EnergyStar Checklist: Videos, Podcasts, Articles

A closer look at using moisture-resistant materials for wet locations.

Thermal shorts and good design don't mix

Regular walls just won't cut it anymore. Higher-achieving energy codes mean higher-performance walls, airtightness targets, and home energy rating system (HERS) scores. Here are six improvement targets to shoot for.

With blower door tests in the building code, it is up to more than just the insulators or the GC to deliver results: many trades have a stake.

The biggest crack in the house, revisited for #ThrowbackThursday

A carpenter's take on less wood in walls

When using lumber to frame a building, less is more, more or less. Less wood and more thought

Tight makes right behind tubs and showers—because they can be *ruff* to retrofit

The biggest hole in the bathroom

Walls that can drain and dry last a lot longer than walls that stay wet. An air gap between the siding and sheathing lets both dry independently. Furring strips are one way to make that air gap.

Walls that dry are walls that last for a long, long, time.

Walls that can drain and dry last a lot longer than walls that stay wet.

Old walls are wavy. Old walls with a lot of foam on them are easy to make flat.

Large flat panels of fiber-cement make a modern-looking siding. Metal track keeps the lines clean

Why a rain screen wall is important to the energy and durability detailing on a Passive House.

Felt, furring strips, and flashing keeps rain out of the walls

What you need to know about wood siding, stucco, stone, and brick installations. From one of the top design/build/remodeling companies in the US.

Rain is the biggest water threat that houses face, but there are some slow and steady mechanisms that can snowball on you, too

Weather Barriers done right means weather barriers that go to work on more than just sunny days

Sealing the layers—and overlapping them right—is how high-performance building gets done

A closer look at using moisture-resistant materials for wet locations.

For walls with a pre-applied weather barrier, make sure the tape is compatible with the WRB coating—or use a primer

Glue the rim joist, caulk the gaps, and overhang the wall sheathing to tighten this leaky building assembly

Outside insulation is an effective way to keep heat in. The devil is in the details, such as this one

The biggest crack in the house, revisited for #ThrowbackThursday

A tight path to the outdoors keeps the indoors fresh and you can call it a day because you’re one step closer to the Energy Star

Keep mechanical equipment within the envelope to improve the quality of houses and homes

How to reduce ice dams, improve thermal performance, and boost the durability of homes with vented, insulated attics

Regular walls just won't cut it anymore. Higher-achieving energy codes mean higher-performance walls, airtightness targets, and home energy rating system (HERS) scores. Here are six improvement targets to shoot for.