Green Homes News

How a retired couple in Lanesboro, MN, realized their “Forever Home”

I live somewhere with fairly mild summers and a well insulated house, and recently got new mini splits. I anticipate maybe using my mini splits a week or two at…

Mid-century houses used a "carpenter's gap" above the eave's fascia board for the lower attic vent. The asphalt shingles and starter course extend over it to direct rainwater into the…

A builder designing a Pretty Good House in Maine wants to know if a vapor-open wall with wood-fiber insulation the right approach—or are there better options?

We hope to put a concrete-free floating ply floor in our slightly below grade walkout basement. Our contractors are not experienced with this floor, and we would like to provide…

Climate zone 8, I would like to use 2 inch of ROXUL inside 4" closed cell spf and then 1"x6" tongue and groove board lumber in my cabin. Can anyone…

I've heard of commercial buildings that utilize "light shelves", either interior or exterior horizontal surfaces that direct natural light deeper into a room, and I wonder if anyone has seen…

Has anyone tried the Fresh-R HRV units? I learned about them from Josh Salinger's comment on this Q&A Spotlight, which as far as I can see, is the only place…

For new build considering having a portion of the attic conditioned for hvac equipment and the rest unconditioned in an effort to save on the cost of a fully conditioned…

Help me weigh options here.Looking at a crawl space for a 20 year old small addition. It was constructed difficult to access but was recently found to be very problematic…

An architect sets out to build his personal home as a hands-on experiment in Passive House performance

Previously it was generally accepted in America that many energy efficiency building strategies could reduce operating costs, but generally wouldn't pay off quickly. So they have been considered more for…

A plenum truss is one method to keep ductwork inside the conditioned space of a home

I'm in South Louisiana building new home, 2x6 wall construction.Considering installing 2" poly foam board, then r-13 faced fiberglass batt in exterior wall. The siding I'm using is rated as…

I'm working to air seal & insulate a small cantilevered floor system in climate zone 4C (western WA). It's about 6'x8' and framed with 2x8s, between which is some unfaced…

One of the glossy magazines I get had a spread on a house sided with a product called "Kebony," which is a brand of furfurylated wood. You can read about…

Residential battery systems are rapidly gaining popularity as homeowners look for backup power, energy savings, and resilience during outages. Here’s an overview of the different types on the market.

I am retrofitting an ERV in my finished home and I need advice on where to locate exhaust air (i.e. intake) registers in my kitchen.This is an exhaust ducted system…

A Senate-approved bipartisan housing bill and a proposal to make homebuilding materials tariff-exempt are making the rounds.

I want an awning to allow sun in during the winter and block it during the summer. Is there an online calculator where I can put in my latitude and…