Backer rods – GreenBuildingAdvisor

Most backer rods are essentially the same.. You might get higher quality from a glazing supply store compared to the local hardware store but they essentially do the same thing: stuff the gap so you can caulk on top of it. I usually avoid it all together and just use spray foam as the backer […]

We have a 1-1/2 story Victorian with sloping ceilings on the second floor that lead to a flat ceiling with small attic above. We live in climate zone 4C. I mentioned to an architect friend that I was planning to spray, or have sprayed 1″ – 2″ of closed cell foam to the underside of […]

My home was built in 1994 with 2×6 walls, though I am unsure of the exact R-value of the insulation used within the wall studs. I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Zone 4a). In August 2024, we were hit by a severe hailstorm, which led to settling with my insurance company. As part of the […]

Zone 2 Phoenix, AZ Question about soffits—I have a flat roof with trusses that have heels, and the attic will be conditioned from the heel inward. The eave portion of the trusses will be 2×6 or 2×8 and sit outside the thermal envelope. Do I need a vented soffit under the eave, or is an […]

PFAS, sometimes known as forever chemicals, are a family of over ten thousand compounds with remarkable performance in applications like waterproofing, fertilizer, pesticides, fire-resistance, adhesives, and defense. While beneficial in performance, the longevity of these chemicals leads to environmental persistence in soil, water, and human bodies. As noted in September’s What Are PFAS blog, scientists […]

So apparently the LoE coatings look different depending on the lighting… please explain! We have LoE 366 on all the windows on 2 sides (triple glazed units). I noticed the sun coming in had a sort of sickly green hue… at 12:30pm, in southern Ontario, in late March. See the photo below showing an open […]

1. Should there be baffles in the corner of the attic? In the first image, it looks like there are open soffit vents there, but there are no baffles. 2. Are gaps at the bottom of the baffles where they meet the attic floor normal? Outside air is blowing through these gaps. GBA Detail Library […]

We moved into our house 18 months ago, which is one of many in the neighborhood with the same floor plan. Each of these homes has a living room floor that cantilevers over the basement concrete wall, extending about 30″ by 10′. I’ve noticed that some of the other houses around here have landscaped this […]

Q&A Spotlight Air-sealing and insulating an old roof on a budget and while maintaining the historic character of the house is a balancing act By Chuck Bickford | March 24, 2025 Ice dams are often misunderstood as a roofing problem when the cause is more commonly air leaks and heat loss from inside the home. […]

I have an 1850s farmhouse with a field stone foundation topped with granite blocks, and then sills. There are ventillation holes inset into the granite blocks. They had no glass, just screens. And they are framed into wood. When I bought the house, I had foam insulation installed in the basement and the spray foamer […]