Green Homes News

Editor's note: The following article by Allison Bailes originally appeared in Fine Homebuilding #265, March 2017. While many discussions about ductwork focus on wasted energy and comfort, this article explains…

We are building a 1½-story home in Houston (Climate Zone 2) and are trying to achieve a high-performance building enclosure without using spray foam. Our current design is to insulate…

Still sealing this rim joist and have run into this gap between double joists, which, unfortunately, I have a few of.   As you see in the photo below there is…

Hello!  We are getting ready to install siding and are going to use the Everlast Board and Batten product.  It has a (small) integrated rainscreen of about 1/8" (20mm), and…

Hi everyone, Building a “Pretty Good House” in Climate Zone 5. Attic is specified at R-60 blown cellulose, with a 6:12 roof and currently a 22" raised/energy heel. Builder suggested…

From hot-water recirculation to exterior insulation and window upgrades, Kohta Ueno explains the practical improvements he's making to his century-old Boston home

Building a house in zone 6A central Minnesota.  Wall assemblies are 1/2" drywall, 2x6 walls (r-19 batts), tyvek house wrap, drain wrap, two layers of xps totaling 2.5", 3/4" furring strips…

We live in Northwestern Connecticut in a circa 1800’s house, approximately 2500 sq. ft. The house is drafty in places although we have insulated various rooms along with the attic…

I live in EnergyStar Climate Zone 4A and I am working on trying to find insulation companies that will NOT use spray foam to air seal my rim joist and…

I know you're not supposed to frame directly against basement wall concrete to avoid moisture from getting into the wood. I have an area of concrete in my basement that…

I am trying to come up with some lighting ideas for the living/dining room in our new home.I'm not a fan of downlights, except as task lighting (lighting part of…

Glass chandeliers occupy the middle ground buyers keep searching for: more light play than metal, less formality and maintenance than crystal. Two myths hold the category back — that glass…

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. Visit https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/ugcera.com for more information. 

Variable-capacity heat pumps improve more than comfort; they also improve duct performance.

My 150 year-old, 2x4/16oc balloon-framed house is in Zone 5. The area gets a lot of wind-driven rain events and flooding, along with hot, humid summers and snow in winter.…

Anyone have experience with this product for basement floors? I'm considering using it under LVP to create a small thermal break and keep the floor warmer during the winter.I don't…

Hi,I am building in Culpeper County, VA, zone 4A under the 2021 IRC.  I believe I have to get R-60 for my ceiling R-value.  I plan on using Framers Series…

Replacing a ceiling with drywall where a steel I beam dividing two rooms. The I beam protrudes in the living space. In other words, the top of the beam is…

These wall and roof panels are made in a modern facility, install quickly, and are at the core of a high-performance enclosure. Is panelization right for your next build?

I am confused by the energy audit company’s recommendations.Around 2010, I had a detailed energy audit completed on our 1941 two-floor brick colonial  in Baltimore. The insulation company didn’t follow…