Green Homes News

For an affordable townhouse project, we are considering 2x6 sill and top plates with 2x4 studs so we can put 2" of EPS in the wall. There will also be…

What's going on here?Roof #2 has brand new rafters, sheathing, ice and water and Timberline Architectural shingles.Roof #1 is an old roof with new sheathing and shingles.TIANick

https://multi-panels.com/m-sips-panel/ excerpt:"M-SIPS is a building system panel consisting of a high-performance insulation core (polyurethane), sandwiched between two layers of M4 structural noncombustible composite panels (magnesium oxide with fiberglass)."https://multi-panels.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/M-SIPS-Data-Sheet-1.pdf They come in 4”…

Hello All, We are trying to finalize an insulation strategy for a partial walkout basement in central Vermont.  The concrete walls are 8 inches thick, and some of them are only…

Location: Harvard Museum of Natural History, Classroom B (Third Floor), 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge

Meet up-and-coming scientists and learn about questions at the forefront of research today in this series of short talks.... Read more about Science Spotlights: Finding New Species

Location: Hunnewell Lecture Hall, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston

Smithsonian Trees of North America is a new, beautifully illustrated guide to more than 325 common trees on this continent. Join author John Kress for a book talk on this indispensable new guide, complete with hundreds of range maps illustrating where the trees can be found; thousands of photographs of the trees’ leaves, bark, flowers, and fruit; in-depth studies of the trees’ biology, ecology, and evolution; and fascinating discussions of the trees’ future in a world of rapid environmental change.... Read more about Smithsonian Trees of North America

I'm building a custom home in zone 6B (southern Oregon, Klamath basin) and am planning to have a therapeutic spa in a room in the walkout basement.  The room will…

What would be the best way to obtain proper fresh air to a small commercial building when using ductless minisplits? Can I just Install a constant fan to outside with…

Location: South Street Gate, Arnold Arboretum, Boston

Trees undergo and resist many different stressors throughout their lives: mechanical stress from twisting and bending, drought, insects, and even fire. These stressors and the tree’s response can be seen on a microscopic level, as the cells themselves change, compress, and elongate to react to and accommodate the stressor.... Read more about Research Spotlight: How Do Trees Respond to Stress?

Location: Milstein Conference Center, Harvard Law School, 1585 Mass Ave, Cambridge

Please join us for a conference and convening on the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The event will explore the Act’s successes and challenges over the past 50 years and its future directions.... Read more about ESA: The Next 50 Years

If I am using a floor truss system( on a slap, so room for m.e.p.'s) can I still use the rim joists as a header option?

I appreciate any help and advice in advance. I have 2 questions 1) in zone 6a, is it a good or bad idea to frame a 2 story home with 2×4,…

I am curious who has ground gutters and how well they would fit our situation?  We have a house that has fairly minimal roof overhang.  I know that minimal overhangs…

Good evening folks! I'm currently in the process of building a PGH, and I had a question regarding window selection. I'm new to the high performance world, so I've gotten…

Hi folks,I'm a carpenter here in Maine. I have a client whose lakeside camp (summer cottage) is built on a concrete slab. No flooring, just carpet on the concrete. He…

Good afternoon everyone,Our cabin is located in Okanagan, British Columbia. Learning as we go as we're no longer in touch with our builder. Been a super stressful build, but trying…

Location: CGIS South, Room S153, 1730 Cambridge St, Cambridge

Join us for a Brown-Harvard Joint Seminar on South Asian Politics with Mushfiq Mobarak, Professor of Economics at Yale University, with an eyewitness account from Martha Chen, Mittal Institute Steering Committee member.... Read more about The 1970 Bhola Cyclone and the Birth of Bangladesh – Joint Seminar on South Asian Politics with Mushfiq Mobarak

In the process of replacing an exterior hose bibb, I came to realize that the person who installed the previous hose bibb had knocked about a 9in diameter hole in…

Hi Josh,Thanks again for reply on October 19th.  If you have time in the next week or so to answer my follow-up questions from October 2oth, that would be great.https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/question/basement-walls-and-concrete-free-slabThanks,Miles

I live in an 1850s farmhouse in upstate NY, Climate Zone 5A. I’m planning to hire a contractor to apply closed-cell spray foam to the interior of the rubble foundation…