Green Dreamin'

What do you get when you cross a deep energy retrofit with an 1880s Victorian-style home?

Gypsum. It’s not just for Twinkies. The mineral, a semi hydrous form of calcium sulfate, with many uses from Plaster of Paris to Chinese Medicine and even Twinkies, is mined all over the ... [continue reading]

Managing Moisture

Author: Allen Zimmerman

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May 06, 2007

Q I enjoyed reading your article on the home you recently built in Ohio (“Design, Construction, and Performance in Ohio,” Jan/Feb ’07, p. 36). I am an architect practicing in the Pacific Northwest (... [continue reading]

Greening Your Siding

Author: Jim La Rue

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March 02, 2006

When the siding/cladding decisions emerge in a green residential building project, we are all reminded that green building is a work in progress, and that it has a ... [continue reading]

Greening The Exterior Walls

Author: Jim LaRue

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January 01, 2006

Greening the exterior wall systems of residential structures is a complicated process, and it hasn’t been made any easier by the emergence of alternative wall systems. Of ... [continue reading]

Use Foil in Walls?

Author: Steve Greenberg

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March 01, 2005

Q. I’m desperate for some balanced information. I’m putting new cement-based clapboard siding on my house on top of a plywood shell. The siding contractor said that he typically wraps the ... [continue reading]

The Latest on Steel Stud Walls

Author: Jan Kosny

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September 01, 2004

Q.We are interested in building our own home in Northern California, just east of Sacramento. It is our understanding that steelframed homes are considered more energy efficient than wood-framed homes.... [continue reading]

Natural Insulation Products

Author: Mary James and Edward Wyatt

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September 01, 2003

Soft on the environment - and sometimes even soft to the touch - natural insulation products are filling a growing market niche. [continue reading]

A Serious Challenge to a New Building Technology

Author: John D. Cooper

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January 01, 2003

Every new building technology comes with new problems along with its benefits, and structural insulated panels (SIPs) are no different. SIPs are made of rigid foam insulation sandwiched between ... [continue reading]