

Of course, it got

even more complex

with the recognition

that energy efficiency

compliance required

cross-referencing

inputs from architec-

tural, HVAC, plumbing,

energy evaluators and

even electrical permit

documents. In addition,

some municipalities

have superimposed ad-

ditional environmental

or energy requirements

into planning objectives

and subdivision agree-

ments.

Fortunately, and it

really shouldn’t have

been a surprise, we, as an energy

evaluator company, have experi-

enced a broad base of co-operation

and support from building officials

throughout the province. It started

very early on when we were asked

to facilitate an ad hoc committee

with building officials, energy evalu-

ators, and builders that ultimately

culminated in the Energy Efficiency

Design Summary form (EEDS) and

process. One of the participants was

Tim Benedict, manager of building,

building division, City of Kitchener.

As we interact with and serve on a

daily basis the same builder clientele,

we have worked very closely with his

department and found them to be an

excellent example of how the efforts

of three groups – builders, building

officials and energy evaluators – are

made more productive through co-

operation. As Tim said, “This is just

as new to us as to anyone else, and

Code Co-operation

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the more resources we have available

to us, the better for everyone.”

The first example of this co-

operative effort is when Eastforest

Homes organized an on-site air barrier

forum very early in 2012. Tim sent the

majority of his building department’s

inspectors and plan examiners, while

Eastforest had site supervisors and key

trades attend. We essentially took each

line item of section 9.25.3 Air Barrier

Systems of the OBC, compared them to

the requirements of the ENERGY STAR

for New Homes program, and demon-

strated how each Eastforest trade and

site was dealing or planning to deal

with the requirements. In the ensuing

months, we found that a builder who

was already excelling

at air tightness met-

rics got even better,

and building officials

became even more

helpful in helping

Eastforest achieve

their goal as the first

builder in Ontario to

fully adopt Version 12 of the ENERGY

STAR program.

We have had similar great re-

sponse from other building depart-

ments, many of them providing op-

portunities for training. For example,

the City of London and the City of

Cambridge both invited the DuPont

Tyvek specialists to review appropri-

ate field verification of exterior air

barrier materials and strategies. Tim

Benedict reiterates that “comprehen-

sive and repeated training is crucial

in ensuring proper application of new

code requirements in a timely and

cost-effective way.”

One thing that has come up fre-

quently are last-minute changes to

heating systems, water heating or

even window specifications. Some

of these are driven by cost or un-

avoidable process changes, or even

consumer option choices. While

last-minute changes have always been

an issue, there are more consider-

ations now with the energy efficiency

requirements.

Take for example a change from a

traditional furnace to combo heating

to accommodate combustion venting

difficulties. Here was another example

of the City of Kitchener providing a

builder with the flexibility to provide a

traditional power-vented water heater

as the heat source for very small, ef-

ficient lower-level units of a stacked

townhouse complex originally permit-

ted with gas furnaces and separate

water heaters. HOT 2000 energy mod-

elling showed that

slightly upgrading the

energy factor of the

water to a still com-

monly available rental

model, along with

envelope upgrades

the builder was al-

ready doing, compen-

sated for the energy penalty resulting

from the lower efficiency of the water

heater in space heat mode compared

to a standard high efficiency furnace.

It resulted in a win-win solution

for a builder to meet the expecta-

tions of the energy code, and for the

homeowners in terms of better use of

space in a small dwelling, fewer enclo-

sure penetrations, and overall lower

operating costs because of optimized

monthly rental fees.

The process and solution were a

great example of the building depart-

ment working within the energy evalu-

ation process to find the most cost-

effective solution for the builders and

community members they serve. BB

Gord Cooke is the president of Building Knowledge Canada.

We have experienced

a broad base of

co-operation and

support from building

officials throughout

the province.


industrynewsB y M i c h a e l L i o

Over the years, we

have worked with

hundreds of build-

ers and developers to re-

solve building code issues

as they work with their

building officials. While

much of the code is clearly

black and white, there are

many, many grey areas

open to interpretation and

subject to dispute. Build-

ers can also find them-

selves in situations where

innovative designs need

additional documentation

to allow acceptance by

municipalities. In every

situation the key is to have

an open dialogue with the

municipality and rely on

evidence. The evidence must demon-

strate performance through calcula-

tion, testing, and/or in the field.

The first step is to prepare for a

discussion with the municipality by

learning about the issue at hand. Work

to fully understand possible interpre-

tations, opinions and code intent. This

can often include researching past

precedents and acceptance in other

municipalities or other codes. It also

includes a search for past Building

Code Commission (BCC) rulings, min-

ister’s interpretations, and Canadian

Construction Materials Centre (CCMC)

evaluations. It is important that the

understanding of the issues is rooted

in the requirements of the Ontario

Building Code (OBC), and in how the

function of the proposed building

relates to the black letter of the code.

The Ontario Ministry of Municipal

Affairs and Housing’s (MMAH) Code

and Construction Guide for Housing

(CCGH) can provide guidance on the

intentions of the code.

An introductory conversation with

the municipality to discuss the prob-

lem is needed. The goal of the call is

to understand the basis for their point

of view. This includes a discussion on

the perceived risk of code and prod-

uct deficiencies, and the challenges

related to expected performance.

It is then a matter of negotiation

with the municipality on how the

building is intended to function, and

what the code intends. Negotiations

should be evidenced based and objec-

tive. The conversation with the mu-

nicipality should be tailored to each

situation and to the capabilities of the

municipality. It is always important

to preserve good relations and be re-

spectful. Both the builder and munici-

pality have the health and safety of

the homeowners in mind.

The goal is to find a com-

mon solution that works

and where everyone

believes the code objec-

tives are being met. The

municipality will some-

times ask for corroborat-

ing evidence including a

letter from an expert or

professional engineer.

Builders should be aware

of their legal recourse

should an agreement not

be reached. Those denied

permits or served with

orders can appeal to the

BCC.

Over the years we have

been asked to help bridge

many code disputes.

We make a point of understanding

the intent of the code and building

creative, enduring solutions. Working

with municipalities is about connect-

ing the dots between what’s proposed

and the code’s objectives, functional

statements and specific requirements.

Working with municipalities is about

informing yourself of the issues, un-

derstanding your legal recourse and

negotiating in good faith to resolve

the situation. BB

Michael Lio is a member of the National Build-ing Code of Canada’s standing committee on housing and small buildings. Since 1986 he has been a member of the Ontario Building Code technical advisory committee. From 1995 to 2001 he was a member of the Ontario Building Code Commission serving as its vice-chair for four years. Mr. Lio is intimately aware of the code development process, its structure and syntax. Through his consulting practice, he is actively engaged with builders and designers in the residential building industry.

Working with Municipalities

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buildernewsB y A l e x N e w m a n

When the Town of Clarington

went looking for builders

to participate in its PRIOR-

ITY GREEN Clarington program, they

wanted those with green track re-

cords. They didn’t have to look far.

Halminen Homes, Brookfield

Homes and Jeffery Homes were cho-

sen to upgrade two homes apiece to

PRIORITY GREEN Clarington levels on

energy efficiency and water reduc-

tion. The homes were then sold –

with the energy upgrades free – to

homeowners willing to have the Town

monitor water and energy use over a

four-month period.

All three builders were eager for

the chance to expand their sustain-

ability knowledge and practice, and

experiment with future proofing

homes against increased energy and

water costs. It was also a good way of

educating their staff, from trades all

the way to sales and marketing, says

Bob Stewart of Brookfield Homes. “It’s

a good way to stay ahead of the curve

since the building code is always be-

ing upgraded.”

However, PRIORITY GREEN Clar-

ington exceeds both current code

and the upcoming 2017 code. When

municipal staff from Clarington, Dur-

ham regional staff and reps from the

Sustainable Housing Foundation met

to discuss ways to increase energy ef-

ficiency and reduce water consump-

tion, they came up with six categories

to improve building practices: high

performance envelope, high perfor-

mance HVAC, energy-efficient light-

ing and appliances, indoor air quality,

reduced water usage and runoffs, and

efficient material management.

The three builders, along with

Clearsphere consultant John Godden,

devised a list that would be energy ef-

ficient, but also cost effective to make

it more attractive to builders who are

just starting into sustainable construc-

tion. That list included exterior air bar-

riers, two-stage furnaces, web-based

thermostats, drainwater heat recovery

units, energy recovery ventilators

(ERV), front-loading washing machines,

and natural gas ranges and dryers.

Furnace right-sizing and two-stage

furnaces are critical components to

energy efficiency. Both Jeffery Homes

and Halminen Homes have been in-

stalling two-stage furnaces as standard

in recent projects. They work with an

idle option so the furnace isn’t con-

stantly turning on and off. When you

don’t need heat or cooling, the air still

circulates and stays steady, making for

a much more comfortable home, es-

pecially important these days with the

rise in asthma, Stewart points out. “It

also reduces energy use, which really

affects the bottom line.”

Greywater recycling is a newer

idea. In PRIORITY GREEN Clarington

Discovery homes (the name given to

the two homes at each site) plumbing

rough-ins will allow this to be added

later, if buyers want. Brookfield has

been working with consultant John

Bell on a new greywater recovery sys-

tem that promises fewer maintenance

headaches. “With the old greywater

recovery systems,” says Stewart, “you

had to constantly clean out the filters

and put in chlorine pucks to sterilize

the water. The new system is much

easier and should cost only about

$600 to rough in.”

Because Jeffery Homes had already

begun construction when they were

Green Country

Amy Burke and Katrina Metzner Yarrow: working with builders with green track records.


invited to participate in the

PRIORITY GREEN Clarington

program, it was too late to

rough in the plumbing for

greywater, but water manage-

ment is a big part of other

Jeffery Homes’ sites, and

includes low flow toilets and

showerheads among other

water-saving measures. The


project has taken water use

to a new low with toilets that

use only three litres of water

per flush.

The project has imple-

mented many newer prod-

ucts. For example, at Halmin-

en Homes’ recent sites it was

standard to install program-

mable thermostats, but in

the Discovery homes they

had to use web-based ones,

says Katrina Metzner Yarrow,

architectural technologist for

Halminen Homes.

All three builders have

previous experience con-

structing homes at higher

energy efficiency than code,

some venturing into LEED

designation or ENERGY STAR.

And Metzner Yarrow says

Halminen’s existing green

practices came pretty close

to the PRIORITY GREEN Clar-

ington model. “But we tend

to pick and choose items that

will benefit both the environ-

ment and our purchasers’

pocketbooks.”

Tyvek exterior air barrier,

and attic insulation – ENERGY

STAR requirements that aren’t

included in the recent build-

ing code’s Package J – are

something they regularly use

because it ensures a better

built home. They typically in-

stall heat recovery ventilators

(HRV), but for the Clarington

Discovery home they added

energy recovery ventilators

(ERV) as well, and bumped up

basement insulation to R20

from their standard R12.

Brookfield has similar

green standards. Previously,

the company worked with

Enbridge on the Savings by

Design program (www.sav-

ingsbydesign.ca). They con-

tinue to experiment with new

procedures like panelization.

So in addition to insulated

sheeting with Excel board,

Blueskin rolls and tape, and

ROXUL exterior insulation,

they’ve added panelization

to the construction process

because “it’s unbelievable for

keeping a tight home,” says

Stewart. “You use less mater-

ial, so you have more room

for insulation, and we’re able

to build off-site.”

Some municipalities

dismissed the procedure as

a cookie cutter approach.

“But nothing could be farther

from the truth. It provides

incredibly tight and efficient

homes, plus no materials go

‘lost’ on site. We did this to

great success in our Picker-

ing and Bradford projects,”

Stewart says.

Experimenting with new

green technology had put

Brookfield in a good posi-

tion so that when Clarington

developed the PRIORITY

GREEN Clarington program,

Continued on page 26



Dunnink Homes has

demonstrated a

number of build-

ing practices promoted by

the Institute for Cata-

strophic Loss Reduction

(ICLR) to make homes

more resilient to extreme

weather. The demon-

stration house, located

in Guelph, goes beyond

code requirements to

include advanced building

practices that offer better

protection from damage

caused by wind, snow,

ice and other hazards

from extreme weather

events. The house in-

cludes a backwater valve,

improved backfill and

overland drainage, engi-

neered trusses to resist

high winds, strapping

between rafters and wall

framing, ½” roof sheath-

ing with nails spaced at

6”, eave protection and

roof underlayment.

ICLR, established in

1997, is a world-class centre devoted

to disaster prevention research and

communication. It

is an independent

not-for-profit

research institute

founded by the

insurance indus-

try and affiliated

with Western University. ICLR has

devoted many years to developing

new construction practices to help

build more weather-resilient housing.

Their work provides a science-based

foundation for the

construction of

disaster-resilient

homes as part

of an adaptive

strategy to deal

with the increasing

frequency and severity of extreme

weather events.

ICLR’s research responds to the in-

creased severe weather events that

cost Canadians billions of dollars

every year. One of the most recent

examples is last summer’s severe

flooding event in the GTA. “Insured

losses from flooded basements have

increased drastically over the past

decade in Canada, costing insurers

close to $2 billion per year,” said

Dan Sandink, manager of resilient

communities and research at ICLR.

“Homeowners also suffer significant-

Building a More

Weather-Resilient Home


A weather-resilient home looks like any other home.

ICLR’s research responds

to the increased severe

weather events that cost

Canadians billions of

dollars every year.


ly when their homes flood. This is

especially true when they are flooded

from sewer backup, which frequently

includes flooding from raw sewage.

“While there are many critical

measures that must be taken on

the municipal infrastructure side to

reduce risk,” he continued, “many

important risk reduction measures

can also be economically and ef-

fectively applied at the lotside. For

example, sanitary backwater valves

are widely applied in many Canadian

provinces to reduce the risk of sewer

backup. It seems likely these types of

measures will be increasingly encour-

aged, if not required, for homeown-

ers to retain affordable and effective

insurance coverage for sewer backup

in the future.”

The Dunnink house demonstra-

tion was designed using a number

of ICLR-recommended construction

details. buildABILITY Corporation

on behalf of ICLR consulted with a

working group of the Ontario Home

Builders’ Association (OHBA) tech-

nical committee to determine the

practices builders would favour. A

number of these were included in the

demonstration home.

Manufacturers were contacted

regarding specific products for the

demonstration home. Mainline Back-

water Valve Company provided the

backwater valve and Henry building

products also assisted by provid-

ing the roof underlay and ice dam-

ming protection with the use of their

Henry Company’s Blueskin RF200

Self-Adhesive Ice and Water Barrier.

“Henry Company shares the views

of ICLR. We see the need to build

more weather-resilient housing,” said

Martin Kuypers, residential business

development leader at Henry. “Henry

products and systems manage the

flow of water, air, vapour and energy

through the building envelope from

foundation to roof.”

Henry products used on the dem-

onstration house are:

ͻ�Blueskin TWF (Thru-Wall Flashing)

brick sill

ͻ�Blueskin WB (Weather Barrier) win-

dow and door flashing

ͻ�Blueskin VP (Vapour Permeable)

breathable air bar-

rier for exterior

walls

ͻ�Blueskin Roof

(RF200) Ice and

Water Barrier, total

roof coverage.

After working

with the OHBA

technical committee

working group, John

Dunnink from Dun-

nink Homes was the

first to take up the

challenge and build a more resilient

home. “Building the first Discovery

house using some of the ICLR building

practices was a great experience that

was very informative,” he said. “For

the completed Discovery home, the

additional labour and materials total

approximately $7,000 for the up-

grades, which provide additional pro-

tection from flooding, wind storms,

snow and ice buildup and hail.”

“ICLR learned a great deal working

with John Dunnink and the manufac-

turers,” said Jason Thistlethwaite, di-

rector of the Climate Change Adapta-

tion project and research associate at

ICLR. “ICLR has committed to work-

ing with homebuilders to improve

awareness and uptake of resilient-

housing practices. Resilient housing

will grow in demand as the frequency

of extreme weather increases. The

implementation of high-wind straps,

wind-resistant nails and backwa-

ter valves represents an important

step in learning

the building tech-

niques necessary

to meet this objec-

tive. John’s efforts

have helped provide

important lessons

on the opportuni-

ties and limitations

of resilient-building

practices in the

marketplace. With-

out support from

homebuilders like

John Dunnink, it is difficult to build

a bridge between the science and

practice.”

Adapting housing to severe

weather events caused by climate

change will better protect homeown-

ers from the emotional and financial

hardships of damage to what is often

their largest investment. Continued

collaboration between researchers,

builders, manufacturers and govern-

ment is required to further these

endeavours. BB

Written by: Michael Lio, president buildABILITY [email protected]


“ICLR has committed

to working with

homebuilders to

improve awareness

and uptake of

resilient-housing

practices. Resilient

housing will grow

in demand as the

frequency of extreme

weather increases.”

Contacts:� 0UZ[P[\[L�MVY�*H[HZ[YVWOPJ�3VZZ�9LK\J[PVU��1HZVU�;OPZ[SL[O^HP[L�� www.iclr.org

� +\UUPUR�/VTLZ��1VOU�+\UUPUR�� [email protected]

� /LUY �̀�4HY[PU�2\`WLYZ��TR\`WLYZ'OLUY �̀JVT


Features


Recognizing the challenges that significant popula-

tion growth between now and 2031 will bring, the

Municipality of Clarington has launched PRIORITY

GREEN Clarington, an initiative to develop a stan-

dard for creating sustainable neighbourhoods.

As part of PRIORITY GREEN Clarington the Municipality

is developing a green demonstration project (GDP) with in-

terested builders to construct homes that will demonstrate

energy efficiency and water conservation, have excellent

indoor air quality, manage stormwater runoff and include

other sustainability measures.

Between 2011 and 2031, Clarington will experience a

forecasted 60 per cent increase in population and signifi-

cant new building (22,000 new units) that will present

social, economic and environmental challenges to the

municipality.

The vision of PRIORITY GREEN Clarington is to estab-

lish a new standard for residential development that pri-

oritizes sustainability, promotes innovation and improves

quality of life, said Amy Burke, sustainable development

co-ordinator for Clarington’s planning services depart-

ment, community planning and design branch.

Recently, a GDP planning workshop was held with three

interested builder partners (Brookfield Homes, Halminen

Homes and Jeffery Homes), representatives from the Sus-

tainable Housing Foundation, and municipal and regional

staff members. All three builders have built better than code

in the past and have constructed ENERGY STAR homes.

Burke said the GDP aims to implement green practices

that will exceed the Ontario Building Code (OBC). Six

categories have been developed, including high perfor-

mance envelope, high performance HVAC, energy-efficient

lighting and appliances, indoor air quality, reduced water

usage and runoff and efficient material management.

John Godden of the Sustainable Housing Foundation

explained how integrated design works and how it’s impor-

tant in building high performance homes. Integrated design

brings together key stakeholders and design professionals

to work in collaboration from the early planning stages

through to completion, and focuses on whole building de-

sign and how all the various systems work interactively.

He talked about the changes coming with the OBC. In

2017, builders will be required to build homes 15 per cent

more energy efficient with a target rating of EnerGuide 83.

As of January 2014, builders were required to install pro-

grammable thermostats and seal supply ductwork. As of

January 2015, furnaces must have electronically commu-

tated motors (ECMs) (that use 80 per cent less electricity),

which is an important development.

To meet code builders can pursue either prescriptive-

or performance-based paths. Godden doesn’t recommend

the Municipality tie its code rules to voluntary labelling

programs.

“It’s a good idea to have a performance approach for

code compliance” said Godden. “Keep code compliance

separate from labelling, because if a house doesn’t pass the

blower door test, it won’t be issued an occupancy permit.”

Godden said the three Cs of air tightness are comfort,

cost and condensation. Increasing home energy efficiency

has created some issues. With greater insulation values,

condensation is becoming a problem and will have to

be addressed through measures such as heat recovery

ventilators (HRV) or energy recovery ventilators (ERV).

Furnace right sizing is another issue that will have to

be rectified as most currently available furnaces are too

large. Godden says two-stage furnaces will be something

green builders should look at, as they are quieter and use

80 per cent less electricity than conventional one-stage

models when running continuously.

Godden said it’s important to ensure HRV are verified

to work properly from a code perspective, and while they

supply whole house ventilation, it’s also important to have

spot ventilation such as an effective bathroom fan.

Effective spot ventilation, HRV/ERV, furnace balancing

and rough-ins for radon gas detectors are ways to provide

superior indoor air quality, he said.

John Bell of the Sustainable Housing Foundation talked

about means to reduce water usage. Toilets typically ac-

count for 30 per cent of household water usage, he said.

Rough-ins for future recycling of grey water from showers

and baths to use to flush toilets are “a no-brainer,” said

Bell. Although currently there is no reliable technology on


featurestoryB y Tr a c y H a n e s


the market, the Greyter

system coming in 2015

should remedy that prob-

lem, he said.

Low flow toilets and

fixtures, ENERGY STAR

washing machines, dish-

washers, rain barrels and

permeable pavers are

other means to achieve

water conservation.

While there has been

talk about solar thermal

hot water systems, they

are not practical for

subdivision homes, said

Godden. A drainwater

heat recovery pipe that

recovers heat from water

going down the drain costs $700, while a solar hot water

system costs $7,000 and has a 30-year payback.

Although builders are concerned homebuyers won’t pay

extra for energy- and water-saving upgrades, Godden says

it’s important to educate them about the value of future

proofing against rising energy bills.

“People are willing to buy this stuff if you tell them why

they should,” said Godden. “Décor centre staff should not

be selling this as it competes with other upgrades.”

He said builders could market Good, Better and Best

packages to buyers and show the return on investment of

the various features. Godden also suggested the Municipal-

ity and participating builders could co-brand on a label

that would designate homes built to the better than code

standard.

Builder participants considered various options for GDP

homes, and what features and products would deliver the

energy savings, save on water use, offer other green benefits

and be most cost effective.

Their list included things such as exterior air barriers,

two-stage furnaces, web-based thermostats, drainwater heat

recovery units, ERV, front-loading washing machines, and

natural gas ranges and dryers. They favoured ENERGY STAR

washing machines, grey water recycling, permeable pavers

and topsoil as means to reduce water usage and runoff.

The next steps in the process to establishing the GDP

will include confirming builder partner commitment, se-

curing homebuyer interest in demonstration homes, and

promotion and community education. BB

Tracy Hanes is a freelance feature writer for the largest daily newspaper in Canada and several other magazines. www.tracyhanes.ca

Note from PRIORITY GREEN Clarington co-ordinator Amy

Burke: In addition to the GDP, PRIORITY GREEN Clarington will

identify goals, targets, and criteria for the design and construction

of greener neighbourhoods within new developments and exist-

ing areas in the Municipality. Clarington will undertake a review

of current land development policies, processes and guidelines,

and will consider incentives that encourage a more sustainable

approach to residential land development. Funding support for

PRIORITY GREEN Clarington has been provided by the Federation

of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund and the Province

of Ontario’s Showcasing Water Innovation program.


The builder workshop resulted in a sustainability checklist with eight categories.


Recognizing the financial,

environmental and social challenges

associated with the traditional

pattern of suburban growth, the

Municipality of Clarington is taking

action to advance future residential growth

in a more sustainable direction through the

PRIORITY GREEN Clarington initiative.

Clarington is located 40 km east of

Toronto on the eastern edge of the Regional

Municipality of Durham. It’s comprised of a

collection of smaller communities including

the urban centres of Bowmanville, Courtice,

Newcastle Village and Orono, which are

surrounded by scenic countryside. Not unlike

other municipalities surrounding the Greater

Toronto Area, Clarington will experience

significant growth in the coming years. To

accommodate this growth new subdivisions and

neighbourhood areas will be needed.

PRIORITY GREEN Clarington aims to

set a new standard for future residential

development that prioritizes sustainability,

promotes innovation and improves the

community’s quality of life through green

development practices. Green development

looks at the ways in which both homes and

neighbourhoods are designed and built. It’s

about using practices that will reduce the environmental

impacts of development, and respond to the growing

threat of climate change. In addition, it’s an important

component of creating healthier places to live, work and

play for the community.

To achieve this vision the Municipality, in collaboration

with the private sector and community engagement, is

developing policies and standards, approval measures

and incentives to encourage green development from the

initial design of a subdivision through home construction.

In addition, PRIORITY GREEN Clarington will reach beyond

the enhancement of policy and process to put green

building into practice.

This February, the Municipality announced a partnership

formed with Brookfield Residential, Halminen Homes

and Jeffery Homes for the PRIORITY GREEN Clarington

green demonstration project (GDP). The GDP will offer

homebuyers in designated subdivisions currently under

construction a beyond code option. This upgrade features a

package of water and energy improvements (referred to as

“green practices”) that exceed the efficiency requirements

of the latest Ontario Building Code (OBC). Each builder has

PRIORITY GREEN Clarington:

Supporting Green Development Through Demonstration

PRIORITY GREEN at work: inspecting Discovery homes and upgrades on the sustainability checklist.

featurestoryB y A m y B u r k e


ELECTRICAL DATA

WEIGHT 75K 105K 120Klb / kg 114 / 51,7 138 / 62,6 146 / 66,2

Supply 115 Volts - 60 Hertz - 1 Phase

Maximum consumption From 10,53 to 16,19 Amps

40 VA

www.dettson.ca

WARM AIR GAS FURNACE DESIGNED, ENGINEERED, AND MANUFACTURED IN CANADA FOR HEATING ANDCOOLING CANADIAN RESIDENCES

Benefits and differentiators

Product line features

- Single stage

Product release schedulePhase I September 2013 - Achieved

Phase II

Achieved

Phase III

15 K 34,29 31,75 27,94 33,02 x 60,96

30 K 34,29 31,75 27,94 33,02 x 60,96

45 K 34,29 31,75 27,94 33,02 x 60,96

60 K 40 37,46 33,02 38,1 x 60,96

75 K 40 37,46 33,02 38,1 x 60,96

105 K 53,34 50,80 38,1 43,18 x 60,96

120 K 53,34 50,80 38,1 43,18 x 60,96

15 k 13 1/2 12 1/2 11 1/4 13 x 24

30 k 13 1/2 12 1/2 11 1/4 13 x 24

45 k 13 1/2 12 1/2 11 1/4 13 x 24

60 k 15 3/4 14 3/4 13 1/4 15 x 24

75 k 15 3/4 14 3/4 13 1/4 15 x 24

105 k 21 20 15 1/4 17 x 24

120 k 21 20 15 1/4 17 x 24

DIMENSIONS (inches)

DIMENSIONS ( )

Furnacesize Filter Size

ACabinetwidth

BSupply

Outlet width

CReturn

Outlet width

Furnacesize Filter Size

ACabinetwidth

BSupply

Outlet width

CReturn

Outlet width

19.08 8.540

2.50

5.03

BSUPPLY OUTLET

WIDTH

A

15.71

33.5

7

6.76

29,02

24,001.09

1.03

6.05

2.66

2.26 0

0.88

2.00

CRe

turn

out

let h

eigh

t

Return outlet width


worked with the Municipality to establish their own unique

list of green practices.

With the support of their new owners, six of the

constructed homes (two per builder) will be monitored

for performance under real-life conditions. Performance

monitoring for the GDP involves installing water (hot

and cold) and electricity submeters to data log the

demands associated with specific appliances, fixtures

and equipment. Water, electricity and natural gas usage

of the home as a whole will also be measured. Further,

energy performance testing will be carried out on each

residence. Performance monitoring will be carried out over

a minimum four-month period.

Through performance monitoring and comparison

with data from built to code homes, conservation and

efficiency improvements will be quantified. Insight will

be gained into the water and energy synergies of heat

recovery drainpipes and ENERGY STAR Most Efficient-

designated washing machines, for example. Return on

investment may also be calculated for some of the green

practices that have been implemented. A survey of

participating homebuyers will gauge their perceptions

of having the green upgrade package implemented in

their home. The results of the assessment will be used

to inform residents and the building sector about the

potential environmental, economic and social benefits of

the green practices used.

Opportunities presented by the local demonstration of a

beyond code approach to home building include:

Q showcasing opportunities for reducing the

environmental impacts of housing and responding to

the growing threat of climate change

Q informing and engaging the community

Q strengthening local capacity amongst builders,

engineers, architects, inspectors and trades about

green building practices

Q building support for a local green economy

Q fostering community partnership and collaboration

Q promoting leadership and innovation.

Funding support for PRIORITY GREEN Clarington and

the GDP is provided by the Government of Ontario through

the Showcasing Water Innovation project, and the Green

Municipal Fund, a fund financed by the Government of

Canada and administered by the Federation of Canadian

Municipalities. BB

Amy Burke is PRIORITY GREEN Clarington co-ordinator for the Municipality of Clarington.

Clarington’s close proximity to Toronto is under pressure for land development.

featurestoryB y A m y B u r k e


PRIORITY GREEN Clarington:

Three Perspectives Small Town Feel and High Density Building

featurestoryB y A a ro n K o t h i r i n g e r

Since our focus this issue

revolves around the PRIORITY

GREEN Clarington project

taking place in Clarington,

Ont., we here at Better Builder

wanted to get some insight from people

who are directly involved with the

project. We asked Mayor Adrian Foster,

Councillor Wendy Partner and Steve

Jacques, Ontario manager of community

development, research and professional

services with Canada Mortgage and

Housing Corporation (CMHC) to sit

down with us to talk about their views

on environmentalism and sustainability,

their involvement with PRIORITY GREEN

Clarington, as well as their aspirations

and concerns for the Region of Clarington

in the years to come.

For Mayor Foster, it began with a

conversation he had with a colleague in the city’s planning

division about water efficacy. The region has been

exploring ways to promote and implement sustainability

and conservation over the last few years, largely due to

the forecasted population growth expected over the next

two decades. They decided to apply for a provincial grant,

which was awarded, and along with some additional

funding were able to establish a pilot project.

“Water is about two-thirds of the average household’s

energy bill,” Foster said. “This pilot project will be a

great way for residents and would-be residents of our

community to see that in doing their part to reduce

their household’s consumption, they will end up saving

a significant amount of money.” The pilot will monitor

six different homes with green upgrades ranging from

greywater recycling to solar power collection. Foster hopes

the pilot project will encourage people looking to buy a

new home in Clarington to consider including these kinds

of above code upgrades.

While he admits his own home is a work in progress,

he has implemented several energy- and water-saving

products that reduce his household’s consumption. He

recently upgraded his furnace, exchanging it for an above

code model, and uses only high efficiency lightbulbs and

low flow toilets.

“Even with the upgrades, it is difficult for me to monitor

the reduction in consumption and the monetary savings.

This is why I am excited to see the results of the pilot

project. It will give us hard, quantitative data we hope will

convince people and builders that building above code is

not only of benefit to the region and its resources, but also

a benefit to them and their wallets.” Foster does have some

concerns as his municipality moves forward.

“We need to convince residents that high or higher

density building is necessary.” Adding that people’s

preconceived and unwarranted notions about noise and

crime keep them from seeing that high density buildings

like mid-rise apartment buildings, mixed-use and

Water use reduction: the genesis of PRIORITY GREEN.


commercial building actually increase local property values.

As a final point of pride, Foster added this is the first

time he has been involved with a project in which all levels

of government, the building industry and local enterprise

are all “sitting at the same table.” He is optimistic about

the future of Clarington, and hopes other municipalities

will be inspired by the work they are doing.

City Councillor Wendy Partner, who lives in the

Ganaraska Forest area, became involved with the PRIORITY

GREEN Clarington project after attending last year’s

symposium in Courtice, Ont. “I was very excited to learn

all the things that they are working with the developers to

complete,” said Partner. “As vice-chair of the Ganaraska

Region Conservation Authority, I speak about sustainability

and ways we can become more sustainable in our lives, to

all who will listen. It is one of my goals as a local councillor

to bring this to the forefront in Clarington and beyond.”

Partner is in her first term as councillor for Ward

4, primarily a farming community, and says as new

development continues the region must encourage

builders to build with a “green mentality.”

“We do have developers in Clarington who believe in

protecting our lands while developing subdivisions that are

sustainable to our future, and I believe those developers are

the ones we should be allowing to build here.”

The difficulty Partner and the PRIORITY GREEN

Clarington project face is maintaining the small town

atmosphere while creating new housing for people moving

to the region. Partner says the majority of new residents

are families who have moved from Toronto to get away

from the hustle and bustle of big city life in exchange for

the tranquillity Clarington offers.

“My concern is people move here from the city and

want that small town, laid back atmosphere, but feel they

should have all the things that a city offers to them at their

fingertips. I think we have to find a balance of where to

put high density [development], and not mix it in with the

quaint country feel that people want when they move here.

“They come for peace and quiet, not a city life. We need

to keep Clarington as a community for the people where

they can work, live and play and not have to travel to the

city. I believe there is a way to mix high density in without

destroying our small town community feel.”

At the PRIORITY GREEN Clarington symposium held

in October 2013, an array of experts and industry leaders

were invited to discuss development strategies Clarington

can use to achieve its goals.

Steve Jacques with CMHC spoke about the fused grid

approach to neighbourhood design, and has high hopes

for the region.

“I think what they [Clarington] are trying

to do is fantastic,” Jacques said. “These

regions outside Toronto are where growth

will be happening. [When looking at city

planning] you can’t think in 5-year blocks.

You have to start thinking in 25-, 50- and

even 100-year blocks.”

Jacques outlined the fused grid technique

as a way to maintain green open spaces

and walkability while maximizing the

development of each parcel of land – an

area of much concern for current Clarington

residents who unanimously agreed that

maintaining the small town feel of their town

is of the highest priority.

Jacques said strategies like the fused

grid will allow for major population growth

without losing the small town aspect. “High

density development with open green

space is the only way to go. Large estate

lots are not an efficient use of land. Clarington has the

right priorities, and they are going about it the right

way [pilot project, community survey]. But, ultimately,

the municipality will have to create the documents,

guidelines and policy that developers will follow for years

to come.” BB

Aaron Kothiringer is a freelance writer/journalist and has worked for several community newspapers including the East York Observer.

featurestoryB y A a ro n K o t h i r i n g e r

The fused grid maximizes land use and green space and minimizes roads.



If you’ve got clients who’d like to

upgrade to new, more efficient

HVAC systems, but don’t have the

money, now’s a good time to let them

in on a new City of Toronto program.

The $20 million program intends

to retrofit about 1000 homes and 10

multiresidential buildings (totalling

1000 apartments) by lending money

to eligible property owners. Now run-

ning as a pilot project, the program

will have a process that includes ap-

plication (available online), and an en-

ergy audit to assess the home based

on certain specified criteria, which

will outline all the ways homeowners

can reduce energy consumption to

comply with the program.

Councillor Mike Layton, who intro-

duced the program, explains it will

outline both the low-hanging fruit –

things you can do eas-

ily and inexpensively

– as well as the deeper

retrofit. Once aproved,

the homeowner can go

ahead with their con-

tractor.

The 5- to 20-year loans will come

with low/competitive interest rates,

and are to be paid back through the

property tax bill. Because interest rates

are low, and payments are geared to

the savings homeowners will realize on

utility bills from increased efficiency,

household budgets won’t change.

Issued through the municipal local

improvement charge (LIC), loans are

placed against the property instead of

the homeowner, which means the loan

stays with the property until paid off.

Having a loan on your property tax

bill would automatically be disclosed

whenever the house is being sold.

Layton explains this should help en-

courage homeowners to go ahead with

deep energy retrofits on their homes,

since what holds some homeowners

back is the fear they will not realize a

return on their investment when they

go to sell the home.

“This plan has the full support

of the Toronto Real Estate Board,”

says Layton. “The board can help by

looking at ways to communicate the

value of energy savings to homebuy-

ers. When I bought my home, I asked

to see the previous year’s energy bills,

and this I think may breathe new life

into the Province’s proposal for en-

ergy audits at the point of sale.”

Although homeowners are the

obvious beneficiaries of the program

because of reduced en-

ergy bills from retrofit-

ting, there are several

benefits.

As Layton points out,

every $1 million in-

vested in this program

garners approximately 14.2 jobs. It is

expected that the budget of 20 million

will translate into 300 additional jobs,

including energy advisors, auditors,

inspectors, retrofit technicians and

construction workers. “I believe that

buildernewsB y A l e x N e w m a n

Local Improvement Charge: Using

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Every $1 million

invested in this

program garners

approximately

14.2 jobs.


if the program is successful and goes

to a full-scale program, it could lead

to thousands of new jobs in Toronto,”

Layton says.

These numbers were calculated

during several studies done over the

past few years by the City of Toronto

on residential retrofits, in conjunction

with the Green Energy Act Alliance,

Blue Green Canada and the WWF.

To date, over $750,000 has been se-

cured from the Ontario Power Authori-

ty, Toronto Hydro, Enbridge and others.

The rest of the funds will come from

the City’s working capital reserve – no

costs will come from the City’s tax levy,

nor will Toronto’s debt load increase.

The City uses money from its working

capital, which will be increased for that

particular year, but paid back out of the

property tax loans over the years.

It’s expected the reduction in

carbon emissions from this pilot

program will result in the equivalent

of taking a thousand cars off the

road. Reducing energy consumption

also reduces the strain on the city’s

overloaded infrastructure, leading to

fewer blackouts and lower mainte-

nance costs on our energy grid.

In addition to having the full back-

ing of the mayor’s executive commit-

tee, the program has the support of

private sector, labour and environmen-

tal organizations including the Toron-

to Real Estate Board, Building Industry

and Land Development Association

(BILD), Toronto Environmental Alli-

ance, Toronto & York Region Labour

Council, as well as the David Suzuki

Foundation.

For more information on how to tap

into the finance possibilities, check

toronto.ca/teo/residential-energy-

retrofit. BB

Alex Newman is a writer, editor and researcher at www.integritycommunications.ca


Clearsphere consultant John

Godden knew they were ready

and able to take it on. “It was

a great logical next step in our

quest for sustainable housing

construction,” Stewart says.

Most builders are aware

of sustainability issues, and

want to do the right thing, but

are not so sure of the cost or

difficulty of implementation,

what the benefits are exactly,

and whether buyers are pre-

pared to pay.

Metzner Yarrow has found

consumers generally like the

words “green” and “ENERGY

STAR,” but aren’t so eager

to pay for it, particularly in

the suburbs around Toronto,

although she also says those

attitudes are slowly chang-

ing. She has also found some

green practices easier than

others to implement, and

give good bang for your buck.

“Adding an exterior barrier

and sealing the basement

ducts are really simple and

make such a difference in a

home’s air tightness. They’re

not required by code, but

something that makes a huge

difference.”

Another thing Halminen

is exploring, she says, is a

way to reduce water runoff

by using a 6” layer of topsoil

and incorporating permeable

hardscaping.

A more challenging issue

to resolve is homeowners’

buy-in. Stewart, who is “ex-

cited” about the Discovery

homes potential, admits,

“It’s tough to break into that

sustainability side unless you

include it into a bells and

whistles package.”

Brookfield, though, has

had some success in selling

this upgrade. And Stewart has

found on previous projects

that a few of these upgrades

“went over really well with

buyers, especially with homes

that came out with low air

changes and lower Home

Energy Rating System (HERS)

scores.”

Indeed, at the Clarington

site, all three builders have

not come across great reluc-

tance by purchasers to con-

sider the free Discovery home

upgrade, especially once the

program has been explained.

In Jeffery’s case, he’s the

buyer for his company’s two

Discovery homes, because he

intends to rent out the 1600

sq. ft. attached towns. He be-

lieves the savings on utilities,

thanks to the townhomes

being 25 to 30 per cent more

efficient than current code,

will be an incentive to poten-

tial tenants responsible for

paying their own utilities.

Consumption is something

that intrigues Jeffery, so he

will be watching very closely

as the Town reveals its find-

ings through the monitor-

ing process. “John [Godden]

measures consumption with

a unit called kilowatts. That’s

something you can relate to

dollars and cents, and gives

you a good barometer of what

is worth spending money on

– and what isn’t.” BB

Alex Newman is a writer, editor and researcher at

www.integritycommunications.ca

Green CountryContinued from page 11


fromthegroundupB y D o u g Ta r r y

In previous articles about the

Optimum Basement Wall, I have

mentioned air sealing the main

floor rim joist. Because we do a

blower door test of every home

we build, we’ve developed a really

good database of our air tightness.

When we initially started testing,

we always managed to get under

the 2.5 air changes per hour (ACH)

requirement for ENERGY STAR. As

we standardized our methods and

improved our subtrades’ knowl-

edge, our average settled in be-

tween 1.8 and 1.9 ACH, a very good

number.

However, we did notice a sig-

nificant area of leakage around

the main floor rim joist where

penetrations had occurred, even

though we were wrapping the

floor assembly with a house wrap.

Even though the framers had done

a good job installing the header

wrap, we had other subtrades

(plumbers, HVAC and electricians)

who insisted on punching a bunch

of holes in my nicely installed

header wrap air barrier. I asked

them to stop, but they wouldn’t.

Something to do with following the

building code.

I’m kidding, of course, but this

is actually a really good example

where the requirements of one

part of the building code (ventila-

tion of combustion appliances)

causes a challenge with another part

(continuous air barrier).

So we did some research and

worked with our building inspectors

to reduce leakage in this area. We

decided for our air leakage goals we

would use spray foam as an air seal-

ant. We came upon a product called

Dow FROTH-PAK that enabled us to

do this work using our own staff so

we could better control

our construction schedule.

FROTH-PAK has a Canadian

Construction Materials

Centre (CCMC) rating as an

air sealant (CCMC 13447-L),

but does not have a spe-

cific insulation rating for

Canada, so we don’t count

it as part of our header

insulation.

Our back framers Joe

and Chris quickly got

the hang of it, and even

worked out a method for

moving the FROTH-PAK

tanks around the basement

quickly using a small pull

cart to speed up the appli-

cation process. Of course,

we were very curious to see

if there would be a change

to our ACH numbers, so it

was time to look at some

test results.

When we looked at

our next group of blower door test

results, we were very surprised at

the significant impact the air sealing

had. Our average had dropped by

nearly 0.8 ACH to just over 1.1 ACH

Air Sealing and Protecting

Foam Plastics

R22 ROXUL Comfortbatt (5.5 ther-mal protection 3.1.4.2) to cover the foam to top of insulated wall (protection of foamed plastics OBC 9.10.17.10).

Spray foam air sealant for an air barrier and reduction of dew point (vapour barrier in header).


for about $250 to $300 per house.

This further reduction in ACH not

only improved our EnerGuide rat-

ing, it meant our mechanicals didn’t

need to be as big. (This is part of how

we ended up undertaking the Right-

Sized Furnace project.)

However, as FROTH-PAK is a

sprayed foam, the code requires us to

protect it from potential fire. In the

2006 Ontario Building Code (OBC),

this requirement did not prevent

occupancy if it was incomplete at

time of final inspection. With the new

2012 OBC, this is now a requirement

for occupancy (9.10.17.10.(1)). This

would include on-step walls or walk-

out walls if there is rigid insulation

on the exterior of the stud wall and

the basement is not drywalled.

For anyone who has had to install

drywall into the floor joist space to

meet this requirement, you know how

challenging and labour intensive this

can be. So we knew we wanted a dif-

ferent option. As it turns out, DOW

had considered this problem and had

a lab test showing that a 5.5” ROXUL

batt would meet the requirement for

combustible insulation and its pro-

tection (3.1.5.12.(2)(e)). We found this

to be a much faster and easier detail

to complete than trying to drywall

the joist ends. And since we were

using the ROXUL for both protecting

foam plastics and to meet our insula-

tion requirements, the incremental

cost was fairly minor.

Recently, ROXUL conducted its

own lab test and confirmed the 5.5”

ROXUL batt had a classification B rat-

ing for protecting foam plastics. This

rating is available through ROXUL

if you are interested in using it for

your foam plastics protection. The air

sealing of our main floor header has

enabled us to significantly exceed the

air tightness requirements of the OBC

and has been a significant factor in

our increased EnerGuide rating, which

is now averaging 83 to 84. If this is

an area you are struggling with, check

out the Optimum Basement Wall de-

tail for ideas on installation. It is also

available from ROXUL. BB

Doug Tarry Jr. is the director of marketing at Doug Tarry Homes in St. Thomas, Ontario.

fromthegroundupB y D o u g Ta r r y




Granite countertops, that’s what

buyers want.” It’s a statement

I’ve heard from builders many

times over the years when the topic

of building “green” comes up. Apple

cofounder Steve Jobs once said, “It

isn’t the consumers’ job to know

what they want.” So how do you

navigate these waters of unknowns

and contradictions when trying to

sell green upgrades and features to

prospective buyers?

In fairness to Mr. Jobs, he was

explaining that Apple did not conduct

market research because consumers

couldn’t know they want what has

not yet been created. Some context is

important here. In reality, Apple does

market research. Mr. Jobs shunned fo-

cus group research with generic con-

sumers, but Apple regularly queries

its customers to determine the moti-

vations behind their recent purchases.

So here’s the interesting part. Both

the builders’ and Mr. Jobs’ viewpoints

are correct, with some caveats. It’s

not about what consumers want – it’s

about what motivates their wants.

Intrinsic beliefs drive every action

of every individual. These beliefs are

shared among demographics and often

passed along to the next generation

with some culturally induced changes

along the way. What motivates all of

us and the perspectives we form arise

from our intrinsic beliefs.

This belief system is deeply

entrenched and comes from

the common upbringing and

cultural values of popula-

tions within a given demo-

graphic.

It’s the Apple brand and

design that are the primary

drivers for consumer pur-

chases, not software and

applications. Yet, as Mr.

Jobs pointed out, the con-

sumer doesn’t know what

product design they want

until it’s developed and

put into the marketplace.

Buyers didn’t want gran-

ite countertops until they

were introduced as the

latest and greatest trend in

kitchen design.

Success, happiness, vital-

ity, youth, comfort, safety,

beauty – these emotions

and more are the driving

motivations behind our purchases.

Granite countertops reflect our suc-

cess. They show our guests we have

taste, money and design savvy. We are

in turn validated by our guests’ oohs

and ahhs.

Lower utility bills and greater

home comfort are most often the

main selling points of green features

and upgrades marketed to prospec-

tive homebuyers. These are logical

reasons for purchasing green homes,

but not emotional ones. Unless green

homebuilders tap into the emotional

motivations of potential buyers, gran-

ite countertops will win every time.

Working recently with a devel-

oper of single-family homes in York

Region and convincing him of the

value of installing rain gardens was

no small task. To paraphrase him,

“People want neat, clean yards, not

messy, weedy gardens they have to

maintain.” With lots of photos and

discussion, the developer and builder

agreed to add the rain gardens to

corner lots in the development. In a

buildernewsB y Tr a c y P a t t e r s o n

What Homebuyers Want?

“

“Granite countertops, that’s what buyers want.” It’s a statement I’ve heard from builders many times over the years when the topic of building “green” comes up. Apple cofounder Steve Jobs once said, “It isn’t

the consumers’ job to know what they want.”

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RELIABLE, CONSISTENT, MARTINOHeating • Air Conditioning • Indoor Air Quality • HVAC Design

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meeting with their marketing people

and sales agents, I explained how to

position the rain gardens as “fu-

sion gardens” and the latest trend in

landscape design. I provided them

with full-colour images of beautiful

gardens and landscapes to include as

wall art in their sales office. The lots

with rain gardens were the first to

sell. Other green features were collec-

tively marketed as lifestyle enhancing

and in harmony with nature – a vital,

healthy place to live and raise a fam-

ily. Green features can and will sell.

It’s all in how they are positioned.

So, what do homebuyers want?

Builders need to appreciate that this

is the wrong question to ask, and

worse, assume they know the answer.

What all green homebuilders should

understand are the intrinsic motiva-

tions and values of prospective buy-

ers. In a robust market, insights into

the motivations of potential purchas-

ers may seem less important, but with

this information builders can’t just

successfully market green homes, but

create “must have” designs, layouts

and features that will give them a de-

cided edge in the marketplace. BB

Tracy Patterson is a marketing consultant and principal of Freeman Associates.

buildernewsB y Tr a c y P a t t e r s o n

Buyers didn’t want granite countertops until they were introduced as the latest and

greatest trend in kitchen design.


With residential building codes changing across Canada you need an exterior insulated sheathing that measures up. In the move from nominal to effective R-values, ROXUL® COMFORTBOARD™ IS provides a stable solution.

Vapour permeable, it dries easily even if the framing gets wet, guarding against mould and mildew all while delivering an extra layer of thermal protection.

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Find comfort in a world of change.


PAGE TITLE

Features

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Technology

Better Builder Magazine Summer Issue 2014