Green Homes News

Hello Good People,For context, I'm residing my 1960 Cape in Boston, MA Climate Zone 6A. The house previously had cedar shingles over 1/2" fiberboard and tar paper, with board sheathing…

Rising housing costs, higher interest rates, and changing household demographics are pushing homebuyers to prioritize efficient, flexible living spaces over larger homes

EDIT:  I meant to reply to Martin’s post in advance framing.  That is the illustration I’m referencing in my question, for clarification.  Anyway, Im in the midst of building a…

Looking for someone experienced in brick monopoly framed details to help or provide construction details for a new build. Project is in the Southeastern US. Thanks.

Is there an effective method to seal out VOCs from Tremco, etc, that is buried in a wall assembly?  Interior drywall and primer/paint, are not a complete barrier as I…

Picked up a roll of vintage copper/bronze screen ~4'x100' (over 50 lbs).Looking to put it to use at the Sill Plate, new construction home climate 5A.Originally planning on making a…

Hello!We are currently planning a closet design/build and I suspect that putting MDF panels (as the closet backer) up against drywall could be potential for a moisture problem (where the…

Vented and unvented roofs have diffferent insulation requirements that aren't always apparent

Single-story slab-on-grade, brick veneer, Meridian MS (CZ2A). Spray foam attic original to the build (9 years old). Had glue-down LVT fail with moisture and mold at the perimeter.During mold remediation…

Some poly vapor barrier repairs were accidentally made with tyvek rather than poly tape. Drywall covered now. How big is failure risk from using housewrap tape instead of poly tape?…

Some poly vapor barrier repairs were accidentally made with tyvek rather than poly tape. Drywall covered now. How big is failure risk from using housewrap tape instead of poly tape?…

Hi GBA Community,My 1960s Calgary bi-level (Zone 7A) has partially cast-in-concrete floor joists. I've read the threads below but want feedback before finalizing my approach. References:- NRCan Fig 6-18/6-19 (air-sealing &…

Is it best to use a PVC baseboard for slab on grade or wood? We have created our walls to have drying capability with rockwool, and intello vapor barrier and…

I’m building a shop-over-garage building in climate 6B, with 90 psf ground snow load. Due to some design constraints on height and cost, I’m not doing a fancy hot roof…

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.