The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes
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Insulating a Flat Roof
Tom Jordan is a painting contractor in northern New Jersey who's at his wit's end as he tries to figure out a remodeling job at his own home. It seems…
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Should a Roof Have a Rainscreen?
A vented rainscreen is an increasingly common exterior detail on exterior walls. Instead of attaching siding directly to the sheathing, builders add an air space behind the siding, which helps…
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Untangling a Roof Insulation Goof
This Q&A Spotlight begins with a confession of sorts from Ryan Lewis, who thinks he may have botched an insulation job. "Let's suppose you screw up insulating a flat roof…
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Ventilation for a Very Small Home
Houses with very low rates of air leakage and heavily insulated walls and roofs don't allow much natural ventilation. The whole point of building a high-performance house is to control…
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Is a Ground-Source Heat Pump the Right Choice?
In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Andy Zbojniewicz is planning a large, high-performance home that ultimately will be powered by a 15-kW solar array. The house will have more than 3,000 square…
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Designing an Air Barrier for a Timbered Cathedral Ceiling
The house that Dennis Miller plans on building next spring will include a cathedral ceiling with timber trusses exposed on the interior. The issue, as Miller explains in this Q&A…
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Help for an Ailing Water Heater
Pat Beurskens has been happy with his heat-pump water heater, but he fears the time is coming when it won't be able to keep up with demand. He foresees the…
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Do These Walls Need a Poly Vapor Barrier?
Zane Bridgers is building a single-story house in northern New Mexico and has nearly completed the framed exterior walls. As his mind turns to air sealing, he's considering whether to…
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Comparing High-Performance Wall Options
T. Barker is planning a high-performance house in Climate Zone 7A, where the number of heating degree days reaches 10,000 a year and the January design temperature hits 20 below…
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The Air in My House Is Too Dry
Mike Green's Ontario home is well built, and his low energy bills convince him that the house also has been well air sealed. But there is a problem he'd like…
