Green Homes News

Hello,I moved into a house a few years ago and installed a bathroom vent. It previously functioned with just a window, but it would create a hurricane with the shower…

Hi-I am working on a garage in a stretch-code town that has a stepped foundation wall on the sides and back of the garage as the grade slopes up about…

I had in my mind to build a wall assembly that  is a 2x6 > ZIP > Exterior wood fiberboard > strapping ? cladding. I had someone today say I…

I am planning out a new home build and we are thinking that it might be best to go with ductless mini splits for the heating and cooling needs. While…

Gentlemen, my engineer said we could have our addition framed and dried in before having the slab poured.  The reason I'm liking this idea is to have ample time to…

I am proposing to reframe my garage roof per the attached sketch. My primary question: is a “ridge board” sufficient in this case ? Edit: typo on one measurement. The total…

Any recommendations for a general contractor in Bergen County, NJ that is familiar with exterior insulation/outsulation, air sealing detail, and chainsaw retrofit in addition to general work (addition, kitchen and…

Hello!I'm in climate zone 6, 2/12 pitch, shed roof, building elevations attached.I'm using Zip as a primary air barrier, prefer to use Rockwool for all my insulation (install myself possibly…

We renovated a 860 sq ft home to 1487 sq ft. It is sealed well, new windows, and fully insulated in climate zone 2A (Texas). We have all our duct…

Hey all,Shear wall table shows only that the 4x8 OSB shall be horizontal and blocked.  There is now a discussion about the minimum width of a piece being 24"x4'x8'.  Our…

I'm currently in the process of putting up a small cabin (~14x16) in southern michigan. It's about 150 ft up hill from an epa flood zone, which does get standing…

A quick roundup of insulation products that combine control layers for exterior applications

Hey All,Framer on site today identified two stem walls of or slab-on-grade foundation that are about 2 inches out of square.  We talked through shifting the walls to be mostly…

Help Requested: Is it possible to retrofit an unconditioned attic to a conditioned attic?If yes, what are the steps?Project Details- Climate Zone: 2Home Built: 2017Type: ProductionRoof: Hip and Valley, 24”…

I was performing a customer interview before performing an energy audit. All of the customers complaints clearly pointed to an oversized A/C system: High Humidity, unit turning on and off…

In my readings of exterior insulation requirements for condensation control, I noticed the interior assumption is 70F @ 40RH. However, is this really a realistic specification? Generally aren’t temps and humidity…

Hi. I am in zone 4a and have about finished installation of my ERV. I have a ductless mini split heat pump, so the ducting I have is only for the…

Our build in CT is finally getting started, but there's one aspect that isn't 100% nailed down yet - the HVAC. The house is a ~4,500 sqft two-story with a…

I am looking for recommendations on either a ready to use well head cover or specs on how to build one so that I won’t need a heater or light…

White House and EPA award $20 billion in grants for establishing green lending networks to help low-income communities transition to clean energy