As an architect I will tell that best answers to the questions you pose are regional even local. It will depend on maufacturers and distributers in your area as well as climatic, economic and building culture conditions in your area. I would look for a builders exchange, contractors association etc. in your area. You could start with the chamber of commerce or whatever the local name is for it and ask for referals. As far as web sites go the one that comes to mind is one run by the Journal of Light Construction "JLC". This is a great trade magazine that addresses all these kinds of issues. The web site requires membership($). JLC also offers a decade or more worth of articals on cdrom for around $100. The issues you are asking about actually get quite technical, much of it related to climate. A local association usually will give a list of contractors in your area that are well recommended. You may do well to start at the library or a book store if you want general information. If you followed the "in wall wiring HELP!" thread you will see that all us California guys chimed in with why we don't have basements much here. Everybody had a different understanding of this based on where in California they live. All the points were valid but different based on local conditions. So unless you just want basic knowledge or to do extensive study I think your best bet is to look locally. If you want to pay the postage I will send you a bunch of back issues of the Journal of Light Construction that I don't have room for. These should provide you with enough discussions of all these subjects to satisfy you for the rest of the decade. Hope this helps.
