Better Builder Magazine, Summer 2012

BETTER
BuilderMAGAZINE
the builder’s source
ISSUE 02 | SUMMER 2012
WWW.BETTER BUILDER.CA
IN THIS ISSUE
• Dinner of Champions
• Radon in Basements
• Better Envelopes Smaller
Mechanical Systems
• Site Specific
• Cross Border Challenge Goes
to Denver
Brookfield HomesBUILDING COMMUNITIES, PUTTING
THE PIECES TOGETHER
Brookfield HomesBUILDING COMMUNITIES, PUTTING
THE PIECES TOGETHER

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BETTER
BuilderMAGAZINE
the builder’s source
COVER STORY
15 Brookfield Homes - Building Communities,
Putting the Pieces Together
BY TRACY HANES

FEATURES
02 Publisher's Note - Building Communities Through Partnerships
BY JOHN GODDEN
03 Building on What We’ve Got
BY BRYAN TUCKEY
04 Lot 170 - Getting It Right
BY TRACY HANES
06 The Energy Pimp: Trick #1, The Bump-out
BY GREG LABBE
08 High Performance HVAC for HP Homes
BY GORD COOK
10 The Cross Border Challenge From Toronto to Denver and Back
BY JOHN GODDEN
12 The Greening of York Region
BY LOU BADA
20 Site Specific: A “Site Level” Look at Those Individuals Making a
Difference in Sustainable Building
BY SHARON CREASOR
21 The Plane View: Dedicated to Getting to the Point
BY WENDY SHAMI
22 The June 11th Cross Border Challenge Event
BY CRAIG BACKMAN, PHOTOS BY NICK SEGUIN PHOTOGRAPHY
25 Ontario’s Building Energy Code – How Builders Can Save Money
BY GERALD VAN DECKER
27
Panelized Systems: Better for the Environment, Better for Homebuyers,
Better for Builders
BY BETTER BUILDER STAFF
29 Builder Note: Radon
BY MICHAEL LIO
32 A More Forgiving Basement Wall (Part 2): Outward Bound Vapour Diffusion
BY DOUG TARRY

1
15
4
COSTSTANGIBLE
BENEFITS
22
12
JEFF MARTINO
JIMMY NETO
JOHN GODDEN
SHEILA MOFFAT
BRIAN COUPERTHWAITE
CARL KOLBE
JASON THOMSON
WWW.BETTER BUILDER.CA | ISSUE 02 | SUMMER 2012

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CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
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GORD COOKE, JOHN GODDEN,
TRACY HANES, GREG LABBE,
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WENDY SHAMI
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2
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Building
Communities
Through
Partnerships
Why is Better Builder talking about communities? The simple
answer is communities are things we build. To be successful,
communities take effort and planning. When the word
community is used it refers to physical space; a location made
up of houses, buildings and parks connected by roads etc.
Community is defined as a “body” of people who share
common rights and interests. Community could be defined by
how people relate to others in common surroundings, buildings
and parks connected by roads etc. When a house is purchased,
people “buy in” and this reflects their trust that it is a worthy
place to live.
This issue showcases Brookfield Homes who builds master
planned communities not only in the GTA but in US cities like
Washington, Denver and Boston. Master planning and executing
requires cooperation at all levels from land development through
construction, right through to occupancy. Tracy Hanes talks to
the players in the community building and approval process who
have made Brookfield a success in Bradford, Ontario.
Welcome to Bryan Tuckey from BILD who offers a unique
perspective from the planning side of the process. Lou Badda
comments on the development of York Regions new ‘green’ policy
from a builder’s perspective. With the new 2012 OBC there are
changes for basements and Doug Tarry shares his experience
on managing moisture
below grade. Michael Lio
discusses measures to
reduce radon in basements.
Greg Labbe talks practically
about how to reduce the
effect of bump-outs on heat
loss through air leakage. Two
new additions this month:
Site Specific, a column that
focuses on the people who
influence sustainability on
the ground, and The Plane
View, a column that gets to
the point.
JOHN GODDEN

3ISSUE 02 | SUMMER 2012
BUILDER NEWS
Building on What We’ve Got
At the Building Industry and Land Development Association, we have a number of members who
are pushing the limits, stretching expectations and asking the people they work with to think
differently about sustainability. In building 40,000 homes every year across the GTA, the industry
is required to meet a myriad of standards but the real go-getters set out to exceed them.
Since this magazine issue focuses on communities, relationships and the importance of working
together through the planning, development and home building process, I decided to phone up
one of our members who did just that about five years ago.
In 2007, Rodeo Fine Homes began construction on its EcoLogic community in the Town of
Newmarket. At the time, I was the Commissioner of Planning and Development Services for
York Region and I remember the Town’s intention to sell the land to a builder that would work
with them to set the sustainability bar a little higher.
Well, these guys certainly did that.
I strolled through the development with William Mauro, son of Frank, who owns Rodeo with partner Vince Naccarato, a
few weeks ago. It was encouraging to see and hear how Canada’s first residential subdivision to be certified as LEED
platinum is doing years later.
These 34 homes achieve and exceed specific environmental targets. Including a 50 per cent reduction in household
water draws, a 35 per cent reduction in overall discharge flows and a 60 per cent reduction in solid waste, greenhouse
gas production and energy consumption when compared to conventional homes.
To meet these targets, the builder had to work with Town staff to do research and get educated on new technologies and
practices. Then it was a matter of educating the trades as well.
From the eco concrete foundation walls with heavy-duty damp proofing, drainage layer and weeping tiles, to the
increased insulation levels throughout the building envelope, to the rainwater harvesting cistern for every home, the
structure set the stage for the holistic re-thinking of resources, waste and energy use. Each home is also outfitted with
solar thermal hot water preheat, vinyl casement low-e² thermo pane windows, three-foot overhangs for solar shading and
interlocking permeable concrete stone for driveways.
I could go on but I have to say that when I asked William about the homeowner’s perspective on all of the features, he
told me that residents will often remark on their low gas, electric and water bills—and for our industry, that says a lot.
In the beginning of a sustainable project, whether it is building one home, a community or renovating an existing home,
the most frequently asked questions from buyers and homeowners are about quantifying savings.
With these EcoLogic homes and other projects that have reached beyond, we’ve got some answers—and with the recent
changes to the Ontario Building Code to increase standards for energy efficiency, we can show examples and work with
our municipal, regional and industry partners to meet and exceed them.
BRYAN TUCKEY IS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE BUILDING INDUSTRY AND LAND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (BILD) AND CAN BE FOUND ON TWITTER (TWITTER.COM/BILDGTA), FACEBOOK (FACEBOOK.COM/BILDGTA),
YOUTUBE (YOUTUBE.COM/BILDGTA) AND BILD’S OFFICIAL ONLINE BLOG (BILDBLOGS.CA).
BRYAN TUCKEY
Because of their efforts, Rodeo Fine Homes
was given the Sustainable Housing Foundation’s
Hall of Fame Award. Each one of these houses
achieved a HERS score of 43 which is 25% better
that the 2012 building code.
CRAIG BACKMAN PRESENTS THE
SUSTAINABLE HOUSING FOUNDATION AWARD
TO WILL MAURO & VINCE NACCARATO OF
RODEO FINE HOMES

4
BUILDER NEWS
Lot 170-Getting It Right
Brookfield’s “community” approach was evident when homeowner
Jason Thomson bought a new house in Grand Central and wanted to
incorporate environmentally friendly features. He and his wife have a
blended family of six children and desired to reduce their carbon foot-
print as well as cut costs.
“A decade ago, energy efficiency wasn’t on the table. The awareness
wasn’t there,” says Thomson who previously bought two new homes.
He and his wife opted for the GreenHouse label, which encompasses
energy efficiency, water conservation and indoor air quality features
and will yield about 30 per cent utility bill savings.
Some of their house’s features include a grey water recycling system,
dual-flush toilets, a hot water heat recovery pipe, upgraded insulation
and a tankless hot water system.
“I was one of the first homeowners to do this and we all learned
together,” says Thomson, referring to Brookfield’s site supervisor, the
subcontractors and the town’s building officials. “We’ve been here
nine months and are pretty happy. The research isn’t comprehensive
yet, for example on the hot water on demand. I probably would have
gone a different way with that. My hope is to continue to work closely
with the builder. We are all still new to this. With the (GreenHouse)
label, it tells me this is not a marketing ploy, thought goes into it and I
feel we are saving energy and not screwing up the environment more.”
He estimates his family will save about $1,000 a year in energy costs.
One of the challenges with the new Code and better energy efficiency is
“right sizing” HVAC systems to reflect the smaller
loads created by improved insulation and air
tightness.
HVAC contractor Jeff Martino of Martino
Contractors says the equipment supplied for
Thomson’s house was based on stock drawings
of the home plan; when the builder and
contractor realized the furnace installed was
actually twice as large as what was required, it
was replaced with a smaller unit.
“It’s a big learning curve for the HVAC industry
learning to downsize systems,” says Martino.
“There’s an issue finding furnaces small enough
for new energy efficient houses. It’s easy to find
70,000 BTU systems but when you get to 38,000
to 40,000 BTUs, it’s tougher.”
TRACY HANES
Reliable,
customized,
maRtinoHeating • air conditioning • indoor air Quality • HVac design
1-800-465-5700
™
www.martinohvac.com
GREYWATER RECYCLING REDUCES WATER DEMAND BY 40%

BUILDER NEWS
Martino says there is also inconsistent education
among municipalities as some officials are telling
builders and HVAC contractors the systems they
want to put in are too small. “One of our goals
is to educate different municipalities across the
board.”
Thomson was pleasantly surprised by the
cooperation between those who worked on his
house and that he was part of the process.
“I was surprised by the amount of collaboration,”
he says. “The builder worked with us to try to
find solutions. I can’t say enough good things
about Brookfield.”
Thomson says that his suggestions for
Brookfield would be more training for sales people
to educate them about energy efficient features
so they can explain them knowledgeably to
potential buyers, and to create a homeowner’s
manual. This would explain things such as where
to buy “pucks” for the grey water recycling unit
and how often to clean the filter in the HRV.
And in the spirit of Brookfield’s community spirit, Thomson says he’d be happy to work with the builder to explain the features
of his home to future buyers.
TRACY HANES IS A FREELANCE FEATURE WRITER FOR THE LARGEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN CANADA AND SEVERAL MAGAZINES. WWW.TRACYHANES.CA

6
BUILDER NEWS
The Energy Pimp:
Trick #1, The Bump-out
A QUARTERLY SERIES THAT WILL EXPLORE THE HOTTEST HOUSING TREND FEATURES AND WILL
MASSAGE MORE EFFICIENCY- WITH LESS OIL - INTO THE DESIGN.
THE BUMP-OUT
The bump-out has become a pretty common sight on the construction site.
They come in all shapes and sizes, some short for the kitchen sink window,
some start the bump-out in the footing and fold the entire house wall all the
way up to the roof. Some bump-outs are for gas inserts. See photo 1. The
issue is they add a lot of details that make for a less efficient and often less
comfortable house.
THE SITUATION
The objective of a bump-out is different for a fireplace than it is for a window, but
their solutions are identical. Whereas the design aesthetic for the fireplace is to
keep the floor plan rectangular with no bump-in for the hearth; nice, straight clean
lines along the outside wall. But because of the depth of the fireplace’s metal
carcass, this necessitates a bump-out in the thermal envelope in this situation.
All this for a faceplate that’s flush with the wall. It would seem that the
fireplace in this diminutive role wouldn’t command the attention nor the
clearance that once defined the traditional fireplace hearth. The fireplace in
this bump-out case becomes a mere accessory, not a defining centre of
attention in the room.
The objective of the window bump-out is to create a nook or deeper pocket.
This depth around a window is special. The way it frames a window, it invites
you into the smaller space for an intimate look outside. Some owners prefer
to have a seating area
with cushions under the
window to offer a reading
nook or a cozy seat for two. The window bump-out can be as small
as a kitchen window above the sink, or span two floors. See photo 2.
THE DESIGN FLAW
In the above scenarios, the weakness comes with the increased
number of corners, the increased exposed area, the complexity of
framing and extra seams in the air barrier system; in short, too
many places to bleed heat and comfort out of the home. In some
bump-outs, if the thermal bridging at the outside corners wasn’t
enough, they added a heating supply duct running along the
outside corner. See photo 3. The bump-out may have a short
exposed floor section, or have a mini ‘attic’. For fireplaces, the
cavity usually means the poly wasn’t clamped by drywall and that
GREG LABBE
1: THE FIREPLACE BUMP-OUT HAS A JOG IN THE FOUNDATION WALL
AND STEEL HOLDING UP THE BRICK ABOVE IT.
2: TYPICAL BUMP-OUT WITH MINI ATTIC AND EXPOSED FLOOR.

BUILDER NEWS
means air leakage. If the outside cladding was brick, then some iron needs
to hold the mass of the wall above the opening and that’s another thermal
bridge. Together, all these weaknesses add up to a comfort liability.
ADDING INSULT TO INJURY
If the house is clad in brick, the gas insert bump-outs may start in the footing,
taking it on an expensive 2'x 4' jog which can be carried in the framing up
to the top floor. All this, just so that the face of the insert stays flush with the
rest of the main floor drywall? For windows, the irony is that in many cases,
the bump-out window doesn’t afford a better view as there are often no side
lights and in the case of the window above the kitchen sink, reaching the
window mechanism beyond the sink can be daunting. If you have to get a
step ladder to operate the window every time you burn the toast, that’s not a
practical feature.
THE DESIRED EFFECT
In the fireplace bump-out, the desired effect is to give clean sight lines and
allow the occupant maximum flexibility in furniture placement. In the window
bump-out the desired effect is to draw a person in towards the window or
special object placed on the deep drywall return or sill.
THE SOLUTION
Don’t mess with the straight outside wall, but build inwards. With a nice
straight wall, you can design built-in cabinets or shelves around the
window for storage with the money you saved by not having to alter the
shape of the wall. See Picture 4. The desired effect will be identical and
you won’t have to sacrifice on efficiency to do it. This method drastically
simplifies wall assembly and will ensure both
greater comfort and lower construction cost,
especially if the wall is made of brick. As for the
window above the kitchen sink, nothing beats a
nice live edge piece of wood as the sill to show
off that little trophy you won in grade 6.
3: INSIDE THE BUMP-OUT WITH A HEATING DUCT UP THE OUTSIDE CORNER.
GREG LABBE IS A VETERAN ENERGY RATER AND A PRINCIPAL AT
BLUEGREEN GROUP.

8
BUILDER NEWS
Allow me to highlight one specific change in the HVAC
industry that will have important implications for builders
of high performance homes. This summer saw the publication
of the new CAN/CSA F280 Standard Determining the
Required Capacity of Residential Space Heating and Cooling
Appliances. It replaces the 1990 edition and recognizes the
many housing technology changes over the last 22 years
that are now more accurately reflected in this new standard.
The following are important features of the new standard
and the impact they will have on the sizing of heating and
cooling equipment for Canadian homes.
The biggest change in the new standard is the way air leakage
and ventilation is handled. The calculation method now will
accept actual blower door air tightness tests. Moreover, the
interaction between different types of ventilation systems
and air leakage is accounted for. For example, a home with
an exhaust only ventilation system creates a slight negative
pressure that changes the leakage patterns in a home and
the new standard makes allowance for this. In addition,
the new standard will allow designers to take credit for the
impact of heat recovery ventilation devices employed in a
home. Oddly, this is typically never done and added an
unnecessary 15 -20% to the size of a furnace alone.
Another important update to the calculations of heat loss
is in the way foundations are modeled. The new foundation
approach accepts a much greater range of basement
configurations and insulation methods now commonly
used specifically in new, energy efficient homes.
Designers will also now have a much wider choice of
window types to select from to reflect the significant
change in window technologies now available. Specifically,
the U-factors and solar heat gain coefficients reported by
manufacturers in their CSA A440 compliant labeling, can
be directly put into the calculations. This is particularly
important in high performance homes where builders are
employing much bigger windows than previously and thus
the summer heat gain from those windows needs to be
accounted for more accurately.
These three new algorithms were generously provided by
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), from their internationally
renowned HOT 2000 Energy Simulation software and will
be embedded in special spreadsheets in the new CSA
F280 Standard.
The bottom line of the new standard is that it will provide
more accurate and repeatable equipment sizing guides.
It will take some getting used to, of course, as contractors
recalibrate their long standing rules of thumb for sizing. For
example, consider the results for a typical new 2-storey,
2300 sq.ft. home in the greater Toronto area.
This quick example demonstrates an opportunity for
smaller equipment, smaller duct work with lower noise
levels and better temperature. You can imagine the transition
to get used to this new sizing.
Before the new standard can be fully implemented, it will
have to be formally recognized in the building code and
by the Heating Refrigeration Air Conditioning Institute
(HRAI); the organization that initiated the development
of the new standard, will have to develop new training
curriculum, support documents and software. However,
your mechanical contractors should look forward to this
very positive change in the industry. It has been generally
accepted that systems have been oversized for many
years and the old F280 Standard facilitated that with the
conservative approach specifically to air leakage and
ventilation. The new objective measures of air tightness,
GORD COOK
High Performance HVAC for HP Homes
EXISTING CSA F280
ENERGUIDE 80
NEW CSA F280
ERS 80
ERS 83
ENERGY STAR 2012 – NEW CSA
ERS 86
R-2000 – NEW CSA F280
HEAT LOSS
(BTUS)
58,000 BTUs 42,000 BTUS 35,000 BTUS 22,000 BTUS
HEAT GAIN
(BTUS / TONS)
32,500 BTUS
(3 TON)
26,000 BTUS
(2.5 TON)
23,000 BTUS
(2.0 TON)
12,000 BTUS
(1 TON)
AIR FLOW 1100 CFM 900 CFM 750 CFM 400 CFM
POSSIBLE DUCT
SIZES
• MAINS
• BRANCH
8”X 30”
5” – 6”
8” X 22”
5”
8” X 18”
5”
8” X 10”
3”- 4”
RIGHT SIZING & CHANGING CODES AND STANDARDS

window performance and basement configurations will empower the rationalization of both the size of equipment and
distribution systems in homes. Be ready to supply your HVAC partners with your air tightness levels, the exact window
data and your foundation details, so they can optimize systems for your homes. I suggest you reinvest the modest
savings you will see from the smaller equipment and duct sizes into further enhancements of the system for total comfort
control. For example, zoning of systems will become a higher priority to manage the part or intermittent loads associated
with ever larger window areas. In high performance homes, the variable heat gain through windows is not readily absorbed
by the enclosure even in the dead of winter. Managing that heat gain will be even more of a challenge with smaller HVAC
systems.
Zoning is just one of a number of technologies that you will want to investigate with your HVAC partners. The most cost
effective HVAC system in the next few years is not simply a function of the lowest bid on the same old approaches, but
rather a complete new thinking of the opportunities you have created when you employ better insulation, controlled air leakage
and advanced window technologies. Ask your HVAC contractor if they are ready to participate in this new conversation.
Three reasons why you should
hire a Construction Science and
Management Degree Co-op student.
1. Access to skilled employees, as co-op students are
trained to:
• Perform quantity takeoffs from working drawings and
specifications; prepare material schedules and participate
in the bidding process.
• Monitor progress and compile time and cost field reports,
track and update change order logs.
• Assist in the implementation of quality control measures,
material management, construction documentation
control, project management/coordination duties.
2. Meet seasonal or project demands by adding a
highly motivated co-op student to the team.
3. Reduce costs associated with:
• Recruitment - our program was developed by and for the
industry to provide candidates that are trained specifically
for the construction industry.
• Taxes - by hiring a co-op student you may qualify for an
Ontario Tax Credit. Contact us to learn more.
For more information please contact:
The Industry Liaison Office and Krisztina Arany
at karany@georgebrown.ca or 416-415-5000 x4356.
GORD COOKE IS THE PRESIDENT OF BUILDING KNOWLEDGE CANADA

10
BUILDER NEWS
The Cross Border Challenge From
Toronto to Denver and Back
June 2012 was a very busy and exciting month. A Brookfield sustainability summit in Denver, The Roxul Dinner of Champions,
the Canada Green Building Council Conference and a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) training workshop happened within
the period of a week. My head is still spinning but we know that change can happen fast.
Five years have passed since Clearsphere and the Canadian Residential Energy Services Network (CRESNET) co-sponsored
an event at the World Green Building Conference in Toronto called Towards Near Zero Housing. Various stakeholders were
invited to a think tank on low energy housing. At that event, Steve Baden of RESNET signed a memorandum of understanding
(MOU) with CRESNET. Since then approximately two hundred houses have earned Green is 50 labels and one hundred and
fifty Cross Boarder Challenge houses have been rated under the HERS rating index. The current Ontario Building Code (OBC)
has recognized HERS as an alternative compliance path for SB-12 performance requirements.
At The Roxul Dinner of Champions, things came full circle. Steve Baden renewed the MOU with CRESNET. Steve then put
out The Cross Boarder Challenge to all North American builders, encouraging them to build to a HERS 50 or less. In Ontario
the most popular choice of builders is Package J, which scores a HERS 61.
Brookfield Homes has always been an early adopter of energy efficiency. The company’s leadership started with The
Forever Green marketing platform in 2006.
Energuide ratings were used to up-sell from the base building code (Energuide 73) to Energy Star (Energuide 80). The marketers used
the ‘good, better, best’ approach familiar to most automobile manufactures. Many of us, when we purchase a car, choose the sport
or luxury model over the base model. I was invited to Denver because The Cross Boarder Challenge generated interest as a means
for Brookfield’s North American divisions to compete and benchmark with their Canadian counterparts.
Brookfield’s forward thinking reputation secured a spot in Enbridge’s Savings by Design program. After completing a
one-day workshop Brookfield can receive an incentive of two thousand dollars per house, if they build homes to 25% less
energy consumption than the new OBC. Just prior to the trip to Denver, Shelia Moffat of the Brookfield Décor Inspiration
Center and myself with trade partners Martino HVAC and Roxul worked with a focus group of nine homeowners. Using
Enbridge’s partnership with Brookfield under Savings by Design, five homeowners invested their own money to achieve
the 25% savings. The homeowners invested in
upgrades in insulation and features that maximize
electrical savings like higher efficiency air conditioners
and ECM motors in furnaces. The HERS index was
used to show the homeowners the savings.
In Denver I shared the same presentation with the
American Brookfield divisions from Washington,
DC, Denver, Texas and California. This sparked
interest in using The Cross Boarder Challenge to
encourage a ‘vision of excellence’ for the company
internationally. As a guest of Brookfield and a
relative outsider I experienced the essence of what
makes Brookfield a successful builder of master
planned communities. Rosebank, Brookfield’s
Pickering subdivision in partnership with the local
building department will become the third GTA
subdivision to have all of its houses under The Cross
Border Challenge.
In discussion groups at the two-day Denver summit
JOHN GODDEN

BUILDER NEWS
the “green frenzy” of the last five years was explored. The idea that
sustainability and stewardship could not be captured by a single word
like "green" was underscored. Sustainability is a process that evolves
and happens in the community of stakeholders over a long planning
and execution process. This cannot be embodied by a single "label".
Brookfield’s company culture with top down support and bottom up action
leads to real results as demonstrated in the Rosebank subdivision.
Another concept that surfaced
is the idea that the customer
is the municipality and not
the homeowner because of
approval processes. The house
and the community must first
be sold to local planners and
officials. The issue has always
been that a homeowner should
pay for improvements and
not become the recipients of ‘freebies’ that are a condition of local approval.
Homeowners generally don’t value or understand the features they get for free.
Brookfield’s Canadian planning division is currently experimenting with Grey
Water ready houses. Homeowners can install and pay for a system later that
saves 40% of their water consumption. 40% savings means less fresh treated
water into the house and 40% less sewage outflow that needs to be treated
again. Municipalities are the real winners because they reduce their infrastructure
costs and to date have been unwilling to incent homeowners. There's no such
thing as a “free lunch”.
One of the most powerful ideas I took away from the summit was to think of a
house as a transformative instrument. A dwelling is a reflection of what people
imagine themselves to be. It can be used to help us save ourselves from waste
and ruin. If a home is an efficient and esthetic space it gives us a context to
remember what is important. If each of us understands how our lifestyle impacts the environment it can teach us how to
live better and respect the environment.
Brian Couperthwaite, Brookfield’s
VP of Construction, walks what
he talks. This summer he put the
finishing touches on his own home.
I believe building this house
transformed his approach to
building houses in general. His
energy efficient LEED Gold
targeted house with a HERS Rating
of 39 has set an example in his
company. Others in the company
have followed suit building their
own discovery homes achieving the
excellence of vision that the Denver
summit spoke of. It’s clear now
that Brookfield’s Toronto division
is forward thinking and doing the
right thing.
11
BROOKFIELD'S COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY - MARC DIAMOND BROOKFIELD
HOMES SUMMER INTERN FROM GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE
THE ENGINE IN BRIAN'S HOUSE; SOLAR HOT WATER HEATING WITH THE
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All Regional Municipalities, and lower-tier Local
Municipalities in Ontario undergo Official Plan Amendments
(ROPA’s) at least every 5 years to ensure conformity with
Provincial plans and policies. Part of the process is
ongoing pre-consultation with stakeholders, meetings
and public input regarding the proposed amendments.
All municipalities are legislatively “creatures of the Provincial
Government” and policies roll downhill so-to-speak. Of
course, all of this is rather an over simplification of a long,
complex and arduous process that quite frankly never ends.
York’s Regional Official Plan calls for the preparation of
Community Development Guidelines that address the
Sustainable Building and New Community Areas policies.
Specifically, the Guidelines will provide a detailed
explanation and identify a range of strategies
that can be employed to successfully
implement these policies. That is to
say policy (the what) is imposed
politically provincially and
locally and guidelines (the
how) are the tools to get
us where we’re supposed
to be. Individual Builders
and developers, other
than being individual
citizens, have little
ability to influence
policy or elected
officials. They are
however frequently
asked to be involved
in reviewing and
commenting on
guidelines. This, I
would say, is as it
should be. Political
lobbying is best left
to Industry Associations
that can make the case
for the greater good. On
August 16th we will get
together at BILD to see the
revised draft of the guidelines that
were arrived at after much input and
consultation from all stakeholders.
I was part of a group that was asked earlier this
year to provide input to Regional Staff crafting the new
revised guidelines (let’s just say if you’re not at the table
you’re on the menu). Specifically, we commented on the
portions relating to sustainable buildings, energy and
water management.
I must say I was very impressed with the staff. They were
very well informed and up to speed with our Industry’s
challenges and opportunities. They were open, accessible
and willing to listen. They understood the need for the
flexibility to achieve stated policies.
Our group, amongst other things, also suggested that
the Region relate initiatives to some order of magnitude,
that is to say that healthy buildings are more important
than bike racks. Durable buildings are more important
and sustainable than architectural design
control initiatives. The Region was also
very aware of the complexities and
challenges of labeling and
measuring energy efficiency
and the nightmarish web
of regulations that have
jurisdiction over us.
Staff was very
appreciative of our
input and began
by saying that the
Development
and Building
Industry was
one of their
best resources
in developing
workable and
intelligent
guidelines.
Again, we are
not able to sway
policy, but we
(hopefully) were
able to work with
people of good will
and common sense
to make York Region
“greener” place to grow and
live. We’ll find out soon how our
efforts will benefit the community.
12
BUILDER NEWS
The Greening of York Region
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ISSUE 02 | SUMMER 2012 13
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FEATURE STORY
15
BUILDING COMMUNITIES
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER
BY TRACY HANES
BROOKFIELD
HOMES
BROOKFIELD
HOMES

16
FEATURE STORY
IN A TWIST ON THE FAMILIAR PHRASE, “IT TAKES
A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD,” IT ALSO TAKES A
“VILLAGE” TO BUILD A COMMUNITY.
Brookfield Homes understands that concept well and takes a collaborative approach with its sites,
involving local municipalities and home buyers in the process of creating its communities. Case in point
is its Grand Central project in Bradford, where about 800 of 1,000 homes have been built in the past half
dozen years in one of the first master-planned communities launched above the Oak Ridges Morain.
“We like to build master-planned communities. That’s our focus,” says Brian Couperthwaite, vice president
of construction for Brookfield Homes. “Wherever we go, we meet with the municipality and bring our
team and explain our vision so there are no surprises. We want them to know what we are doing and to
be upfront. We have nothing to hide.”
In the early planning stages for Grand Central, the Brookfield team called up Jack Tosta, Bradford’s
Chief Building Official, to explain the plans for the site and since then, the builder and the town have
forged a mutually respectful working relationship. That spirit of cooperation is even more important as

the town and the builder deal with the challenges of the new
Ontario Building Code, implement labeling programs such as the
new version of Energy Star and GreenHouse, and explore new
sustainable and energy efficient practices and technologies.
“We have had a close relationship with Brookfield since they
started building here six years ago,” says Bradford building
inspector Carl Kolbe. “We’ll all sit down at a pre-construction
meeting. We discuss our expectations and see what the builder
will provide. The new code is a learning curve and we’ll continue
to build on our relationship with Brookfield.”
“Brookfield has always had an open door policy to assist us and
other builders. Energy efficiency is a growing trend.”
The company follows a similar procedure in all the municipalities
it builds in (including Alliston, where it is the builder for
the master-planned community Treetops adjacent to the
Nottawasaga Resort) and each year holds a golf tournament to which local municipal politicians and staff are invited,
with proceeds going to a local charity.
Since it started in 1956, Brookfield Homes has built more than 20,000 homes across Ontario, in places such Georgetown,
Brantford, Oshawa, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Maple, Whitby, Uxbridge, Toronto and Markham. It has received numerous
local, provincial and national awards for everything from customer service to community design.
The company started as Costain Homes, later became known as Coscan Homes, and Brookfield in the 1990s. Today, it’s
part of Brookfield Residential Properties, a North American land developer and homebuilder, and is a public company
listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges
as BRP.
As one of the few publicly traded building companies
in Ontario, a higher standard is often expected when
Brookfield opens a new community and the company
has welcomed the challenge.
Brookfield uses social media to engage with its
buyers to inform them about new openings, new
releases and upcoming events. It also has a web
portal that allows homebuyers to log in to see every
step of the construction process of their home
documented photographically.
With its sites, Brookfield holds focus group with buyers
to get their input, and also holds information sessions
(Brookfield 101) to explain everything from what to
expect during the building process to where schools,
hospitals and community facilities are and answer
questions about things such as “when will I get
my sod?”
Grand Central’s site plans feature a mix of lot
sizes on any given street that make for a pleasing
streetscape with a mix of home designs. Once
buyers have moved in, Brookfield holds events such
as barbecues to help build a sense of neighbourhood.
17
FEATURE STORY
BROOKFIELD'S #1
BROOKFIELD GREENHOUSE™ OPENING IN BRANTFORD

18
FEATURE STORY
Buyers are brought in during
framing and taken through
an Inspiration 101 workshop
when it’s time to choose
finishes. Shelia Moffat, head
of the Décor Center, recently
held an Enbridge sponsored
Savings by Design session.
25% of purchasers from
the Pickering subdivision
attended to hear from energy
efficiency, insulation and
HVAC experts about how to
“future proof” their homes
from rising energy costs by making the right upgrade.
Energy efficiency goes hand-in-hand with building a better home,
according to Couperthwaite and Moffat.
Couperthwaite has built his own home in Unionville and Grand
Central site supervisor Jimmy Neto will build the house he is
purchasing at Grand Central as a Discovery Home to try out some of
the latest products and practices; their personal experiences will help
inform their decisions on the job.
“My house is targeting LEED Gold because I believe in trying do to
things better,” says Couperthwaite. “Brookfield as a company is
always looking at how to improve and believes in taking stewardship
of energy efficiency. We’ll take the lessons learned in these houses
(his own and the Discovery Home) and apply them to the subdivision homes we’re building.”
In 2011, Brookfield Residential Properties appointed Doug Leighton as their first Director of Sustainability and Development.
Leighton is an architect and planner who is a graduate of the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design.
He has been working with staff to identify a long-range vision, current best practices, key performance indicators and a
sustainability action plan.
TRACY HANES IS A FREELANCE FEATURE WRITER FOR THE LARGEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN CANADA AND SEVERAL MAGAZINES. WWW.TRACYHANES.CA
'FUTURE PROOFING' IS PART OF INSPIRATION 101 AT THE BROOKFIELD DECOR CENTRE.

FEATURE STORY
19
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THANK-YOU!
We would like to take this opportunity
to thank all of our hardworking trades
who have all made their own unique
contribution to our success.
We couldn't do it without you!

20
BUILDER NEWS
Site Specific
A “SITE LEVEL” LOOK AT THOSE INDIVIDUALS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN SUSTAINABLE BUILDING
SHARON CREASOR, M.A.A.T.O., OWNER OF CANADIAN BUILDING DESIGN
A creative, enterprising Architectural Technologist with a proven background in the design and construction drawings of
custom residences, production homes, small buildings, and large building interior alterations.
SHARON CREASOR
Who has influenced your work: One of my
professors at Ryerson, Bob Greenberg, who challenged
the design students to push their own personal limits
and the limits of design. He talked about life-cycle costing
back in the 1980s before “green” thinking became in vogue.
Can you tell our readers about a pivotal event that
has shaped your work and philosophy: At this
point in my life, I see the most pivotal event being my
decision in 2006 to open my own small scale architectural
practice. I have found working with private individuals and
their residential visions very fulfilling. At the same time,
working on tenant fit-ups in Large Buildings keeps things
interesting.
What are you currently working on: I am always
running several projects at the same time. On the
residential front, I am working on a steel framed
house, a roof addition/renovation for a real estate flip, and
a large addition in conjunction with change of use to create
a live/work unit. My semi-detached designs for Habitat for
Humanity presently are being built in Keswick. On the large
building front, I have just finished a tenant fit-up for Lasik
MD and begun same the for Diesel Yorkdale. In addition,
I have a number of tenant fit-ups for small businesses on
the go.
What “best green practice” would you like to tell
the readers about: I am proud to be involved in
the Habitat for Humanity designs – previous designs
achieved LEED platinum and the present project is aimed
at the HERS Cross Border challenge. On the live/work unit
noted above, my design calls for rainwater cisterns to
collect all rain water from the roofs, plus the building will
be future-proofed for solar domestic and heating hot water,
plus possible photovoltaics.
How are you an innovator: I look down all design
avenues to ensure that the final built product will
have the lowest operating costs possible. This
means discussing options with clients to improve the energy
efficiency of their buildings, often trying to persuade them
to go beyond the code.
How do you and your work act as a sustainable
change agent: I “sell” sustainability to clients as
much as possible. I try to get people less focused
on high-end finishes and turned towards good bones and
efficient systems.
Any future projects: I am working on getting some
production residential work that will go beyond the
code in sustainability and/or energy efficiency. In
addition, there is a large industrial addition that will have a
“green” roof or an extension of its existing solar panels on
a white roof. I tend to use other people's “innovations” to
hopefully create a sustainable design.
How are you pushing the “green edge” and what
excites you about that: I am working at becoming
a full fledged HERS energy rater, which I hope to
use as an added service to my clients. This service should
make it easier to
persuade my future
clients to improve
their existing
building envelopes
or build brand new
residences that use
little energy
to operate.
1 5
2
3
4
6
7
8

BUILDER NEWS
The Plane View
DEDICATED TO GETTING TO THE POINT
Psychologists have been telling us forever that a sense of
belonging is essential to our wellbeing. Plenty of data has been
gathered to substantiate the claim that the people who consider
themselves as “belonging”; lead more productive lives, have
better inter-personal relationships, stronger marriages and live
longer. Building community may be one of the easiest ways to
enhance our busy lives and our sense of “belonging”. How does
one become a contributing member of a community? A good
place to start is buying locally.
I know, “buy local” is about as played out as “green”. So
please don’t skip to the last line of this article to get quickly
back to surfing the net or what ever it is you would rather be doing. Just know that when you buy local you are acting as
an empowered member of your community; contributing to the sustainability of both the environment and your local economy.
Among the contributions you are making when you shop locally, is to the unique character of your community. In fact a large
part of the “character” of a place is defined by the business that are in it. Doesn’t the character or “vibe” that surrounds you
and your community play a large part in your sense of “belonging” to it? Not to mention the impact “character” has on
home and property values.
And we all know that less definitely means more when it comes to environmental sustainability. By shopping locally you
and the goods you are buying are traveling less; resulting in less traffic congestion, pollution and carbon. A win win for the
environment.
Think about the implications for your community that this fact found in Frances Moore Lappes’ book Eco Mind offers; a
dollar spent in a locally owned business can generate three times more local economic activity than a dollar paid to a
corporate chain. Wow, now that information emphasizes the impact your locally spent, hard- earned dollars have on
decentralizing power from the distant corporation and keeping your wealth close to home.
Dubbed “a great economic experiment” by the New York Times; Great Barrington, Ma in the good old USA, has created its
very own local currency, BerkShares. The website www.berkshares.org describes BerkShares as “a tool for community
empowerment, enabling merchants and consumers to plant seeds for an alternative economic future for their communities”.
BerkShares are not backed by the national government and are meant to build the local economy. This is achieved by
encouraging trade within the defined region. Originated in 2006 with the introduction of a million shares into the community;
five different banks have partnered with BerkShares and there are now more than 2.7 million shares in circulation. Really
impressive is the fact that more than 400 businesses have signed up to accept the currency.
I’ll wrap this up with my last “buy local” pitch. When you buy local, you are making a conscious commitment to take
personal responsibility for the health and well-being of your community. Your locally spent dollars may even be a catalyst for
the kind of systemic change
needed to generate ecologically
responsible production
of goods and sustainable
economic practices. And most
importantly you will “belong”.
21
WENDY SHAMI
"a dollar spent in a locally owned business
can generate three times more local economic
activity than a dollar paid to a corporate chain"
- Frances Moore Lappes
WENDY SHAMI IS A BETTER BUILDER EDUCATOR &
CROSS BORDER CORRESPONDENT

22
BUILDER NEWS
The June 11th Cross Border
Challenge Event
I had the good fortune of attending the Cross Border
Challenge Event held in Toronto on June 11, 2012. This
event was imagined and run by John Godden and his
team from Clearsphere in cooperation with the Ontario
Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation, and
was sponsored by Roxul. The evening was a celebration
of the growing use of the Home Energy Rating System
Index (HERS) in Canada. Canadian builders using the
HERS index were recognized for their contribution to
HERS, and awards were shared with industry leaders
who have helped establish HERS as viable option in
Canada.
The attendees’ list of over 120 included some of the
sustainable home building industry’s biggest stars
and included builders, renovators, manufacturers,
educators, and industry representatives. Special
guests included Steve Baden, Executive Director of
RESNET (US Residential Energy Services Network),
and keynote presenters from two of the US’s biggest
residential builders: Jim Peterson, Head of Research
and Development for Pulte Homes, and C.R. Herro, VP
Environmental Affairs for Meritage Homes.
In his presentation, Steve Baden shared an update on the adoption of the HERS index in the US. The stats are truly impressive:
over 1.2 million US homes have been rated using HERS, builders in 29 US States use HERS, and the EPA includes HERS in
its Energy Star certificate. He also shared why US builders are using the HERS index for their new homes:
During his presentation Steve Baden invited John Godden, President of CRESNET, to
co-sign a Memorandum of Understanding between RESNET and CRESNET. This five-year
agreement secures a strategic alliance for RESNET and CRESNET. They will work
in partnership to share market strategies for market penetration of HERS, and technical
standards, while also helping Canada develop a home rater test based on HERS. Steve
was very complementary of CRESNET for it’s role in securing recognition of HERS and
REMRate software (HERS computer software), as an alternative compliance method to
energy performance by the Ontario Building Code in January 2012. Even more
impressive, Ontario is the first place globally to accept HERS in its building code.
The two keynote speakers at this event were truly exceptional. They shared their expertise
and insights regarding how they think about and sell sustainable homes. First up was
Jim Peterson, Director of Research and Development for Pulte Homes, the second
CRAIG BACKMAN
][“Homebuyers see one of the biggest advantages of buying a newly built home is energy
efficiency. To take advantage of this opportunity homebuilders are ‘boiling energy
efficiency down to something every buyer understands’.” - Associated Press
STEVE BADEN & JOHN GODDEN SIGN THE MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING
ROXUL DINNER OF CHAMPIONS

BUILDER NEWS
largest production builder in the US. Jim educated
us regarding Pulte’s approach to quantifying the
right level of investment in a home’s sustainability.
He demonstrated that there is a “Sweet Spot”
where the return on investment in sustainability
is optimized. Investing beyond this point can
significantly reduce the return. Even though
incremental investment is right for the environment,
it can hurt a builder’s ability to sell the home.
This approach allows Pulte to “right size” their
investment and design homes that provide an optimized return for new homebuyers.
Next up was CR Herro of Meritage Homes, an ultra boutique builder of sustainable
homes. CR shared how Meritage trains their sales people and constructs their decor
centres to sell sustainable homes. Most memorable is how Meritage segments the
new home buying customer base. The four segments include:
1. CUBA Goodings - “Show me the Money”, who are primarily interested in the financial aspects of the decision.
2. Kermits - “Green”, who are interested in making a responsible decision.
3. Pimps - “Style”, who are focused on lifestyle, aesthetics and entertaining.
4. Debbie Downers - “Skeptics”, who perceive all better building practices as “marketing”.
Meritage has used this customer
segmentation to refine their sales
process. The sales teams first do
some discovery to place each new
homebuyer in the right segment.
They then tailor the sales approach
accordingly. CR confirmed that
this strategy has increased their
close rates when selling sustainable
features in new homes. I believe it
offers a powerful lesson that every
new homebuilder can learn from.
Next in the evening came the awards ceremony, where
recognition was given to Canada’s leading builders of
sustainable homes. Cross Boarder Challenge certificates
were given to all builders who built new homes to a HERS
standard of 50 or lower. Individual awards were given to
builders and other industry leaders who have been influential in
helping establish the HERS index in Canada.
Overall, the Cross Border challenge event on June 11th stands
out as one of the very best sustainable building events I’ve
ever attended. It offered a great venue for learning, where
industry leaders were recognized for their contributions. It also
offered an opportunity to network with the best of the best in
this industry. A special thanks goes to John Godden and his
team at Clearsphere for organizing a wonderful event. I am
personally looking forward to the second annual running of this
Cross Border Challenge Event.
23
TRUDY PULS, JOHN GODDEN, DOUG TARRY & TRENT OGILVIEJONATHAN URSINI & SCHLMO OF INTEGRAL CUSTOM BUILDERS
JIM PETERSON, PULTE HOMES
CR HERRO, MERITAGE HOMES
PROUD CROSS-BOARDER CHALLENGE BUILDERS
CRAIG BACKMANIS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE SUSTAINABLE HOUSING FOUNDATION

24
BUILDER NEWS
The Cross Border Challenge
Event Awards
TRENT OGILVIE OF ROXUL PRESENTS DANIEL KANEFF WITH
THE HERS MARKETING AWARD
STEVE BADEN PRESENTS GARY BOTELHO OF EMPIRE
COMMUNITITES WITH THE LOWEST HERS SCORE IN EASTERN
CANADA AWARD
STEVE BADEN PRESENTS RYAN SCOTT WITH THE LOWEST
HERS SCORE AWARD IN WESTERN CANADA AWARD
MARK ROSEN PRESENTS STEVE CAROGIOIELLO OF ROYAL PINE
HOMES WITH THE BRUCE GOUGH MEMORIAL AWARD
JOHN GODDEN PRESENTS TRUDY PULS WITH THE
CLEARSPHERE INDUSTRY CHAMPION AWARD
CRAIG BACKMAN PRESENTS THE
SUSTAINABLE HOUSING FOUNDATION AWARD TO WILL MAURO &
VINCE NACCARATO OF RODEO FINE HOMES

BUILDER NEWS
By now most of us are quite familiar with the stricter
efficiency requirements of Part 12 of the Ontario Building
Code and with the Province’s “Supplementary Standard
SB-12, Energy Efficiency For Housing”. In the “Standard” a
number of prescriptive paths are offered for builders to follow
in order to achieve efficiency compliance. Alternatively,
efficiency compliance can be met if the homes are Energy Star
labeled or if a builder goes through the “performance path”.
The problem with the prescriptive paths is that they
are much more expensive to follow than they need
to be because they are not optimized and because they
exclude specific well-established technology such as Drain
Water Heat Recovery (DWHR).
Drain Water Heat Recovery (DWHR) technologies are
a class of heat exchangers that offer many benefits for
builders and homeowners. Well over 16,000 DWHR units
have now been installed in Canadian homes. In 2012 alone,
approximately 20% of new homes in Ontario included
DWHR units. Over 200 builders now include DWHR as a
standard item in their energy efficient homes.
Simply put, DWHR technologies work by using outgoing
warm drain water (from the shower and fixtures) to pre-
heat incoming cold freshwater so that the primary water
heater does not have to work as hard to meet the hot water
energy load.
There are three generations of DWHR technology used. The
performance differences between the three generations of
DWHR technology are that the first generation has highest
pressure loss, the second generation has lowest efficiency
and the 3rd generation has the highest efficiency with very
low pressure loss.k
k Reference: Natural Resources Canada Ottawa, “Drain Water
Heat Recovery Characterization and Modeling”, July 19, 2007
Table 1 was created using Provincial and Federal Government
Reports and Data. DWHR comes in very well at only $88
for each annual Gigajoule (energy unit) saved. In contrast,
upgrading above grade walls from R19 to R24 costs
3 times more than DWHR (at about $232) per annual
Gigajoule saved. What does this mean for a builder?
According to an independent study, it has been estimated
that efficient DWHR technology can reduce the cost of
building each average sized home by $500 to $3,900. It
should also be pointed out that a builder can further reduce
costs by maximizing furnace efficiency and including a heat
recovery ventilator because they offer reduced cost for the
energy savings than most other options in the table (except
DHWR).k
k Reference: Mindscape Innovations, “Drain Water Heat
Recovery and the 2012 Ontario Building Code”, March 31, 2011
But how can a builder take advantage of DWHR? Until
SB-12 is updated to include DWHR, one can build Energy
Star labeled homes or go with the “performance path”.
The performance path can reduce costs the most
because it allows the flexibility to optimize home designs
by using home energy design software such as REM/Rate
or Hot2000. The author recommends that builders engage
the services of experienced home energy auditors. Ontario
has several excellent companies to choose from.
DWHR is simple, safe, proven,
practical and affordable. It can
also be used with any type of
water heater and plumbing
materials. It is a standard feature
in the energy efficient homes of
over 200 builders already. Because
of its excellent Cost-Benefit ratio,
DWHR is one of the most cost
effective options that a builder can
use for compliance with Ontario’s
Building Energy Code.
GERALD VAN DECKER
GERALD VAN DECKER, M.A.SC., P.ENG. IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF RENEWABILITY
ENERGY INC. AND THE POWER-PIPE® INVENTOR.
Ontario’s Building Energy Code –
How Builder’s Can Save Money
25

PAGE TITLE
Features
BUILDER NEWS
The Power-Pipe®
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Water heating can be one of
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Save 30% to 60% in
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Investment Returns of
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Industrial Processes
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Save 30% to 70% in
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Water heating commonly accounts
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Save 20% to 35% in
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Multi-Unit
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Apartment buildings, condos,
dorms, hotels
Several different design options
Water heating commonly accounts
for 25% to 35% of total energy costs
Save 25% to 40% in
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PROUD SUPPLIER OF BROOKFIELD HOMES

BUILDER NEWS
Panelized Systems:
BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BETTER FOR HOMEBUYERS, BETTER FOR BUILDERS
Anyone can equip a home with energy efficient appliances and call their product
green, but a true move to sustainability in residential building means improving the
home building process itself. In an industry as fragmented and complex as home
building, doing so demands a major investment in time, energy and capital. From
materials to trades, every facet of the building process must be integrated, considered
and evolved in order to truly “go green”. It’s not like a builder can just pick up the
phone and order up a fully integrated sustainable building solution.
Or can they? Currently Brookfield Homes is using panelized systems on its
Bradford and Pickering subdivisions provided by Brockport Home Systems.
BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Few can deny the ecological benefits of building with wood. Wood outperforms
steel and concrete because it requires less energy in production, produces fewer
greenhouse gas emissions, releases fewer pollutants into the air and water and
generates less solid waste.
BETTER FOR HOMEBUYERS
Brockport selects materials from the most trusted sources and suppliers, using
Sustainable Forest Initiative Certified Sources when available. Each floor panel is
fabricated using engineered I-joists, which are covered in oriented strand board
structural floor sheathing. An environmentally sensitive alternative to traditional
materials, floors constructed using I-joists are far less likely to cup, wrap, shrink or
twist and have fewer tendencies to settle or squeak.
BETTER FOR BUILDERS
“Speed to market is a huge factor,” explains Robert Kok P.Eng., Brockport Director of
Research & Development. “For builders, time is money. The time it takes for a builder
to design, market, sell and build a home plays a huge role in profitability. Integrating Brockport dramatically speeds up
the entire process, especially in construction. A typical home that would traditionally take weeks to frame can now be
completed in a few days.
Brockport redefines the construction process by bringing the world’s most advanced residential building technology
to Canada. Its high-tech indoor construction facility combines North American construction technology with Europe’s
most sophisticated CNC (computer numerical control) automated floor and wall
manufacturing system. This impressive system machine-builds housing components
with near-perfect precision – safely, reliably and ecologically.
Mr. Kok elaborates: “Once the panels are built, we transport them directly from our
Brockport facility to the site. Our goal is to enclose the home as quickly as possible to
protect the interior from the elements. The difference in construction time is dramatic.
In fact, the overall construction process becomes safer and more efficient, reducing
energy consumption and material waste.”
For more information about Brockport please visit www.brockporths.com.
SITE SUPER ERMINIO LABRIOLA FROM BROOKFIELD
HOMES "STANDS BY" BROCKPORT HOME SYSTEMS.
I-JOISTS ON 24 CENTERS SAVES WOOD!
PANELIZED HOMES GO UP IN 8 DAYS RATHER THAN 2 WEEKS.
BETTER BUILDER
WRITTEN BY A CONTRIBUTING BETTER BUILDER STAFF MEMBER
27

PAGE TITLE
Features
PAGE TITLE
Features
Next generation technology
for wood frame construction
Drawing on decades of commercial air barrier experience, Henry
Company has created BlueskinVP™ – a fully-adhered Building
Envelope System®
that functions not only as a water resistant
barrier and rain barrier, but stops uncontrolled air leakage to
improve building comfort, safety and energy efficiency.
• Provides superior moisture and water protection
• Eliminates drafts to improve comfort
• Reduces energy costs
• Improves insulation performance
• Simple to install
Fully adhered means:
Air Tight
Water Tight
Weather Tight
Picks up where traditional house wraps leave off!
For more on how BlueskinVP™
contributes to an effective
Building Envelope System®
, watch our new movie at
www.ca.henry.com/blueskinvpmovie
Project by Build Urban
(buildurban.com)

BUILDER NEWS
Radon in housing has been a concern for a number of
decades. In 2007, Health Canada lowered the safe threshold
level by 75%, drawing renewed attention to this carcinogen.
Radon, of course, is a colourless, odorless, radioactive gas. It
is associated with 10% of the lung cancer deaths in Canada,
and is the first cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
Radon is found in soil, rocks, and water, and diffuses
through the air. It is found outdoors and indoors and in all
types of buildings. Outdoor radon levels are generally so low
that they are not a concern. However, when radon leaks into
buildings from the surrounding soil, it can accumulate to
hazardous levels.
Radon enters homes through cracks and unsealed pathways
in the basement wherever the basement contacts the soil.
Soil air containing radon is drawn into buildings by differences
in pressure through those pathways. The amount of soil air
drawn into the building can vary with stack effect, wind,
radon concentration, ventilation, weather, season, and time
of day. Some evidence exists that gravel brought on to the
site can also be a source of radon. These variables can
results in large differences in radon levels even between
neighbouring buildings. Radon maps do not guarantee that
radon is not present in a specific building. The measurement
of radon levels should occur over weeks or months not
days given the variability in indoor levels.
There is generally no practical way to test indoor radon levels
prior to the construction of a building. Long term testing
(over a few months in the winter) as recommended by Health
Canada is normally possible only after the building is closed in.
As a consequence, the National Building Code (NBC) now
includes provisions for radon remediation rough-ins for all
new houses, and not just those in geographic hotspots.
Unless a province adopts the NBC provisions, these
requirements should be considered voluntary.
Builders can voluntarily adopt the radon NBC provisions
and promote their homes as radon control ready. Marketing
material can positively contribute to the radon awareness
movement by educating home purchasers and referring
them to Health Canada and Canadian Lung Association
information.
The NBC provisions are low in cost in new housing but are
difficult to retrofit once construction is completed. They
make it easy for homeowners to remedy high radon levels
should they be discovered.
The NBC provisions, shown in Figure 1, address the radon
problem in two ways: 1) by requiring the envelope in contact
with the soil to include an air barrier and 2) by requiring a
rough-in for subfloor depressurization.
The wall and floor assemblies of the conditioned space need
to be protected by an air barrier system to minimize the
ingress of soil gas. Materials used as part of the air barrier
system are required to conform to CAN/CGSB-51.34-M
“Vapour Barrier, Polyethylene Sheet for Use in Building
Construction”. For floors that are concrete, the air barrier
must be either installed below the slab or applied to the top
of the slab, provided there is also a separate floor over the
slab. If the air barrier is a flexible material, it needs to be
lapped no less than 300mm (12"). The air barrier needs to be
sealed around the basement perimeter to the inner surfaces
of the adjacent walls using a flexible sealant. All penetrations in
the slab that are designed to drain water need to be sealed
to prevent the upward flow of soil gas, while not restricting
the downward flow of water.
Unless the space between the air barrier system and
ground is designed to be accessible for the potential
installation of a subfloor depressurization system, buildings
with residential occupancies need to be provided with a
rough-in for a subfloor depressurization system. If a building
does not have residential occupancies, it should either
conform to the Soil Gas Control subsections (NBC 9.13.4)
or to the appropriate sections in NBC Part 5 or 6 (see
NBC Article 5.4.1.1 and 6.2.1.1). When installed through
the slab, sump pits are also required to be airtight with
weatherstripping around their perimeter in order to prevent
air leakage.
The subfloor depressurization system rough-in needs to
consist of either 1) a gas permeable layer with an inlet and
outlet, or 2) clean granular material with a pipe.
The first option requires a gas permeable layer between the
air barrier and the ground that will allow that space to be
depressurized. An inlet must be provided that can allow for
the depressurization of the gas permeable layer, as well as
an outlet in the conditioned space that is able to connect to
depressurization equipment. This outlet needs to be sealed
to maintain the air barrier system continuity, and it needs to
MICHAEL LIO
Homeowner Protection Centre
Builder Note: Radon
29

30
BUILDER NEWS
be clearly labeled that it is intended only for the removal of
radon gas below the slab.
The second option requires clean granular material installed
between the air barrier and the ground. It can be no less
than 100mm (4") of coarse, clean granular material. It also
requires a pipe that is at least 100mm (4") in diameter that
goes through the floor. This pipe must have its bottom end
open, near the centre of the slab, to the granular material
with no less than 100mm (4") of the material beyond
its end. Its top end needs to be able to connect to
the depressurization equipment. The pipe must be clearly
labeled near its end, and every 1.8m (5' 9") or at a change
in direction if applicable, to indicate that it is intended only
for the removal of radon gas below the slab. An example of
this is shown in Figure 2.
Health Canada and the National Building Code recommend
installing a depressurization rough-in for future radon removal
in buildings that are occupied for more than four hours per
day. If radon problems need to be addressed in buildings
occupied for less than four hours per day, ventilation can be
increased when the building is occupied.
Builders who choose to adopt these NBC radon provisions
can let their home buyers know that their new home has
been built with their health and wellbeing in mind. The
radon rough-in can save home buyers money and protect
them from radon and lung cancer.
For more information on radon and its ingress, please refer
to Radon: A Guide for Canadian Homeowners (CMHC/
Health Canada) and Guide for Radon Measurements in
Residential Dwellings: Homes (Health Canada).
The Homeowner Protection Centre (HPC) is a national
not-for-profit that advocates for homeowners, conducts
housing research, and hosts training seminars for the
housing industry. HPC recently released a report titled
The Radon Challenge: Building Awareness and Encouraging
Action, which examined radon across Canada. More
information on HPC as well as The Radon Challenge can
be found on our website www.homeownerprotection.ca
Don’t miss HPC’s upcoming training seminar What You
Need to Know About Radon, hosted by Bob Wood, of
Mr. Radon and President of the Canadian Association of
Radon Scientists and Technologists. Bob is one of Canada’s
foremost leading experts on radon. September 27, 9-12,
Thornhill Golf and Country Club. Hot breakfast will be
served. To register, visit Homeowner Protection Centre’s
website above and follow the link.
MICHAEL LIO IS THE PRESIDENT OF LIO & ASSOCIATES, A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR, THIS
ARTICLE WAS SUBMITTED BY A COLLEAGUE CEARA ALLEN, MANAGER, RESEARCH, HOME-
OWNER PROTECTION CENTRE
radonradonradon
slab dampproofing
and soil gas barrier
sealed, capped and labelled
pipe options with bottom end
located near centre of slab and
top end ready for active system
sealed floor
drain to prevent
soil gases from
entering the
house
sump pits to be air
tight and weather-
stripped around the
perimeter
to sewer drainage
ditch or dry well
flexible
sealant
FIGURE 2

You can build on BP innovations
Insulsheathing
One big panel, two huge advantages:
strength and insulation
R-4 Insulsheathing’s two-layer construction
delivers cost-effective energy efﬁciency plus a
highly effective acoustics and weather barrier.
> 4’x 9’x 1 1/8”composite board
> Stronger structural strength –
no bracing required
> High insulation value with
breathable construction
> Excellent acoustic performance
> Lightweight, quick and easy to install
> Great value, low-cost
> Meets standards and building code
requirements.
For more information, visit www.bpcan.com
Keep the weather
out and your costs down

32
BUILDER NEWS
DOUG TARRY
A More Forgiving Basement Wall
(PART 2) OUTWARD BOUND VAPOUR DIFFUSION
In the last article I outlined how we dealt with Inward Bound Vapour diffusion in
our basement wall. In this article I discuss Outward Bound Vapour Diffusion.
During the fall of 2010 (the start of a cold, dry and hard winter), we were
preparing a home for closing that featured the installed new exterior basement
system when I got a call from my site staff letting me know we had water on the
basement floor. When we inspected the wall there was no vapour on the poly
like you see in the summer time, but when we pulled the wall apart, we found
that there was water forming on the house wrap and against the concrete wall
and the insulation was soaking wet and starting to sag.
We were very confident that our exterior wall moisture management detail was
correct and was not the problem. So we took a closer look at where we were
seeing the problem and at what "symptoms" we were seeing and we noticed
that water was forming at the belt and against the foundation wall which was
then saturating the insulation.
When we started researching the problem and asking questions of our building
science advisors it quickly became apparent that basement walls have a split
personality. During warmer months, moisture will try to flow from wet to dry and
from warm to cold, so from the outside air into your basement. That's why you
end up seeing it on the poly. However, during the winter time the moisture is mi-
grating outward. The moisture was still migrating from wet to dry and from warm
to cold but the direction was the opposite of summer.
We then set out to design a basement wall insulation detail that could handle the
wintertime vapour issue. Even though we were using a header wrap, we decided to spray foam the belt after the penetrations
were complete. Our main goal was to limit air flow to cold spots (leakage areas). But the side benefit was that we moved our
dew point because we added more insulation at the belt. Last winter I put a temperature gun on this insulation and found that
even on a very cold day the insulation was about 12C and dry. Without it the wood rim joist is significantly colder and often has
frost and/or water forming on the wood.
Then we made the decision to completely change how we built our basement insulated wall. We were already building a very
tight home with full height basement insulation, but we were still concerned that we might be susceptible to mould in the wall.
So we changed our bottom plate to pressure treated lumber, we installed an R4 ROXUL drain board behind the stud and put
R14 ROXUL batts into the stud wall.
This is what I call the more forgiving wall. I've come to accept that basement walls are always going to be susceptible to
moisture (they are built underground). Our concept was to keep the wall warm (the drain board) so that vapour would not form
and then in case there was still moisture present, the ROXUL would not soak the moisture up like fiberglass insulation would.
Since the ROXUL would not absorb moisture it also did not have the sagging issue that can occur with other types of insulation.
So I again took the detail to my Chief Building Official, Leon Bach. Leon agreed to review the detail, met with me on site,
reviewed the building science of what we were attempting to do and agreed with the detail.
We knew we had to protect the sprayed foam in the belt, so here we used an R22 (5.5") ROXUL batt which has a Classification
A fire rating. The total wall design that we developed was an R18 wall and it allows vapor to flow through it without trapping
water. Since this time we have worked with ROXUL to come up with an R20 code equivalent version which we have tested out
on two of our LEEP discovery houses. This is achieved by using an R6 ROXUL Comfort Batt IS against the wall with an R14
ROXUL batt in front of it. This is now the standard basement wall detail in all our homes.
DOUG TARRY JR., IS THE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AT DOUG TARRY HOMES IN ST. THOMAS , ONTARIO.

PAGE TITLE
33Fire
Resistant
Water
Repellent
Sound
Absorbent
Saves
Energy
Made
from Stone
Recycled
Content
TM
HIGH
R
ECYCLED CO
N
TENT
*Contact us for details.
HIGH
R
ECYCLED CO
N
TENT
R
E
C Y C L A B L
E*
Achieving an R-20 Basement Wall “IS” Easy
with Roxul ComfortBoard™
IS.
■ Prevent Thermal Bridging: Installing ComfortBoard™
IS against the foundation wall
before you frame the studs provides for a continual layer of thermal protection.
■ Non Combustible: Provides for combined thermal and ﬁre-resistant properties.
■ High Recycled Content: Made from natural stone and up to 93% recycled material.
INTERIOR BASEMENT WALL APPLICATION BY ROXUL®
www.roxul.com
ComfortBoard™ IS is a trademark of Roxul Inc.
GREENGUARD®
is a registered trademark of Greenguard Environmental Institute.
ROX-2410_0712

34
PAGE TITLE
FeaturesIt’s FREE
for builders.
A Drain Water Heat Recovery system reclaims water heat that
is lost down the drain – reducing energy use and saving your
homeowners money. With a retail value of $600, you can get
these units for free – for a limited time only.
Reduce water heating costs by up to 40%
Reuse heat energy which is good for the environment
Easy to install and maintenance free
Install a Drain Water Heat Recovery system
in your new homes. It’s an energy-efficient
measure your customers can see and feel.
Contact your Enbridge Channel
Consultant for more information.
Call: 1-877-736-1503
Email: channelconsultant@enbridge.com

Better Builder Magazine, Summer 2012

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Better Builder Magazine, Summer 2012