Q&A: A Forum for Green Building Experts and Beginners

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3 Answers
How to seal a Bilco door to prevent heat loss and moist air transfer?

We have a standard exterior Bilco door that leads to semi-finished space in our basement. We are having trouble with cold air coming in during the winter months and damp air in the spring/summer months. How can we seal this Bilco door without creating condensation issues around the door and/or seal? The air is coming from the cracks at the door hinges and around the doors themselves. It appears that the Bilco casing unit is sealed properly to the concrete. Home Depot sells polycarbonate domes that cover the doors.

In GBA Pro help | Asked By Jas Thurber | May 12 13
1 Answer
Wood choices for exterior use (siding & decking) - Green pro's and cons?

I'm working on a project to rehab and convert a garage building to a studio and living space and am looking at options for exterior wood siding and decking.

I will be using Hardie Panels with reveal strips for much of the siding, however there are some areas I would like to use a clear finished wood siding for an accent. In addition I'm building a small ground level deck and want to match the decking to the siding wood. The totally square footage of wood being used fairly low at around 500 sq. ft.

In Green products and materials | Asked By Kevin Hardy | May 11 13
154 Answers
Serious Windows vs. Thermotech, Fibertec, Inline, Accurate Dorwin

Does anyone have experience with Serious Windows or Canadian fiberglass windows? I'm having a difficult time finding high SHGC windows (with a U-value less than or equal to 0.30) for my passive solar home that are affordable. Looks like the fiberglass windows can give me the performance I'm looking for, but I can't find any local installations to inspect the quality of manufacture.

In Energy efficiency and durability | Asked By Claire Anderson | Oct 1 09
3 Answers
I was told that my central air conditioner needs a larger return duct

I was told that my central AC needs a larger return duct. The symptom was that the low pressure line at the compressor was icing up on the outside. Does this make sense? I had thought that if the system was low on freon that this was a symptom.

I am handy but need some input into the size requirements of a return duct versus the output ducts. I would assume them to be about the same size.

In Mechanicals | Asked By john friede | May 13 13
6 Answers
Spray-foam smell

Two weeks ago, We had Sealection 500 sprayed in wall cavities and under roof decking (metal roof) for our new home build. The smell seemed minor by 2 days after, then the ingition barrier - Blazelok IB4 was sprayed on entire roof deck. One week later, the smell is as bad a the day they sprayed the Blazelok IB4. Cure rate is 2-3 hrs so something seems wrong.
The chemical smell burns your eyes and nose, I can taste a metallic taste on my tongue and get dizzy after entering the home if any windows are closed.

In General questions | Asked By k s | Feb 25 11
2 Answers
Will some insulation need to be removed in a few years?

Our long-term plan is to add a deck/pergola/conservatory on top of a one-story room on our mostly two story house in Zone 5a. BUT, the roof on the single story leaks and will be unshingled/re-shingled NOW. We'll use this opportunity to remove decking of the flat part of the roof (it angles from the flat part down to the three walls), access the inaccessible attic, and air seal/insulate before re-shingling.

In General questions | Asked By Gordon B | May 13 13
12 Answers
Complaints about fiberglass windows — plus what is the next best thing?

We are building a house in Quebec province, Canada — so very cold winters and hot / sometimes humid summers. We were set on installing fiberglass windows triple / double panes according to exposure of lot (mainly southern and eastern with a little western and very little northern.)

In Green products and materials | Asked By Tango B* | Jan 22 12
36 Answers
Please advise on this new type of basement construction

I’d like to get some feedback on a new type of basement construction I came across recently.

In General questions | Asked By D C | Apr 23 13
7 Answers
Using recycled rigid foam

I'm considering using rigid foam on the exterior of my roof. Cost is of course a big concern with this approach. I'm found sites online that sell recycled rigid foam. Apparently, it is often recovered from commercial buildings and shipping containers.

I read one post on the site that caution against using foam that had been degrade during freeze/thaw cycles. Are there any other issues to look out for? Have anyone tried the "recycled" approach? Is there a reputable source for material? Any lessons learned you folks could share would be greatly appreciated.

In Green products and materials | Asked By Steven Knapp | May 10 13
4 Answers
Hi, I'm looking for more info on the failure of a Belgian PassivHaus

There was an article on this site about the failure of a Belgian PassivHaus that rendered it uninhabitable due to poor indoor air quality. The previous page address now says 'access denied' or has been removed over the past couple of days - can anyone point me in the direction of further information?

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/belgian-passivhau...

In PassivHaus | Asked By richard asbury | May 14 13
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