A Cold Climate Construction and Energy Blog
I am currently working on a blog post for Green Building Advisor where I will be testing a few different tapes in cold weather applications. That article will appear here, on my blog, after it has published on GBA. In preparing for that test, I’ve learned a few things I thought I would share.
I learned about a company called BRINC Building Products, Inc a couple years ago. They had developed a solution for how to attach windows when using exterior insulation. Normally we would build a wood buck to move the rough framing out to the plane of the exterior insulation. Continue reading “Construction Materials-ThermalTight”
Last winter, during the International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas, I found a garage ventilation system that I thought would work well for humidity control in my very cold climate. Continue reading “Construction Materials-Humidex Garage Ventilation”
I have now had the opportunity to work with the three smart vapor retarders available in the United States. Each has there own qualities. They all work in cold climate construction. But…my in opinion there is a good, better and best. This blog will outline my impressions of each. Continue reading “Construction Materials-Smart Vapor Retarders”
When I first started in the construction industry, more than 20 years ago, adding water and air membranes and sealing the exterior of a home was in it’s infancy. Sure, adding tar paper or felt to the exterior of a home had been around for many decades, but the use of Tyvek and Typar were fairly new and a lot of builders and homeowners were confused about how they worked. Continue reading “Construction Materials-Fluid Applied WRB/Liquid Flashings”
As some of you know, I hold a journeyman’s electrician license in the state of Minnesota. During my trip to the International Builders Show recently, one of the most interesting new products I saw happened to be a new type of circuit breaker. I know, exciting! Actually, this new technology goes well beyond protecting some electrical circuit or piece of equipment. Continue reading “Construction Materials-Electrical Overcurrent Protection”
This is a recent Instagram post, an update to the AeroBarrier blog I posted back in September. Continue reading “Construction Materials-Aerobarrier Update”
Expanding spray foam is a two-part chemical process involving isocyanate and poly resin, which when combined in the right mixture will expand 30 to 60 times it’s liquid volume. Continue reading “Construction Materials-Spray Foam”
I recently wrote a blog post titled Building Science-Building Shell Layers-Vapor Control Layer. This blog is going to expand on that discussion with information on several choices of vapor retarders. Continue reading “Construction Materials-Vapor Retarders”
Those of you who have been following my blog know I am big on-air sealing. That 10% to 40% of heating and cooling costs are due to air leaks statement I keep talking about. Air sealing does more than save money. Indoor air quality can be improved, building occupants are more comfortable, and durability of the structure is often better. Continue reading “Construction Materials-Aerobarrier”