The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes
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Insulating Scissors Trusses
A scissors truss is a roof truss that creates a sloped ceiling instead of a horizontal ceiling. Unlike parallel-chord trusses — a type of truss that creates a sloped ceiling…
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Preventing Lightning Damage
Recently, lightning struck near the garage and house of good friends of mine, a Vermont couple named Susan and Stan. Lightning destroyed a tree, fried all of the electronics and…
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Solutions to the Attic Duct Problem
In last week’s blog, I discussed the practice of burying attic ducts in deep insulation. Since burying ducts is simply one of several ways to address the energy waste associated…
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Burying Ducts in Attic Insulation
You shouldn’t install ducts in a vented unconditioned attic. As most GBA readers know, ducts belong inside a home’s thermal envelope, not in an environment that’s cold in the winter…
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Should I Build a Mechanical Room in My Attic?
In many southern states, it’s common for an HVAC contractor to install an air handler and ductwork in a vented unconditioned attic. In July, the attic temperature rises to 120°F.…
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Understanding Dew Point
The dew point is a temperature. In my article on the psychrometric chart, I defined dew point as “the temperature at which moisture in the air begins to condense on…
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Ducted Air-Source Heat Pumps from American Manufacturers
UPDATED on July 20, 2018, with new information from Carrier. Mitsubishi and Fujitsu sell air-source heat pumps (ductless minisplits and ducted minisplits) that work well in cold climates. Many GBA…
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Fasteners for Concrete and Brick
Builders who install rigid foam insulation need to know what type of fasteners to use for a variety of substrates. One challenging situation involves installing rigid foam or furring strips…
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Using a Dimple Mat to Keep a Basement Wall Dry
Homeowners with problematic basements often post questions on GBA. They generally complain that their basements are damp, and that basement moisture problems aren’t easy to fix. Solutions to damp basement…
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Where Can I Find Good Advice?
Donald Wulfinghoff is an energy consultant who works in Maryland. In 2015, he published Super House, a 700-page book that explains how an ordinary person without architectural training can design…
