Green Homes News

I am getting close to starting a remodel of my house and this will be the first of probably many posts where I am looking for advice and/or validation of…

Looking for advice on heating upgrades. I'm in west central Wisconsin (climate zone 6). Currently have a Bryant 60K BTU output propane furnace that I found out yesterday needs to…

I'm in south east Missouri on the border between mixed-humid and hot-humid in climate zone 4A.I am planning a wall as follows from exterior to interiorSiding (undecided)>rain screen>taped Zip sheathing…

Hi, I’m looking for guidance on R-value differences between a cathedral ceiling and a conventional attic in the same house. The house is 1100 sq.ft. The north side has a 500 sq.ft…

I am in climate zone 6 and am building a home with 2×4 framing, 5/8 plywood sheathing r15 interior insulation and r10 2 inch gps exterior insulation. I am using…

Few people understand it. Nobody agrees what it is, how to learn about it, or who's responsible for it. It has never been more important

I have a poured concrete partition wall in my basement (see attachment). The side facing the large room will be insulated the same as the inside faces of the exterior…

Hi, in an effort to improve the air quality in my spec homes. I am adding ERVs in all new builds. This isn't required at all where I build and…

I am planning on installing a Panasonic Intelli-Balance 100 Energy Recovery Ventilator, FV-10VEC2, in my house, and I am wondering which rooms to put the exhaust and supply vents in.…

Hi all,My friend's propane fired boiler just sh*t the bed and they're looking at replacements. They just had several ductless heat pumps installed. Not sure if there could be any…

(long time reader, first time commenter -- thank you all for the excellent resource!)I was hoping to insulate with dense pack cellulose (walls + roof) on a new, single family…

Although researchers know which indoor air contaminants are most injurious to human health, removing those contaminants isn’t easy

I’m in the process of renovating at basement in our 100 yr old house. I’m adding a full bath in the basement and I need to replace some galvanized water…

How planning, coordination, and communication can turn a construction project into a beautifully orchestrated performance.

Minnesota, zone 6.I have a house with a 17 year old roof that needs replacement. The roof is an unvented cathedral ceiling with closed cell spray foam applied directly to…

I enjoyed your review of the ECO-PANELS SIP. I am in discussion with them right now for our new home design. I would presume from your evaluation of ECO-PANELS SIP's…

I’ve seen it said on this site by Martin Holladay and others that a block wall can stay wet for a century or something to that effect, but he also…

I have a few questions regarding incorporating wrb, continuous insulation and window install with vinyl siding. I am doing conventional framing with 5/8 cdx plywood taped for air seal and 2…

How to locate, size, and detail exterior terminations for balanced mechanical ventilation systems

The tried and true seemed to be 1” (or so) of air space beneath the sheathing for soffit to ridge ventilation.I recently have encountered the “that is simply not enough”…