Begin with the end in mind. And some construction materials, too.

Here’s how to stiffen walls that are too narrow to resist the force exerted by high winds and earthquakes.

This Roomba-like device can navigate a room and print complicated layout on the floor.

Tie the walls to the foundation, the floor to the walls, and add shear strength for lateral support

Better insulation, drier walls, lower HERS scores, and labor savings.

A collection of five videos on a Passive House Retrofit in Sharon, CT (climate zone 5) executed by Ben Bogie, Built to Last, LLC

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

The most effective (and easiest) time to detail the air barrier is during the framing stage. If it isn't specified during design, ain't no way the framers are gonna get it right.

A collection of details that make sense for most framers to incorporate into their SOP—based on feedback from framers who do it a lot.

Six tips for clean and accurate decking cuts

18 Videos, articles, and animations showing you how to get through Section 1 of the Energy Star Thermal Bypass Checklist. It is about the continuity between various components of the air barrier system and the thermal envelope.

 

The non-structural requirements are pretty simple for guard rails: if there's a fall hazard, make a guard, and keep it such that it will actually stop people from falling.

 

Framing a roof with I-joists over the existing roof makes a ton of room for insulation and offers a short lesson in vapor movement through assemblies

Screwing I-joists to the outside of a wall—really—makes a lot more room for insulation on a deep energy retrofit in NW Connecticut

 

Yup—just drill a hole, add a piece of copper wire and drive the screw home

A film on the many aspects of woodworking that go into building things with wood—including a pre-robot look at technology displacing workers

You get paid for what you do and what you know. Turns out, the more you know, the more you can do.

 

A tight air barrier is the best way to build an energy-efficient house. Outside the sheathing are many chances to make it better.