1.
PUBLICATION
NUMBER
42408014 ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
Leslieville Laneway Project
Air Leakage in Houses
Can Ontario Build More Than
1.5 Million Homes in 10 Years?
Retooling for Greener Builds
Indoor Air Quality and
Occupant Health, Part II
TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE
FUTURE
PROOFING

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3.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
13
1
22
ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
Images internally supplied unless otherwise credited.
Cover: istockphoto 484104042
16
FEATURE STORY
16
All That Glitters Is Not Gold
An enthusiastic client allowed new ground to be broken
with a Leslieville laneway LEED Platinum project.
by Rob Blackstien
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
2
Look with Common Sense
to See the Future
by John Godden
THE BADA TEST
3
It’s Not “No” –
It’s Just “Not Now”
by Lou Bada
INDUSTRY EXPERT
4
The Mechanisms and
Measurement of Air
Leakage in Houses
by Gord Cooke
INDUSTRY NEWS
9
The Province Aims to Build
1.5 Million More Homes in
10 Years. Can It Be Done?
by Paul De Berardis
SITE SPECIFIC
13
Retooling for Greener
Building
by Marc Huminilowycz
SITE SPECIFIC
22
Now It’s Personal
by Alex Newman
INDUSTRY EXPERT
26
Helping Builders Reach High
Performance and Affordability
by Marc Huminilowycz
FROM THE GROUND UP
29
Indoor Air Quality and
Occupant Health – Part II
An excerpt from the upcoming
book From Bleeding Edge
to Leading Edge)
by Doug Tarry
9

4.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
Look with
Common Sense
to See the Future
I
do not have access to a crystal ball that can predict the future. However, I do like
to think I have common sense to help traverse the world’s many uncertainties. We
are approaching an era of unprecedented challenges with climate change, lack of
affordable housing, shortages of skilled labour, political division and finger pointing.
Common sense and clear thinking may be our biggest asset.
It has been said that common sense is anything but common. We identify best
practices when we try them out. The challenge is choosing paths that result in success.
Simple solutions are few and far between. Futureproofing requires targeting attainable
goals and building in those features which incrementally help us reach those
aspirations.
Ontario’s Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, promises quicker and
cheaper approvals for housing units with secondary suites. On the surface, it seems
like a simple fix that could literally double available housing units with each house
constructed. But not so fast! Basement apartments require two means of egress, as well
as complete fire separations with separate HVAC systems.
How do we futureproof these homes for higher occupancy? Here’s where common
sense kicks in, with four futureproofing rough-ins that could be sold as upgrades:
1) Install a combination heating system to accommodate multiple forced air HVAC
systems after closing.
2) Rough-in a radiant floor with an R-10 insulated layer that acts as a soil gas barrier
for radon, allowing basement to be a separate heating zone.
3) Finish-ready the basement in lieu of an insulating blanket. Install non-
combustible, continuous insulation (R-5) against the basement wall and frame
a 2x4 stand-off wall with R-20 or R-22 batts ready for wiring, which could be
drywalled after closing.
4) Rough-in for a future energy recovery ventilator (ERV) with two six-inch vent
terminations in the basement header area for a separate ventilation zone.
For more on Bill 23, head over to page 9, where Paul De Berardis reviews the bill’s
promise, potential and associated challenges for building 1.5 million homes over the
next 10 years.
Our feature article, “All that Glitters Is Not Gold” (page 16), revisits the laneway
house introduced in the last issue. Learn about the many hurdles, happy accidents
and innovative solutions that went into the construction of this LEED Platinum house,
which could be a look at homes of the future.
Lou Bada challenges the dream of home ownership (page 3). Meanwhile, on page 4,
Gord Cooke discusses the history and importance of airtightness, outlining a simple
implementation for universal air testing. Lastly, Doug Tarry reminds us that occupant
health is dependent on indoor air quality. On page 29, Doug helps us understand all of
the factors that go into making a house healthy for its occupants.
Forward thinking is different from fortune telling. Intentional action, combined
with forward thinking, is what creates the future – because we are the authors of what
happens next. BB
publisher’snote / JOHN GODDEN
2
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Better Builder Magazine
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PUBLISHING EDITOR
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contact editorial@betterbuilder.ca
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PUBLICATION NUMBER
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5.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
SECOND
UNIT
OTHER
UNIT
bedroom
bedroom
common
area
and creates more housing. Here is
the proverbial “killing two birds with
one stone” scenario. Currently, there
are no incentives for builders to build
secondary suites or futureproof houses
for that eventuality.
We have offered our customers
the option to futureproof their homes
for secondary suites by suggesting
upgrades such as separate basement
entrances (walk-up basement stairs),
egress windows and combination
heating systems with zoning that can
be configured easily to accommodate a
separate basement unit (and save 30%
on the gas bill at the same time). We
can also offer to properly insulate and
frame a basement upon request for a
future basement suite. Some builders
offer an entirely finished basement.
These options are expensive
upcharges for our homes and we sell a
few (walk-up stairs are most popular).
However, the future rental income
a homeowner may get is often not
incentive enough, especially with
rising interest rates. There must be a
W
hen I was a teenager day­
dreaming about all the
things I wanted to have
and couldn’t afford, I would tell
myself “Not now, but someday!” As
it turns out, my dreams changed,
but I still tell my older self the same
thing. Admittedly, it’s less about
affordability and buying things and
it’s more about time. I think it’s time
to stop dreaming.
Affordability, or the lack thereof,
has been front of mind for a long time.
Our industry has been screaming
it from the rooftops for many years.
We’ve seen the tsunami coming,
and the current Ontario government
has finally decided to make some
welcomed changes with Bill 23,
More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022.
Increasing supply will help with
affordability.
Of interest in the new bill is the
realization that there has to be an
incentive (for example, reducing
development charges) to make
housing more affordable. There also
needs to be accountability if growth
targets aren’t met. Municipalities can
recover the shortfall in development
charges if they hit the targets. In
this vein, there should also be more
incentives or credits for sustainability.
Secondary suites in basements
within single-family homes are
inherently sustainable and make
housing more affordable. Better or
more intensive use of what we already
build makes sense in reducing our
carbon footprint. The potential for an
additional income from a secondary
suite makes homes more affordable
greater incentive to make these options
available to homeowners. How would
we calculate a reasonable incentive?
We now have the ability to measure
the carbon reduction impact of any
measures that we implement with the
RESNET CO2 rating index. This will
facilitate meaningful sustainability
incentives. Honest and logical measure­
ment standards can inform reasonable
incentives or credits. The previous plan
of regulating everything that moves
hasn’t addressed housing affordability
and actually has done the opposite.
Let’s give our prospective home­
owners the ability to dream that – not
now, but maybe in the future – they
can have a secondary suite which is
both affordable and sustainable. BB
Lou Bada is vice-
president of low-rise
construction at Starlane
Home Corporation
and on the board of
directors for the Residential Construction
Council of Ontario (RESCON).
3
thebadatest / LOU BADA
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
It’s Not “No” —
It’s Just “Not Now”

6.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
4
industryexpert / GORD COOKE
This requirement was borne out of
extensive Canadian building science
research started in the mid-1970s,
which showed the more insulation
in enclosure assemblies, the greater
the risk of condensation. Hence,
programs such as R-2000 and Passive
House, which call for higher levels of
insulation than standard Code-built
homes, require greater attention to
air barrier detailing and validation
of air barrier effectiveness through
airtightness testing. Air leakage
control and airtightness efforts are
clearly a building durability measure,
although there are other side benefits,
including the minimization of drafts,
the reduction of dust entry and
energy savings.
It has only been in the last two
OBC cycles that airtightness levels
or targets have been mentioned in
energy conservation measures. The
OBC SB-12 Supplementary Standard,
Energy Efficiency for Housing − 2017
set an air change per hour (ACH)
level of 3.0 at 50 pascals of pressure
(3.0ACH@50Pa) for energy modelling
and trade-offs under the Performance
Path. If builders can demonstrate
2.5ACH@50Pa or lower after a home
is constructed, they can trade off
against energy features such as
continuous insulation, drain water
heat recovery or window performance
metrics. The National Building Code
(NBC) 2020 also elected for a voluntary
airtightness rate for energy modelling
but set a lower level at 2.5ACH@50Pa.
The International Energy Conser­
vation Code (IECC) in the U.S. has
also set 3.0ACH@50Pa as the rate for
establishing their energy modelling
reference house. In addition, 30 states
have adopted a version of the IECC
that requires mandatory airtightness
testing of every home built, regardless
of whether the airtightness is used
for energy efficiency targets or not.
For those states that have mandatory
airtightness targets for compliance,
the target is 5.0ACH@50Pa for homes
built in climate zones 1 and 2 (Florida
and southern Texas) and 3.0ACH@50Pa
in all other climate zones.
In Canada, only British Columbia
requires airtightness testing of all new
homes built. In the first years of the
B.C. mandatory testing requirement,
builders only needed to show the
results of the testing without a need
to achieve any specific target or
level. This was very helpful to the
industry. Now, a target of no more
than 3.0ACH@50Pa must be achieved
in all new homes, and better (lower)
airtightness levels can be used for
energy performance targets.
When considering the responsi-
bilities of builders, trade contractors
and building officials in safeguarding
building enclosures against unwanted
air leaks, it may be instructive to
recall the mechanisms of air leakage
in Canadian homes. There are three
mechanisms of air flow across build-
ing enclosures. The first would be the
impacts of wind on the building enclo-
sure – a highly variable and unpredict-
able affect. The second is referred to as
the “stack effect.” This is an example of
convection heat transfer whereby cold,
more dense air is falling and warm
air is rising. The third is the effects of
mechanical systems in houses. This
includes exhaust fans, such as bath
fans, range hoods and dryers. It also
includes the impact of combustion
appliances and their venting systems.
One of the fundamental build-
ing science rules is that air in always
equals air out. Consider the impli-
cations of the stack effect. In a cold
climate, a house can be thought of as a
large chimney. It's a column of warm,
moist, buoyant air that rises and wants
to escape out through holes at the top
of a house, and an equal volume of cold
air will leak in through penetrations
near the bottom of that house. A practi-
The Mechanisms and Measurement
of Air Leakage in Houses
R
equirements for the careful control of unwanted air leakage in and through
building enclosures have been part of the Ontario Building Code (OBC)
since 1990. In the current edition of the Code, the requirements are outlined
in Section 9.25.3, Air Barrier Systems, which is very specific about the reasons for
air leakage control – that is, to prevent excessive moisture condensation within or
on surfaces of walls, floors and ceilings in the heating season.
There are three
mechanisms of air
flow across building
enclosures – the
impacts of wind,
the “stack effect”
and the effects of
mechanical systems.

7.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
BUILDING PRESSURE (PA)
BUILDING
LEAK
AGE
(CFM)
cal house-as-a-system result of this
air leakage pattern is that if warm,
moist air escapes into a cold attic in
the wintertime, there is the potential
for that moisture to condense on the
first solid surface it contacts – that is,
the underside of the roof sheathing.
It can and should be solved by air
sealing the attic from the house to
not allow the warm, moist air into the
attic in the first place. The stack effect
is also responsible for cold drafts near
the bottom of houses – along base-
ment rim boards, and under base-
boards and electrical outlets. This
adds to the heating loads of rooms on
the lower levels of taller homes.
The stack effect is the most persis­
tent, consistent air flow mechanism
in Canadian houses during the cold
winter months. Stack effect pressures
are measurable and predictable based
on outside temperature, height of the
building enclosure and barometric
pressure. On a cold Ontario winter
day, the stack pressure is in the order
of three to four pascals per storey
in a house. For a three-storey, slab-
on-grade townhome, that pressure
would be equal to approximately the
pressure of a 12 kph wind.
The building science research
from 40 years ago demonstrated the
value of managing or sealing the
holes in the enclosure to minimize
the effects of wind and stack pressure
and to reduce the potential for
condensation within enclosure
cavities. Indeed, the historical target
of 1.5ACH for R-2000 homes was, first
and foremost, a durability measure
for homes that had high levels of
insulation, such as R-60 in attics. Of
course, what were considered very
high levels of insulation in the 1980s
are now part of many energy code
compliance packages.
The mechanics and metrics of
airtightness measurement
The history of quantifying air leakage
in Canadian houses dates back to
the early 1970s. A large fan (now
commonly called a blower door) was
installed in an exterior door of the
house. It created a pressure difference
of 50 pascals across all sides of the
house at once. This is roughly equal to
the pressure of a 35 kph wind. While
a house would never experience this
naturally, it does enable simple and
accurate leak detection. The fan is
calibrated, and the operator records the
cubic feet per minute (CFM) that the fan
is delivering to create that 50 pascals
of pressure (CFM@50Pa). This volume
of air per minute is multiplied by 60 to
get the volume of air delivered per hour
and then divided by the volume of air
in the house to find that important
ACH metric that is referenced now
in codes and energy programs. It is
a metric that energy advisors and
builders can easily see as the test is
done and respond to quickly by sealing
the holes where air leaks are felt.
As noted, the air leakage rate at 50
pascals is not representative of how
air might leak in and out of a house
5
300
200
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 30 40 50
TWO-POINT TEST (CGSB 149)
Advantages
• Quicker test process and more
reliable in windy conditions
• Allows for extrapolation down
to 4 or 10 Pa to determine
“equivalent leakage areas”
Procedure
• Take readings at 50 and 20
Pa (+/- 3 Pa)
• Use time averaging or take
multiple readings

8.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
TABLE 1 – AVERAGE BLOWER DOOR TEST RESULTS FOR MULTIPOINT VS 2 POINT VS 1 POINT TEST ON 100 HOUSES
RATER
NUMBER
SAMPLE
NUMBER
AND SIZE
DOOR
FAN
NUMBER
OF
HOUSES
ACH
MULTIPOINT
ELA
MULTIPOINT
2PT ACH ELA 2PT TEST 1PT ACH
@50PA IN2/100SQFT @50PA IN2/100SQFT @50PA
1 & 2 1 (20 TESTS) RETROTEC 20 2.36 79.43 2.33 79.88 2.33
3 2 (10 TESTS) MINN BD 10 2.13 107.37 2.12 107.35 2.13
4 3 (11 TESTS) MINN BD 10 2.49 162.17 2.33 160.53 2.46
5 4 (10 TESTS) MINN BD 10 1.90 113.32 1.90 114.86 1.90
6 TO 10 5 (47 TESTS) MINN BD 52 1.98 80.10 2.35 94.80 2.33
AVERAGE 98 TESTS 2.17 108.48 2.21 111.48 2.23
Note: Multipoint vs 2 point tests ELA varies by 2.7% and ACH varies by 1.8%
6
on a typical day or over a season or
year. To assess the energy impact of
air leakage, Canadian researchers
created an air leakage algorithm,
called the Alberta Infiltration
Model (AIM-2), that is used in most
Canadian energy simulation and
heat load calculation software
programs. This algorithm calls for
an extrapolation of the measured
air leakage down to a pressure of 10
pascals (a pressure that is typical of
the stack pressure experienced by
houses on a cold day in Canada). This
extrapolation is considered most
accurate when a range of pressures
and airflows is recorded during the
blower door test. This is called a
“multi-point” test, and the Canadian
General Standards Board standard
CGSB-149-2019, Determination of the
Airtightness of Building Envelopes
by the Fan Depressurization Method,
calls for air flow readings to be taken
at eight pressure points from 50
pascals to 20 pascals. While useful
for energy modelling in estimating
typical natural infiltration, this eight-
point test adds very little value to
builders, trades and building officials
looking to simply verify that the
required airtightness of the Code or
an energy program has been met.
For the purposes of simple site
verification, the CGSB-149 standard
offers options for both a single-point
test at 50 pascals and a two-point
test at 50 pascals and 20 pascals. In
a single-point test, multiple pressure
and airflow readings are taken and
averaged at 50 pascals. The resulting
volume of air in cubic feet per minute
(CFM) can then be used to quickly
calculate one of two normalized test
metrics. Mentioned above, the ACH
metric normalizes the results based
on the volume of air within the heated
envelope of a house. This has been the
historical method of comparing results
from a full range of sizes of homes. A
second useful metric is to normalize
the air flow at 50 pascals against the
surface area of the thermal enclosure,
which is called the normalized
leakage rate (NLR). This metric has
always been used in the commercial
and institutional building sector
and, in the opinion of most energy
professionals, it better reflects the
challenges and efforts in creating tight
enclosures in ever more complicated
building designs. Fortunately, both the
OBC and all major energy programs
allow the NLR for compliance
verification. It is calculated by simply
dividing the volume of air needed to
create that 50 pascals of pressure by
the square footage of the total thermal
enclosure (floors, walls and ceilings).
When testing, the single-point test
offers the quickest and most relevant
feedback for builders and trades
when comparing air barrier system
performance.
The two-point test is a simplified
way to allow some measure of
extrapolation for energy modelling,
whereby a line can be drawn between
the 50-pascal and 20-pascal air flow
data points and extrapolated down to
the 10-pascal point used for estimating
natural infiltration in energy
modelling (see graph on page 5).
CRESNET, an association that
represents the interests of energy
raters, undertook a study of the three
CGSB-149 listed test methods – multi-
point, single-point and two-point
testing – to demonstrate the accuracy
and repeatability of the test methods.
The table above shows the comparison
of the three test methods applied
by 10 different energy raters on 98
homes. Note that, on average, the air
changes per hour at 50 pascals varied
by less than 3% between the three test
methods and that the single-point test
produced a slightly more conservative
result than the multi-point test. This
demonstrates that the simpler and less
complex single-point test method is a
reliable and helpful metric for builders

9.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
who are taking steps to continually
improve the performance of their air
barrier systems.
One final metric that is referenced
in codes and programs is called the
equivalent leakage area (ELA@10Pa).
Technically, this is a calculated,
extrapolated number down at
10 pascals used again for energy
modelling. For the purposes of
this article, think of it as the size
of a theoretical hole in a wall if
you combined all the airflow from
leakage points in a house into one
spot at a pressure of 10 pascals.
This metric allows for a simplified
communication to homeowners as
to the size of a hole in square inches
– better than trying to imagine CFMs
of air flowing through multiple small
leaks. In a 2,000-square-foot house
that met 3.0ACH@50Pa, the ELA@10Pa
could be expected to be less than 80
square inches of leakage – a hole 10
inches in diameter.
Knowing the history of both air
leakage research and airtightness
testing and seeing the trends in both
codes and energy initiatives, it is clear
that builders and trade contractors
should be working to make homes
ever more airtight to improve both
the durability and energy efficiency
of homes. Homebuyers benefit
as well from better air quality
control, quieter homes and lower
energy bills. Airtightness testing
is an important tool as part of the
construction process. The experience
in jurisdictions across North America
demonstrates that encouraging
testing, even without requiring specific
thresholds of performance, empowers
continuous improvement for builders
and their trade partners.
CRESNET currently offers a
one-day workshop on airtightness
testing, as well as a challenge test and
mentoring for accreditation. Interested
parties can inquire at cresnet.ca. BB
Gord Cooke is
president of Building
Knowledge Canada.
7
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BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
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11.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
The housing supply shortage is a
Canada-wide problem, with many
factors – such as climbing interest
rates, supply chain challenges,
construction cost escalations, rising
inflation and labour shortages – all
adding to the crisis. In fact, the
Canada Mortgage and Housing Cor­
poration (CMHC) recently released
a report identifying how many new
homes each province needs to build
to restore housing affordability, with
Ontario topping the list at 1.85 million
new homes by 2030, eclipsing the
provincial government’s target of
1.5 million new homes over 10 years.
The CMHC report indicates Ontario’s
housing stock has not grown fast
enough to keep up with growing
population trends, and this can be
attributed to the loss of affordability
over the last 20 years.
In February 2022, the Province
released the report of the Ontario
Housing Affordability Task Force,
where a panel of industry experts put
forward 55 recommendations to make
new housing a priority. With house
prices in Ontario having almost tripled
in the past 10 years – growing much
faster than incomes – home ownership
has pushed beyond the reach of
many across the province, with rental
options also proving unaffordable.
The system is not working as it should,
and up until now, governments have
only focused on solutions to “cool” the
housing market. It is apparent there
aren’t enough housing options to meet
the needs of Ontarians today, and we
are not building enough to meet the
needs of our growing population. In
March 2022, Bill 109, the More Homes
for Everyone Act, was introduced by
the provincial government as a piece
of legislation aimed at supporting its
Housing Supply Action Plan. While
Bill 109 provided more of a roadmap
to increasing housing supply, Bill
23 specifically addresses how the
province aims to achieve this goal.
While the goal of building more
homes has been acknowledged by
the federal government, and even
all provincial political parties, their
views on how to operationalize the
building of more homes may differ.
While Bill 23 has been labelled as a
significant piece of legislation aimed
at addressing Ontario’s housing crisis,
it has been highly controversial due
to the sweeping nature of the changes
it will impose, which will impact all
types of development in the province.
Municipalities have raised alarm bells
regarding the reduction in the amount
of development charges, parkland
dedication and community benefit
charges, and what the impact will be
9
The Province Aims to Build
1.5 Million More Homes in 10 Years
Can It Be Done?
industrynews / PAUL DE BERARDIS
The system is not
working as it should,
and up until now,
governments have
only focused on
solutions to “cool”
the housing market.
I
n October 2022, the Government of Ontario tabled Bill 23, the More Homes Built
Faster Act – an omnibus bill proposing sweeping changes to the province’s
land use planning legislation and policy. This bill is focused on the provincial
government’s goal of building 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years by reduc­
ing bureaucratic costs and delays in housing development approvals, promoting
housing near transit and facilitating a range of attainable housing options.

12.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
10
on their bottom line – yet government
fees, taxes and charges generally
make up 25% or more of the cost of a
new home.
Bill 23 aims to address the housing
crisis by reducing government fees
and addressing systemic development
approval delays that slow new housing
from coming to market, whereby
delays increase costs. The provincial
government has assigned 29 of
Ontario’s largest municipalities hous­
ing targets, and the bill represents a
significant shift in land use planning
approvals that will impact various
stakeholders with often opposing
interests, such as developers,
property owners, municipalities and
conservation authorities. However,
industry experts acknowledge building
1.5 million homes over 10 years is no
easy task, considering the housing
crisis was decades in the making. With
housing affordability deteriorating
to where we are now, the solution
cannot easily be fixed, and it is for this
reason the provincial government is
attempting to take extreme action to
remedy the situation.
With Bill 23 focused on stream­
lining and expediting the development
approvals process, especially at the
municipal level, the flip side to this
equation lies with the ability of the
construction industry to deliver on
building 1.5 million new homes over 10
years. Faced with rising construction
costs and a constrained labour market,
the building industry needs more
skilled workers to hit the ambitious
target. Ontario needs to increase the
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13.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
flow of skilled immigrants coming
into the province (which RESCON is
advocating to the federal government)
as well as increase the uptake of
young people starting careers in
construction.
In 2021, Ontario had more than
100,000 housing starts – the highest
level since 1987 and well above the
annual average of 67,500 starts over
the past 30 years. In the provincial
budget, the government projected
84,000 housing starts in 2023 and
87,300 the following year. Now, it
has updated that forecasting to
76,900 and 77,800, respectively,
considering the current sales slump
in the new housing market. To meet
the goal of 1.5 million homes over 10
years, housing starts need to further
increase. It is imperative to bolster the
development approval process for new
homes so construction can quickly
ramp up when interest rates stabilize
and pent-up homebuyer demand
resurfaces. To build upon 2021’s record
housing starts of 100,000 homes,
the building industry needs to deal
with the shortage of skilled labour –
especially those in concrete and drain,
bricklaying, concrete forming and the
finishing trades.
Most of the changes proposed by
Bill 23 are scheduled to come into force
on the day it receives Royal Assent,
while certain changes will come into
force on January 1, 2023. However,
considering growing pushback, it
has yet to be seen if the provincial
government has the fortitude to
advance this housing policy or if it
succumbs to resistance. One thing
remains clear: the housing crisis will
not solve itself without drastic policy
changes. BB
Paul De Berardis is
RESCON’s director of
building science and
innovation. Email him at
deberardis@rescon.com.
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14.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
Y
ou might say that building
energy-efficient homes is
in the DNA of Ottawa-area
homebuilder Longwood Building
Corporation.
The company’s founder, Guy
Whissel, was born and raised in
Ottawa, studied architecture and
learned the ropes with major city
builders in the late 1970s and 1980s
before starting Longwood Building
Corporation in 1988 with a simple
promise to homebuyers: “a great
product at a great price.” Whissel’s
company began small, but quickly
gained a share of the Ottawa market,
building 75 to 100 new homes per
year. Since then, Longwood has
built more than 1,250 single-family
homes, bungalow communities and
condominiums for growing families
and people downsizing.
A top priority for Longwood
from day one was energy efficiency,
according to Guy’s son, Simon
Whissel, construction manager at
Longwood. “One thing the company
included in our homes was upgraded
insulation – a huge leap back then,”
he says. Following in his father’s
footsteps, Simon is leading his
company today into the next chapter,
merging its signature unique and
thoughtful designs (based on one-to-
one consultations with homeowners)
with the latest in energy efficiency
and sustainability.
Guiding Longwood’s evolution to
even better sustainability is Savings
by Design from Enbridge Gas, a
program that Whissel describes
as “more important than ever” in
the building industry. “It offers
13
Retooling for Greener Building
Ottawa Builder Steps Up Sustainability
sitespecific / MARC HUMINILOW YCZ
Simon Whissel, Construction Manager
at Longwood Building Corporation, and
Chelsey Pigeon, Project Coordinator.

15.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
14
education, assembly instruction
and ways to reduce our carbon
footprint, incorporating tools like
superior insulation, insulated exterior
sheathing, airtightness measures,
combination fuel systems and third-
party air testing,” he says.
Longwood Building Corporation
had been offering homebuyers its
proprietary Green Solution energy-
saving features since the 1990s. Now,
through its participation in Savings
by Design, the brand has been
revitalized and elevated, with many
more components available.
“Our Green Solution is more
relevant than ever. It puts a whole
new focus on the benefits of energy
efficiency,” says Whissel. He lists the
following features:
• Increased insulation R-value
in ceilings and walls
• Super-tight window and door
sealing
• Blower door testing
• Combination heating system
that uses heat from the hot
water tank (cutting gas con­
sumption by up to 20%)
• Home electricity usage
monitoring system
• Home Energy Rating System
(HERS) third-party energy
consumption calculator that
allows builders to make the
best energy choices for their
particular designs, materials
and construction methods
Other Green Solution options
include hardwood flooring from
certified renewable sources and
low- to zero-VOC paints, carpeting
and other materials. Whissel’s own
home in a Longwood neighbourhood
includes all of these features.
Key to Longwood’s Green Solution
offerings is insulation, and the com-
pany is using Owens Corning products
exclusively: R-60 blown fiberglass in
the attic, R-24 batt in the walls and
continuous R-20 batt on the inside of
basement walls for warm below-grade
living spaces. “Owens Corning PINK
insulation gives us great products with
an added benefit of the ‘Pink Panther’
brand awareness in the neighbour-
hood,” says Whissel. “Other benefits
important to us are the attributes of
Owens Corning products: GREEN-
GUARD Gold certification for better
indoor air quality [and] an average
of 73% recycled content in their batt
products, which helps to reduce both
operational and embodied carbon.”
In addition to fiberglass ceiling
and interior wall insulation, a unique
wood fibre sheathing is applied to
outside walls to provide extra insula­
tion and retain indoor humidity, while
preventing rain and snow melt from
penetrating wall cavities. According
to Longwood’s website, Enbridge Gas
estimates that all the components
of Longwood’s Green Solution save
homeowners an average of $718 per
year in energy costs and reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions by more than
1,300 kilograms (about as much as a
single car produces over nine months).
As to the price of retooling for
greener building through Savings
by Design, Whissel claims that the
program’s incentives, such as research
and marketing support, help to offset
the added costs. “It’s a small price to
pay, and Enbridge is doing its part to
help builders achieve better energy
efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas
emissions,” he says.
Whissel believes that the biggest
change in the building industry over
the past years has been an evolution
from simply building houses to
building sustainable houses. “People
are looking for energy-efficient homes
these days. While builders are asking
‘What can we do to be more energy
efficient, and how do we do it and still
be affordable?’
, Savings by Design is
helping us do this, and everybody is
hopping on board,” he says.
Currently, Longwood homes are
being rated at 20% better than Code
using HERS. Can the company do
even better? “Zero energy-ready is the
direction we’re headed,” says Whissel.
“With every new project, we ask
ourselves what else we can do. We’ve
seen lately how expensive homes are
to build and buy, and if we can make
the operation of homes less expensive,
that’s good news for homeowners. And
helping our buyers reduce their carbon
footprint means we’re doing our part
in fighting climate change.” BB
Marc Huminilowycz
is a senior writer. He
lives and works in
a low-energy home
built in 2000. As
such, he brings first-hand experience
to his writing on technology and
residential housing and has published
numerous articles on the subject.
Longwood’s Green
Solution saves home­
owners an estimated
average of $718
per year in energy
costs and reduces
their greenhouse gas
emissions by more
than 1,300 kilograms.

16.
15
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
Homeowners, contractors, and builders rely on
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THANK YOU FROM SKYE MAINSTREET PROPERTIES LTD.
We value our partnerships and would like to thank you
for helping us build a LEED Platinum home.
Accuflo Plumbing
AeroBarrier
Alpha Comfort Control Ltd.
Amvic
Barbini Design Build
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Castlemore Electric
Clearsphere
DesignWorks Studio
Gaggenau Appliances
Greyter Water Systems
InLine Fiberglass
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Moen
Panasonic
RenewABILITY
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Please visit www.leslievillelaneway.com to learn more about our house.
SkyeMainstreetPropertiesLtdThanksYou.indd 4
SkyeMainstreetPropertiesLtdThanksYou.indd 4 2022-12-13 11:47 AM
2022-12-13 11:47 AM

17.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
16
buildernews / ROB BLACKSTIEN
All That Glitters
Is Not Gold
An enthusiastic client allowed new ground to be broken
with a Leslieville laneway LEED Platinum project.
W
hat happens when your
client buys in on sustain­
ability to the degree that
they won’t settle for anything less
but an absolute top tier product?
This very dynamic recently led
to a model home that is currently
being built under the LEED Platinum
4.1 certification – a first for Barbini
Construction, John Godden of Clear­
sphere and client Jesse Davidson, a
principal at development firm Skye
Mainstreet Properties.
The fact that Davidson’s company
was working with a residential pro­
perty was an outlier to begin with,
as Skye’s portfolio mainly consists of
20-foot main street retail properties
with apartments above each.
But a few years back, the company
bought a building on Queen Street East,
in Toronto’s trendy Leslieville neigh­
bourhood, and it came with a detached
garage located in the laneway behind.
The 25' x 25' lot actually had a separate
title, so Skye wasn’t sure what to do with
it, ultimately opting to build a house.

18.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
That’s when red tape stalled the
project. In fact, it took Skye four years
from the time it started working
on the concept until it finally got a
building permit. The issue? It wasn’t
technically a laneway house based
on the City definition, and because
the plan had them building right to
the edge of the lot on all four sides,
zoning variances were required for
height and all the lot coverage ratios,
Davidson explains.
“So as a right, none of this was
permitted. All of it had to be done at
Committee of Adjustments,” he says.
Planning consultant Louis Tinker
of Bousfields Inc. – who apparently
knows everyone in the planning
department – was brought aboard. And
“he worked his magic,” Davidson says.
Our eyes were opened up
After Amedeo Barbini was hired to
build the home, he brought Godden
in to consult on the project. With
that experience, Davidson says (see
“Better Air Quality, from the Ground
Up” in the fall 2022 issue, page 27),
“our eyes were opened up to the many
advantages of LEED building.” Yes,
the cost was higher, but Davidson
explained that the benefits made it
worth it, including a vastly better
envelope, marketing opportunities,
a radon mitigation system and
tremendous support from suppliers
(see below for more).
Obtaining LEED Platinum
certification is a lofty goal – one that
involves following a very detailed
scoring system checklist to secure
enough points. These points are
accrued through categories such as
innovation and design process, the
home’s location relative to amenities
and transportation, water efficiency,
energy and atmosphere, materials and
resources, and indoor air quality.
Davidson says there are many
things being done on this house that
wouldn’t normally be considered.
“Your typical homebuilder is only
looking at what’s the most cost-
effective way to get this house built
and sold,” he says.
But Davidson and the many con­
tributing suppliers have “all been
intrigued by the challenge of trying to
see how many amenities and luxuries
we can cram into this small shoebox
of a house.”
Because this home was being
created as a model, Davidson says he
didn’t want to miss out on any feature
that was possible. In fact, striving for
near perfection is one of his personal
traits that has very much come into
play on this project. “Once you start
down that path, you’re very reluctant
to say ‘no, it doesn’t need to be that
good,’” he explains.
17
Framing stage. Exterior finishes. Matthieu Danis of Building Products
of Canada – almost complete.

19.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
18
The hurdles continued
Unfortunately, the hurdles this
project faced did not finish with the
permit issue. Because of how far
the house was from the main gas
distribution, the quote to attach the
line was around $55,000. Davidson
balked at that and instead decided to
spend that money on solutions – like
solar panels and battery storage – that
would enable the home to be powered
without any fossil fuels. Necessity is
the mother of invention, right?
The best part? Davidson says this
decision “made it easier to get the
LEED Platinum certification.”
To say that suppliers were jump­
ing at the opportunity to add their
products to this model home is an
understatement. In fact, many vendors
offered up their solutions for free or for
vastly reduced cost, given how badly
they wanted to be able to leverage this
house as a demonstration platform.
“Everyone was using this as an oppor­
tunity to showcase their latest and
greatest,” he says.
Key among these suppliers were
Panasonic, Building Products of
Canada Corp. (BP) and ROCKWOOL.
Panasonic was a major sponsor
of this project, providing zoned heat
pumps, solar panels with battery
storage, high-efficiency ventilation
and indoor air quality controls to the
home. Its Breathe Well campaign (see
articles in the fall 2022 issue) was
featured front and centre.
Key suppliers
“Panasonic’s been amazing; they’ve
given us a number of products, [and]
they’ve substantially discounted
others,” Davidson says.
BP supplied its R-5 XP wood fibre
Insul-Sheathing panels, a solution that
does not require additional bracing
or let-in bracing, explains product
manager − wood fibre Matthieu Danis.
He says that when the panels are
installed with the XPS facing the
exterior – using proper flashing details
– they not only provide an effective
weather-resistant barrier, but can
also be integrated into the air barrier
system.
“The builders appreciated the
panels due to their strength and light
weight, combined with the fact that the
product offered a higher permeance,
allowing any trapped humidity to
easily escape to the exterior of the wall
assembly,” Danis adds.
BP’s sheathing earned a point
towards LEED certification because it’s
comprised of 98% recycled content.
Both the XP sheathing and ROCK­
WOOL’s stone wool insulation are
products which reduce CO2 emissions
through their manufacturing processes.
“ROCKWOOL is a fantastic product,”
Barbini enthuses. “It doesn’t burn.”
Scoring LEED points
The fact that it’s made just outside of
Toronto using Canadian materials
really helped with the LEED low-
carbon impact requirements, he says.
By using ROCKWOOL in the wall
cavity and flat roof, the home scored
another LEED point for recycled con­
tent – but that wasn’t the only way this
product helped get the home certified.
“In indoor environmental quality,
ROCKWOOL batt insulation makes
up 90% of the cavity insulation and
receives two LEED points for its
GREENGUARD Gold certification for
low-emitting products,” says Sarah
Southwick, ROCKWOOL’s Ontario
regional manager.
Other suppliers include:
• Greyter, which supplied its grey­
water recycling system (see
“Shades of Grey” in the spring
2020 issue, page 16). This project
is being included in the Canadian
WaterSense pilot;
• Amvic Building System offered up
a sub-slab radon ventilation system
that’s integrated with radiant floor
heating, Barbini says. Amvic’s
Carbon-smart R-5XP
insulated sheathing.
Outlet for sub-slab radon
venting system.
ROCKWOOL batts receive 2 LEED
points for GREENGUARD Gold
certification for low emitting products.

20.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
contribution, which includes the
Amrad R-12 in-slab vapour miti­
gation and insulation application
(which allows for the building of
an insulated concrete slab that
meets the radon requirements of
the Building Code), helped the
project score 18 LEED points for
indoor environmental quality;
• Third-party Better Than Code
label with a HERS 41 at 45% better
than code, garnering 28 LEED
points for energy;
• Moen, which contributed all the
faucets and low-flow plumbing
fixtures for free;
• Scavolini, an FSC-certified
company, did all the kitchen
cabinetry;
• Gaggenau supplied low-energy
appliances;
• An energy-efficient washer/heat-
pump dryer came from Miele; and
• InLine high-performance, double-
glazed windows from Fiberglass
Windows & Doors.
The benefits of LEED
Platinum
The benefits of a LEED Platinum
home are plentiful, but boil down to
four interconnected areas:
Low carbon Davidson says this
is “definitely one of the benefits”
in a home that is 45% better than
code. This is achieved through the
envelope, energy efficiency and
using less embodied carbon: “That
whole program will take the home
lower and lower in terms of carbon
footprint,” Barbini says. Using locally
sourced materials plays a role here,
but it’s also the specifications that are
employed, he adds. The home uses
less energy, aided by solar panelling
(3.6 kW) for renewable energy, which
really reduces the carbon footprint.
LEED also takes into account the
home’s location relative to amenities,
shopping and local transportation.
High performance Barbini explains
that “in one way, these are all parallel
paths,” meaning that it’s holistic and
“everything feeds into everything
else.” But mostly this is focused on
the energy side, where there’s lower
heating and cooling requirements
(which positively affects utility costs).
The Swidget controls (see “Behavioural
Studies” in the winter 2021 issue, page
16) allow for the use of energy only
when required, and the renewables to
charge the battery system help fuel the
home so you don’t require peak-time
electricity. He says the hydronically
heated floors in the basement, first
floor and the garage concrete floor help
maintain the desired temperature,
so the heating systems aren’t always
turning on and the radiant floor also
stores off-peak electricity as heat.
Healthy Panasonic’s Breathe Well
products (including an energy recovery
ventilator [ERV] and six strategically
placed Whisper Air Repair pods)
play a big role here, as does Amvic’s
radon mitigation solution. Barbini
was so impressed with the Breathe
Well products that he’s going to put
them in his office. “I always like to
experience something before I start
recommending it.”
Durable Davidson explains that
because this home is so well sealed
and insulated, its heating and cooling
requirements are dramatically
reduced, which should allow the
equipment to last longer. Barbini says
this house is built to stand the test
of time, and even the home exterior
helps in this regard as no painting or
maintenance is required.
19
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21.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
20
Davidson is so inspired by this project that he hopes
to use it as a template to build several more model homes
over time. Of course, that raises the question of how well
this will sell.
Barbini has no doubt there will be a demand for this
type of product, and he can even see it being done on a
production level within a few years. Gone are the days
when it was hard to justify a 10% increase in a better built
home that features what he always describes as “stealth
comfort,” because “nobody saw it.”
The scales have tipped
Prospective homeowners traditionally were wooed by
marble and hardwood, not comfort and health. But in the
last 10 to 15 years, Barbini says that environmental issues
have become a bigger factor – especially for younger
people – that the scales have tipped, and it’s now a key
consideration.
Having a home with better air quality and a lower
carbon footprint are now valued. What could really sway
the industry in this direction is having larger developers
and politicians latching on, he says.
Barbini is adamant that builders shouldn’t wait
until these techniques are mandated. “You don’t have
to be told to do better; if you’re actually interested in
improving, do it now.”
He maintains that there are too many builders that
make beautiful, marble-adorned 7,000-square-foot
homes, “but behind the walls, it’s garbage.”
Everyone on this project will come away with
valuable experience and know-how that can be applied
in the future, but perhaps no one will be more indelibly
changed than Davidson. For him, this process will
become standard fare.
Every time he works on a commercial construction
project, he’s going to incorporate some of the Better Than
Code building strategies because “you end up with a way
better product,” he says.
“I wouldn’t touch any construction anywhere again
without involving John and Amedeo because they’ve
introduced me to a whole new world that I didn’t even
know about.” BB
Rob Blackstien is a Toronto-based
freelance writer. Pen-Ultimate.ca

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23.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
22
sitespecific / ALEX NEWMAN
After discussing the situation with
John Godden, Chau – who is a build­
ing energy consultant at Clearsphere
– “decided it made sense” to do an
upgrade.
That meant investing in a combina­
tion system, one that integrated space
and hot water heating, and thermal
envelope improvements. It’s some­
thing Chau had been focusing on since
he started with Clearsphere in 2008,
right after graduating with a bachelor’s
degree in architectural science from
Toronto Metropolitan University
(formerly Ryerson University).
The system is used a lot in town­
homes, but it works equally well in
a single detached home, Chau says.
“People think that detached homes
are too big for this kind of system, but
my own house is proof that’s not true.
And it makes sense, especially when
you’re getting ready to change an
older furnace.”
Clearsphere conducted a study a
few years ago comparing conventional
furnaces to combination systems,
Chau says. “We found that, on average,
the combo saves about 20% on natural
gas consumption, when compared to a
separate furnace and hot water tank.”
While that’s the major reason for
going with the combo system, there
are other benefits – such as improving
air quality and air flow distribution,
as well as getting rid of the hot water
heater if it’s old and much less efficient.
Another major incentive, Chau
admits, was Enbridge’s home efficiency
rebate program. “Enbridge basically
provides a list of items and, the more
you choose, the more rebate you get,”
he explains. “Items such as basement
and attic insulation, air sealing, replac­
ing the hot water heater and installing
an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) got
us over $3,000 back. And they paid the
energy audit costs.”
The Chaus made all of these
improvements. On the mechanical
front, the furnace was replaced with
an AIRMAX air handler with a high-
efficiency electronically commutated
motor (ECM). Instead of installing a
tankless water heater, though, they
opted for a 50-gallon condensing tank,
Now It’s Personal
T
he timing was right. Howard Chau and his wife, Dalin Vornn, had recently
purchased an all-original, 20-year-old subdivision home. Everything
needed replacing on the 1,800-square-foot home, from mechanical systems
to thermal improvements.
Howard Chau and his integrated space and hot water heating system. Small is beautiful.

24.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
24
which provides hot water to both heat
the house and supply hot water.
Although the hot water tank has
a small output, it more than serves
the purpose. “For the size of house,
we didn’t need anything bigger,”
Chau says. Most tankless hot water
heaters’ output is too big – 200,000
BTUs is something they were never
going to need. Also, a new ¾-inch
gas pipe would need to be installed.
And after doing the calculations (CSA
B-214), Chau could see only about
a quarter of that was necessary. So,
they investigated the 65,000 BTU
GSW Envirosense® tank (see page 10).
His home’s heat loss after envelope
improvements, he says, is only 32,000
BTUs per hour, and even when
factoring in the hot water load, the
condensing tank is plenty for what they
need, even on the coldest winter day.
Another reason for choosing a
condensing tank over the tankless
hot water heater is that there is no
waiting for hot water. He calculated
that running the water until it’s hot
wastes more water than you save
on energy consumption. “Always,
you’re weighing the pros and cons of
wasting water versus saving energy
on heating,” he adds.
They installed a vänEE energy
recovery ventilator (ERV), which
provides fresh air continuously
throughout the day. And a drain water
heat recovery pipe on the shower
stack draws heat out of warm drain
water and sends it back to preheat the
domestic hot water heater DHWH.
With the mechanicals under
control, Chau turned his attention to
the thermal side of things. Upgrades
to the building envelope included
raising attic R-values from R-31 to
R-60 by blowing insulation into the
attic after air sealing penetrations.
Torino Drywall did the top up. The
basement had half-height R-12
insulation to four feet below grade,
and they continued insulating all the
way down to the slab using a double
layer of ROCKWOOL CB-80 (R-12).
In the future, Chau plans to stud the
basement, add R-12 batt to bump
up the insulation even more before
drywalling, and anticipates replacing
the existing double-glazed windows,
which were code in 2000.
“It all depends on budget. Hopefully
our cost savings will help us do this
in the future,” he says.
So far, the house is performing
above, expectation. Even with the
extreme cold of the 2021/22 winter,
the family’s energy costs dropped.
Although their gas bill was only 10%
lower than the year before, the winter
last year was 9% colder than the
previous year based on weather data.
The family welcomed a new baby in
the household just as the new system
was installed, significantly increasing
hot water usage. And with both of them
working from home at least part of the
time, energy consumption rose. Taking
all these factors into consideration,
Chau says the system has likely
reduced their bills by almost 25%.
In other quantifiable ways, the
system has reduced their heating
requirements as well. Prior to the
renovation, heat loss for the house
was 36,000 BTUs per hour; post-reno,
it dropped to 32,000 BTUs. Energy
performance pre-reno was at HERS 73,
and afterward it went down to HERS 53
(current code is HERS 57 for Package
A1). That’s a reduction of 27%.
The plan is to take a closer look at
the bills once the system is a full year
old, so they can work out the precise
savings, Chau says. “But right now, with
about eight months of bills, I’m seeing
a 10% savings, even with a much colder
winter last year and a second child.”
The other bonus was the 33%
increase in air flow and heat delivery
compared to the old furnace, which
made a huge difference in comfort.
The air delivery was measured on each
floor register before the system was
changed and compared to measure­
ments taken after. “My daughter’s
room is above the garage and has big
windows and was always cold,” Chau
says. “Now it’s warm. The before and
after measurements show there was a
17% improvement in the airflow due to
the AIRMAX air handler.”
The plan is to use the house as a
case study, with testing to demonstrate
how a combination system can work as
a retrofit in an older, regular detached
home.
All these benefits would not have
been possible without the hot water
tank supplied by AO Smith, the Power-
Pipe® from RenewABILITY, the ERV
from vänEE, the ROCKWOOL Comfort­
board 80® and the participation of
Martino Contracting and AIRMAX. “I
am very grateful for the contributions
of these companies for helping me
upgrade my family’s house and reduce
my carbon footprint,” Chau says. BB
Alex Newman is a writer,
editor and researcher at
alexnewmanwriter.com.
The plan is to use
the house as a case
study, with testing to
demonstrate how a
combination system
can work as a retrofit
in an older, regular
detached home.

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BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
26
industryexpert / MARC HUMINILOW YCZ
These systems offer some advan­
tages over typical forced air gas
furnaces and hot water tanks. They
use only one fuel-burning source.
Leading the way with combo
systems, especially in new multi-unit
rental buildings, is Reliance Home
Comfort. The company’s director of
building markets, Shannon Bertuzzi,
is no stranger to home comfort and
energy efficiency, having previously
worked with Enbridge Gas and Ener­
Quality, Canada’s market leader in
residential green building programs.
“I have been very fortunate in
my career to work in the building
industry for over 15 years,” says
Bertuzzi. “During this time, I’ve had
the opportunity to work with many
levels of government, sit on councils,
and design and launch programs with
the goal of transforming the housing
market. My career has always been
about energy efficiency. What I set
out to do many years ago is now the
near future of housing. My experience
has allowed me to work hand in hand
with builders and industry to drive
the adoption of sustainable homes.”
Bertuzzi claims that her company
is unequaled in providing products,
service and a customer relationship
experience for builders and, in turn,
their homeowners. “As systems
become more complicated, there is
even more reason to consider renting,
as homeowners turn to Reliance for
maintenance, service or future repair,”
she says. “We are the experts in this
field, providing rental and service
to over 1.9 million customers across
Canada.”
A team of dedicated Reliance key
account managers and a technical
manager help builders each step of
the way to ensure that they receive
high-end systems at a great value for
homeowners. “With housing afford-
ability at the forefront and rising
interest rates these days, we under-
stand what the best products are to go
into a home to help move the market
towards Net Zero, while keeping
homeowner expenses down with a
low monthly rental payment,” says
Bertuzzi. The Reliance product devel-
opment team continually looks for
new products to help builders achieve
high energy performance housing in
an ever-changing landscape.
“If we don’t have a particular
product, our operations team is open
to review, test and provide our recom-
mendation,” Bertuzzi adds. “Our team
is entrenched in code changes and
sits on many councils – including the
Canadian Home Builders' Association
(CHBA) Net Zero council, which pro-
vides insight into the systems required
for future new home construction –
and allows us to provide input from
our experience delivering these prod-
ucts to the marketplace.”
Ontario builder Pine Valley Builders
decided to include a tested combi
system in their townhouse project in
Vaughan, Ontario, where 111 town­
homes have specified a combi system
tested under CSA P9-11. At the builder
workshop, Jennifer Hurd, Reliance key
account manager for builder markets,
connected the dots and helped
the builder select the appropriate
equipment.
Included was a hot water recir­
culation pump, which, in combina­
tion with low-flow toilets and faucets,
Helping Builders Reach
High Performance and Affordability
T
he days of building a house and simply installing a furnace and hot water
tank without any consideration for efficiency or occupant comfort are thank-
fully over. In recent years, more and more builders have been opting for
energy-efficient combination (or combo) heating systems – hydronic-based mech­
anical systems designed to provide both domestic hot water and space heating.
“We know the end
goal, and we need
to test new systems
in the market. A ‘one
size fits all’ approach
doesn’t work.”
Shannon Bertuzzi, director of building
markets, Reliance Home Comfort.

26.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
was specified to meet the HERSH2O
approach to help reduce water con­
sumption. The key accounts manager
made arrangements to include this
equipment in the builder’s rental
contract.
Combo systems aside, Bertuzzi
emphasizes that her company is
not just a water heating company.
“Reliance offers so much more. We
provide an array of products to help
builders of all types of residential
buildings, with rentals of water
heaters, all HVAC equipment, smart
home products, water purification
systems, and now EV charging
solutions” (for which Reliance pays a
generous builder allowance).
Bertuzzi observes that the rental
business can be tricky. “You’re dealing
with builders to satisfy homeowners’
needs for water heating, ventilation,
heating and cooling. Reliance does
it differently from other companies.
We listen to the needs of our builder
partners and work to adapt to their
evolving vision. When homeowners
move in, they enjoy all the advantages
of our rental program, including
the convenience and peace of mind
that comes with lifetime repairs and
maintenance.”
The end goal of energy-efficient
housing, according to Bertuzzi, is the
federal government’s Pan Canadian
Framework on Clean Growth and
Climate Change. “We know the end
goal, and we need to test new systems
in the market. A ‘one size fits all’
approach doesn’t work,” she says.
“This is where energy advisors are a
key relationship factor for builders
in the design of their homes. They
are the drivers in the design of high-
performance homes, taking into
consideration all aspects of the home
and how each component relates to the
house-as-a-system approach.”
“Without energy consulting at the
design stage, builders are taking risks
that could have huge consequences
down the road,” says Bertuzzi, citing
the example of airtightness in a home.
“If the house is very airtight, it needs
a proper ventilation system, so that
we can manage the relative humidity
and minimize any condensation
and mould in the walls. Reliance
works with builders and their energy
consultants to specify the appropriate
mechanical systems needed for homes
of the future.”
Bertuzzi believes that innovation
is key in the residential construction
industry, with builders at the
leading edge of trying new systems.
“Collaboration between builders,
energy advisors, HVAC designers,
manufacturers and Reliance is vital to
successfully transforming the housing
stock,” she says. “We can’t work in
isolation. Now, more than ever, we
need to work together to drive high-
performance homes.” BB
Marc Huminilowycz
is a senior writer. He
lives and works in
a low-energy home
built in 2000. As
such, he brings first-hand experience
to his writing on technology and
residential housing and has published
numerous articles on the subject.
27
TANKLESS
WATER
HEATER
COLD
WATER
BRIDGE
VALVE
PUMP
AND FLOW
MONITOR
RECIRCULATION ON HOT WATER LINES REDUCES WATER USAGE

27.
BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022
Fresh air matters
North Americans, on average, spend
approximately 90% of their time
indoors, where concentrations of
some pollutants can be up to five
times higher than typical outdoor
concentrations.1
Built-up concentrations of stale
air, toxins and allergens within
the home can result in numerous
skin and respiratory reactions,
and can ultimately lead to serious
health issues like asthma, bronchial
infections and, in some cases
(such as radon), lung cancer.
Organic particulate,
off-gassing and VOCs
Different particulates impact
indoor air quality (IAQ), including
bacteria; mold; viruses; dust; pet
dander; product preservatives like
formaldehyde, methylisothiazolinone
(MI) and benzisothiazolinone (BIT);
and other chemicals that produce
volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
that enter the air from their source. A
2018 study by the American Contact
Dermatitis Society states that, of
47 paints tested, all “contained at
least one isothiazolinone. MI and
BIT were the most common.” 2
Doug Tarry Homes switched to
Graphenstone paints (which meet the
more stringent European zero VOC
standards) a few years ago. It’s not just
about reducing VOC levels for custom­
ers; it’s also about limiting long-term
exposure of staff, trades and painters
within the construction schedule, who
may be unaware they’re being exposed
to potentially toxic off-gassing.
Ventilation:
Dilution is a solution
Indoor stale air contains high con­
centrations of CO2 and other gasses/
particulates. Replacing it with fresh
outdoor air all year long – an important
strategy to improving IAQ – provides
a healthier living environment. When
using a balanced HRV/ERV system, it
will supply roughly the same amount
of fresh outdoor air as the indoor stale
air it’s removing, and is capable of
doing this 24/7, all year long.
HRV vs. ERV
While both systems provide contin­
uous fresh air and recover heat energy
to improve the efficiency of the system,
heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) don’t
deal with moisture. On a hot, humid
day, an HRV may dump an excessive
amount of humidity back into the
home while, in winter, it can over-dry it
to dangerous levels.
A damp, moldy home increases the
risk of asthma by 40%. Ideally, indoor
relative humidity during summer
should be around 50% +/- 5%; during
winter 35% +/- 5%. However, you can
maintain a higher winter humidity
level if the details and selections (for
example, triple-glazed windows) can
support it.
Moisture load
Heat energy is greatly reduced in
a high-performance home, while
managing moisture energy increases.
More insulation, better air sealing
and moisture barriers greatly reduce
drying potential, but moisture has
less area to escape from, and in excess
may become a challenge. To be clear,
though moisture needs to be dealt
with, a tighter home offers a greater
opportunity towards becoming a
healthier home.
Humidity overload
The Great Lakes area is a prime
climate zone for excess humidity –
during about six weeks in spring, six
weeks in early fall and in the deep
heat of summer. Shoulder seasons see
29
fromthegroundup / DOUG TARRY
Built-up concentrations
of stale air, toxins
and allergens within
the home can result
in numerous skin
and respiratory
reactions, and can
ultimately lead to
serious health issues.
1 epa.gov/report-environment/indoor-air-quality 2 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6489126
Indoor Air Quality and
Occupant Health – Part II
(Excerpted from the upcoming book From Bleeding Edge to Leading Edge: A Builder’s Guide to Net Zero Homes)

28.
30 BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 44 | WINTER 2022

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32
sporadic heating and A/C usage. If
the dehumidification strategy relies
on A/C that’s barely running, or if
outdoor fresh air has a high relative
humidity, the home can get wet and
stay that way for weeks.
In summer, windows can be closed
for days or weeks at a time. Even if
deploying a really good strategy of
using an energy recovery ventilator
(ERV) to provide continuous fresh
air and the A/C to cool/dehumidify,
there can be extended periods of
extremely high humidity based on
the geographic region. When this
happens, the ERV or A/C may not
reduce the humidity gains enough
to maintain health and comfort.
Depending on outdoor conditions
(seasonal/geographic), supplemental
dehumidification may be necessary.
Dedicated humidity control
systems
In over-dry or cold winter climates,
humidity may need to be added.
Strategies could include a dedicated
humidifier, passive controls, house
plants, or running the furnace fan
while showering, circulating humidity
within the home. Success depends, in
part, on the customer’s engagement.
The easiest way to dehumidify is
with an Energy Star-rated dehumidifier
piped directly to the furnace drain
while running the furnace fan on
low. Advancements in dedicated
dehumidifying systems include
different wall-mount or in-line
dedicated dehumidifiers capable of
managing humidity levels. The right
solution can vary by region, season,
home and occupant.
I
n conclusion, educating customers is
critical to ensuring occupant safety.
Mild soap and water, lemon and
salt, vinegar – almost all household
cleaning can be accomplished with
these simple products, which are far
less harmful than corrosive chemicals.
Chemical solvents have their place, but
the home is not one of them.
Educate and guide customers to
better decision-making and healthier
choices. This involves leading by
example and following some simple
steps: remove, control, ventilate, filter.3
This four-step path will help your
customers enjoy a healthier and safer
living environment. They – and your
bottom line – will thank you. BB
Doug Tarry Jr is director
of marketing at Doug
Tarry Homes in St.
Thomas, Ontario.
3 eeba.org/designations/healthier-homes
To be clear, though
moisture needs to
be dealt with, a
tighter home offers a
greater opportunity
towards becoming
a healthier home.

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