Green Homes News

I am replacing a 40 y.o. single-stage heat pump, reusing existing ducts.  An HVAC pro declined to propose a VRF option because he says that such units need to have…

I need to replace a gas water heater that has flood damage. Debating a HPWH or another gas model. Want to lower my carbon footprint and be competitive with energy…

Debates over privatization and amending the program’s reach persist, even as public support remains strong.

I’m about to hire a contractor to retrofit a 1958 hip roof (~2,050 ft²), 3 miles from the ocean. Proposed spec: SBS-modified underlayment, Title 24 cool shingles, 5⁄8″ radiant-barrier sheathing…

Hi everyone,I am new to the GreenBuildingAdvisor community and excited to join the conversation. I have been interested in sustainable building practices for a while but I am still learning…

Is it normal to have air leaking through a seam in the body of the HVAC? The unit is brand new.

Dear Community,I’m planning to build a small house in western MA, zone 5. After reading "A Practical Perfect Wall" article in FHB Issue 333, it looked like a wall that…

Hi all,Question here about minisplit efficiency.  I have a 2 story 1600ft2 pretty good house design where modeling gives me a 20kBTU total heating capacity need.  We are planning to…

What are the details that will keep this roof watertight (and condensation-free)?

We are having a metal roof installed and due to not having an rainscreen or insulation on the exterior, we opted to have an impermeable membrane underlayment installed over the…

I'm now siding the studio/workshop but I am confused by the soffits. It's steel siding and I've yet to install the F&J Channel where the wall meets the eave.As the…

Our roofer recently installed EpiStick Pro which is a self adhering membrane to the entirety of our roof. We had rain yesterday and came to find multiple places where water…

I've reviewed all of the literature, watched all the videos, and listened to all of the podcasts I can find regarding unvented, air permeable, foamless roofs (Ueno, Lstiburek, Hulstrunk, RDH,…

What's the best way to repair a tear in the plastic that holds the insulation around a duct in the attic?You can see the pink fiberglass peeking through.

I recently reviewed a 1960s cottage on Lake Huron in Ontario -CZ 5. Currently this seasonal cottage sits on a pier foundation with a vented crawl space. The floor is…

Cheap fossil fuels led us astray. Here’s a look at how it happened.

Contractor installed stone panels to wood furring screwed to 7/16 osb instead of rain screen, there wall assembly tyvek wrap on osb, 1 inch rigid insulation then wood furring then…

Four options to meet the energy code compliance requirements and an argument why not to use one of them

Hi,Any advice on this little project would be greatly appreciated. My friend just bought a new (aluminum) horse trailer. It has a good size tack room that she would like me…

The drawing for my building shows the windows placed conventionally, i.e. "outtie", resting directly above the outer stud wall. However, the outer stud wall is non-structural, sits on top of…