Houses cannot expand and contract with changes in pressure like balloons can. Instead, they need paths for air to balance the pressure

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

Condensation is when moisture in the air hits a cool enough surface to convert the vapor into water.

As houses are built tighter, they exchange less air between inside and outside. This saves energy, but the inside air can get stale if you don't have a fan and a plan

Stack effect is relentless: it is always working, when you’re awake or asleep, even during blackouts. And it feeds on itself.

 

Holes in walls amount to big walls full of holes unless you seal the hole after you make it

Direct the heat toward the feet

Built tight and verify. And then ventilate.

Floor plan dictates hood placement, roof framing dictates fan placement

To suck air from under a slab, the slab must be airtight

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.

Sorry, no cell service ...

A super efficient heat pump with a GWP of 1

Like kitchen bath remodels, it involves plumbing, ventilation, electrical upgrades, waterproofing, and building inspectors

You can dig in to the roof without adding more insulation, but you can't dig far

Range hoods are a key player in the kitchen mechanical system: If they are not tied to a makeup air system, they make their own.

Be economical, direct, and don't get kinky.

Yes. Brett Singer, a scientist with the Indoor Environmental Group at Berkeley Lab explains how pollutants get into the air from cooking and his group's research to clear the way for a rating system for range hoods.