Helical Piers for Foundations

What is a Helical Pier? A helical pier is a pier that installers screw into the ground using a large drill motor. Helical piers work well in situations where the surface soil isn’t sufficiently supportive for a conventional foundation. When installers can reach stable...

What is a Water-Resistive Barrier (WRB)?

Builders install a variety of products on the exterior of foundations, above-grade walls, and roofs as water-resistive barriers (WRBs), required by the International Residential Code (IRC). Water-resistive barriers are also called weather-resistant barriers, but the...

Low Interest Rates Promote Energy Conservation

The Good News for Energy Conservation The time value of money has always worked against energy conservation. Traditionally a dollar today is worth more than a dollar in the future by a certain percent, known as the interest rate. The European Central Bank (ECB)...