by srmi | Jul 30, 2016 | Energy News
A roof’s purpose Before you choose a roof design for a new building, you should understand the purpose of a roof. The primary purpose of roof is to shed rainwater and snow. A secondary purpose — and a less appreciated one — is to provide shade. A roof’s enemies...
by srmi | Jul 1, 2016 | Education
A Collection of Adult-Learning Research Results The book, Building Expertise by Ruth Colvin-Clark, offers one of the best summaries of adult-learning (pedagogy) research available. Like so many fields adult-learning pedagogy is hindered by dubious assumptions and...
by srmi | May 6, 2016 | Energy News
Building assemblies can get wet Building scientists assume that some rainwater leaks through the cladding or roofing and that water vapor migrates through insulated building assemblies, sometimes condensing within those cavities. These two phenomena both can dampen...
by srmi | Apr 15, 2016 | Energy News
Relative Humidity, Temperature, and Moisture Content This is Part 2 of a two-part series on cellulose insulation and moisture. Cellulose insulation is a hydrophilic material, meaning that absorbs moisture readily. Under certain conditions condensation dampens...
by srmi | Apr 15, 2016 | Energy News
Old and new water barriers Once upon a time, builders stapled 15-pound asphalt felt to wall and roof structural sheathing as a water-resistive barrier (WRB). The 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) still specifies: “one layer of No. 15 felt… or other approved...
by srmi | Mar 28, 2016 | Energy News
This is a two-part blog about hygric buffering, cellulose wall insulation, and moisture problems in high-performance buildings. Why not to install cellulose insulation in deep wall cavities Cellulose shrinks, slumps, and dries very slowly after wetting. Deep wall...
by srmi | Mar 2, 2016 | Energy News
Introducing 29 New RESNET CEU Courses Attention raters, rater trainers, and RESNET training organizations: Saturn Resource Management now offers 29 new short courses that qualify for RESNET CEUs. These short e-learning courses mix media such as slides, slide...
by srmi | Jan 29, 2016 | Energy News
We’ve been dealing with the ASHRAE ventilation standard for a while. 62-89 goes way back. We used that one for a long time, and it worked well enough. After we taught our students how to use 62-89, they could understand it and implement it. Then came 62.2. We...
by srmi | Jan 5, 2016 | Energy News
Focus on the Envelope Home owners and builders seldom give the building envelope the priority it deserves. The insulation, air barrier, windows, and doors are the most important features of a new home. These envelope features determine a home’s energy efficiency...
by srmi | Nov 19, 2015 | Energy News
KM’s History Knowledge management has a long history, including apprenticeship programs, discussion forums, corporate libraries, professional training, mentoring programs, and now data bases designed to manage knowledge. Computers and software have enhanced our...
