The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes
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A Better Name for Friction Rate
Last year I wrote some articles on duct design and one of the topics I covered was this thing called friction rate. At the end of that article, I discussed…
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Pete’s Product Puzzle: Cetco RX-101 and Sika 703
What's the scary thing about the two products in the photo above? The scary thing is that it is rare to find a residential builder or architect who has seen…
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The Two Main Flaws With Kitchen Ventilation
Energy efficiency is a gateway drug to building science. When you really start learning about it, you come to the inescapable conclusion that there's so much more to making homes…
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R-10 Vacuum-Insulated Glazing
For twenty years or so, companies like Pilkington (Spacia) have been cranking out R-5ish (center-of-glass) vacuum-insulated glazing (VIG). The attraction of glazing units with a very thin profile, relatively low…
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What Is the Relative Humidity When It’s Raining?
Serious question here: Have you ever thought about what the relative humidity is when it's raining? I've heard people say it's 100% because, well... because it has to be. It's…
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How Much of Your Life Do You Spend in Buildings?
Back in 2004, as I was immersing myself in the world of building science and green building, I took the U.S. Green Building Council's exam to become a LEED Accredited…
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Professor Straube on Moisture Physics
The 22nd annual Westford Symposium on Building Science (a.k.a. Building Science Summer Camp) happened two weeks ago. And it began with a bang, as Professor John Straube expounded on moisture…
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The Basics of HVAC Zoning
Last year I wrote five articles in a series on duct design and ever since, I keep getting requests to continue it. Here’s a link to the first article in…
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Pinless Moisture Meters
I got a call the other day from a builder client, who said, “Hey Peter, a new homeowner of mine is super-worried about moisture and mold and is getting scary…
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What Exactly Is a Low-Load Home?
I found out last month that the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) is working on a new design manual. You certainly know of some of their other manuals: Manual…
