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Green Building Techniques

  • Question & Answers

    Baffle material for cathedral ceiling in Seattle (4C)

    I recently purchased a renovated 1906 Craftsman Bungalow in Seattle (4C), and it has an enormous unfinished attic that I’d like to convert to living space. The roof is a…

  • Question & Answers

    screwing down plywood ends over ridged foam

    On my planned roof I will have 4 inches of polyiso with plywood on top.I have read some comments on how hard it can be to hit the rafters. It…

  • Question & Answers

    Inspecting Old Houses

    A roof inspection is an essential step in maintaining the integrity of any home ?

  • Question & Answers

    Retrofit continuous insulation over roof; how are gutters attached

    We are putting 2" of continuous insulation above the roof line; we had hoped to do TimberBoard but that’s not available yet, so it's going to be polyiso. Inside to…

  • Question & Answers

    spray foam in a roof with 12″ rafters, foam is r 6.5 per inch only r 30 required is void ok?

    I plan to use spray foam in a roof with 12" rafters, my area only requires an R-30 which is 4 1/2" of  material, is it ok to leave that…

  • Question & Answers

    Poly on inside of basement wall

    I read this very helpful article by Martin from a couple of years agohttps://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/vapor-retarders-for-basements-and-crawlspacesHe very definitively states that poly on the foundation wall is a bad idea. And I understand…

  • Question & Answers

    Curbless shower in concrete-less/slab-less slab home

    I really like the idea of a concreteless slab (two layers of OSB over insulation over a vapor barrier and compacted gravel).  However I am curious how I might implement…

  • Question & Answers

    Sealing at junction or new roof and old rafters

    I am working on an addition that attaches to the side of the existing house.   The original building has a vented attic built with high heel trusses and a vented…

  • Question & Answers

    Power vents

    I recently installed an aluminum roof and chose  2 roof power fans that replace older ones that were set to turn on at 115degrees.  These turn on at 90degrees  and…

  • Question & Answers

    Is my Stucco Wall Detail Okay?

    There's not a lot of information regarding a proper stucco wall detail build up. This is what I have gathered as the right approach, but want to make sure it…