Continuous exterior insulation dramatically cuts energy use. It is also required by code in much of North America. Installing siding over it is the trick, and stucco is no different. In this video, the master plasterer walks us through a couple of options for stucco over thick exterior foam.
Two WRB solutions help to build resilience into the mix. Add a rainscreen, four cladding options cover to the walls, and a sticky roofing membrane under a standing seam metal roof, and you have a resilient little home.
Bringing an old house up to date energy-wise can improve comfort and energy performance.Adding insulation over the walls and roof makes a continuous thermal barrier while burning your thermal bridges.It includes replacing the siding and roofing and detailing the windows.Wrapping a house in foam can also cause headaches if not done thoughtfully: make sure that the air, water, and thermal barriers are working together, not against each other.Trapping moisture in a tight house means #BugsMoldRot
Protradecraft traveled to the home of Building Science Corporation founders Betsy Pettit and Joseph Lstiburek, aka Dr. Joe, to film a replacement window replacement scenario not seen very often.
Building codes have a bad rap for causing more complexity, cost, and confusion in the construction process, but if you know the code, you can find ways to circumvent high OSB and Plywood costs
The premier season of Weatherization Nation was shot in NW Washington DC where we tore off an unfortunate addition to the back of a 70+-year-old brick house, and we added a two-story addition which nearly doubled the living space.
