Green Homes News

Rising cases of silicosis among stone fabricators are driving a proposed ban on engineered quartz. Here's what it could mean for builders, fabricators, and homeowners.

For a low-energy house in Portland, Oregon, which layout choices are worth making early if the home may eventually need to accommodate mobility aids or a household robot? I am…

I'm building a slab-on-grade house in Climate Zone 4A and want to keep the ductwork inside the conditioned envelope on a budget and keep the subs in a familiar process.Here's…

I am currently building a house in zone 6 NW Montana and just completed the dry in phase with windows doors roof metal and garage door all done. I’m curious…

trying to see if one DUCTLESS mini split in the living area can work instead of having mini splits in the bedrooms as well.would be a combination of leaving doors…

This year’s winners in Phius’ Passive Projects Design Competition reveal the standard’s evolution and developers’ appetite for high-performance building.

Climate zone is 6B, south-central MN.  Due to building layout & the desire to not see the condenser from inside the house, the location will be on the north side…

An owner-designer weighs the advantages of central ductwork and individual minisplits for a small, high-performance home

I have to detail this weird little wall section that's a result of one roof section stopping about 4 feet short of the other. The lighter coloured horizontal strapping is…

Climate zone 6A house built in 1995. Two rooms overhang the porch area, and both get very cold at the knee walls that face the porch in winter. I just…

Long time since I've been here, as I achieved net zero in Calgary, Ab a few years ago via retrofitting! I need some work on my electric panel, and my…

House was built in 1993 in zone 4A. Slab on grade construction.I've currently got all of the baseboards removed in preparation to install new flooring and since this is the…

Two Brooklyn projects, two different teams, and the same systematic approach

3/8" x 1 1/2" versus 1x4 untreated pine?The exterior wall is plywood sheathed, wrapped with Tyvek housewrap, a rainscreen gap and horizontal cedar lap siding.I can see a number of…

Hello,We're building a new residence in SE Washington State and planning to use Lunawood thermally treated 1x t&g siding in a vertical application.  We have plywood wall sheeting, no overhangs…

A two-year spike in energy consumption pointed to a dirty filter and coil, but a closer look revealed another contributing factor

Hello,I am installing a metal R-Panel Ceiling in a garage and I am curious on the best vapor retarder and insulation profile for this case. The garage is located in…

Modern peel-and-stick water-resistive barriers help control air and water and improve building durability in challenging conditions.

Hello,I posted a few weeks ago and got some great responses re: my overall approach to insulating the attic of a 1950's colonial. This is a DIY job limited to…

Knowing that our vaulted ceilings were at risk of rotting from the inside out, I've tried several times over the years to find a contractor who will retrofit our roof…