Flood Openings in Basement Walls Can Save on Insurance Costs
Ideally, you would never want to buy or build a home in a Flood Zone. But it happens. The National...
Green Builder Media
Expert news and articles about building science, green products, renewable energy and more.
Exterior Foam Insulation: Best Practices
BUILDING AMERICA (BA) has been advocating the use of rigid foam sheathing insulation for years as a...
Add a Fresh Air Intake to Your Wood Stove to Avoid Toxic Air
Too often, wood burning boilers and stoves are installed without a dedicated fresh air source....
How Long Do the Parts of a House Last?
A few years back, I wrote an article called "Building Blind," that exposed some major flaws in the...
Housewrap: What's the Difference?
It's a connundrum: How do you prevent water from entering a building, while also allowing any...
Road Rage: The 16-Minute Rule
For commuting to and from work, 16 minutes is most people's limit. photo by Randy Chiu
Urban Biking: The Fear Factor
Just creating bike paths is not enough to increase ridership. You need to understand what keeps...
Equilibrium: Living with Nature
Simply invoking the word nature can get you in trouble these days. Entire books have been written...
Homeowner Associations Can Damage Local Ecosystems
New research suggests that homeowner associations can use their unchecked power to wipe out—or...
Landscaping in Soggy Spots
Low-lying sites are problematic for many plants, but the right landscaping can absorb excess water...
Trial by Fire
When comparing wood stoves, gas and oil as primary heating sources, there’s no long-term “win” in...
White Roofs' Cooling Power Quantified
One of the best tools for combating climate change is right over our heads. Many cities have begun...
Just the Right Pressure
I've learned a lot from my failures as a gardener. Back before I knew better, I used to unleash the...
