Wide tape spans the many layers of a thick wall to make an air tight and water tight seal

Window banks need to line up neatly for the trim to work out. Foam walls add the extra possibility of compressing the backing. So there's that.

 

Adding brick to the outside of a house complicates insulating outside a slab. So Insulate inside.

An affordable insulated slab foundation suitable for climate zones 4, 5, and 6

A superinsulated sunroom might sound like an oxymoronic idea, but it is not. Just use triple glazed windows and thick foam over the wall framing and roof

A deep energy retrofit in Concord, MA illustrates everything you need to know to bring a house to energy überville

Built tight and verify. And then ventilate.

You can't stop heat flow, but you can keep your floor from becoming a big ol' heat sink

The final step: center it in the opening, and seal the perimeter

Flashing an In-Betweenie window is a lot like flashing an Innie or an Outie, only it is somewhere in between

Blowing a thick bed of insulation into an attic is really a two-person job, but you can do it by yourself if you have to

An affordable insulated slab foundation suitable for climate zones 1, 2, and 3

A few really cool tricks and a Master Class at the end 

The air sealing process for a high performance home with double-stud walls. 

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

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

Thermal shorts and good design don't mix

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.