The document discusses the importance of insulation in home construction, focusing on the Ontario Building Code's energy efficiency standards and the implications of using continuous insulation. It highlights advancements in tankless water heating technology and features from the 2017 RESNET Cross Border Home Builder Challenge, emphasizing the need for effective energy solutions in building practices. Additionally, it addresses regulatory challenges regarding the use of furnaces during construction and presents a negotiated resolution to ensure both efficiency and equipment safety.

1. ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017PUBLICATIONNUMBER42408014
Probuilt’s Future Dream Home
How Much Insulation is Enough?
RESNET Cross Border Challenge
High Cost of Net Zero Homes
Exterior Insulation Options
The Benefits of Net Zero-Ready
IN THIS ISSUE
The
InsulationIssue

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3. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017
16
1
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
2
How Much Insulation
is Enough?
by John Godden
THE BADA TEST
3
Blame Builders for Being
Left Out in the Cold on
Furnace Issues
by Lou Bada
INDUSTRY NEWS
4
An HVAC Contractor’s Take
on Construction Heat
by Alex Newman
11
The High Cost of Net Zero
Homes
by Paul De Berardis
BUILDER NEWS
6
Home Energy Efficiency
Maximized Again Through
2017 RESNET Cross Border
Builder Challenge
by Better Builder Staff
INDUSTRY EXPERT
13
Exterior Insulation Options
by Gord Cooke
SITE SPECIFIC
25
In the Spotlight – Naturally
by Alex Newman
FROM THE GROUND UP
30
The Benefits of Building
a Net Zero-Ready Home…
It’s Not All About the Energy!
by Doug Tarry
FEATURE STORY
16
Making Dreams Come True
How’s this for a dream home? With all its energy features,
Probuilt’s pays for itself.
by Rob Blackstien
22
The 2017 Future Dream Home
6
13
ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017
On our cover: Probuilt’s 2017 Future Dream Home
at the National Home Show in Toronto in March.
Images internally supplied unless otherwise credited.
30

4. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 20172
T
he Ontario Building Code, under SB-12 2017, is no longer a
minimum standard for energy efficiency. Package A1 2017 annual
energy represents a 44% reduction in carbon emissions from
burning natural gas, compared to its 1990 counterpart. Now that the
bar is set relatively high, how much insulation should we be using when
building a new home in Ontario?
The new OBC promotes the use of continuous insulation (CI) and
considers effective R-values to account for the difference between cavity
and assembly losses. An R-22 batt placed in a 2x6 without a CI layer has
an effective value of R-17.03. Add R-5 insulated sheathing and that value
increases to R-21.4 (see the chart on page 14 for all the configurations).
A higher effective R-value is better – but what is the cost? After all,
unionized framers receive a 20% material surcharge and 11 cents more
per square foot when installing foam sheathing.
Typically, foundation wall thickness moves from eight inches to 10
inches at a premium cost. The incremental cost, not counting the foun­
dation, would be $720. The annual estimated savings from space heating
would be $30. The simple pay back (costs divided savings) is 24 years.
Obviously, simple payback is not the only factor to consider. CI adds to the
durability of the structure by reducing the chance of condensation damage.
A cash flow positive approach, where the energy savings exceed the
costs of borrowing on a mortgage, makes more sense. As energy prices
rise, the cash flow position improves. This is the platform of the Future
Dream Home at the 2017 National Home Show. The energy savings from
this airtight upgraded envelope, coupled with a gas-fired combination
space, hot water heating system and a 6.75 kW solar array, are more
than $2,000 annually. These savings support an additional $30,000 of
borrowing power on a mortgage.
My position is that the 10/20/30/40/50 walls exposed from attics (R-10
under slab, R-20 basement wall, R-30 main wall, R-40 exposed floor and
R-50 attic) rule makes sense, given current energy prices and interest rates.
The net zero home concept takes a different approach and uses balanced,
“modelled” energy and does not consider only costs and savings. The goal
is zero. The insulation levels are determined by the reduced heat loss and
plug loads that 10 kW to 12 kW of on-site solar production would offset. This
threshold is described as net zero ready, at roughly 80% better than the
current National Building Code. Doug Tarry Homes is currently offering this
level to their customers and hoping it will gain market acceptance (read more
about Doug’s insights on page 30). Congratulations to them and all the award
winners in this year’s RESNET Cross Border Home Builder Challenge (page 6)!
Each builder puts serious consideration into how much insulation is
enough. Whatever the choice, less energy consumed means less CO2
. Any
way you slice it, more insulation is better. BB
How Much Insulation
is Enough?
PUBLISHER
Better Builder Magazine
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PUBLISHING EDITOR
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contact sales@betterbuilder.ca
FEATURE WRITERS
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Wallflower Design
www.wallflowerdesign.com
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
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TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER
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publisher’snote / JOHN GODDEN
John Godden
Alex Newman
Gord Cooke
Michael Lio
Lou Bada
Doug Tarry
CONTRIBUTORS

5. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017 3
Our industry recently faced
a regulatory/liability challenge
involving the use of furnaces during
the construction of a new home.
Modern furnaces are increasingly
sophisticated (let’s face it: older
furnaces were basically barbecue
grills with fans attached). The
industry wants to build through all
seasons and use furnaces for heat
during cold-season construction.
However, the furnace manufacturers,
through the Heating, Refrigeration
and Air Conditioning Institute
of Canada (HRAI), and heating
contractors contended that not
enough was being done to protect
heating equipment from the perils of
use during construction.
Quite frankly, builders were slow
to react when the matter was brought
up a number of years ago. Let me
give you some perspective on this
development.
The Technical Standards Safety
Authority (TSSA), charged with
the responsibility of regulating
the use of gas appliances, looks
to manufacturers’ operating
and installation instructions for
guidance. The TSSA released bulletins
and engaged the industry on the
construction heat issue to mitigate
the impact on equipment warranties,
but to little avail.
When manufacturers and the
HRAI noticed that these efforts were
not being taken seriously, they felt
they had no choice but to protect their
interests by changing operating and
installation procedures to forbid the
use of furnaces during construction.
Heating contractors agreed, and
builders were going to be left out in the
cold – literally.
Let me make one point of
clarification: this was never a health
and safety issue for our workers or our
clients, and the exact magnitude of the
problem was never fully disclosed to
our industry.
However, these latest moves finally
kick-started an earnest attempt at
resolving the matter to everyone’s
satisfaction. With some goodwill and
common sense, an acceptable solution
was derived. The building industry
(CHBA, OHBA and RESCON), HRAI,
the Residential Heating Venti­lation
Contractors Association (RHVCA),
Enbridge and the TSSA came together
and worked something out. In a
nutshell: a home had to be substantially
complete and clean, with the walls
primed to keep fine dust down and the
furnace protected with a MERV 11 filter
during use. The furnace and ducts also
had to be cleaned before turnover.
Not all parties came out of this
negotiation completely satisfied (this is
the hallmark of a good deal). Builders
would have preferred to continue with
the status quo, as we have enough
battles to fight. Manufacturers, on
the other hand, would have preferred
that a furnace be installed the day
before customers move in. Heating
contractors were stuck in the middle,
not liking either option.
But back to my initial point on what
I’ve learned to consider a “win” in
negotiation: in my book, a win is when
you don’t get necessarily everything
you want, but you make your situation
much better than it would have been
otherwise. As difficult as it may be to
accept at times, it’s often the best you
can do. A “win” in negotiation always
requires people with common sense
and goodwill to come together to look
for solutions – I cannot say this is
always the case, and when that hap­
pens, a win becomes a loss for all. BB
Lou Bada is Vice President of Low
Rise Construction at Starlane Home
Corporation and serves on the board of
directors for the Residential Construction
Council of Ontario (RESCON).
Blame Builders for Being Left Out
in the Cold on Furnace Issues
thebadatest / LOU BADA
I
’ve learned a few things during my three decades in the residential construction industry. One of them is that the act of
learning motivates me to carry on, even in those frustrating times when I want to pack up my tent and go home.
Another lesson learned is the definition of “success” in negotiation. It’s rarely a matter of win or lose.
Let’s face it: older
furnaces were basically
barbecue grills with
fans attached.
RONJOE/DEPOSITPHOTOS

6. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 20174
industrynews / ALEX NEWMAN
W
hen you buy a new house,
you should get a new fur­
nace to go with it, says Mike
Martino of Martino HVAC in Concord,
Ontario. “When you buy a new car,
it’s checked out before delivery – but
that’s not happening in homes.”
With the increase in wintertime
construction, trades need heat while
they work. That makes for a lot of
drywall dust and construction debris
circulating through a forced air
furnace, causing the furnace to not
perform to standards or to not last as
long as it should.
That’s why, after fielding hundreds
of home owner complaints, the
Heating Refrigeration and Air
Conditioning Institute of Canada
(HRAI) has recommended all
furnace manufacturers revise their
furnace installation manuals to
prohibit gas furnaces from being
used for construction heat, effective
September 1.
Martino, who commissions HVAC
systems in new home developments,
says this has been an issue for almost
20 years, and a mandate in the early
1990s “stipulated what the industry
needed to do but it wasn’t followed
and it wasn’t monitored.”
Things have changed, however,
and gas furnaces manufactured on or
after May 1, 2017 are not permitted to
be used for heating buildings under
construction. This clearly leaves build­
ers in a dilemma – if trades can’t work
in the cold, houses don’t get built.
And so, in March of this year,
industry reps got together to discuss
possible solutions. “No one wants
home owners getting used or damaged
goods, but the reality is you need heat
inside a home you’re working on,”
Martino explains.
They came up with a middle-
ground solution, allowing trades to
turn the furnace on once the drywall
has been installed, taped and primed
(the dirt and debris generated before
that point is what really damages
furnaces). In order to keep trades
warm during the earlier construction
work, temporary heaters (also known
as gas “salamanders”) can be used.
“They aren’t a great solution, but they
are the best under the circumstances,
short of putting in and removing
furnaces,” Martino says.
He believes extra checks should
be in place, like affixing a copy of the
inspection to the furnace, so everyone
– especially the home owner – can see
what day the start-up was done and
how the furnace performed. A copy
should go to the builder, and the utility
as well.
Although this solution means
construction teams will still be
working in unheated spaces during the
winter, at least it’s for a significantly
shorter time period. BB
Alex Newman is a writer, editor and
researcher at alexnewmanwriter.com.
An HVAC Contractor’s Take
on Construction Heat
Construction heat requires a Merv 11 filter and can be used after drywall is primed.
BANKSPHOTOS/ISTOCK

8. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 20176
buildernews / BETTER BUILDER STAFF
T
he award winners of the 2017
RESNET Cross Border Home
Builder Challenge (which
helps promote the utilization of the
HERS [Home Energy Rating System]
Index) have been announced by Steve
Baden, executive director of RESNET,
and John Godden, president of the
Canadian counterpart CRESNET, at
the RESNET annual conference in
Scottsdale, Arizona.
“With well over one million homes
rated in the U.S., the HERS Index is
the industry standard by which a
home’s energy efficiency is now being
measured in the U.S. and Canada. It’s
also the nationally recognized system
for inspecting and calculating a home’s
energy performance,” notes Baden.
“The Index is based on an
assessment by a certified Home Energy
Rater, who evaluates the energy
efficiency of a home and assigns it a
relative performance score. The lower
the number, the more energy efficient
the home. The energy efficiency score
is based on variables such as exterior
walls (both above and below grade),
floors over unconditioned spaces,
ceilings and roofs, windows and doors,
vents and ductwork, HVAC systems,
water heating systems, and your
thermostat, among other elements,”
Baden explains.
“The RESNET Cross Border Home
Builder Challenge is a friendly
competition between American and
Canadian home builders to determine
just how energy efficient builders can
build,” says Godden. There were a
total of nine builder awards presented
for this year’s competition: five were
based on having the lowest HERS
score for their specific category,
sponsored by Power-Pipe®
; two were
Jim Sanford and Brian Stamm of the Colorado Division of Brookfield
Residential; Paul Duffy of Icynene; Tiago Moura and Jimmy Neto of the
Toronto Division of Brookfield Residential; John Godden of CRESNET
Home Energy Efficiency Maximized Again Through

9. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017
special President’s Awards based on
a fleet of HERS new home ratings,
sponsored by Icynene; and two were
Net Zero Awards including PV solar
applications, sponsored by Dow.
The big news is that Brookfield
Residential won the lowest score for
the Production Builder category on
both sides of the border. Congrats!
Lowest HERS score American
Production Builder: Brookfield
Residential with a HERS 42
(second year in a row)
(> 50 homes HERS rated per year)
Lowest HERS score Canadian
Production Builder: Brookfield
Residential with a HERS 34
The winners are:
1. CRESNET President’s Award:
Starlane Homes with a HERS 44
2. RESNET President’s Award:
KB Home (fourth year in a row!)
3. Lowest HERS score Canadian Mid
Production Builder: Highmark
Homes with a HERS 43 (10 to 49
homes HERS rated per year)
4. Lowest HERS score Canadian
Custom Builder: Signature
Communities with a HERS 44
(<10 homes HERS rated per year)
5. Net Zero Canadian Builder:
Doug Tarry Homes with a HERS 1
6. Net Zero American Builder:
Greenhill Contracting with a
HERS –11 (second year in a row)
7. Lowest HERS score American
Custom Builder: Garbacik
Construction with a HERS 22
(<10 homes HERS rated per year)
7
CANADIAN PRESIDENTS AWARD
Scott Bullock of Enbridge; Lou Bada of Starlane
Homes; Michelle Vestergaard of Enbridge
CANADIAN LOWEST SCORE
John Godden of CRESNET; William Greig and
Brian Couperthwaite of Brookfield Residential
Canada; Michelle Vestergaard of Enbridge
2017 RESNET Cross Border Home Builder Challenge
CANADIAN LOWEST CUSTOM SCORE
John Godden of CRESNET; Sebastian Mizzi and Mauro De Simone
of Signature Communities; Michelle Vestergaard of Enbridge
CANADIAN LOWEST MID PRODUCTION BUILDER SCORE
John Godden of CRESNET; Joe Messina and Marcus Nolan
of Highmark Homes; Scott Bullock of Enbridge
HERSSCORE
44
HERSSCORE
44
HERSSCORE
43
HERSSCORE
34

10. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!
Sebastian Mizzi and Mauro De Simone of Signature Communities; Doug Tarry of Doug Tarry Homes; Lou Bada of Starlane Homes;
Joe Messina and Marcus Nolan of Highmark Homes; William Greig and Brian Couperthwaite of Brookfield Residential Canada
8
Winners in all Lowest HERS Score
categories each won a free Power-
Pipe®
Drain Water Heat Recovery
System from Renewability Energy Inc.
as part of their awards. The Power-
Pipe®
Drain Water Heat Recovery
System is a leading technology for
reducing water heating costs for home
owners, yet increasing the water
heating capacity within the house.
The Power-Pipe®
can help builders
reduce their HERS score between 1
and 3 points, depending on climate
zone and efficiency of unit selected.
Enbridge Gas Distribution has
a vision to transform the housing
industry by delivering unique and
energy-efficient programs to our
existing and new construction homes
and buildings. We are engaging
builders through our Savings by
Design (SBD) program to build 20%
above the 2017 code.
This program is driving labels in
our marketplace, helping customers
understand the energy rating on new
homes, and eventually increasing the
demand for energy efficient homes.
Prime examples are two builders who
graduated from the SBD program:
Brookfield Residential and Starlane
homes.
Brookfield was the first graduate
of SBD and offers their home buyers
a minimum of 15% better than code
on every home. This year, Brookfield
Residential captured the honour of
lowest HERS score for a production
builder, both sides of the border.
Starlane Homes recently participated
in the SBD program and, as a result,
scored the lowest average score of
44, which exceeds ENERGY STAR
performance. Enbridge would like to
congratulate all the winners. BB
NET ZERO
Scott Bullock of Enbridge; Doug Tarry of Doug
Tarry Homes; Michelle Vestergaard of Enbridge
HERSSCORE
1

11. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017 9

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13. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017
Without providing a definition,
the Ontario government’s Climate
Change Action Plan (CCAP) lays out
plans for all new small buildings
(including low-rise homes) to meet
net zero energy standards by 2030.
Well, who wouldn’t want to do
their part for the environment by
buying a home like that? But here’s
the catch: by our estimates, net zero
could cost between $75,000 and
$100,000 for a new single-detached
home.
Last year, a federally subsidized
four-year project, made up of 26
net zero homes across Canada, was
completed. The approximate cost was
just over $4 million. The five builders
involved were mostly able to meet
net zero status by using upgraded
materials and equipment. The net
zero upgrades included:
• solar panels (photovoltaic system)
• triple-glazed windows
• extra insulation (exterior building
envelope insulation)
• heat pumps (electrically powered
space- and water-heating
equipment)
• nearly airtight building enclosure
• training for skilled trades
• extended building timelines (net
zero takes longer to build)
Builders discovered quickly that
few buyers were willing to pay extra
for net zero, which leads to another
question: why do we need a net zero
requirement when new construction
standards are already very high?
Using 1990 as a baseline, the
Ontario government set overall
greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction
targets of 15%, to be achieved by
2020, and 37%, to be achieved by
2030. But as of January 1, 2017, per
Package A1, new low-rise homes in
Ontario will reduce GHG emissions by
43.5% compared to the 1990 baseline
year (thereby exceeding the 2030
target) through the evolving Ontario
Building Code. RESCON has provided
recommendations to the various
ministries overseeing climate change
initiatives. Until this point, nobody on
the policy side understood this.
The added cost to buyers, especially
millennials and working families,
will cause a knock-on effect on our
economy. New-home buyers and
renters are already squeezed and have
less disposable income. This added
cost also reduces Ontario’s ability to
attract new jobs and investments,
which are already suffering because of
a rising cost of living.
Frankly, it isn’t new housing and
buildings that aren’t performing up
to snuff – it’s the existing stock built
decades ago. The federal government
recognized this with a recently
proposed retrofit program, which has a
better bang for the buck than net zero.
But has net zero become an
untouchable issue? Resisting it seems
to give the perception of being anti-
green. Nonetheless, I strongly believe
net zero’s marginal benefits relative
to its costs must be examined and
explained.
RESCON wrote to the government
recently to let them know about the
cost issue. We’d like to start a dialogue.
Without one, this initiative will be
imposed barring any challenge, and
many home buyers will be priced out
of the market. Is that fair?
There are other measured
approaches that make more sense in
the short term. Net zero, or balanced
energy, may make less sense with
emerging battery technologies and
falling electricity rates.
Interested builders can participate
in RESCON’s Low Carbon Builders
Council. Please contact me at media@
rescon.com. We are planning a
meeting in the near future. BB
Paul De Berardis, Director of Building
Science and Innovation at the
Residential Construction Council of
Ontario (RESCON), has represented
the residential construction industry
in Ontario since 1991.
11
The High Cost of Net Zero Homes
industrynews / PAUL DE BERARDIS
N
et zero is set to push the dreams of new-home buyers further out of reach.
So, what is net zero? While open to interpretation, net zero is in place
when your new low-rise home generates as much energy as it uses (when
simulated on computer software).
It isn’t new housing
and buildings that
aren’t performing
up to snuff – it’s the
existing stock built
decades ago.

14. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 201712
Barrie, GTA West, GTA North
Eric Byle | 416-937-8793
Toronto East
Al Crost | 416-676-0168
Available to water heater customers whose equipment is not operational (i.e. no hot water)

15. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017
It should be no surprise that
there are common themes to specific
energy improvements in codes
across North America; after all, the
physics of energy transfer through
building envelopes is universal and
well known. Thus air leakage control,
energy recovery ventilation, better
windows and more insulation around
foundations are addressed in all
energy code improvements.
However, perhaps the most
complex of the changes – and the
focus of this article – is the emphasis
on the total “effective” R-value of
walls. Part 9.36 of the NBC switched
references away from nominal wall
cavity insulation values to effective
R-values of wall assemblies. The SB-12
Supplementary Standard still allows
compliance by nominal insulation
values, but also allows for both
effective R-values of assemblies or
maximum U-values of assemblies.
While in SB-12 there is still one
compliance package that can be
accomplished with simple nominal
cavity insulation of R-22, there is a
very clear indication that builders
should be moving towards wall
designs that include a continuous
insulation component to cost
effectively improve the total thermal
effectiveness of their walls.
This direction is consistent
with the understanding of building
science. Properly applied, continuous
insulation simultaneously improves
the durability, structural integrity,
energy performance and comfort
performance of walls. Moreover,
builders will recognize that with the
way the code alternatives are written,
homes with continuous insulation
on walls can be built more cost
effectively than simply choosing the
packages with only a cavity insulation
requirement. If you are uncertain
about these statements above, I
strongly encourage you, your designer,
and even your framers, to either attend
a building science training session
like those offered by groups such
as EnerQuality, talk to your energy
evaluator, or refer to websites and apps
such as constructioninstruction.com.
As you review the science and
consider the various alternatives made
available by leading manufacturers for
continuous insulation, you will need to
consider a decision matrix to evaluate
the appropriate solution for your home
designs and build process. In my
opinion, there is no one “best” option
– each has strengths and challenges
and, in the end, you are looking for the
overall system performance. Thus on
one axis of the decision matrix will be
at least the following considerations
(generally in order of importance and
other than cost):
• Structural integrity
• Water management detailing –
liquid water and vapour control
• Fire and sound control
• Long-term durability
• Cladding and window attachment
• Air barrier detailing
• Thermal performance
• Required design changes to
accommodate added thickness
13
Exterior Insulation Options
industryexpert / GORD COOKE
J
anuary 1, 2017 marked the implementation of yet another step up the ladder
of energy efficiency in the Ontario Building Code. It is important to note
that this Ontario move was consistent with the moves made in Part 9.36 of
the National Building Code of Canada (NBC). Indeed, the direction in Canada is
consistent with the progressive codes in the U.S., such as the International Energy
Efficiency Code 2015, which has now been adopted by at least 10 states.
Properly applied,
continuous insulation
simultaneously
improves the durability,
structural integrity,
energy performance
and comfort
performance of walls.
ROXUL exterior insulation also acts as
a drainage layer that improves a wall’s
thermal value.

16. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 201714
Against each of these factors,
you will want to evaluate the choices
available to you, such as:
• Extruded polystyrene (XPS)
boards
• Expanded polystyrene boards
(EPS)
• Foil and glass mat–faced
polyisocyanurate boards
• Semi-rigid mineral fibreboards
• Wood fibreboards
• Fibre-mat insulation blankets such
as the DuPont Thermawrap
• Composite or laminate insulation
boards with a structural base
There are lots of options to
consider, each with strengths and
challenges. For example, the great
drainage and drying capabilities of
rigid mineral wool board provide
superior fire and sound control
that needs to be combined with a
structural sheathing, and is heavy
enough to require careful thought
as to how to mount and attach on a
wall. Compare that to an XPS board,
where structural integrity can be
accomplished with let-in bracing
or intermittent shear panels, but
the low permeability of the product
requires more thought given to water-
resistant barrier application and
the “inboard/outboard” insulation
ratios of the wall assembly to avoid
interstitial condensation (hint: the
more foam, the better). Then, consider
some of the newer laminates, where
foam is combined with a structural
board to minimize installation time
and perhaps overall wall thickness.
With these products, it would be
ideal if the insulation component
was to the outside of the structural
layer to keep it on the “warm” side,
but attaching through the foam
requires an aggressive nailing pattern,
which leads to concerns about over-
driven fasteners and proper water
management.
As you consider your alternatives,
it may help to take a longer-term view.
It seems really clear to those of us
watching code cycles and industry
direction that we are driving towards
net zero homes within the next 12 to 20
years. We at Building Knowledge are
very excited to already be helping more
than 20 mainstream builders build net
zero homes.
So what do walls in those houses
look like? To get there, with current
technology, the sweet spot for total
effective wall R-value is in the range
of R-27 to R-32. Here are a few wall
assemblies that will get you there.
Options include:
2x6 wall at 24" on-centre (OC) with
R-24 mineral wool, fibreglass or
spray foam cavity insulation and R-10
continuous exterior insulation – 1.5"
polyiso foam, 2" XPS foam or 2.5"
EPS or mineral fibreboard.
OR
2x4 wall at 16" OC with R-14 cavity
insulation (your choice of fibres
or foam) and R-15 to R-18 exterior
insulation – 2.5" polyiso foam, 3" XPS
foam, 4" EPS or mineral wool.
OR
Certainly time to look at ICF walls –
4" foam on one side, 2.5" on the
other, or a 6" or 8" structural
insulated panel.
The first option, the 2x6 wall with
R-10 exterior insulation, has been
the most common choice in the net
zero projects we have worked on. You
can probably do some quick math
and realize the incremental cost on
a typical 2,000 to 2,500-square-foot
Wall Construction Framing Centres Effective R-Value
2x6 Stud R-22 Batt 16" O.C. 17.03
2x6 Stud R-19 + R-5 16" O.C. 20.32
2x6 Stud R-14 + R-7.5 16" O.C. 18.62
2x6 Stud R-22 + R-5 16" O.C. 21.4
EFFECTIVE R-VALUE OF SB-12 WALLS
It seems really
clear to those of us
watching code cycles
and industry direction
that we are driving
towards net zero
homes within the
next 12 to 20 years.

17. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017
home is under $5,000 for the wall
assembly. That’s including provisions
for a fully shingled, lapped and
flashed house-wrap applied.
Notwithstanding some
groundbreaking new wall assembly
technology, the end game looks
something like your existing 2x6
wall with 2" to 2.5" of exterior
insulation. This should help direct
your more immediate wall decisions.
You could invest time and effort
looking for and applying a composite
structural insulated sheathing with
an effective R-value boost of R-3 to
R-5 that provides a three- to five-year
solution, or perhaps research and
plan for the longer-term with thicker
exterior insulation alternatives. It
may even be time to follow the lead of
commercial builders and head back to
thinner cavity walls and more exterior
insulation, or have another look at
the SIPs or ICF walls you may have
dismissed a decade or two ago.
The great news is that continuous
exterior insulation improves the
durability, comfort, health and energy
efficiency of your homes and can be
done very cost effectively. Even better,
there are large manufacturers who
have done the application work to
ensure you can be successful with
any of the choices. Partner with them
and your energy evaluator to find the
solution that best fits your designs and
build process. BB
Gord Cooke is president of Building
Knowledge Canada.
15
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18. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017
featurestory / ROB BLACKSTIEN
Probuilt’s 2017 Future Dream
Home at the National Home
Show in Toronto in March.
Dreams
Making

19. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017 17
How’s this for a dream home? With all its
energy features, Probuilt’s pays for itself.
ComeTrue
Y
ou’ve heard a lot about net zero
in these pages over the last few
months. Some experts say that
it’s a pie-in-the-sky concept, mostly
driven by government mandates to
eliminate carbon. The problem is
that eradicating carbon is completely
impossible. That said, there are feasible
solutions emerging based on common
sense and a cost-benefit approach.
Enter low carbon, net zero cost, a
new trend in environmentally conscious
home design and a perfect example of
which was seen by thousands of people
who traversed the 2017 Future Dream
Home project at the National Home
Show in Toronto in March.
Designed and constructed by
Bolton, Ontario-based Probuilt, the
Future Dream Home is right in line
with the company’s philosophy to
combine sustainable technologies with
traditional building techniques.
“The whole idea behind these
homes is to centre on the lifestyle
of our clients,” says Probuilt CEO/
founder Michael Upshall. Beyond that,
he explains Probuilt’s raison d’être is
PHOTOSCOURTESYPROBUILTDESIGN+BUILD

20. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 201718
enhancements in the construction
of the home’s envelope, less fossil
fuel will be consumed. “By utilizing
better-performing materials in the
construction of the home, it makes it
a more energy-efficient environment,
and healthier, too,” Brown adds.
That’s music to the ears of Upshall,
who discovered very early in life what
his calling was. In grade nine, he took
some carpentry and drafting courses,
and they resonated with him. “For
some reason, I just had this vision of
me building homes.”
Upshall left high school after the
following year and soon became a
labourer, transitioning into being a
carpenter’s helper and beginning a
four-year apprenticeship en route to
becoming a master carpenter.
He worked his way into foreman
and site-supervisor gigs, all told
spending 10 years working for various
companies, all the while formulating a
plan for bigger things in his head.
“A lot of the companies that I was
working with, I didn’t agree with – I
didn’t like their style and what they
were doing, so I was kind of taking
mental notes on how I would run my
business,” Upshall says. Even then, he
knew he wanted to do things differently.
In 1989, Upshall made the leap
and launched Probuilt, wearing all
the hats in the early days (estimating,
accounting and working on the
tools). He quickly learned that, as a
practitioner, you can only get so far.
“In business, you need to be able
to let go of things,” Upshall explains.
to create environmentally conscious
designs that embrace innovation and
experimentation while adopting new
products and services.
The concept of net zero energy no
longer makes sense. Instead, we’re
transitioning into a scenario in which
houses have enough energy-efficient
features that the utility cost savings
will ultimately cover the increased
size of the mortgage necessary to
fund these innovations.
“At the end of the day, it’s really
a different way of making people
more aware of the requirements to
be more energy efficient, to be more
prudent with our natural resources
and to do something that will
ensure that we are able to utilize our
natural resources in a more effective
manner,” says Gary Brown, vice
president of marketing for Toronto-
based Amvic Inc., a partner of the
2017 Future Dream Home.
He explains that through
“Early on, I got it into my head that I was going to take
a big-business approach to this small business.”
ROXUL’s demonstration booth was a key feature of the Future Dream Home learning centre.
ROXULINC.

21. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017 19
He says you must find out what you love to do and
do very well, concentrate on that, and outsource/
offload all the things you don’t like to do or that
you’re not good at. “That’s all part of growing a
business.”
Upshall threw himself into studying the
industry and business, taking professional courses
and joining industry groups. “Basically, I wanted
to be a poster boy for what professionalism is like
in our industry and to do everything at a high level
of professionalism.”
His approach was simple: “Early on in my
career, I got it into my head that I was going
to take a big-business approach to this small
business.” That translated into setting up process-
oriented systems for every aspect of his business.
For instance, Probuilt has developed its own
proprietary project design and management
process, called PROPLAN.
“Let’s say I was to get hit by a bus,” Upshall says.
“Anybody could come in and pick up our systems
and procedures, fill my spot because we’ve got a
flowchart that shows how everything connects
together for each component.”
Probuilt has grown into an eight-employee,
full-service design–build construction firm, spe-
cializing in mid- to high-end renovation projects
that vary in size from $400,000 to $600,000. And
while renovations of that size essentially trans-
late into a custom home, the company also does
homes from scratch. In fact, Upshall says they love
building new because it’s so systematic and tends
to avoid the scope creep and production slippage
that’s more inherent in a reno.
The company is ramping up, with plans to add
four to six more employees over the next three
years, as Upshall transitions out of the full-time
sales position into concentrating on the bigger
picture for Probuilt.
The highly decorated Upshall (he was the first
two-time BILD Renovator of the Year winner) is
very active in the industry, and he’s not shy about
sharing his displeasure about how people perceive
renovators. “People will take half a day off to get
their teeth cleaned at their dentist, but they won’t
take off any time to talk to me about their half-
million-dollar renovation. Hello? Hello, people?”
Roof truss and wood
sill connection.
Simpson Strong Tie
MGT system shown
Drywall
screwed
into amvic
polypropylene
webs as per
building code
Electrical
outlet
Wood sub-floor
installed as per
local building
Simpson strong tie
ICFLC and wood floor
joists connection
Amvic insulating
concrete forms
Amdeck floor &
roof system
Exterior wood
siding installed
as per local
building code
Amvic high
impact
polypropylene
webs
Acrylic,
standard
ptucco or eifs
applied to
exterior face
of Amvic ICF
Brick veneer
Parge face of
exposed
brick ledge
Grade
Peel-and-stick
waterproofing
membrane (or
equivalent)
as per local
building code
Perforated
weeping tile
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AMVIC.COM

22. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 201720
But his approach has certainly earned its share
of fans. Gary Brown gushes that Probuilt are
“phenomenal builders, [who are] very organized
[and] understand how to build, understand the
principles of building better, but just an excellent
builder to work with.”
Derek Tse, who purchased the Dream Home
along with his wife, Keiko Koga, was equally
impressed with Probuilt. “They are very refreshing.
Michael is also very passionate about what he does.”
This is the fourth time Probuilt has been
chosen to build the Dream Home (for more on
this year’s home, see sidebar on page 22, “The 2017
Future Dream Home”), but new this year was the
creation of a learning centre designed to educate
show attendees about the actual technologies that
make this home 50% better than Code.
Upshall’s innovation not only provided a
value-added experience for attendees, but he
also created a platform to showcase some of the
“unglorified things like lumber and drywall and
vapour barriers and insulation” because “without
those parts, everything else doesn’t exist.”
To the surprise of many, consumers really are
interested in more than simply granite counter-
tops and light fixtures – and when you explain the
impact that improved insulation technologies and
other energy-efficient features can have on their
utility bills, and how that can easily be quantified
as a return on investment, suddenly the public
becomes very attentive. “What we found is that
people are super interested in what[’s] underneath,
[if] they [are] exposed to it,” Upshall says.
This line of thinking dovetails perfectly with
Upshall’s bigger-picture view that the house is
actually a system, as opposed to being a bunch of
parts that are simply hammered together. Always
thinking big, his ultimate goal is to get to a place
where the house actually produces more energy
than it uses. Plus zero, here we come... BB
Rob Blackstien is a Toronto-based
freelance writer. Pen-Ultimate.ca

23. 21BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017
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24. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 201722
The 2017 Future Dream Home is “basically [a] high-end [home]
on steroids,” explains Michael Upshall, as home owners Derek
Tse and Keiko Koga will be getting a luxury home for a high-
end price. This marks the first time that the Dream Home is
an actual design-build project for a client, as the home will be
reconstructed near Yorkdale Mall in North York later this year,
with occupancy expected by spring 2018.
The 2,700-square-foot home was assembled on the
National Home Show floor in a mere seven days – made
possible because of the panelization and post-and-beam
construction. The low carbon, net zero cost home is designed
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the energy savings
– driven by features like high-performing insulation, the high-
efficiency combination heating system, airtightness and solar
battery storage – will actually exceed the additional mortgage
costs, thereby paying for themselves.
Watching his future dream home being built at the National
Home Show and anticipating its reassembly later this year was
“the experience of a lifetime,” Tse says. He’s been told that the
estimated annual energy savings will be in the range of $2,100
to $2,300.
Among the energy-efficient features of this home are:
• Walls above grade: R-30 main walls with R-7.5 silverboard
graphite exterior insulation from Amvic, a relatively new
product to North America, Gary Brown says. This expanded
polystyrene insulation product has graphite material in it,
which reduces thermal bridging and condensation. R-22
Roxul cavity insulation provides a perfect fit to reduce
convection.
• Foundation walls: Amvic insulated concrete form (ICF),
providing higher R-values (R-22) and a dry basement.
The 2017 Future Dream Home

25. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017
• Below-slab insulation: Amvic insulated PEX panels, allowing
for faster installation of radiant floor heating. “This is a panel
that’s been specifically designed to hold PEX hydronic
tubing in place, then concrete is poured over it,” Brown
explains. The radiant heating is effectively heating all of the
floor and all of the furniture. “So it’s a much more effective
and economical use of energy.”
• Attic: R-50 Roxul with stone wool insulation, providing
superior R-value in the vented flat roof.
• Velux skylights: Low-e glass provides 23% better
performance with more natural daylight.
• Solar: Panasonic solar battery storage system. The 6.75 kW
solar array saves electricity for a rainy day, while acting as a
backup system and storing electricity at night.
• Drain water heat recovery (Power-Pipe): R3-60 on two
showers, recovering 50% of the heat from the shower’s
23
waste water to pre-heat incoming cold water.
• Domestic water heating: The combination system provides
abundant hot water at 34% higher efficiency.
• Exhaust fans: Eco Vent improves indoor air quality while
reducing energy consumption with a high air displacement.
• Space heating: The natural gas combination space and
hot-water heating system provide maximum efficiency with
a single modulating boiler. This system was provided by
EnerCare.
• Energy recovery ventilator (ERV): The home uses
Panasonic’s brand new ERV, which is 81% efficient –
the highest rating on the market. — R.B.
This marks the first time that the Dream Home is an actual design-build project for a client, as it will be reconstructed in North York later this year.
PHOTOSCOURTESYPROBUILTDESIGN+BUILD

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27. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017
On the other hand, at their lovely
Victorian home in Dundas, Ontario, the
girls had jockeyed for a place in front
of its only large window. The fact is,
humans crave light – and the Ibbotsons’
test home had it in spades. As much as
the family loved their first home and its
walkable small-town neighbourhood,
they didn’t love how dark it was – so
they installed eight skylights.
As manager of Velux’s technical
department, Ibbotson is no stranger
to skylights – their history and their
challenges, as well as the incredible
solutions they offer. While modern
Canadian open-concept interiors
provide much more light, the shrinking
pool of available land and subsequent
higher densities means builders are
hard pressed to keep interiors well lit.
The answer, Ibbotson says, is
skylights. They bring light in, but
they also solve other builder issues
by allowing “windows” on zero lot
lines and introducing light to interior
parts of the home. This translates into
money – creating another bedroom
means adding an extra $50,000 to the
purchase price.
How it works, Ibbotson explains, is
that changes to the Ontario Building
Code in 2014 resulted in skylights being
tested for structural durability, air
and water penetration, which “raised
the bar on the quality of skylights.”
He adds, “SB-12 ensured a baseline
energy performance which cut out
the old dome-style skylights from
part 9 construction. Long story short,
a builder has to use better quality
skylights to meet code – much less
chance for leaking, condensation, heat
gain and noise concerns.”
25
In the Spotlight – Naturally
sitespecific / ALEX NEWMAN
R
ussell Ibbotson is a great
believer in the effects of
contrast. After the mechanical
engineer and his family lived in the
Great Gulf Active House for a few
weeks, he saw the stark contrast of
living with light – and living without
it. With a rear bank of windows and
an interior courtyard in the new
Etobicoke home, where the builder
was testing energy efficiency and light
values on a real-life family, Ibbotson
noticed how peaceful his three
daughters were at play.
Russell Ibbotson is manager of Velux’s technical department.

28. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 201726
Deck mount and curb mount are
the two main skylight styles in North
America. Deck mount, Ibbotson
says, is 10% to 24% more energy
efficient than curb mount and has a
lower profile; the install is also less
affected by the quality of the installer.
Curb mount is recommended for
roof slopes less than 3:12 or where
there may be a lot of snow and the
attic has poor ventilation. Velux has
introduced triple-pane options that
reduce the U-value but still meet
ENERGY STAR Zone 2 requirements
with double panes.
Not related to the 2014 code
change, but found elsewhere in the
OBC, are zero-lot-line and skylight
bedroom opportunities. That is,
skylights are allowed on a zero lot
line (unlike windows, which are
prohibited) if the roof is less than
a 60-degree pitch. The skylight
bedroom opportunity means a
builder can put bedrooms back to back
using a skylight to meet the code’s
glazing and ventilation requirements,
as long as there is egress (an exit) on
the floor of the bedroom. Skylights can
also be used over the stairs, interior
bathrooms and walk-in closets. Doing
this puts money on the table as well,
Ibbotson points out, because so much
of Velux’s business comes from new
home buyers who install skylights
within the first three years.
But the real challenge with skylights
is dealing with the bad reputation.
Everyone has a skylight story – either
theirs or someone they know. Issues of
leaking, condensation and overheating
are real, and Ibbotson admits product
quality has been inconsistent in the past.
Fortunately, the code changes in 2014
(adding skylights to the list and to the
National Fenestration Standards) have
effectively eliminated bad companies,
bad installations and bad product.
Velux, he adds, is in good shape
because it’s such a large company
and has been able to offer a high-end
product with a competitive price tag.
Velux also does extensive installer
training, which is a large part of
Ibbotson’s job. His experience in this
area started when a research stint
during his mechanical engineering
degree at Queen’s turned into a job
with EnerWorks, a solar hot water
heater manufacturer. There, he not
only designed and marketed the
product, but developed the installer
training program.
While it’s important to learn how
to install, knowing where to install
is just as important, Ibbotson says.
For example, if you put a skylight in a
bathroom that has no exhaust, there’s
no way it can perform properly. If
you reinstall a 20-year-old skylight it
likely has old seals and will leak. If the
roof is very steep (pitch of 12:12 or 45
degrees), a skylight won’t perform as
anticipated.
Much of Ibbotson’s time is spent
reviewing skylight location with
architects and builders. “Skylight
energy efficiency is very important.
If the light shafts (the walls from the
ceiling to skylight) are much more
than five to six feet, then you're getting
less light, but also losing more heat
from the light shaft than the skylight.
For long shafts, we recommend Sun
Tunnels.”
Sun Tunnels, or tubular skylights,
are the easiest skylights for builders
to use and offer the most energy-
efficient skylight option. They require
no structural changes – making them
excellent for existing home renovation
– and can extend up to 25 feet from roof
to ceiling. Light enters the top, bounces
down the mirror-like tube and exits into
the room, making daylight available
Sunlight is captured on the roof
Light is distributed in the room
Light travels through a highly reflective tunnel
VELUX
Sun tunnels are the easiest and most energy efficient options for builders to increase natural
light in town houses.

29. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017

30. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 201728
deep into the home. Their energy
efficiency comes from a multi-lens
diffuser at the ceiling level, so there’s
roughly one square foot of reduced
attic R-value. The thermal break is in
line with the attic insulation. Velux
has even installed tunnels that extend
through a floor, bringing light even
deeper into the house.
Condensation is the second
biggest concern with skylights, and
people often refer to it as a leak when
it’s not. “Condensation happens when
the indoor humidity is still high and
the outdoors have gotten really cold.
But this is something that can be
dealt with in the design, by installing
a return fan in the ceiling shaft, thus
creating air movement in the skylight,”
Ibbotson says.
Sometimes you see ice damming
if there is insufficient attic ventilation
below the skylight, so when Ibbotson
talks to architects and builders about
skylights, he emphasizes the need for
adequate attic ventilation near the
skylight.
Heat gain is another important
factor to consider when considering
new skylights. The older, clear glass
skylights had about 75% solar heat
gain. The new glass has reduced that
to 25%, which is significant on a sunny
day and results in much less drain on
the air conditioning.
Technical advancements aside,
Ibbotson says skylights are one of
those products best experienced.
That’s why Velux supports pretty much
any chance to expose consumers to
the product in action, and that’s why
they participated in the Future Dream
Home initiative at the 2017 Toronto
National Home Show. Thousands of
people walked through the dream
home and saw solar-powered skylights
that would close automatically in the
rain and come with a programmable
remote control. BB
Alex Newman is a writer, editor and
researcher at alexnewmanwriter.com.

32. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 201730
fromthegroundup / DOUG TARRY
Our net zero home has also been
named as a finalist for the Canadian
Home Builders’ Association National
Awards for Housing Excellence in the
Net Zero Home category. So it would
seem that we are in the ball park
for being able to build our net zero
homes to a standard that is highly
regarded, and we are honoured by the
recognition.
That being said, I thought that
this was an appropriate opportunity
to discuss some of the benefits of
building a high-performance/net zero-
ready home that seem to get lost in the
discussions of carbon footprints, using
the grid as a battery, net zero carbon,
net zero energy, net zero this, net zero
that…and do people even know what it
really means?
Let me be clear: I’m not jaded (yet)
but I do like to pull back and think
about both what we’ve accomplished
and what it all means.
Let’s start by outlining what I am
using as the definition of net zero for
new home construction. Simply put,
a net zero home is one that creates as
much energy as it consumes over the
course of a year, based upon energy
modelling simulations. This assumes
a certain consumption pattern from
home owners. If you add that hot
tub, you might not get to net zero.
However, we cannot predict all the
different scenarios of how occupants
will use their homes – so we need to
have guidelines that assume typical
consumption to calculate the loads for
the home.
Because solar panels are still
somewhat expensive and you need
a fair number of them, we must first
look to creating a really tight building
envelope (1.0 ACH or equivalent
NLR); install highly insulated walls,
floors and ceilings; and then use high-
performance HVAC and plumbing
systems. For a net zero–ready home,
it means that you have done all of the
above (including designing the space
for the future solar panels), but have
not installed the renewables, which
can easily be done by the home owner
at a later date.
This past weekend really brought
my thinking about net zero into
greater focus. I was blessed with the
opportunity to spend time with some
The Benefits of Building a
Net Zero-Ready Home
…It’s Not All About the Energy!
D
oug Tarry Homes’ first net zero home was recently recognized as the
Canadian winner of the CRESNET Cross Border Challenge, with a
HERS score of 1. As net zero would be a 0 HERS score, it looks like we
have a little fine tuning to do – one more solar panel would have likely gotten
us there. However, for our first net zero home, I would say that’s a pretty cool
accomplishment.
Doug Tarry Homes won the Net Zero Canadian Builder category at this year’s RESNET Awards.
1

33. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 2017
of the best minds in the building
industry and also with many people
that honour me with their friendship.
Yes, it was time for the annual Spring
Training Camp Session for Advanced
Building Science and Practical
Application put on by Tex McLeod,
John Straube and Gord Cooke.
In addition to Tex, John and Gord,
we also had some incredible sessions,
beginning with Suzanne Shelton
of the Shelton Group providing key
marketing insights, to the always
entertaining (live, no filter) Joe
Lstiburek, and finishing with Sam
Rashkin discussing the future of how
homes will be built and the need to
learn lessons from other industries
about production efficiencies. It was a
great conference.
What was most interesting to
me was the fact that, for so many
of the topics that were being raised
as issues, we at Doug Tarry Homes
had already worked out the solution:
from tighter homes having greater
humidity issues, to the need to control
solar heat gain, all the way through to
high-performance HVAC that meets
the comfort and lifestyle needs of the
occupant as well as the performance
needs of the home.
So I’ve used our experiences to
develop a holistic design checklist
that, for me, should be how we design
and build high-performance or net
zero-ready homes. How many of the
following can you say yes to?
Our homes:
1. Are extremely energy efficient
and future proofed against rising
energy costs.
2. Are built to be durable, with high-
performing air barrier, drainage
plane and window flashings, with
one-fourth the air leakage of a
code-built home.
3. Are designed to be healthier for
the occupant, with continuous
fresh air and balanced humidity.
Our basements are not prone
to mould, mildew or moisture
buildup, and are built to resist
radon/soil gas ingress.
31
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34. BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 22 | SUMMER 201732
4. Are quiet, including the mechani­
cal system.
5. Are comfortable with a uniform
temperature throughout the
home, and no excessive hot or cold
swings in temperature. Even the
basement is an enjoyable space.
6. Do not have drafts. You don’t feel
cold sitting beside a window, and
our floors feel warm and cozy all
year round, even though they are
not heated.
7. Do not have rooms that overheat
due to excessive solar heat gain.
8. Have mechanical systems that are
easy to operate, using set-it-and-
forget-it technology.
9. Do not have air distribution
problems, including cold, air condi­
tioned air blowing across your legs.
10. Do not have furniture placement
issues due to mechanical
distribution vent locations being
in the way.
If you’re looking to move to a high-
performance/net zero-ready home,
finding ways to ensure the design and
construction of your home meet the
points on this checklist will help ensure
you are building your customers a
healthier, quieter, more comfortable,
more durable and more energy-
efficient home that they will enjoy
from the moment they first move in.
Currently, we are looking to
our customers to ask if it is time to
move to a net zero-ready spec as our
new construction standard. We’ve
gotten the additional costs down to
approximately $17,000 to $18,000, and
the added costs look to be cost-neutral
(providing slight annual savings when
you compare the added mortgage costs
against the operational savings). We
are working on our marketing position.
If I could give you, as my customer, all
the above benefits for no additional
net cost, would you buy it? It is an
interesting time. BB
Doug Tarry Jr is director of marketing at
Doug Tarry Homes in St. Thomas, Ontario.

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