All Details

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.

Weather Barriers done right means weather barriers that go to work on more than just sunny days

Walls that can drain and dry last a lot longer than walls that stay wet.

Walls that dry are walls that last for a long, long, time.

Two packages for high performance homes. Vented and unvented roof insulation retrofits and exterior wall insulation details along with rainscreen wall details for furring strips.

Walls that can drain and dry last a lot longer than walls that stay wet. An air gap between the siding and sheathing lets both dry independently. Furring strips are one way to make that air gap.

Retiling a tub surround is a common remodeling project because tubs have a track record for quitting early

How to detail the foam at corners and connections when tightening the energy efficiency of an old house

The biggest crack in the house, revisited for #ThrowbackThursday

Warm and dry basement living space begins with keeping the basement dry—duh. All moisture from outside must be directed away from the interior walls and slab.

Wrapping an old house in a blanket of insulation is a no-brainer when you're replacing the roofing and siding anyway

 #ÜberRoof: A site-built ventilated SIP roof sandwich. 

A four dimensional detail drawing of an insulated and damp-resistant basement slab

The WRB is a BFD when choosing where to put the window

Integrating a new drainage plane into an existing one is not as easy as it looks on a phone, but you've got to start somewhere, right?

It's easy to air seal the middle of the wall where there are no gaps, cracks, or joints. The edges are a different story, especially when one edge is wood and the other is concrete.

Regular walls just won't cut it anymore. Higher-achieving energy codes mean higher-performance walls, airtightness targets, and home energy rating system (HERS) scores. Here are six improvement targets to shoot for.