The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes
Product Guide
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Choosing Among the Most Efficient Water Heaters
A long-running ad campaign for Maytag featured an affable but underworked repairman who spent his days snoozing in an office chair because the appliances he sold rarely needed any attention.…
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Going After the Global Warming Potential of Ready-Mixed Concrete
The absolute bad boy of CO2 emissions in the building industry is the approximately 17% dry weight of Portland cement in a standard ready-mix concrete. Somewhere between 5% and 8%…
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Epoxy Repair Kits
Last winter I helped my buddy, Connecticut remodeler and Fine Homebuilding author Chris Green, build and install a kitchen. We used biscuits to align the face frames on the cabinet…
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The Hidden World of Solar Hardware
Roughly 2400 megawatts of new residential solar was deployed last year, the equivalent of 7.5 million 320-watt modules. That's a big investment. Ever wonder what prevents all those panels from…
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What’s the Most Durable Grout?
Back when I was a full-time remodeler (1983 – 1991), one of my older brothers, Izzy, taught me how to lay ceramic tile. I really liked the combination of physical…
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How to Choose a Metal Roof
Metal roofing has a long history in the U.S. but until 20 years ago it was a bit player in residential construction with just a 3.6% share of the reroofing…
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USG EcoSmart Gypsum Wallboard
To understand how USG Sheetrock® Brand EcoSmart gypsum wallboard (GWB) has a better environmental footprint than many alternative wall coverings, it helps to know how it is made. The key is two…
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The Promise of AeroBarrier for Air Sealing Homes
AeroBarrier has been in the building news quite a bit lately: GBA - Aeroseal rolls out air sealing technology for houses Fine Homebuilding - New technology improves airtightness Journal of…
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Another Take on Tstuds
Editor's note: This post originally appeared under the headline "Breaking the Thermal Bridge With Tstuds" in Kiley Jacques' Houses by Design blog over at Finehomebuilding.com. Considering all of the discussion…
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Rainscreen Products for Stucco Installations
If you ask too many questions about how to install stucco right, you will eventually hear some discouraging anecdotes of what amounts to a conspiracy—builders knowingly installing stucco poorly to…
