Air Flow Pathways in a Leaky Bathroom Wall
Last week I spent a lot of hours in my bathroom. I was sick. Really. I was sick and tired of having an outdated bathroom that was beginning to fall apart. So when my wife hit the road last Monday…
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2 Home Performance Music Videos You Just Gotta See
Today I have a special treat for you. These two music videos give a whole new meaning to the term "home performance." The first one came out in 2009, just as the ARRA program was about to crank up. The…
Foam Insulation and Global Warming, Part 3
Well, I really stirred things up with my last article on insulation and global warming. My intention was to explain why Alex Wilson's results could be doing a disservice to the green building community. In the end, I was rightly…
Adventures in Hotel Bathroom Ventilation
I always look at the bathroom ventilation when I'm staying in hotels. Last month I was at the Air Barrier Association conference in Baltimore and took the photo above. Can you tell anything about what might be happening by looking…
The Humid Climate Conference Is Gonna Rock!
The first ever Humid Climate Conference is being held next month in Austin, Texas. Kristof Irwin and I have been kicking this idea around for a couple of years now, and he's making it happen. It's a one-day event on…
Does Your Water Resistive Barrier Really Resist Water?
A water resistive barrier (WRB) provides protection against water damage for water that gets behind the cladding of a building. But what if it doesn't really resist water? I've written a lot about installation problems that can lead to compromised…
A Vivid Demonstration of the Benefit of Exterior Insulation
A couple of weeks ago I caught up with Anthony Cox at the Air Barrier Association conference in Baltimore. You may know Anthony as the inventor of the House of Pressure, a great model for demonstrating backdrafting, zonal pressure differences,…
The Misleading “Science” Behind Heat and Insulation
Conventional thinking says putting insulation in a building prevents heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. This comes from the 19th century physicists who invented the laws of thermodynamics. The second law of thermodynamics in particular gives us…
Down and Out Is the Rule for Draining the Rain
I'm seeing more and more projects with house wrap where the installers do the window details properly. Or at least better. The photo above shows the house wrap lapping over the flashing tape at the top of the window. Often…
The Tale of the New Mexico Dehumidifier
Last Friday I did a workshop on HVAC design and installation best practices for the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico. They had a great crowd in attendance. I told them why I was on crutches (the polar bear…