My Passion for Building Science Education and Bad Contractors
When asked to name our passions at the conference I went to in Portland, Oregon last week, I had to think about it a little bit. I had just been discussing what it is we aim to do at a company strategy session a few days before, so that discussion came to mind. At the strategy session, I said we provide building science information to help people who want to do things the right way or who want to hire contractors who do things the right way. I knew there had to be a better way to say it, though.
When asked to name our passions at the conference I went to in Portland, Oregon last week, I had to think about it a little bit. I had just been discussing what it is we aim to do at a company strategy session a few days before, so that discussion came to mind. At the strategy session, I said we provide building science information to help people who want to do things the right way or who want to hire contractors who do things the right way. I knew there had to be a better way to say it, though.
As we went around the room last Thursday morning, I rolled that thought around in my head and it suddenly struck me. I knew what I was going to say when it was my turn. After telling them my name and a little about Energy Vanguard, I said, “And my passion is to make life difficult for bad contractors.”
Because that’s what we do. I write about a lot of the stupid things I see done wrong in houses, like you see in the photo above. They installed the windows before the house wrap, which mean they won’t be able to flash the windows properly. John Straube calls this “tucking your raincoat into your pants.”
My dream is that some day most of the people building and improving houses will understand that the control layers in a building enclosure need to be complete and continuous. I want to see mechanical systems where the distribution side gets as much attention as the equipment. I long for the day when airtight houses with mechanical ventilation are the norm.
To get there, we have to make life more difficult for bad and lazy contractors.
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Allison – once again you have
Allison – once again you have hit the nail on the head. It’s not only the contractors doing things wrong, it’s doing things wrong and lying about it on inspection reports because they think the regulations and standards are too onerous and burdensome. "We always do it this way! Never hurt before! The stupid rules are causing all the problems!"
There are bad and lazy
There are bad and lazy contractors, sure. But there are also contractors that are simply uneducated or misinformed. <br /> <br />Many contractors are just folks that are doing it because they got a job swinging a hammer out of high school. Eventually they got a truck and went out on their own. <br /> <br />My little brother is an example. He used to work for a HVAC parts company. Then one of their customers hired him. Now he runs his own heating and air shop. A few years ago I was visiting him at his house in the Sacramento valley. He had a shiny new A/C unit sitting in the garage, ready to replace his old one. I also found out that the house didn’t have any insulation in the walls, and only 3" or so in the attic. I couldn’t convince him to return the unit and work on the envelope first because he "got a great deal" on the unit. Ever been in the CA delta in summer? I’m not sure the thing ever worked correctly. <br /> <br />Can we expect contractors to help their customers to make buying decisions that may mean losing business? Should an HVAC contractor tell their customer to insulate and air-seal their house before replacing the A/C, even though it may mean that the new A/C might not be needed anymore? Should training in building science and building systems be required to get a contractor license? Where are the manufacturers when it comes to informing and training contractors? I think there’s plenty of blame to go around, and unfortunately the home owner is stuck in the middle.
<b>Paul R.</b>:
<b>Paul R.</b>: Yep. There’s plenty of that. <br /> <br /><b>Darrel T.</b>: You’re absolutely right. My point is that I want those contractors to feel pressure from homeowners who know that the building enclosure should come first or that distribution systems matter. I want contractors to be aware that there are other ways to do things that work better. I want contractors who invest the time and money to learn to do things right to be rewarded for that and not to feel like they have to jump into the race to the bottom. In other words, the pressure should NOT be on the good contractors to lower their standards. It should be on the other contractors to get better or find another line of work. <br />
"They installed the
"They installed the windows before the house wrap, which mean they won’t be able to flash the windows properly. " <br /> <br />Aparently, if they used Zip they could have installed the windows improperly faster.
<b>Greg L.</b>:
<b>Greg L.</b>: There’s an important difference between house wrap and Zip, though: Liquid water can and does get behind house wrap.
And Liquid water does not get
And Liquid water does not get behind tape? Tucking your raincoat into your pants is ok, if you tape it? <br /> <br />I’m not seeing the difference.
Allison, best wishes in your
Allison, best wishes in your quest to improve contractor behavior. <br /> <br />" … there had to be a better way to say it … " <br /> <br /> a) Are you sure you want a negatively stated mission statement? <br /> <br /> b) It seems you’ve discovered that "Energy Vanguard" has become "New Construction Vanguard". <br /> <br />The interest in energy efficiency is there but mainly in the context of construction techniques. <br /> <br /> c) To achieve properly built structures that are energy efficient, the game is won or lost in the commissioning of the project and the monitoring of progress once construction begins. What would have been helpful is some sort of checklist to guide the discussion and help the building owner and the contractor to address certain critical issues in both the design and the construction of the project. I’m not thinking about the building codes, just the key points and "pet peeve" issues. Maybe such a check list(s) exists. Does it?
<b>Greg L.</b>:
<b>Greg L.</b>: If you do a good job installing the right kind of tape, then yes. The difference is that liquid water won’t get behind the Zip membrane, but it can get behind house wrap. Tape on top of house wrap does nothing to stop water behind the wrap. If you don’t like tape, Huber sells a liquid-applied flashing. <br /> <br /><b>w d</b>: (a) It’s not really a mission statement. Just a thought about what drives me to do what I do. <br /> <br />(b) The one example I used above is from new construction, but you’ll find lots of info about existing homes here, too. <br /> <br />(c) I’d say "the game is won or lost" in the design stage. Commissioning is definitely important, but by then it’s often too late to do much. The checklists used in the ENERGY STAR new homes program are a great starting place, whether or not the home is going for that certification. <br />
Allison – once again you have
Allison – once again you have hit the nail on the head. It’s not only the contractors doing things wrong, it’s doing things wrong and lying about it on inspection reports because they think the regulations and standards are too onerous and burdensome. “We always do it this way! Never hurt before! The stupid rules are causing all the problems!”
There are bad and lazy
There are bad and lazy contractors, sure. But there are also contractors that are simply uneducated or misinformed.
Many contractors are just folks that are doing it because they got a job swinging a hammer out of high school. Eventually they got a truck and went out on their own.
My little brother is an example. He used to work for a HVAC parts company. Then one of their customers hired him. Now he runs his own heating and air shop. A few years ago I was visiting him at his house in the Sacramento valley. He had a shiny new A/C unit sitting in the garage, ready to replace his old one. I also found out that the house didn’t have any insulation in the walls, and only 3″ or so in the attic. I couldn’t convince him to return the unit and work on the envelope first because he “got a great deal” on the unit. Ever been in the CA delta in summer? I’m not sure the thing ever worked correctly.
Can we expect contractors to help their customers to make buying decisions that may mean losing business? Should an HVAC contractor tell their customer to insulate and air-seal their house before replacing the A/C, even though it may mean that the new A/C might not be needed anymore? Should training in building science and building systems be required to get a contractor license? Where are the manufacturers when it comes to informing and training contractors? I think there’s plenty of blame to go around, and unfortunately the home owner is stuck in the middle.
Paul R.:
Paul R.: Yep. There’s plenty of that.
Darrel T.: You’re absolutely right. My point is that I want those contractors to feel pressure from homeowners who know that the building enclosure should come first or that distribution systems matter. I want contractors to be aware that there are other ways to do things that work better. I want contractors who invest the time and money to learn to do things right to be rewarded for that and not to feel like they have to jump into the race to the bottom. In other words, the pressure should NOT be on the good contractors to lower their standards. It should be on the other contractors to get better or find another line of work.
“They installed the
“They installed the windows before the house wrap, which mean they won’t be able to flash the windows properly. ”
Aparently, if they used Zip they could have installed the windows improperly faster.
Greg L.:
Greg L.: There’s an important difference between house wrap and Zip, though: Liquid water can and does get behind house wrap.
And Liquid water does not get
And Liquid water does not get behind tape? Tucking your raincoat into your pants is ok, if you tape it?
I’m not seeing the difference.
Allison, best wishes in your
Allison, best wishes in your quest to improve contractor behavior.
” … there had to be a better way to say it … ”
a) Are you sure you want a negatively stated mission statement?
b) It seems you’ve discovered that “Energy Vanguard” has become “New Construction Vanguard”.
The interest in energy efficiency is there but mainly in the context of construction techniques.
c) To achieve properly built structures that are energy efficient, the game is won or lost in the commissioning of the project and the monitoring of progress once construction begins. What would have been helpful is some sort of checklist to guide the discussion and help the building owner and the contractor to address certain critical issues in both the design and the construction of the project. I’m not thinking about the building codes, just the key points and “pet peeve” issues. Maybe such a check list(s) exists. Does it?
Greg L.:
Greg L.: If you do a good job installing the right kind of tape, then yes. The difference is that liquid water won’t get behind the Zip membrane, but it can get behind house wrap. Tape on top of house wrap does nothing to stop water behind the wrap. If you don’t like tape, Huber sells a liquid-applied flashing.
w d: (a) It’s not really a mission statement. Just a thought about what drives me to do what I do.
(b) The one example I used above is from new construction, but you’ll find lots of info about existing homes here, too.
(c) I’d say “the game is won or lost” in the design stage. Commissioning is definitely important, but by then it’s often too late to do much. The checklists used in the ENERGY STAR new homes program are a great starting place, whether or not the home is going for that certification.
We’re finding inspectors that
We’re finding inspectors that simply address their latest pet peeve and sign off on the rest. This stuff you address often isn’t even on their radar. I’d like to find a way to light a fire under them just to get the bad builders up to code?
We’re finding inspectors that
We’re finding inspectors that simply address their latest pet peeve and sign off on the rest. This stuff you address often isn’t even on their radar. I’d like to find a way to light a fire under them just to get the bad builders up to code?
I agree with your premis but
I agree with your premis but I don’t know how you change without local over site with code changes. Then once you do that you take the expertise of the field experience and put into,the hands of inspectors who don’t really know real life effects only that a book said so. To many books, to many interpretations. I see this every day with the basic code. Now insert the build science Wo I don’t know what kind of delays we would face. I see RED stop works orders everywhere! I built a super insulated house in 1986 it got 13 stop work orders all because the inspectors did know or understand or care to learn. I will say this I’m doing a project now with w young kid inspector, he asked me to be patient with him so he can learn from me as we go! Imagin that the government official who is will to learn from a build! Cudos to him
You are 100% correct. It is
You are 100% correct. It is right, <br /> correct and necessary to make <br />installing difficult for contractors. <br />And one of the best ways would be for States to develop training programs for inspectors <br />and make it mandatory for codes and regulations to be enforced. <br />It is starting to work here in Mass. but a lot more enforcing needs to be done. <br />Mass. is rated number 1 in energy efficiency at this time. <br />
I agree with your premis but
I agree with your premis but I don’t know how you change without local over site with code changes. Then once you do that you take the expertise of the field experience and put into,the hands of inspectors who don’t really know real life effects only that a book said so. To many books, to many interpretations. I see this every day with the basic code. Now insert the build science Wo I don’t know what kind of delays we would face. I see RED stop works orders everywhere! I built a super insulated house in 1986 it got 13 stop work orders all because the inspectors did know or understand or care to learn. I will say this I’m doing a project now with w young kid inspector, he asked me to be patient with him so he can learn from me as we go! Imagin that the government official who is will to learn from a build! Cudos to him
You are 100% correct. It is
You are 100% correct. It is right,
correct and necessary to make
installing difficult for contractors.
And one of the best ways would be for States to develop training programs for inspectors
and make it mandatory for codes and regulations to be enforced.
It is starting to work here in Mass. but a lot more enforcing needs to be done.
Mass. is rated number 1 in energy efficiency at this time.
Another useful article!! This
Another useful article!! This practice of installing the windows first is all to common around Connecticut. I’ll send you some pictures of this nonsense.
Another useful article!! This
Another useful article!! This practice of installing the windows first is all to common around Connecticut. I’ll send you some pictures of this nonsense.