{Re}habitat

Fiberglass (or fiber glass) — which consists of extremely fine glass fibers — is one of the most commonly used insulation materials. It's used in two different insulation forms: blanket (batts and rolls) and loose-fill.

Facings are fastened to insulation materials during the manufacturing process. A facing protects an insulation's surface, holds the insulation together, and facilitates fastening. Some types of facing can also act as an air barrier, radiant barrier, and/or vapor barrier. Some even provide flame resistance.

Blanket insulation — the most common and widely available type of insulation — comes in the form of batts or rolls. It consists of flexible fibers, most commonly fiberglass. You also can find batts and rolls made from mineral (rock and slag) wool, plastic fibers, and natural fibers, such as cotton and sheep's wool.

Corporate social responsibility is a revived buzz concept. Businesses are taking an inward look at how their actions are affecting their world at large; i.e. the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders, and all other members of the public sphere. Google is becoming one of those businesses who is a leader in forming their company based on socially responsible principles. The other thing about Google is that we can often look to them to come up with the most cutting edge technologies; in some ways they always seem to be one step ahead of the curve. Do you agree?

In 1962, Milton Friedman published the book Capitalism and Freedom in which he states that corporations do not need to worry about "social responsibility" because they end up using other people's money to do what those other people could do themselves. I think we have come to understand, after years of mulling over his opinions, that it doesn't really make sense to spend our earth's resources heedlessly. We can design products of the future that make a wiser use of recycled materials and materials that have a lower embodied energy, etc. Once again I ask, do you agree?

If you have been following the Go Green channel, you've probably read about Vancouverism and the eco-density of downtown Vancouver. Below are a few snapshots of one of the newest contributors to the towering skyline that caught my eye while we were out exploring Vancouver. Right across the street from the Vancouver Convention Center, the Media Center of the 2010 Winter Olympics, is the Fairmont Pacific Rim.

Properly insulating your slab-on-grade floors not only will help you save on energy bills, but also will improve your home's comfort. Cold concrete slabs can be a source of discomfort in a home. An insulated slab reduces heat loss, making it easier to heat. This reduction in heat loss helps moderate indoor temperatures.

If you properly insulate your crawl space—in addition to air sealing and controlling moisture, you will save on energy costs and increase your home's comfort.