The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes
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Christmas Poems for 2019
If I Were King With apologies to A.A. Milne I often wish that I were king, So I could order anything. If I were King of South Sudan, I’d buy…
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Jacking Up Buildings in Fairbanks
How do you build a residential foundation in Fairbanks, Alaska? The answer depends on site conditions — especially soil conditions and the presence or absence of permafrost. The answer may…
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Still Fighting the Same Battles, 20 Years Later
When I began working at the Journal of Light Construction in 1999, I was assigned to edit the magazine’s Q&A column. At all of my various jobs since then, I’ve…
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Can We Build An Electricity Grid Based on 100% Renewable Energy?
As scientists and ordinary citizens see increasing signs of climate change, forward-thinking leaders on every continent are taking steps to make our electricity grids less dependent on fossil fuels. For…
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Insulating a Wood-Framed Floor Assembly
Most wood-framed floor assemblies — for example, floor joists over a basement — have conditioned space on all sides, and therefore don’t need insulation. Sometimes, though, a wood-framed floor assembly…
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Solving Hot Water Piping Problems
Gary Klein, a residential energy expert who has been nicknamed “Mr. Hot Water,” has for years been providing advice to builders on ways to reduce the wait time for hot…
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Filling Rafter Bays With Fluffy Insulation
For years, building scientists have investigated whether fiberglass insulation or cellulose insulation can be used to insulate an unvented cathedral ceiling. In general, the answer has always been no, because…
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Saving Our Vanishing Wilderness
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) covers more than 19 million acres in northeast Alaska. It’s about the size of North Carolina. A significant portion of the refuge -- 8…
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Bonus Room Problems
If your house has an attached garage, you may have a bonus room — that is, a bedroom above the garage. For new home builders, bonus rooms make sense: including…
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Getting the Right Minisplit
Curious readers regularly post questions here at GBA on how to size minisplit heat pumps and how to select the right equipment. Although our web site contains dozens of articles…
