Prior to this a lot of people (including myself) felt that adding any insulation anywhere on a building was a net environmental benefit. I.e. that the energy savings to the building was so great that it made the enviro impact of the foam trivial. Sorry planet! Calculating the Global Warming Impact of Insulation Subtitle: If you insulate with certain types […]
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Last one for the night
Maria recently took this shot of this lovely bathroom we completed in the spring. That's right, sometimes people pay us to do something other than crawl around attics. Or at least they pay Abel, Steve and June. View this post on Google+ Post imported by Google+Blog for WordPress.
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Apparently we recently completed the biggest shell upgrade in the NJ Home Performance…
Apparently we recently completed the biggest shell upgrade in the NJ Home Performance with Energy Star program. Installed around 80 sheets of Thermax. While I'm sure Dow loves us, I have mixed feelings about putting totally impermeable stuff on below-grade walls. AFAIK, Thermax is the only rigid foam that can be left exposed in virtually any part of a home […]
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Quick and dirty work shot from a job today
This is pretty much the detail we've settled on for air-sealing at the eaves. We chop down an accuvent baffle, extend it past the exterior wall plate, then seal the wall plate to the baffle with single part foam. This detail could probably be used on >80% of US houses. The only unfortunate bit is that the vertical height at […]
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Awesome Robert Cialdini interview about reducing energy consumption using behavioral…
Awesome Robert Cialdini interview about reducing energy consumption using behavioral change. I think our program (NJHPwES) is pretty good. But unfortunately it neglects the behavioral side. Cialdini argues that this is the most cost-effective way to reduce energy consumption. Never mind what people believe — how can we change what they do? A chat with Robert Cialdini When it comes […]
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>100 mpg on just gas, street legal, and $25k.
Reshared post from +Jesse Smith >100 mpg on just gas, street legal, and $25k. WIKISPEED – Notable Facts Any and all donations and support to Team WIKISPEED (WIKISPEED Inc.) are treated as micro-investments. If we realize profit, we commit to repaying all of you plus any return responsible, so that if we… View this post on Google+ Post imported by […]
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Great article from Martin Holladay on GBA
Energy guru Marc Rosenbaum posts in comments. Heat pump water heaters are interesting. We're currently sub-metering hot water consumption on a couple of homes. The goals are to project savings from switching to heat pump water heaters from oil or electric resistance, and if worthwhile, appropriately size the heat pump water heater based upon current usage. This type of analysis […]
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Just received the latest JLC, which is one of my favorite construction magazines….
Just received the latest JLC, which is one of my favorite construction magazines. From their article, "Energy-Efficient Modular": "We didn't really save much money by building modular, because it's the finishes … that tend to drive up costs." Ahh, the siren song of profitable prefab housing. Here's my thesis. The post WWII housing boom led to incredibly efficient building techniques. […]
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Custom Shelving
These shelves were designed to house books and items while maintaining the apartment’s contemporary feel. The client wanted the shelves to appear as though they traveled throughout the apartment, rather than featuring themselves neatly in one plane. The added third dimension provided by having the cabinets turn against the right-hand wall and sweep away up high presented interesting detail challenges, […]
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Tags Contemporary, Design, Shelves
Replacing Windows while Insulating the Wall Assembly
This video shows our method of installing replacement windows in the new-construction style while increasing the insulation levels in the wall and taking care of a few other technical problems. One benefit of the system is that you can pause for as long as you like between installing the window and insulating/re-siding the walls. This opportunity arises through the installation of […]
