Spring has arrived and Summer is just around the corner. If your heating system is in need of major repair or replacement, this is the time for you to get that done. If your furnace vents into an unlined masonry chimney, then you should install a chimney liner. If your chimney already has a liner, but[…]Read more
Choose the Right Window Frames for Your Window Installations
Window manufacturers offer a variety of window frames for the variety of different new and retrofit window installations. Choose the right window frame. In most types of window installation, exterior window trim is an unnecessary and expensive extra to be avoided. Nailing Fin Window Frames The most popular type of window frame is the nailing fin.[…]Read more
Installing High-Performance Windows
My complements to the European high-performance window manufacturers for providing built-in sills for their windows. I hope that North American high-performance window manufacturers soon provide built-in sills. The built-in sills, along with block-frame window installation, sure simplify installing high-performance windows in superinsulated walls. American builders have tried dozens of different procedures to install nail-fin windows[…]Read more
Preventing Mold After Water Damages Your Home
The only thing worse than discovering your home has been water damaged is realizing that the damage has increased exponentially through mold. In less than two days, mold can begin to form in the recesses of your house after even minor water damage. Preventing Mold After Water Damage requires that you take immediate action to[…]Read more
10 Major Energy Retrofits
The best time to make major energy retrofits (also called deep energy retrofits) is during a renovation. This is when you’re making major changes to the building, and probably getting a building permit. Ideally, the house will be vacant during this process. Here are 10 major energy retrofits that should be part of every home renovation job. 10 Major Energy[…]Read more
Flood Recovery and Renovation
Dry and Decontaminate Quickly Flood recovery begins with drying and decontaminating the home as quickly as possible after the flood recedes. Materials like carpet, sheetrock, ceiling tile, insulation, and fiberglass ducts are almost never salvageable because you can’t decontaminate them. Begin by removing these wet materials. If the flood submerged the interior, cut a horizontal line at least 12 inches[…]Read more
Choosing Roof Designs for New Buildings
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 Moisture, and to a lesser extent heat, can degrade[…]Read more
Adult-Learning Experiments – 10 Findings
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 outdated traditions. Ms. Colvin-Clark challenges these old models with recent research about how students, and especially adults, learn. Building Expertise is based[…]Read more
Rainscreens and drainage planes
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 building assemblies. What are rainscreens? Builders often provide a 3/4-inch air space between siding and the water resistive barrier (WRB) as[…]Read more
Possibilities for Wetting of Cellulose Insulation Part 2
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 cellulose insulation causing permanent damage due to shrinking, slumping, and very slow drying. Moisture adsorption into a hydrophilic material, expressed as[…]Read more