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The BS* + Beer Show: Windows Part II – Installation Details
One of my favorite recent discussions on the The BS* + Beer Show followed a presentation I gave on what to look for in windows. Not only did I like…
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Covid-19 Is Laying Waste to Many U.S. Recycling Programs
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the U.S. recycling industry. Waste sources, quantities, and destinations are all in flux, and shutdowns have devastated an industry that was already struggling. Many items…
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Getting Slab-Edge Insulation Right
Slab-on-grade perimeter insulation, or slab-edge insulation, is one of the most commonly abused construction details. When installed properly, this insulation offers significant improvements in energy efficiency and, perhaps more importantly,…
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We Need Zero Energy Communities
Although the coronavirus pandemic has dominated recent headlines, climate change hasn’t gone away. Many experts are calling for a “green” economic recovery that directs investments into low-carbon energy sources and…
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Ban On New Gas Connections in Massachusetts Town Fizzles
An attempt to bring a ban on natural gas connections in new construction from California to Massachusetts has collided head-on with state law. Last November, the Boston-area town of Brookline…
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Case of the Missing Spray Foam
Aun Safe settled on spray polyurethane foam as the best way to turn his attic into a conditioned space. Although the open-cell foam between the 2x8 rafters would not be…
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The BS* + Beer Show: The State of the Industry
We took a poll at the beginning of last week's BS* + Beer Show and asked how people felt about the state of the residential building industry. Most people replied…
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An Old Homesteader Looks Back
I’ve always had an optimistic approach to human and environmental problems. My attitude probably reflects the influence of the social movements of the 1960s and early 1970s—the trends which shaped…
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Study Equates Greater Wealth With Greater Carbon Emissions
A new study of 93 million U.S. homes finds a big gap in greenhouse gas emissions between affluent and poorer households and says emissions goals in the Paris Agreement will…
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Why Air Conditioning Vents Sweat
Back in the summer of 2005, I got a call to figure out a moisture problem in a new house. The homeowners took me into the master suite, where my…
