Green Homes News

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…

Hi all.  I am trying to wrap my mind around the latest thinking around insulating unvented short-slope cathedral ceilings in Cape Cods that open up to a small vented top…

The energy penalty from duct leakage is often much larger than the percentage of air being lost. Here's what decades of research reveal about duct location, climate, and the real cost of leaky ductwork.

I'm putting on a small upstairs addition to my house that was originally built in 1950. I'm in climate zone 5 (Chicago area). The existing cedar clapboard and shake siding…

I am finishing a base ment and plan on attaching rigid insulation to the interior wall to also act as a vapor barrier.  The basement has an interior drain tile…

Does anyone have any experience using Thermally modified decking boards?I did a project about 10 years ago and as far as I know it has held up very well.  But…

Hello everyone,I'm building a 16 x 20 addition on an existing timber frame in climate zone 6 (central Maine). As part of the process, I would like to experiment with…

Part three of this series examines how a Kansas home uses reclaimed insulation within a carefully defined system of air, water, and thermal control layers to achieve high performance.

Longtime lurker, first-time poster. I'm in the early planning stages of a Cape Cod-style carriage house in coastal Maine: a 24' × 38' two-car garage with a one-bedroom apartment above.…

I am currently working on building a small cabin sized at 14x16 feet with a cathedral ceiling. It is going up in climate zone 3A in far western North Carolina…

I know we've probably got the largest number of North American A2W heat pump users here on this forum... at least 3 of us!  I've got a Macon 035z, nearly…

The spray foam industry is attempting to develop a new performance number—but key details remain unresolved.

Any opinions on which is better? Been seeing more RTU heat pumps being used for warehouse and events spaces with high ceilings where the unit could be installed directly above…