Green Homes News

Install ball valves where they're easily accessible for emergency plumbing shutoffs where and when you need them

I have a 100 year old Cape Cod style house in Portland, Oregon (climate zone 4c). Rafters are 2x4, 30" on center (weird!). The kneewall spaces are conditioned (unventilated), with…

I'm looking at retrofitting the crawl space in my house to add stego crawl vapor barrier to the floor and insulation to the walls, I'm in zone 5 as well.…

The new canless LED Halo style lights look super thin and would seem mountable into drywall attached to 2x4 or 2x3 furring strips placed flat side up below a nice…

I’m working on a new house foundation with a partial basement. For the basement I’m going to use damp proofing with 2” of foam board insulation and a dimple mat…

Hello!We are in the planning stages for our new home build this year and have been considering which GC to use. Our plans were engineered for a slab foundation, as we…

I am finishing off attic space in a 1920's home with a hip roof.  On two sides, the rafters terminate into the rafters going to the other direction.  I am…

My home was built in 1910 and has the original plank sheathing. It is in a seismic zone, Seattle, and I am wondering if this sheathing should be replaced, renailed,…

Should the existing vapor/radon barrier be removed, rigid insulation added to the walls and earth floor, and then reinstalled (on the 'warm' side)? Or would rigid insulation with taped seams…

Hello all. I've got a tiny house on wheels located near Nelson, BC, and it has frequent moisture problems. I'm trying to determine the best course of action to resolve…

Hello,I'm sure this question will be received with a long sigh, but I have to ask.  A good friend of mine just bought a camp on Miles Pond in Concord…

We toured a unit that has Cardinal 366 double pane glass windows and there were reflections of green inside the unit when the sun was shining.  See pics.  I've also…

Do the underside of stair treads need some kind of fire barrier? If so, what are options besides drywall or cementitious board?

Hello everyone, I am building a house in climate zone 4A. Due to structural constraints my truss manufacture specifies a 27" deep parallel cord truss. I am using a smart…

We're starting to build a 1000 sq ft detached garage in Portland (CZ 4C).  I'd like to keep the garage at a tolerable temperature in both winter and summer, so…

So the Advantech sheathing option from my previous discussion is out. Can't get it.  So that realistically leaves me with two options: plywood with Blueskin fully-adhered WRB vs. Zip system.…

HiI am currently building a house in Montreal Canada wich is cold in winter and very hot and humid in summer.The wall assembly is:- brick- 1 inch air gap- R6…

Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice because we recently discovered that the insulation in our attic wasn’t installed properly by a contractor. Here’s some background information:The attic is conditioned, with…

I am looking for feedback on an imagined hydronic heating, cooling, and domestic hot water system using existing radiators (or radiant floors), an air-to-water heat pump, dehumidifier(s), and a resistance…