Greenstone Structural Solutions Ontario

Greenstone will be at the First Nations Housing Conference this Wednesday. Our product is the absolute best solution for extreme climates and is durable beyond your expectations. We have proven ourselves in other First Nations builds and look forward to meeting home builders and providers while in Thunder Bay this week. http://firstnationshousingconference.com/

Is ICF the best wall? We don't think so and we'll tell you one reason why. ICF construction (Insulated Concrete Form) is a system where you make your wall with building blocks of foam, kind of like Lego blocks, and then fill the cavity with concrete. The result is a very strong reinforced concrete wall with insulating foam on the inside and outside. Many think this is the ultimate way to build a home and it is also one of the most expensive. Like all things, you need to real...ly understand ICF before you make a decision and build with it. The problem with ICF is that the blocks themselves, while being decent insulation, do not hold water back well. Think of it like a brick wall with no mortar or cement, there are lots of seams and gaps where each block meets the next one. They leak like a sieve before the concrete goes in. So then you say 'Hey, they are filled with concrete and that is what makes it waterproof'. In a perfect world, this would be true. Problem is though that pouring concrete into ICF forms isn't easy. Put all of that in your wall, now add the problem that this form doesn't come off after the concrete cures, It is left on and you will never know what it looks like unless you break the foam insulation away. If it does have holes, your basement will leak i wrap or shield installed.oblem is though that ICF blocks are prone to breaking. Vibrate too hard and they break out and the concrete comesi pouring out. And that's the biggest problem with ICF. The pour is guaranteed to have defects such as bad fill, honeycombing, voids, etc. Remember we told you the foam blocks aren't waterproof? Neither is concrete with holes in it. Put all of that in your wall, now add the problem that this form doesn't come off after the concrete cures, It is left on and you will never know what it looks like unless you break the foam insulation away. If it does have holes, your basement will leak if the wrap or shield leaks. An ICF wall will require more care to waterproof than practically any other type of wall.

We had an amazing turnout at The Buildings Show. Hundreds or people dropped in to see us and ask questions. Thank you to everyone that spoke with us and we hope to work with all of you in the future. These are some shots of the booth prior to the crowds coming in. I think we outdid ourselves with another memorable booth and one of the best in the show.

We're at the Buildings Show in Toronto. Hope to meet some of you here.

This is the home that we have shared in the past and we hope you aren't getting bored with it. Many will ask how the panels fit together and this video should provide a nice view of the process. In it, you will see the basement liner system we used which provides a much better thermal break. The basement panels support the first floor platform. The first floor walls then sit on the foundation concrete and build up from there. With this system, the first floor wall panels totally cover the rim board of the floor. The upper floor is balloon framed and that keeps all floor platforms internal to the insulation.

This is the construction of a beautiful ranch style bungalow. You can see the way the panels come together for the walls in the home, garage and detached work shop.

We manufacture everything in our product from rolling our own studs to moulding the panel in our press. This little video will help you to understand how the final product comes together as a panel.

This is a build we have talked about before and have shared photos of it. I hope you enjoy a bit of reminiscing on this one as I take you from the start to end.

Habitat Niagara update. The build is closed to the weather and perfect timing too. The weather here is about to get colder and such a perfect place to be when the weather gets frigid. This is where we prove our value as an insulated product. @habitatniagara #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

We are superior to many other building systems for fire protection for a number of reasons. For starters, we rely on steel for our structure. We also use EPS that has flame retardants in it. Something that many don't realize though is that our walls are air-tight and sealed. This makes us very tight for keeping you warm but it also stops the "Stack Effect" or as some call it, the "Chimney Effect". What that means is that in all fires, heat likes to rise due to lower density o...f the gas. When there is an open area in a wall such as with a stud constructed building, the space between the studs can act like a stack and carry flames upwards. This spreads the fire to the upper levels and attic. Our panels close the wall cavity and won't create a stack. The photo attached is from the tragedy in England where the Grenfall tower tragedy occurred. The fire spread easily due to cavities in the wall cladding and a very flammable insulation. Photo credit https://twitter.com/Vampicca #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

A bit more of the tour of our plant. I finished up with the frames being built so on to the press. The frames come into the press area and are prepped for making a panel. Up to this point, the two frames are separate but after the press, it's a single piece. The frames are carried into the press one at a time and placed in the mould cavity. The press closes, foam beads are blown in, steam is injected and that causes them to do their final expansion and bond to each other and ...the frame. We then use process cooling water (reused constantly) to cool it before ejecting. Follow us on Facebook for a video of the press cycle, it's really cool and there's a reason we call it our fire breathing dragon. #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

The roof over your head! Many don't realize it but we do roofs and floors too. Most of our projects are walls only but our panels are superior and perfect for roofing applications. The two builds shown in the photos are very different but share the same major benefit; they don't transfer heat energy through puffy and airy blown-in ceiling insulation. Have you ever been in an attic? I was the other day and even though I know what's there, I still can't believe we are insulatin...g with blown-in insulation. It's really simple actually. How well do you think your coffee would stay warm in a thin plastic cup with pieces of fluff stuck to the outside!? Now, put it in a styrofoam cup. See the difference. Expanded Polystyrene foam (EPS) is a structure with amazing insulative properties. Insulation works because air is trapped. If the air isn't actually trapped as in fiberglass or mineral fibers, it can move through it and take heat energy along for the ride. Our 7.5" panel will easily outperform any blown-in insulation. The 9.25" is beyond amazing! R-values are deceiving.

Did you know? When you build a new home with us or have a substantial renovation, you are eligible to get a rebate on your HST spent. We can prove it too. This is offered to those that build in Canada and the details can be found at https://www.canada.ca//charge-coll/new-housing-rebate.html

Dropped in to see how the Habitat for Humanity Niagara build was going at 4th Avenue in Niagara Falls. These guys don't mess around. Even with the colder and wet weather, the build is coming along nicely. Our panels are totally foamed in the gaps, tape applied, and the remainder of the connection plates installed. This will be one very nice 3 bedroom home and SO COZY! The coziest home possible. #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

Now that went extremely well. On September 30th, 2019, Monday morning, we hand delivered the panels for the new Habitat for Humanity Niagara home build at 4th avenue. @habitatniagara had a more than full contingency of people eager to see the new technology this home would be built from. We had our people there and the training went perfectly. There was a lot of excitement! This will be the best insulated home in the area by a large margin and the new home owners were very thankful for being chosen. Once completed, this home will be the talk of the town for sure. WE ARE VERY PROUD! #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

Panels on site for the Habitat for Humanity build in Niagara falls. Habitat for Humanity Niagara #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

Fire is a big issue and unfortunately, many die from building fires every year. I know it's a big topic for many and in areas that have been seeing large scale forest fires, it is something that is in need of action. We put this video together to show how our product can help to prevent deaths and damage. Have a watch and leave your comments below.

So, this is happening. We are very proud to team up with Habitat for Humanity Niagara by providing panels and training for a new home in Niagara Falls. On September 30th, the build starts and a community member gets a fantastic new home. Keep your eyes open when in the area of downtown Niagara Falls. @habitatniagara #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

Totally Awesome! We are building for our community by helping Habitat For Humanity Niagara. On Monday, September 30th, we're going to be on-site with our panels and our people. Keep your eyes open for us. Habitat for Humanity Niagara https://greenstonepanels.ca

Building the frames. After roll forming the studs we lay out the build and assemble into frames prior to going into the press. There are always two frames which are usually the interior and exterior of the building walls. #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

We often have tours of the plant and are always happy to host a tour if you want to drop by. For those that can't make it here, this is a small sample of the plant in the roll former area. Many may not realize we manufacture our own studs and EPS. There are three studs (Common, Female, and Male) as well as a LBC (Load Bearing Channel). We did a video already about the EPS expander so here is the roll former. We bring in our steel slit into coils with a standard width. The steel comes in multiple gauges (thicknesses) to enable us to build to the engineered specification. It is de-coiled and as it passes through the roll former, the dies change the shape of the strip. It is then cut to length and glue is applied ready for framing.

Here's another one that we are very proud of. This is for a high school in Medina, New York, USA. We were asked to provide a very well insulated building for storage of the school's band instruments and parade equipment. This building has our 7.5" walls and 9.25" roof panels. That's R33 on the walls and a true continuous R41 for the roof. Just to be clear, our panels don't breathe like fiberglass or other batt insulation. We are water tight and air tight. With a regular wall, if there is a hole or crack the cold or heat can breathe right through regular insulation. Please contact us in Ontario through https://greenstonepanels.ca

At Greenstone Structural Solutions Ontario, we manufacture our own steel studs and load bearing channel (LBC). The steel is brought in at a standard width but different thicknesses to suit the engineered loads. We have tooling for our roll former that enables us to create 3 different styles of stud and the LBC. The roll former is a continuous forming operation with a control system to cut the studs to the programmed length. As the steel enters the former from the coil, it is ...progressively bent until the final formed stud emerges from the other end. Once formed, there is a flying shear that moves with the steel and cuts it without stopping. For traceability, every stud is printed with the date, gauge, tag number, and "Made in Canada". Drop in to see us at https://greenstonepanels.ca #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

Finishing up the pre-expansion of the EPS foam. This large door is where the EPS will be unloaded. Inside you'll see the stirring bar and the floor vents for steam. When the EPS dumps into the drying bed, it's wet with steam and needs to be dried a bit. After that, it is blown into the silos with hopper bottoms ready to go into the press. At this point, the EPS will cure for about 24 hours in preparation to be blown into the mould to create the panels. Before that happens tho...ugh we need to build the structural components from cold rolled steel. Come back next week for some looks at other parts of the shop. PS, Be sure to make sure you're going to https://greenstonepanels.ca/ to visit us. #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

We just posted a video on Facebook that will show how cool our huge popcorn maker really is. Please visit https://www.facebook.com/GreenstonePanelsOntario/videos/480877869125676/ #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

This how the beads are expanded in preparation for injection to our press. They are measured by weight and go into the large chamber where steam is used to heat them.

We often get asked "what are Greenstone homes like". Well, they're as varied as your imagination and go from a mansion to country cottage to a modern masterpiece. There really isn't much that limits us and this balloon framed, almost 100% thermally bridgeless beauty is testament to that. I think you'd have to agree that this home is stunning inside and out. #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

Super excited to share this build. This customer was very well informed and did a lot of research before deciding on Greenstone panels. They both retired recently and this is their dream home. They wanted a home that was incredibly efficient, didn't compromise their dream design and would last a very long time. Due to timing, this one was built in some of the coldest days we have had in the area. We regularly saw temperatures colder than minus 25C and this would have been imp...ossible with ICFs. They would have shattered with the first screw. Our panels were perfect for them. There's also an awesome feature in this home that we would like to see more often. The basement panels form a complete liner that the first floor sits on instead of sitting on top of the foundation walls. This allows the first floor walls to cover the rim joist completely insulating this home beyond all others. Add to this that the home is a balloon structure, and you have unparalleled thermal insulation. Have a look at the first build photo, the only thermal bridge is the 3/4" floor board. And if that wasn't enough, the roof is Greenstone as too!!! Have a browse thought the photos of this stunning home and let us know what you think. A home this size and only $80 a month electrical during this hot summer? Wow!

More of the magic. The 2200 pound bag of beads is on top of the delivery system which weighs out a precise quantity. Once weighed, a vacuum pump pulls them up top to the pre-charge hopper. As the computer process runs, the beads drop into the main chamber It's really not much different than a huge popcorn machine. Steam is mixed into the beads by large stirring bars. Two sensors then trigger it to stop when at the correct density. @ Stevensville, Ontario

If you cut along the dotted line, you can have your own Greenstone Home. It's interesting how the aerial shot here shows the gutter standoffs so clearly. They look like the lines you would have for a scissor cutout.

A beautiful country home we produced for a resident local to us in Welland Ontario. For more photos of this build, please visit our Facebook page. #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel

Last year, we were commissioned to build a home for a local customer here in Welland. It's a gorgeous ranch style bungalow with workshop. This is how the process works. We start with the customers' designs whether they're from an architect, direct from the home owner, etc. and once agreed to, create a panelized version of the building in SolidEdge 3D CAD. After releasing to production and manufacturing, the panels are loaded to a flatbed truck for delivery. The photo included... is this actual house with workshop on one flatbed. The load is about 10% of its capacity therefore saving on fuel. Once the foundation is built, the assembly of the home begins. It can be a much faster process erecting our panels than conventional framing and once they're up, you have the structure, the insulation, and vapour barrier. The sheathing shown was for a particular surface application. The finished shots were taken just yesterday and as you can see, this house is stunning. Once the landscaping is completed, it'll be a head turner for sure.

We did this build over the 2018-19 winter in some of the coldest weather you can imagine for Southern Ontario. If this was an ICF, there's no way you could have assembled it; the plastic would have shattered with the first screw. Greenstone Ontario builds the best product for EVERY climate! This home is completed and we'll share photos soon. #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel @ New Dundee, Ontario

So, we have definitely been remiss in posting to keep everyone up to date. There was a beautiful build we did that finished up this spring and while we are going to be doing some full shots on the home soon, this is a teaser as to where it got to before all of the clothes and jewellery (finishes, etc.) went on. After this, you can't see the wonder that is the Greenstone Ontario panels. Check out that flat roof made of our panels! #greenliving #green #greenconstruction #energyefficienthomes #energyefficient #panelizedconstruction #sustainableconstruction #recyclable #manufacturedhomes #greenbuilding #lightgaugesteel