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

[Click map to enlarge]

drawing of climate zone map.gif

Advice can depend on climate -- Please specify in your question.

Please register for a free account or sign in to ask and answer green building questions.

The usual rules of courtesy apply:
1. Be nice.
2. If you can't be nice, be polite.
3. If you can't be nice or polite — well, please be brief.

To attach a photo or illustration:
Under the box labeled "More explanation," look for the words "File attachments."
Click that, and you should be able to attach a photo.

Thanks for joining the conversation!

Ask a Question >
10 Answers
Does anyone know of a quality whole house water filtration unit?

We're building a green feature home and I'd like to find a whole-house (minus the exterior faucets) filtration system that will remove a lot of the chemicals and impurities present in municipal water such as chlorine, flouride, etc. I haven't searched far and wide yet, but have searched some and not found anything yet. I figured if such a product were out there that someone in this forum would know about it and hopefully have experience with it. Thanks.

In Green products and materials | Asked By James Fincher | Feb 25 10
1 Answer
Has anyone tried this product: InsulWall by TrueFoam?

This is a wall system available in Atlantic Canada ( www.truefoam.com ). It looks like an interesting system that does not require sheathing. If anyone has used this product, I would like to hear what you think.

In Energy efficiency and durability | Asked By MIKE | Apr 29 10
9 Answers
Need advice on EPS insulation inside and out

I have access to 4" EPS sheets 2'x4'. I would like to use this insulation in my floor, walls and ceiling of a workshop that I will build with 2x6 on 24" center. I am thinking of sheathing with OSB and using foil-faced 1" EPS on exterior with wood siding. What vapor barrier issues will I have? Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Thanks,
Mike

In Energy efficiency and durability | Asked By Mike | Apr 28 10
14 Answers
New Code: Makeup air required for kitchen hoods

The 2009 IRC requires makeup air (MA)with kitchen exhaust hoods over 400 cfm + it needs to be operated simultaneously with the fan... I've tried unsuccesfully to find a 1200cfm hood with built-in MA, like in commercial kitchens. To provide temporary MA with the hvac system + the house (6000 sf) it would be to big of a system. Do you know of an independent MA system for this home. Wolf do not make hoods with built-in MA.

In Green products and materials | Asked By Armando Cobo | Feb 24 10
2 Answers
How do I "best" insulate my 8" brick exterior wall 1 1/2" air gap wall?

I am in trhe process of renovating a home built in the early 50's. The exterior is 8"thick red brick, looks as though they coated the interior with a painted on mortar slurry of some sort. then attatched 1 1/2" furring strips followed by rock board 1" thick followed, by 3/4" plaster. The bricks are the load bearing wall that the rafters sit on. Anyway, with basiclly no "R" value to speak of, I removed the plaster and furring strips on the inside the home on all exteriorfacing walls and was planning on building 2"x4" interior walls with insulation and then drywall.

In Energy efficiency and durability | Asked By John Walter | Apr 27 10
8 Answers
Extreme Remodel

We are completing a small remodeling project where we took a 1956, 1100sf home and added 355 sf.

The house started as a HERS 190 and tested out after the work at a HERS 5.

I think that we may have achieved a new record for remodels. Does anyone know of an example that comes close to these numbers?

Thanks,

- Ron

In General questions | Asked By Ron Flax | Apr 27 10
5 Answers
Insulation in a 2 1/2" space in an old wall

I am starting work on an old community hall constructed with lathe and plaster attached to 2 1/2" strapping against boards that contain 4" of plaster between them followed by a single wythe brick wall. The plaster is in good condition and all trim and wainscott as well -- would be a shame to tear the interior finish down but certainly presents an opportunity to do a much better job of insulating.

What thoughts on this construction? I am in Ontario, near Ottawa, the building is a storey and a half over a crawlspace, not sure yet about what happens at the floor intersection with wall.

In Energy efficiency and durability | Asked By Andrew Pamenter | Apr 19 10
1 Answer
Exterior Sheathing Options

In my area 1/2" OSB is the pre-dominate sheathing choice for exterior walls. In the past I have used structural fiberboard sheathing. With the increase in OSB pricing this sheathing is looking more attractive. I know it performs from a structural stand point because I have built many homes with it and never had issue. I stopped using it because it takes more supervsion to make sure the framer is installing it correctly and when it was more expensive than OSB many suppliers stopped carrying it.

In Green products and materials | Asked By Robert Latvala | Apr 27 10
1 Answer
For new construction, does the International Residential Code have a minimum size requirement for a window?

Also, what determines if it needs to be an egress ?

In Building Code Questions | Asked By steve strout | Apr 20 10
5 Answers
How to insulate attic with vermiculite?

Hi, I'm back with another question. I live in Maryland and want to retrofit my house, built in 1938. I'm focusing on the attic. My attic has vermiculite, so I have to assume there is asbestos. Five years ago we decided to insulate the attic and the recommendation we heard sounded good, that it was best to lay fiberglass over it. So we did that - but incompletely; the space between the gables has a plywood walkway about 4 ft across that is sufficient for storage and attic access, and remains uninsulated, a river in a sea of R-30.

In General questions | Asked By Richard | Apr 22 10
Register for a free account and join the conversation


Get a free account and join the conversation!
Become a GBA PRO!