So, you want to bring reclaimed wood into your home and “source history” without getting junk, warped boards, or greenwashed marketing. You can do it, but you need to know where to buy, what to inspect, and how to match the right wood to the right project. Most reclaimed wood problems come from poor sourcing: … Read more

So, you want to understand cork flooring, why it is soft, warm, and sustainable, and whether it is a good fit for your home. Cork flooring is a resilient, quiet, and eco-friendly surface made from the bark of cork oak trees, and it works well in many rooms if you accept a few tradeoffs around … Read more

So, you are trying to figure out if rubber flooring made from recycled tires is a good idea for your home gym. The short answer is yes, recycled tire rubber flooring can be a strong, safe, and cost-effective choice for home gyms, as long as you understand thickness, smell, installation, and where it works best. … Read more

So, you are trying to understand how to use thermal mass in floors for a Passive House design. The short answer is: you can use thermal mass in floors as a stable “battery” for heat, but it only works well if you control solar gain, insulation, and ventilation as a complete system. In a Passive … Read more

So, you want to understand the carbon footprint of quarrying natural stone and whether this material is actually as “green” as people claim. Short answer: quarrying natural stone does produce CO2, mainly from fuel, blasting, transport, and processing, but over a building’s full life, stone often has a lower carbon footprint than many common building … Read more