Green Homes News

The University of Idaho’s new Forest Innovations Institute wants to bring the U.S. into the 21st century with smart, digitized forestry practice

We had a knee wall built with the original bricks from the home, but the rowlock bends up and down along the entire wall.The brick is also completely unlevel. I…

I live in Michigan and need to air seal my attic. Unfortunately it's going to be 20-30 degrees for the foreseeable future, which means cans of foam will very quickly…

Are there any alternatives to closed-cell spray foam?

I’m retrofitting a radon vent into my 1 story house. I could go through an interior partition wall, but I would have to pack the wall put so it’s thick…

 Hello AllI am trying to find the best solution for this problem. Here is my external wall above foundation.2”x6” studs, then Zip 1/2”, then 3.95” Fiberglass Z-girts which will house 3”…

I am planning a chainsaw retrofit and adding 5-6 inches of polyiso foam to the roof with 2x4 sleepers for vent channel.  The 2x4's lock the foam in place but…

Any advice? It seems a simple photo exceeds the 3 MB limit on uploads, although one sneaks through every now and then.

Hello,Hoping to get feedback on my makeup air strategy for my "inhouse" that will hold my composting toilet in my utility room. Airtight construction r20,40,65 coastal Maine builder owner.Dense pack…

Today’s houses make it easier for mold to find the food and water it needs to thrive. The cure is a quick cleanup and smarter choices in materials.

I've come across conflicting answers when it comes to whether or not an interior vapor barrier should be used in conjunction with Rockwool.  This forum seems thorough so I thought…

Joe makes the point that houses historically built in cold climates  "2x6 wall with R-5 foam sheathing coupled with unfaced fiberglass batt cavity insulation covered with an interior 6 mil…

I have a structure with an unconditioned garage with conditioned space above and to one side. It's down to the studs at the moment. And the way it was built…

How effective is dehumidification in a space with little air movement? Will a dehumidifier work in an attic to reduce the levels near the peak if it is located on…

There are a lot of people with many decades of experience on this website. With this question I'd like to tap in, do a bit of a survey, and get…

Experts discuss problems with residential HVAC systems, as a first step toward defining solutions

We are building in zone 3B with a conditioned attic. Does Roxul ComfortBatt R38 insulation at the roof deck and R21 in the exterior walls perform better than fiberglass insulation of…

We are refinishing a basement and I can't figure out how to go about handing the basement window. We want to change the windows but after we tore out all…

The worst pollutants for indoor air quality ranked based on the effects to human health

Hello,  thanks for this great resource Q&A forum.  Thanks in advance for your input, and I hope this is entertaining!  If you have a minute, please tell me if I'm…