Welcome to the new Braden Homes Blog. Yes, we are now blogging builders, hence the 5 x B - the “Better Built by Braden Blog”. Via this blog, we’ll disseminate information about our projects, techniques, materials we use and answers to frequently asked questions. Though the focus will be on building issues, specifically those related to energy efficient structures, diversion will be tolerated – and may even be encouraged…
This is also a venue for us to showcase some of our ongoing projects and discuss their features. In the past we have been a little lax in pictorially documenting our undertakings but with this blog that is about to change.
The blog posts below are in chronological order, but we’ve also organized the posts by topic using the tabs above in order to make it easer for you to find information of specific interest. We hope you enjoy…
For more information on Braden Homes, please visit our website at www.bradenhomes.ca. We are proud builders of energy efficient homes and renovations, in business with this focus since 1986.
Sunset on residence built by Braden Homes in 2011, in background with solar collectors in front.
new energy efficient home built to their specifications, this is often not possible due to budget constraints and/or a lack of available land to build on. As such, many people opt to purchase an existing home that may then require renovations to improve the energy efficiencyof the structure. With a structural renovation of this nature, the decision has to be made to either insulate from the inside or from the outside. As far as efficacy 
goes, outside is preferable but the drawback is that the appearance of the building is substantially altered.
of bidirectional batt insulation. The interior face of the existing exterior walls on the first and second floors were stripped and studded, then foamed with soya foam. The new roof insulation value is R54, compared to an estimated less than R12 pre-renovation, and the walls are R20 with foam between and behind the 2×3 studs. With the addition of triple glazed double Low E (low emissivity, heat reflective coating) windows, this is a now a very energy conserving house, with its old-style architectural appeal preserved.
The second home, shown at left, is a 1920′s double brick structure which also had the top 1/2 storey raised, but more so. In this case the home was insulated on the exterior with the installation of 14″ I joists, which were filled with a fiberglass product called Spiderglas at R54. This is a drill and fill application as the walls were sheathed before the product was applied. The benefit of this method of retro insulation is that the existing double brick walls now act as a thermal mass to assist in heating the home. Similar windows to the previous renovation were installed.
This Campbellville-area project, located approximately mid-way between Guelph and Hamilton, will be discussed in detail in upcoming blog entries.