OVERVIEW
Unlike multifamily buildings, detached single-family homes are not inherently green and have an uphill climb to get there. A lot of considerations go into building, renovating, or maintaining a green single-family home:
- home size
- energy efficiency and onsite renewables
- water use and reuse
- site and location
- hygrothermal performance
- products & materials
- indoor air quality
- thermal comfort
- passive design
- whether to pursue certification
Location and transit access can be particularly important for single-family homes since studies have shown that energy efficiency does not usually make up for transportation energy used for driving. And hygrothermal performance—how well homes manage moisture relative to energy—is crucial but often neglected.
IN-DEPTH
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Installing Insulation With the X-Floc Ventilated Dry Injection System
March 8, 2018Blog Post
X-Floc claims the blowing equipment they use delivers cellulose at a more consistent density, and they were willing to prove it with this demonstration.
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Pete’s Puzzle: Mold on Painted Clapboards is Food for Thought
August 29, 2017Blog Post
There is mold on the factory-primed, latex top-coated wood clapboards on the south but not the north side of our house
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Combining Sheathing With a WRB and Air Barrier
August 1, 2017Blog Post
How well do Zip and ForceField sheathing integrate a structural panel with bulk water and air management?
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Installing Basement Waterproofing from the “Negative” Side
August 1, 2017Blog Post
Of course the best way to waterproof any below-grade assembly is from the exterior—but what works if you have to go from the interior?
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Six Gulf Coast Homes Achieve Resilience Star Certification
October 20, 2014News Brief
Projects in Mississippi and Alabama are certifiably hurricane-resilient under a Department of Homeland Security program.
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Testing Pressure-Sensitive Tapes: Rounds Two and Three
April 2, 2014Blog Post
Tension and pressure, tears and creeps. The Wingnut Test Facility (WTF) gets dope-slapped in our latest round of experiments.
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Group Seeks to Bring DC Power to Homes
December 30, 2013News Brief
EMerge Alliance has expanded its efforts to advance direct-current (DC) power distribution by launching a new initiative to develop a residential standard. -
4 Insider Tips for Choosing Flashing Tapes, from a Real-Life Engineer
September 11, 2013Blog Post
A research engineer at Pella Windows finally offers some adult supervision for our benchtop tape tests.
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NAHB Green Home Standard Ups Ante on Energy, Water
February 22, 2013News Analysis
The NAHB Standard for homes has increased requirements with the release of its first update and offers new guidance for remodeling.
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Hidden Seam Failures? We Put Flashing Tapes to the Test
August 30, 2012Blog Post
Flashing and air barrier seam tapes get buried deep in our walls where we rely on long-term performance without monitoring them. Are they doing their jobs?
