Green building advisor

Navigating the decision-making process to ensure the best performance of a home can be challenging. We need to balance allocation of resources between 1. load reduction—which primarily involves upgrading the thermal enclosure—2. conversion from fossil fuel–powered to electrically powered systems, and 3. implementation of renewable …

When used for space heating, an air-to-water heat pump fills the role usually held by a boiler; it requires a hydronic (water-based) distribution system. The heat pump makes hot water; the hot water can be pumped through fin-tube baseboard units, in-floor PEX tubing, or a fan-coil unit. (A system with such a fan-coil unit is called a hydro-air ...Green Building Advisor is a digital-only media platform in its second decade covering environmentally sensitive design, innovative materials, energy-efficient construction …When used for space heating, an air-to-water heat pump fills the role usually held by a boiler; it requires a hydronic (water-based) distribution system. The heat pump makes hot water; the hot water can be pumped through fin-tube baseboard units, in-floor PEX tubing, or a fan-coil unit. (A system with such a fan-coil unit is called a hydro-air ...In a warm humid climate, an ERV brings in less outdoor humidity than an HRV. (Note: an ERV is not a dehumidifier. It does still add to the latent load in the house.) In a hot-dry climate, an HRV will make your already dry air even drier, sending your precious water vapor out into that desert air. In a cold climate, …GreenBuildingAdvisor.com. 14,464 likes · 2,933 talking about this. Dedicated to sharing accurate and complete information about designing, building, and remodeling high …

Green is often less expensive when all things are considered. Sustainable building often seems more expensive than conventional building. Many of the building materials that make houses more durable and easier to heat and cool aren’t cheap. Complicated systems that allow a certain amount of energy independence–photovoltaic …Registers are square or rectangular fittings with movable dampers to adjust airflow volume. Lightweight stamped-steel registers are used for wall and ceiling applications; heavier-duty cast or welded registers are used in floors. Diffusers cover supply openings in ceilings. They have angled vanes that discharge air in a spreading pattern.The specific heat capacity of building materials varies. In general, denser building materials have a higher specific heat capacity per unit of volume than less dense materials, which is why concrete, stone, and gypsum wallboard are more likely to be used to provide extra thermal mass than wood. Three analogies: cistern, frying pan, truckSubscription to GBA Prime - Green Building Advisor ... Loading... ...Photo courtesy LP SmartSide. Writing in Fine Homebuilding magazine 22 years ago, Massachusetts builder Robert Weatherall described the pleasure of advancing from rough framing to running exterior trim. “It’s like decorating a cake or coloring in a picture,” he said. “After the rush of framing lumber and plywood, the trim is the welcome ...However, these vacuum insulation panels (sometimes called VIPs) could make a great deal of sense in certain value-added products like refrigerators, freezers, water heaters, and entry doors. Whirlpool actually used a VIP that Owens Corning produced for a while (the Aura panel) in a high-efficiency refrigerator in …ABOUT BASEMENTS # Invest in a waterproofing system Basement foundations should be insulated to minimize energy losses and should be protected from water infiltration. Even if a basement is not intended to be used as a finished space, it’s best to assume that it may be finished in the future. That’s why it’s a good investment to …

The amount of insulation installed in any given building assembly depends on the climate, the part of the house being insulated, the project budget, and local code requirements. Batts and blankets: R-3.1 to R-4.1 per in. Blown-in and loose-fill insulation: R-2.6 to R-4.2 per in. Rigid foam: R-3.6 to R-6.8 per in.Get building science and energy efficiency advice, plus special offers, in your inbox. “A whole-house fan creates the breeze and with windows open provides fresh air, reduces or eliminates VOCs and CO2, and cools the house for a lot [less] energy and dollars than running the AC,” he adds. “Am I nuts?”.Dana Dorsett gets right to the point, summing up what looks like a common point of view: “An open-hearth fireplace (with or without glass doors) is an inefficient, extremely polluting way to burn wood that has no place in a ‘green’ house,” Dorsett writes. “They are even illegal to use in some locations due to the …Flash-and-Batt Insulation. Closed-cell spray polyurethane foam insulation has several desirable characteristics. It’s an excellent air barrier, an excellent vapor retarder, and it has a high insulating value per inch (about R-6). Unfortunately, …Fiberglass batts are vapor permeable and air permeable. By the way, you don't need a 12-inch air gap between your insulated concrete wall and your studs. One or 2 inches is fine. Ideally, all of your required R-value will be provided by your rigid foam, and your 2x4 stud bays will be uninsulated. Aug 19, 2010 09:12pm.

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The GBA said it fixed the issue two days ago, but with three and four year old questions poping-up, this may be a long deal, unless I block the GBA entirely. Maybe its time to go! I hope the new owners get a competent IT department before too long. You can direct emails from GBA to go to your spam folder.Inspect the attic access carefully to find any air-leakage pathways that need to be sealed. For house plans, use the pen test. Make it easy for occupants to use, including returning it to the sealed position. Attics can be as cold as the outdoor air in winter and much hotter than outdoor air in summer.“The building industry certainly needs to step up,” Colker says. “There are opportunities to drive standards, but that requires engagement of the broader industry.” _____ Justin R. Wolf is a Maine-based writer who …The plan is to waterproof the exterior, install drain board, a perforated drain along the base of the foundation and an inground gutter system. However, we are stuck on the water proofing step. Pressure washing the exterior concrete removed all loose coating, but most of the fiber and black coating remain firmly in place.

Flash-and-Batt Insulation. Closed-cell spray polyurethane foam insulation has several desirable characteristics. It’s an excellent air barrier, an excellent vapor retarder, and it has a high insulating value per inch (about R-6). Unfortunately, …Ask and answer green building questions from engineers, scientists, architects and builders. Learn from the community and share your knowledge on climate …Installing the water heater. Installation of a heat-pump water heater is basic plumbing, electrical, and HVAC all in one. The first step is to run the water lines. Way back when I ran the PEX for the water supply lines in the house, I had run a line from the main supply, formed it into a loop in the utility room, and then into a …The big difference in temperature between the room air and the heated air also creates variation in temperature from one part of the room to another. A heat pump blows lower temperature air into the house, and that’s better for comfort. A heat pump, by contrast, adds a greater volume of lower temperature air.Subscription to GBA Prime - Green Building Advisor ... Loading... ...Feb 9, 2015 · It’s easy: Keep your heat from going through the roof. Saving money on heating-fuel costs is a lot simpler than negotiating with OPEC or your local utility. On a recent upgrade in the attic of a 1950s-era house (one of two projects shown here), I air-sealed and spread a 12-in.- deep layer of cellulose throughout 1500 sq. ft. of space in about ... Nov 20, 2023 · The SANCO2 split-system heat pump water heater offers benefits that include energy efficiency, low-GWP refrigerants, and the possibility in some situations to provide space heating. Over the last couple of years, there’s been a lot of buzz about the SANCO2, a newer type of air-source heat-pump water heater (HPWH) from ECO2 Systems. A single-family home in the Buckeye State is being built for maximum energy efficiency. Just east of Dayton. Green Generation Building Company’s first home is designed to meet Passive House standards. The house is in Yellow Springs, Ohio. In early November, when it broke ground on a three-bedroom, two-bath home in Yellow Springs, …A single-family home in the Buckeye State is being built for maximum energy efficiency. Just east of Dayton. Green Generation Building Company’s first home is designed to meet Passive House standards. The house is in Yellow Springs, Ohio. In early November, when it broke ground on a three-bedroom, two-bath home in Yellow Springs, …Nov 30, 2023 · IRC on continuous insulation. Building codes have begun to align with building science and we are seeing more areas across the country adopt continuous insulation as part of the energy code. CI requirements with regard to the energy code can be found in the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), Chapter 11, “Energy Efficiency.”. Feb 16, 2024 · The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) recently unveiled a draft for pilot testing of its new target-setting guidance for the building sector, set to go into effect in the first half of 2024. SBTi is a partnership between the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the UN Global Compact, World Resources Institutes (WRI), and World Wide Fund for ... Insulate the hatch – Cut foam board to 1/2″ less than the size of the hatch on each side. Foil-faced polyiso is the greenest and best-performing of the rigid foam options. Apply a bead of foam-compatible …

Recommended patio or sliding door for high-performing house. Midcoast Maine new construction 1400sf house. R40 walls, R60 roof. Windows triple pane. Do you have a recommendation for an 6-0x6-8 slider or patio exterior door?

Enter inventor Brian Iverson and the Tstud. Tstuds are an alternative to solid 2×6 framing lumber. Tstuds can be used for pretty much any framing element in exterior walls: studs, jacks, cripples, plates, and headers. They are designed for advanced framing—24-inch on center, with single top plates, and two-stud corners.UPDATED on September 7, 2017 with a new postscript. In the fall of 2012, I tested the performance of 11 air-sealing tapes by attaching samples to six different substrates mounted on the exterior wall of my woodshed. A month later, I tried to remove the tape samples to determine which tapes were most tenacious. I reported my findings in …In brief, you run low-voltage (16/2 or 18/2) wiring from the underside of the cabinet (s) to a location where you can mount a step-down transformer, which provides either 12 volts or 24 volts to power the lights; the line side of the transformer is fed from a switch, or better still, a "magnetic low voltage dimmer" (MLV).An updated review of two of the most common sheathing products. Although skeptical builders avoided oriented strand board (OSB) when it was first introduced commercially in the 1980s, today it dominates the U.S. sheathing market, far outstripping plywood with about 64% of sales. Improved resins, better water …Dec 27, 2023 · According to principal Matthew Fine, the feasibility of building six identical high-performance homes on a single parcel was never in question. What was in question, however, was achieving such a feat “at an affordable level.”. The homes themselves are “fairly modest” and “contextually appropriate,” Fine says. XPS would be possible, but worse from a global warming impact perspective, would cost much more, and would be harder to get in custom shapes. EPS can be directly molded into a wedge, whereas XPS comes out of the machine as a slab and would need to be cut to make a wedge. In that example it had concrete poured on top.We are green building advisors, providing intelligent project management solutions in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington DC, and Virginia Ecologic LLC 410-472-1155The lifecycle “cost” of carbon involved in building construction can be measured by the global warming potential (GWP) associated with the manufacturing and use of each building component. This is measured in carbon dioxide equivalence (CO2e). My focus was specifically on insulation, which is a product that customers and contractors ...A High-Performance Building Envelope for a Net-Zero Energy House. Working out trouble spots during the design phase helps keep a demonstration house on time and on budget. Green Homes.

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BEAM’s combined functionalities allow users to make project-specific materials selections, identify materials with the biggest carbon penalty, and find alternatives. Users input the main dimensions of a building and are given a list of available materials for the primary assemblies and the carbon impact of each product.Aug 9, 2023 · The NAHB’s stance on the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), in particular, which sets minimum requirements for energy-efficient buildings, is focused on the code’s overall cost effectiveness. Citing cost impact analysis from the Kansas City Home Builders Association, the NAHB proffers that the IECC can add up to “$31,000 ... We are green building advisors, providing intelligent project management solutions in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington DC, and Virginia Ecologic LLC 410-472-1155Introducing the 120-volt Plug-in Heat Pump Water Heater. Geothermal heat pumps have a reputation for being efficient and “green”; is it deserved? In contrast, feedback from owner experience, and substantiated by discussion on industry boards and forums, paints a less flattering picture of the realities of geothermal.Feb 26, 2020 · This system not including wood burning stove will cost us around 25,000. 2) air to air heat pump (4 heads) propane boiler for radiant floors and hot water. We also will have 45 BTU wood burning stove- hearthstone. this system will cost us around $40,000 not incuding wood burning stove. “The building industry certainly needs to step up,” Colker says. “There are opportunities to drive standards, but that requires engagement of the broader industry.” _____ Justin R. Wolf is a Maine-based writer who …Green Building Advisor: [email protected] USA and Canada customers: 800-943-0253. International customers: 847-559-7522. Fine HomeBuilding: …Rigid foam insulation is routinely used in high-performance buildings, but it also seems to attract carpenter ants. By Scott Gibson | March 28, 2016. Ants seem to like rigid foam, as this perforated sheet of insulation seems to show. Builders have tried a number of preventive measures to keep insects at bay, but some …Green Building Advisor is a source for builders, remodelers, architects and homeowners who want to learn about green building, products and details. Join the community of … Green building is about process first, products second. But the process of building involves myriad products and materials. Green choices offer ways to improve indoor air quality, water and energy efficiency, durability, and comfort. Paints and finishes on floors, walls, cabinets, and ceilings should be low in VOCs. ….

Questions Archive - GreenBuildingAdvisor. The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes. Try for Free. Community and Q&A. A Forum … Armando Cobo is a zero-energy custom home designer, trainer, and building consultant with over 35 years of experience. Armando designs following the guidelines of DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home program, The Building America Program, Build Green New Mexico, California’s Title 24, National Home Builders Association’s Green Building Program, and LEED for Homes, among others. Green Building Advisor offers a middle ground—ideas-level How it information works. that is customized to The the core user’s of the situation Green without requiring detailed is a …In the 1980s, most cold-climate builders were taught that walls needed an interior vapor retarder, and needed to be able to dry to the exterior. When a few pioneers started installing exterior rigid foam, some …The Navien 240E’s minimum input at 95% efficiency is 17,000 BTU/hr. some 30% higher than the average seasonal load of 13,000 BTU/hr. so the boiler will rarely modulate. The minimum input into the 85 feet of fin-tube radiation is at the maximum 200 BTU/hr. (17,000/85) needed for condensing.1. Adhere 1 inch R-Tech (R value 3.85) or 1 ½ (R value 5.78) EPS Rigid Foam to the interior of the concrete foundation walls (ranging in height from 18 to 48 inches – see pic). 2. Spray 2 inch coat of closed cell spray foam at top of EPS board to cover exposed top portion of concrete foundation wall.Jan 10, 2020 · Also known as band joists, rim joists are pieces of lumber—either sawn lumber or engineered lumber—that are installed vertically above the mudsill. On a new house, a typical rim joist might be a 2×10 or 2×12. Older houses have all kinds of different rim joists, including 2x6s, 2x8s, or even square timbers like 8x8s. Caulking the leaks was a good idea. 3. Insulating your rim joists is a good idea. The insulation will lower your energy bills and increase the comfort of your basement. 4. R-19 is not overkill. 5. While it's a great idea to insulate, fiberglass batts are the wrong type of insulation to use. Rigid foam would be better.Mar 25, 2016 · Maybe you are building a new home with an unconditioned vented attic. The house is framed, sheathed, and roofed. The drywall contractors have finished their work, so now you’re ready to insulate the attic floor. If you are an owner-builder, this may be the first time you’ve done this. So what do you need to know? Green building advisor, [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1]