The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes
Product Guide
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A Roundup of Air-Sealing Products
Do building scientists sometimes wake up and feel like Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day,” trapped in a time loop where no matter how many times they try to explain the…
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Dampproofing and Waterproofing for Foundation Walls
Early morning TV viewers in Portland, Maine, sooner or later will meet Tony Hafford, founder of T.C. Hafford Basement Systems. The affable pitchman stands beneath an oversized umbrella and promotes…
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A Beginner’s Guide to Ventilation
It has taken years for building scientists and progressive builders to get past the “buildings need to breathe” nonsense and replace that with a more helpful mantra: “Build Tight, Ventilate…
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Wingnut Testing: Above-Grade Foundation Wall Dampproofing
It has always seemed odd to me that quite frequently, from both aesthetic and moisture management perspectives, the above-grade portion of foundation walls are simply ignored. It’s not hard to…
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Buying Windows
While working full time at Fine Homebuilding and doing my best to be an attentive father and husband, I remodeled the home we were living in on nights, weekends, and…
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A Beginner’s Guide to Cooling
In 1973, a little less than half of all new single-family homes in the U.S. had mechanical air conditioning. By 2018, according to government statistics, only 7% of new homes…
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Cutting Edge Solar System
A few weeks ago, Brian Valle was at work in the mechanical room of a new house in Yarmouth, Maine, hooking up the last few parts of its solar energy…
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A Beginner’s Guide to Heating Systems
With the results of a newly minted Manual J calculation or its equivalent in hand, a homeowner should have a good idea of how much energy it will take to…
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Paint Options for Green Builders
My first encounter with paint came from reading the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, who famously had to atone for misbehavior by whitewashing his Aunt Polly’s fence. The whitewash used in…
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A Beginner’s Guide to HVAC Design
In simpler times, choosing heating and cooling equipment amounted to calling a contractor or two, getting what seemed like a good price, and letting the contractor do the rest. Those…
