The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes
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Seizing an Air-Sealing Opportunity
The number one thing you need to do to protect a building is control water. As the Canadian building scientist Gus Handegord said, "The three biggest problems in buildings are…
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Can Buildings Take Vacation Too?
This question has come up several times in the last few years: what sort of moisture issues do we need to be concerned about if a building is “shut down”…
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The Best Reason to Have an All-Electric Home
Maybe you've heard the rumblings coming out of the environmental and building science crowd. Maybe not. But it's getting louder lately. The rumbling I'm alluding to is the move to…
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Wingnut Testing of Soffit-to-Ridge Venting, Round 3
In the first two rounds of soffit-to-ridge vent Wingnut testing (see Round 1 and Round 2 ), I used a simple and small easel test rig to simulate what happens…
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How to Look at a House like a Building Scientist (Part 2: Heat)
This article is the second in a series on various building diagnostic tools used to sleuth out problems in buildings. If you missed it, you may want to read Part…
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Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral (Part II)
In part I of this blog, we looked at some puzzling examples of unidentified substances from buildings I have investigated over the years and discussed how sometimes it is challenging…
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How to Look at a House like a Building Scientist (Part 1: Air)
This article is the first in a three-part series on how to use various diagnostic tools to sleuth out problems in buildings. The work I do for Building Science Corporation…
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The Third Worst Place to Put a Duct
If you want to design and install a duct system to create problems, the possibilities are endless. I've certainly written about a lot of them (as well as how to…
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Sleuthing a Basement Moisture Problem
That photo above is from my basement. In case you missed my last article, I just bought a 1961 ranch-style house in Atlanta and am embarking on the wonderful building…
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Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral? (Part I)
There is black mold that looks a lot like particulate and both or either can show up on fiberglass insulation associated with air leakage. See the image below. There is…
