Green Homes News

Question for those familiar with using Drainage Mats along with exterior foam: is it necessary??Working with my local building inspectors on this wall design and they are not familiar with…

Hi All,This project takes place in Zone 6A, Chittenden county, Vermont.The bungalow we are renovating has 2x4 walls, a vaulted ceiling, and doghouse dormers. I need your help in brainstorming…

A photo is worth a thousand words

Hello everyone,Our contractor had to pause work on our project for a little while, and I’m wondering about a couple of things regarding humidity and insulation. We’re hoping the pause…

We are renovating a 100-year-old home in a historic preservation district. The house originally had two chimney stacks serving gas furnaces and gas fireplaces. All gas service and piping have…

Coming home from a short trip we found the house to be a little chilly, so I turned on the one year old Mitsubishi HP around 1AM. At 3am I…

We are considering either stucco (three coat with cement board )or James Hardie planks for the siding. Both are poor insulators. We considering adding a layer of rockwool to boost…

You're the building science expert investigating mold on a bathroom ceiling. What is the cause?

I've been researching floor mounted mini splits for our A Frame and swear I came across a submittal sheet on one of them that showed a 30 degree wall angle…

With the growth of artificial intelligence finding its way into our everyday lives, (if you are using an online search engine, you are probably using AI), I want to know…

An architect's guide to the window selection process

I am renovating a 1960’s 3 season cottage in zone 5.  The cottage is about 1000sq/ft and is built on a shallow crawl space.  I am planing on encapsulating the…

Hello all,Building a house in central MN.  I had come across a good deal of use 1" XPS, and had gotten sign-off to wrap in 1" foam from local building…

A breakdown of recent data paints a stark picture, but a lack of follow-through could be a sign of hope

OK .... long story but with luck a simple question.Can I (or should I) put a piece of Grace Ice and Water Shield (say 6" each way) on the corners…

The layers of my roof assembly are:80 mil PVC membrane OVER 1/4" fire protection fiberglass-faced gypsum board OVER tapered EPS over 1/2" plywood over 16" OC joists w/insulation batts (and…

I researched the best solar generator for home backup over the past few days because I am looking for a reliable power solution during outages. I went through reviews on…

I'm looking to trench in about 800' of conduit for communication cables - phone, Internet, cable TV.  This be a straight run from the street, through farm field, to my…

I’m in the process of building an addition to my existing house, which includes a new foundation/basement wall abutted to the existing basement/foundation wall. The two walls were tied together…

Two questions: 1.  In climate zone 6b/7, a warm roof for an unvented cathedral ceiling of R49 is recommended to prevent ice dams (assuming a properly designed and constructed roof). …