Overlapping tapes with gravity in mind keeps water out of the house

Left-, right-, and straight-cutting snips with single- and compound-leverage each have their place on a jobsite

The first layer of foam is mostly an insulation layer; the outer layer is the air barrier and drainage plane. This video is about the first layer.

A retrofit solution that works great for a low-skill workforce—like volunteers

Paint-on waterproofing membrane, physics, and forethought protect an old window—and allow future maintenance—while sealing a big hole in a wet and windy wall

If you can't build to stay dry, build to tolerate wet

Make a route for drainage, protect the structure, and use water-tolerant materials to rebuild

Putting a window in the hole means sealing around the edges, too

How to bend a lock-hem drip edge on a sheet metal brake

Raised heel trusses and a sealed roof deck make a fast energy efficient roof system

Stop rot with house wrap​

Peel and stick Z-flashing and some padding pushes a ledger flush with the face of the thick panels. A cover sheet of peel and stick completely waterproof the ledger before the deck is framed 

Continuous exterior insulation means smaller studs and higher performance

Cold tape doesn't stick and hot tape stick like sh—well, you know what it sticks like.

Flashing a wood-framed chimney is like flashing a dormer, except there’s no roof behind it. Without protection, water can leak into the joint and rot your walls to direct uphill water away