The Thermal Bridge To Nowhere
Let's play a little game today. Take a look at that photo above. See anything that bothers you? No? Well, pretend that you're the heat in the house once everything is finished and people are living in it. Does that…
insulation
Guest Post: What Causes Ice Dams and Icicles?
Guest post from Nate Adams, founder of Energy Smart Insulation in Mantua, Ohio. Guest post from Nate Adams, founder of Energy Smart Insulation in Mantua, Ohio. It's that time of year again: Two nice sized snowstorms have hit here in…
Highlights from Joe Lstiburek’s 2012 Experts’ Session on Spray Foam
Spray foam insulation evokes some interesting conversation among building science professionals, those in construction, environmentalists, and homeowners who have it in their homes. Many think it solves all problems, no matter how poorly it's installed. Some think it's helping to…
Where Were the Control Freaks!? Suspended Ceilings Are Air Leaks
You know how sometimes people ask, "Where were the adults?" In the field of building science, I've got a new question: Where were the control freaks? It's not nearly as well known as it should be, but buildings need to…
Habitat for Humanity Leads the Way to Affordable, Green Homes
Habitat for Humanity is showing that affordable housing and high-performance homes isn't an either/or choice. They've been doing great work and going in this direction for a long time, but in the past 5 years, they've really stepped it up…
Fail! — Ignorance of Building Science Is No Excuse
One of the great things about writing this blog is that I don't have to depend only on material that I've personally seen. Because I'm "semi-famous" (Thanks, Dan!), people occasionally send me photos of building envelope and mechanical systems stuff…
A 20 Year Old Energy Efficient House Goes to Net Zero in Florida
Steve Larson, a builder and home energy rater in Florida, recently sent me an email with his energy bills for February through July of this year. When you subtract out the monthly service charges, he paid only $5.35 for electricity…
BCAP Provides Nice Energy Code Resources for 10 Special States
BCAP is the Building Codes Assistance Project, the organization that provides the Online Code Environment and Advocacy Network (OCEAN). I wrote about them last year and all the great work they do, including their weekly email updates* for those who…
Be a Controlling Building Enclosure Control Freak with Control Layers
Frank Lloyd Wright was a control freak. This was a guy who not only designed houses but also all of the trim details and even the furniture. No, you're right. That's not really enough evidence to convict him. The really…
How to Grade the Installation Quality of Insulation
Six years ago, RESNET published a major revision of the HERS Standards, called...wait for it: the 2006 National Mortgage Industry Home Energy Rating Systems Standards. One important new feature in the standards was the grading of insulation installation quality. Before…