Community: Green building techniques

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Anyone may ask a question and anyone may answer. Sometimes one of our 15 Advisors may chime in; in other cases, you'll get the wisdom of some of our members who have some experience in this area. We encourage everyone to give us the benefit of both their questions and answers. The usual rules of courtesy apply.

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5 Answers
Is this a good plan for wood exterior siding?

I am residing my house located in Minneapolis, MN built in 1907. The wall assembly is -- plaster/lathe, wood framing, building paper, wood board siding, and the old wood lap siding (which will be removed except for the soffit/crown trim at the eaves.) Before residing I will be blowing dense pac cellulose into the stud cavities. My house is a 1 ¾ story gabled configuration with ~10” overhangs. The exterior wall are highly exposed to the sun and weather.

From what I have gleaned from this site a drainscreen installation will maximize the longevity of the wood lap siding and paint.

Asked By j chesnut | Mar 12 10
1 Answer
Where can I find engineers who have practiced spacing timber studs greater than 24inches on-center?

I have developed a program to calculate maximum on-centers relative to combined compressive and bending loads for timber used as studs. The goal is, for example, to use less material to construct a home. Where could I find an engineer, architect or contractor who has worked on such a project, their experience and results? Many thanks!

Asked By Peyton | Mar 11 10
6 Answers
We bought a property that has an old meat-packing house on it.

The walls of the packing house have cinder-block with 8" of styrofoam insulation. The main floor is concrete over an open basement with structural support. The ceiling has 8" styrofoam as we are putting a steel roof on as well. And what kind of 'green' lighting would you recommend?

Asked By sherri | Mar 8 10
10 Answers
How to find someone who treats mold?

My home has a mold problem that suddenly occurred and it needs to be treated. It is in my kitchen/hallway.

Asked By Sara | Mar 5 10
2 Answers
Should I vent polyiso roof insulation in a Hot/Dry climate?

Hello all. I am helping some friends retrofit their existing roof on a 1960's ranch stryle house. They would like to strip the current roof system and replace it with polyiso foam board (thickness to be determined), and standing seam metal roof system. My question is: should we create a vent between the attachment sheathing and the polyiso, or not. It can get to 110 F in the summer, and down to 15 F in the winter here. Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated

Asked By David Bushlow | Mar 2 10
23 Answers
Double walls: where to locate the vapor retarder?

My new house will have a double-wall design, similar to what I did in '80, but better.... I think. In my present house I used two, 2x4 walls, insulated, around a 5 1/2" gap, stacked full or fiberglass batts; pretty normal, I guess. What I did NOT like about it, after years of thinking, were all the penetrations in the VR (vapor retarder) by electrical boxes, etc, and all the flipping metal strips over wires that were too close to the sheet rock. On my next house, I am planning on putting the VR on the outside of the inner 2x4 wall to avoid all the prior nuisances.

Asked By jklingel | Feb 21 10
11 Answers
How much rigid foam insulation (polyiso) can be installed on the exterior of a building and still be able to install siding such as Hardiplank?

I am doing a whole house remodel/addition and am looking to maximize insulation without decreasing interior space, so would like to install as much as possible on the exterior and use spray foam in the 2x4 wall cavity.

Asked By Joshua Rogers | Feb 21 10
4 Answers
Door R-values?

I can't find a whole lot of information about doors and their respective R-values. If I want to build a super-insulated home with good ventilation, what are some good choices for door materials and how should they be sealed?

Asked By Michael Schonlau | Feb 21 10
19 Answers
Insulation on Exterior walls & Codes

OK... I've been reading 100s of responses using exterior rigid foam (from 1"-8") and then installing nailing strips for cladding, and all the gurus are going to this technique. May question is this allowed by code??? If I'm not mistaken, any cladding should be nailed to the stud at least 1". I understand that QC is a big component but when you have 1"-8" of rigid foam in between the nail strips and the stud and you are trying to "hit" the stud with a nail gun... well, I've seen the real world apps and I wouldn't bet my life on it.

Asked By Armando | Feb 13 10
6 Answers
Using intumesent firestop sealants to air seal electrical outlets in fire rated walls.

We are trying to determine if there are any issues with using standard firestop sealants such as STI LCI-305 or Hilti CP606 to air seal the exterior of electrical outlets. Looks like the stuff will shrink but is it enough to compromise the air seal ? Can anyone suggest an alternative product or method for air sealing outlets in a min. 1-hr rated partition wall ? The Hilti 601 product is elastomeric but costs a fortune, there must be an alternative. Thanks !

Asked By Greg Xikes | Feb 17 10

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