Green Homes News

Hi everyone,I am in the situation of having a poured concrete retaining wall connected to the foundation, causing an unavoidable thermal bridge through the concrete into the conditioned space.  The…

Hi All, Young architect here trying my best to employ some better design principles. Working on a gut renovation of a 1940s detached single family home in northern Queens, NY.…

Going to be installing windows in the near future and wondering about back dam detailing. Wondering if people have an efficient method of trimming out the inside window returns to…

Aftermarket controllers promise remote control, energy tracking, and smarter scheduling for ordinary electric water heaters. I installed one on my own aging water heater to see how well the technology works

Using a existing Honeywell T9 wifi thermostat with Bryant variable speed heat pump, (not Evolution) Installer say Bryant electronics can handle it but doesn't appear to run at lower pump/fan…

A new 9.7-kW rooftop solar array is producing electricity, reducing utility bills, and raising new questions about net metering, battery storage, and solar-system sizing.

I have a carport attached to my garage, so basically two posts and beams supporting trusses that extend the roofline of the garage. I was originally going to leave the…

I have a friend who recently bought a house built in the 1920's. After closing, she found out it had been owned by a woman with far too many unmanaged…

Today's thermal cameras do more than measure temperature—they help investigators interpret images, assess risk, and streamline reporting

New standard leverages existing home-energy data to incentivize home efficiency and decarbonization

Dense-pack cellulose walls, exterior insulated sheathing, and meticulous air-sealing helped this New Jersey home achieve Passive House–level airtightness using familiar construction methods.

How to tell the difference between a good cellulose insulation job and a bad one

Hi,1930's house in climate zone 5 (Massachusetts).  The roof shown in the photos was insulated about 19 years ago with no signs of moisture or mold.  It was in an…

I am working on a project with a complicated roof venting issue have come up.1. Existing how to be renovated in NJ - Climate Zone 5A2. Existing Roof most likely…

I'm building my home in climate zone 6.  We are trying to decide how to finish up our exterior with vertical cedar board siding. So far we have CDX -…

Hi, I recently moved into a ~3500 SF home originally built in 1905 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It's brick on the first floor and studs with stucco above, and it's unclear…

GBA chats with builder and investigator Doug Horgan about diagnosing failures, connecting building systems, and why most problems come back to the same familiar causes

I am building a home in climate zone 7. Engineering dictated due to earthquake risk that I have cdx on both sides of the wall assembly. Assembly also includes 1.5”…

Hello GBA TeamPlanning an attached garage in Maine with second story bedrooms above.Current GC plan:1. Flash & Batt exterior walls of garage (2" CCSF + R13 Rockwool batt) 2. R23 Rockwool…

I need to pass a 6 inch insulated metal duct through a 7.5 inch square hole of an interior wall. The duct brings outdoor supply air to an erv on…