Green Homes News

I am working on a 1970s home in Zone 5A with the following exterior wall assembly: interior 1/2” gyp bd, 2x4 framing 16”oc with either original kraft faced batts or…

Hi teamNew house in Zone 6. GC wants to use Zip R12 but engineer requiring osb directly on studs for shear. Aside from obvious redundancy, any moisture or material issues…

We just had blown-in insulation installed by a company, and while checking their completed work, we noticed that a lot of our baffles have insulation in them. Some of them…

BAIE Minerals produces decarbonized minerals for building products while also remediating environmental blight

Hello,I am looking for insight into how others have dealt with the following scenario:We have an exterior wall that will have cedar shake panel siding installed over 1x4” vertical strapping.The…

I'm DIY building a simple two bedroom ~2000sf two-story house in Vermont on a site that's flat Champlain Valley Clay. The drainage is so poor that my septic permit for…

Hi all, Building slab-on-grade home in Zone 6. No basement or crawl due to high water table. Bought reclaimed 4" xps to go under and around the slab. Realized later that 2…

Hi all, excited to have an opportunity to join this community and thank you in advance. I am in the northeast, in zone 5. This question follows some advice I…

Designing high-performance homes in California requires more than meeting basic building standards. 

Hey all, I am building my first home (a small 600sqft timber frame) in Southern Vermont. I am leaving all my framing members exposed, because in my opinion that's half…

We have a new build and an ERV installed. The ERV runs constantly on a low speed and boosts when anyone is in the showers or in the kitchen when…

Why prefabrication hasn’t delivered the cost savings many expected—and what that means for how we build today

I am building a single-story 1600 sq ft passive home on a frost-protected shallow foundation in northern Ontario, Canada, in Climate Zone 4 and Growing Zone 4b.  My HVAC design…

My basement is wet, cold, and uninsulated and I need a plan to make it less cold. Here's my situation:- 1906 house in Maine- 50% rubble stone foundation, 50% cement (extension…

I'm located in midWest (Zone 4) and I'm planning to install R-10 insulation under vapor barrier, under basement slab. In this application, the perimeter footings and concrete basement walls are…

I am working on a project with 2.5’ long eaves on the non-gable sides.  The plan is to keep angled soffits and to use vented metal soffit panels and metal…

I'm helping a neighbor here in MA get insulation installed around the perimeter of her slab. Another neighbor did this and had termites enter her house by passing behind the…

I am building a new home that will have an unvented or conditioned attic, ERV and dehumidifier.  I am in Houston, Texas, so it's mostly hot and humid.  Framing is…

A look at materials, installation strategies, and testing methods that make airtightness achievable on real-world projects

Does anybody have an architectural detail for joining an (Element) ICF frost wall to a 12" wide double-stud wall?  The double-stud wall has a 2x6 structural exterior wall with a…