Green Homes News

Variable-capacity heat pumps aren’t immune to oversizing. When the minimum output is still too high, they stop behaving like variable systems

Alright, from the last question about vapor barriers in a steel building floor assembly (Is a vapor retarder/barrier good or bad between floors? - GreenBuildingAdvisor)I decided to insulate the 2x10…

I'm installing a small (18k), central ducted inverter heat pump, with the air handler in a very small attic of an otherwise cathedral ceiling house. It's an unvented cathedral roof…

Hello everyone,My name is Joe and I’m in the process of finishing my basement. I live between Baltimore and Annapolis Maryland which I believe is climate zone 4A. My foundation…

Home Depot sells type LC 8x8x16 concrete block. There are no stretcher block on the pallet, they're all the same and they look like you could use them as a…

Looking for a realistic assessment to replace my existing gas furnace with a ducted heat pump system here in St Paul (zone 6A), and I'm sure having the right contractor…

Hello, I'm working on a retrofit project on my 1940's house in climate zone 6B (NW Montana). I'm removing Vinyl siding, adding new WRB, 1.5" rockwool comfortboard, vertical furring strips,…

Part two of this series explores how salvaged steel and heavy timber were engineered and assembled into a functional structural system.

We are building a 1½-story home in Houston (Climate Zone 2) and want a high-performance enclosure without spray foam. The current design uses a vented attic with Rockwool insulation at…

The joint effort with design firm HGA provides critical checklists for people to fortify their homes

Climate zone 5A, southeast Michigan. Late 1800s house with a very shallow crawlspace with rubble stone walls.Looking to insulate and encapsulate the crawlspace. I've attached some crude sketches of the…

Details of the wall separating the home with the attached garage.Hi AllThis is a new home construction.I am attaching pics of the framing of my garage, and the common wall…

Hello,Im  air sealing and insulating an attic. It has a common soffit to ridge vent ventilation. Ceiling Joist have craft face and or foil faced insulation attached to the bottom…

A look back at the ingenious methods carpenters used to erect full-height stud walls quickly and efficiently—often with little more than a few sawhorses and smart sequencing

I am considering a concrete-free slab for a small guest house (480 sf, one story) I'm planning in Zone 4A. I have a few questions about the method.1. For a…

A veteran framer recalls the postwar housing boom of the 1950's and how it changed the way we build

I have a new build in a cold dry climate. The builder likes to put in vents so If there is a lot of rain during the build it can…

Passive House windows and balanced ventilation systems do far more than improve energy efficiency. Thoughtful fenestration and fresh-air strategies can improve comfort, indoor air quality, and occupant health every day

Hello. I am working on a new build in climate zone 4A.One side of the gambrel roof is squarely facing south. The other side is facing north. There is a basement,…

Thinking about adding a floating insulated subfloor over an old concrete basement slab to make the space warmer and more comfortable. Basement stays mostly dry with no visible water problems,…