Building Envelope Handbook

Outside insulation is an effective way to keep heat in. The devil is in the details, such as this one

One of the biggest air leaks in a house is where the wood meets the concrete

Five videos about how to install a subfloor over thick insulation without sleepers.

You can't simply go down to the hardware store and buy a box labeled air barrier

Vapor barriers cause a lot more harm than good in many parts of North America. Understanding vapor barriers begins with knowing what it means to be one

A thermal bridge is an area of the building enclosure—whether it be the walls, roof, or foundation—that has significantly higher heat flow than intended.

A three-pronged solution to indoor pollution: Isolate, eliminate, and ventilate

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

The science of stickiness: a molecular look at tape's adhesive and cohesive properties

Wall beds are a great way to add utility to a spare room. The hardware is the heart of the system

Condense all of the critical measurements of a room onto the sides of one stick

The two-part bottom panel assembly is about aesthetics, not structure

A lot of pocket screws hold the sides and bottom ribs together  

A strip of hardwood hides the joint and customizes the look

Install the front-facing panel and movable legs to the mattress box

A little extra space helps, and can be tightened with a washer if needed

Assembling a big box with a big back that anchors the bed cabinet to the wall

Adjust the boxes to the hardware, and then to each other. Rotating the panel gives a little extra wiggle room

The general idea of installing windows is to plug the big hole that you just cut in the wall.

A monolithic layer of protection for holes in walls

In some ways, the first world is quite far behind.

Water often finds its way into holes in the wall. It is your job to help it get out.

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

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

The complete video collection on insulating, air sealing, and installing windows in a superinsulated sunroom addition in Wayland, MA

Glue the rim joist, caulk the gaps, and overhang the wall sheathing to tighten this leaky building assembly

Snap a line, put the panel on the line and nail it, tape the seams, and where to snap that line in the first place.

For walls with a pre-applied weather barrier, make sure the tape is compatible with the WRB coating—or use a primer

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.

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

Belt, suspenders, rainscreen, and redundancy make this wall awesome.

This collection of videos and animations covers basic wall framing as the first stages of a double wall house with 12-inch thick exterior walls. The jobsite was in Scarborough, Maine, climate zone 6A.

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

Roofs peel off from the edges, so it is critical to hold them tight

Moving air keeps unwanted heat and moisture out of your roof system

Like an out-of-plumb wall, an insulated and unvented roof can work well—or not.

Snap a line and stick to it

Decking the field and delegating responsibility

The nuances of measuring are what separates the kids from the carpenters

Tape layers should overlap shingle-style up the roof  

Flashing must extend all the way from the wall to the outside. Oh yeah, and it has to be watertight and eight people have to work on it...