1. Reduce your waste water – Toilets and showers use up 30-40% of our domestic water. By installing high efficiency or low-flow toilets and showerheads you could your family could save over 30,000 liters of water a year
2. Save rain water with a rain barrel – save water and your plants by using a rain barrel to save water for when you need it and your plants will love you for it
3. Plants can help save money, too – think strategic when choosing the plants around your home; deciduous trees on the east and west side of your house provide shade in the summer and sunlight in the winter
4. Solar energy – summer is here and a perfect time to consider installing inexpensive Blue Planet Solar Power panel that pays itself off in no time
5. Smart lighting with LED – did you know: LED lighting lasts 40x longer than incandescent bulbs and uses less electricity for the same brightness and is free of hazardous material such as mercury
6. Installing smart power strips – stop electronic devices from drawing on your electricity even when they are turned off
7. Seal off air leaks in your home – reduce your cooling and heating expenses through measures of caulking, insulation and/or weather stripping
8. Dress up your hot water tank – why not prepare for winter in advance: a good hot water tank cover and thorough insulation for your water pipes are essential and will help reduce energy costs

… follow some of these tips and help save money and reduce your carbon footprint. Let Klondike Contracting help you with these tips. Contact us today or Request a Quote and we can help get you started on a greener home or office.

“This was a challenging space as my Client was interested in keeping colour to a minimum.  Finding ways to create softness with stark colours in an industrial space is a difficult task.  However, I was able to soften the space with  textured glossy and reflective finishes all the while keeping true to the condo’s innate industrial aesthetic.”

Another interesting aspect to this loft renovation was that it was designed to incorporate Green elements in to the living space.  I asked Jacqueline how she was able to keep this project eco-friendly and she listed the following:

• Waste was reduced by refinishing existing concrete floors & painting stair treads;
• Millwork high gloss poly finish attained with zero formaldehyde and low VOCs;
• Interior melamine boxes constructed with recycled material;
• Recessed lights & track lights all low voltage halogen bulbs;
• All heat comes from energy efficient radiant heat flooring;
• Black-out honeycomb blinds on floor to ceiling west facing windows act as insulators, keeping summer heat at bay & winter warmth inside.

Klondike offers a variety of services including award winning renovations and we hope to add Jacqueline’s loft renovation to that list. Please visit the Klondike Contracting Service page for more information about what we can do for you. Visit our Kitchen Renovation Gallery and Bathroom Renovation Gallery to inspire your next home renovation project.

• Lights can be programmed to turn on and off at the appropriate time of day and year in order to reduce waste.
• Motion sensors let the automated lighting system know when to turn lights off in unoccupied rooms saving you energy.
• An automated lighting system can dim lights to reduce energy consumption with the ability to manage energy-saving dimming that is imperceptible to the human eye.
• Shades can be automated to open and close with the sunlight to reduce demands on your climate control system.
• Thermostats can be programmed to the most efficient temperatures so you can enjoy the convenience of temperature control from virtually anywhere in the world.

Is Home Automation Worth It?

A typical 3-bedroom household with Home Automation will eliminate over 850 pounds of CO2 emissions each year which is the equivalent of not driving a car for a month. A Smart Home lets you control the amount of wattage used by light bulbs, which not only saves electricity and reduces energy bills but extends the life of bulbs as well.

Be sure to check out our Green Initiatives page to learn more about Klondike’s ‘Green’ design, construction and renovation practices. We’d be happy to show you how to integrate Home Automation and sustainable design & construction into your home.

Built Green

On July 15 & 16, 2010, Eric Schapira, Chief Relationship Builder at Klondike Contracting, attended a Built Green Workshop to attain his certification as a licensed Built Green & R-2000 Builder / Renovator.

What is Built Green: It is a voluntary program that home buyers and industry professionals join to learn green building practices to reduce the impact that building has on both, the natural and built environment.

Why get certified: With the ‘green’ ethos becoming more prevalent in everyday building projects, having a Built Green & R-2000 Builder license demonstrates to the client your dedication to environmental stewardship and suggests that your building practices evolve as new techniques and technologies are developed and used.  Many clients are educating themselves about eco-friendly products and building practices, they expect that you as their builder will have the knowledge to guide these innovative approaches.

The exam: No, it’s not as simple as just attending a workshop, there is an exam that is based on the R-2000 builder training curriculum.  However, the material covered is relevant and industry related so your experience and common sense can be of great help.  Eric felt that his experience in going for LEED certification on his new Showroom / Offices was incredibly valuable in understanding the key knowledge areas of the course content and exam.

How does it apply to your projects: Once you have successfully passed your Built Green & R-2000 Builder license exam, you are not required to build every project to Built Green specifications.  The criteria is there as a guide for you to use when it suits the needs of your project.  If you want your project to be certified as Built Green, it is mandatory for all Built Green criteria to be met.

Interesting Facts: Below are a few factoids Eric picked up from his two days with Built Green

• In terms of impact on the environment, the average home impacts 10x more during its operation than during construction;
• Houses emit 10-15 tonnes of greenhouse gases / yr v 4-6 tonnes for cars;
• 58% of energy is consumed by Heating, 22% by HWT, 14% by Appliances, 5% lighting & 1% for cooling;
• EnerGuide for Home – EGH or EnerGuide for New Homes (EGNH) – 2 different consultants.

Klondike Contracting will keep you posted on innovative building programs available to you.

We are nearing the long-anticipated day of our (soon-to-be LEED certified) showroom/office Grand Opening!!!  It’s been quite the journey and now we will soon get to celebrate and share it with you.  Join us for appetizers & drinks while meeting our wonderful team of staff, project managers, designers, skilled trades, and preferred vendors.  Learn about new sustainable building products and what it really takes to build with the environment in mind!

When: May 6th, 2010 from 4-8pm

Where: 300-1375 W 6 Ave, Vancouver (street parking is available  in addition to public parking lots on W 7 & W 8 near Hemlock)

RSVP: visit klondikecontracting.eventbrite.com

Whether your are a realtor, property manager, business owner, or homeowner (or all of the above), don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to learn about sustainable building practices, gather ideas for your next renovation/construction project, and meet our wonderful team.

• Making the city a mecca for green enterprise by setting up a low-carbon economic development zone to attract investment for advancing renewable energy, energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies, with the object of creating 20,000 new green jobs.
• Eliminating Vancouver’s dependence on fossil fuels with a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 33% from 2007 levels.  Already Vancouver produces just under five tonnes per capita with only a few cities in Europe bettering that, Robertson said.
• Making Vancouver a world leader in the design and construction of green buildings and, by 2020, making all new construction in the city carbon-neutral while improving efficiency of existing buildings by 20%.
• Encouraging greater green mobility by having more than 50% of residents walking, cycling or using public transit to move around the city.
• Reducing the amount of solid waste per capita that goes to landfills or is incinerated by 40%.
• Giving every citizen easy access to nature by providing “incomparable access to green spaces” by expanding “the world’s most spectacular urban forest in Stanley park” so that by 2020 every person would live within a five-minute walk of  a park, beach or greenway.  Another 150,000 trees will be planted in the city within the next 10 years.
• Reducing the ecological footprint of Vancouver by 33% on the way to realizing the “one-planet footprint.”
• Maintaining the highest international standards for drinking water but reducing the per-capita consumption of water by 33%.
• Achieving the cleanest air of any major city in the world
• Becoming a global leader in urban food systems and reducing the carbon footprint of food production by 33%

The Mayor certainly has a lot of work to do, but he also needs your help at home!  You are just one person, but you are one especially important to the big picture.  Any reduction in numbers would reduce the effect of a group of rioters.  Not that we are encouraging or promoting riots but yes, let’s have a GO GREEN riot…for the sake of our natural environment, and for ourselves and those around us.

What steps are you taking to green your environment?  Do you have a five/ten year go green plan?  Who are you considering when you are making these plans?

Klondike will continue to encourage our clients to think green when selecting materials/products/systems for their renovation/construction.  Further to this, in our own office renovation we have selected FSC certified products, zero VOC paints & adhesives, locally manufactured products, and products with recycled content…but we’re not stopping here.  We are currently researching alternative energy that can be purchased and by taking the responsibility for the utilities in our rental contract, we will be tracking our consumption so as to change our habits for the better.

We welcome any comments or suggestions on further steps that can be taken to facilitate greener construction practices as well as daily office operation.

1. Metal Roofs – They are environmentally friendly, clean & gives your old roof a new/different look, whether as an accent or whole roof.
2. Dark Trim Colours – Gives a punch to the facade of our home.  It allows the house to blend with the landscaping, picture frames opnenings & highlights glazing shapes as proportional architectural features.
3. Front Porches – Adds connectivity to the home & offers a sense of community when used as an outdoors space for gatherings & parties.
4. Indoor/Outdoor Landscaping – Incorporates organic details that reflect the architecture.
5. Brick – Gives real depth to the character of the home.
6. Stucco as an Accent
7. Green Design – Everyone is talking green these days.  Whether your contribution is minor updates or a complete reno, be aware and consider options to green your home.
8. Ceilings – It’s just as important as the floor and the right ceiling can create a sense of volume change and an emotional within any given space that would otherwise be lost.
9. Water Features – An interior water feature can add to the space as a beautiful piece of artwork with a calming sound that can enhance any space.
10. Sound/Music/Media – The sky’s the limit with this one.  Think carefully about what you need/want.  Combining technology with a well thought out wall unit or room layout can only enhance the space.

If your water heater is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it before it starts leaking water due to corrosion and causing further damage to your home.

Tankless water heaters are great for new & older homes. It only heats water when needed, using a device that is activated by the flow of water when a hot water valve is opened. By delivering a constant supply of hot water, tankless water heaters can meet all your household hot water needs. It can also be used for supplementary heat, such as a booster to a solar hot water system.

Tankless water heaters are much more compact in size so it will save you some space. The size of course depends on the number of bathrooms in your house & how much hot water you will require at peak hours. However, the most important benefit is that it can shave ten to twenty percent off your heating bill by eliminating energy lost from warmed water sitting in a tank. Not only are you conserving water but energy as well. Further, they produce as little as half the greenhouse gas emissions of less efficient storage tank heaters. An interesting thought: if we all used tankless water heaters, we could keep 91 million tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere every year.

Lets do our part to keep our planet clean & green!

1. Increase the energy & water efficiency of your home,
2. Ensure clean indoor air, and
3. Choose resource-smart materials & products.