The greenest insulation yet may be on the horizon. It’s natural, involves no hydrocarbons, yields almost no toxic waste, and takes very little energy to create. Not only that, it will improve the quality of indoor air and can be grown. This new insulation is mushroom insulation. It is being pioneered by Eben Bayer and […]
Construction Spending: Improvement Spending Shows Strength
Revisions to the seasonally adjusted improvement spending data shows that improvement spending has grown during the spring at the highest pace since 2007. The new data supports the conclusions of the National Association of Home Builders after their remodeler surveys suggested that the market conditions were improving. The Census construction spending report showed that May […]
An Epidemic of Duct Disease and Enclosure Problems
When an HVAC unit breaks down in most houses, the occupants call a technician and that technician in turn focuses on getting the air conditioning back on as quickly as possible. The problem is, there are generally deeper problems in the home that contribute to why the HVAC unit broke down in the first place […]
Water Softener Salt Smarts
Travis Larson has a house with a lot of iron in the well water. This well requires a water softener to make the water palatable and prevent rust stains under the house’s faucets. Over the course of twenty-five years, a house like this has required two water softener replacements, but it is possible to get […]
What’s New with Water-Resistive Barriers
Tyvek housewrap was invented in 1955 by Dupont and commercialized in 1967, but was still new enough a product and idea in the early 80’s that representatives from DuPont found it necessary to send representatives to the New England Builder journal to get the message about their product out. The product, the Tyvek housewrap, was […]
Resistance May NOT Be Futile in the Residential Ventilation Wars
Last summer, Dr. Max Sherman reported in a presentation for the Building America Technical Update meeting that, “ASHRAE 62 is the only national consensus standard document there is. Follow 62.2. Resistance is futile.” It is a bold statement, and one that has been dug up for articles pertaining to the “battle” on residential ventilation. Sherman […]
Insulated Rooflines and Shingle Temperatures
When the subject of insulated rooflines rather than vented attics comes up, one concern is the house’s shingles. Roofing companies claim that shingle lifetime is reduced drastically when the shingles are unable to conduct heat from the sun downwards. The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) addressed this subject in a review on the need […]
Designing Houses That Keep Their Cool
For many locations, summer means high temperatures and often high humidity. Some places, like Death Valley, which has been forecasted for temperatures near a world record high, have hotter summers than others, but whatever summer looks like in your area of the country, chances are good than an air conditioning system is an important part […]
NAHB Study Identifies Top 10 Features for Upscale Homes
A recent article from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) looks at an analysis of a long list of features that home buyers consistently rated in a survey of “What Home Buyers Really Want.” These features included aspects from all around the house, from the type of windows to the type of development in […]
Single-Family, Multifamily, Home Improvement Spending All Up
Private residential spending increased to a seasonally adjusted $328.6 billion in May, which is the fastest pace of residential construction since 2008. The pace is 1.2% higher than the estimate from April and a whole 22% higher than last year to date. This is a total increase as well, including all three components of residential […]