Blog
Hi all — hoping to tap into some collective experience before I finalize a solar shade order. The situation: I’m replacing solar shades on a large south-facing (slightly east) window on the 13th floor, directly across from the beach, so it gets intense, sustained sun and heat. I’m looking at 5% openness fabric, and I’m […]
Hello! We are getting ready to install siding and are going to use the Everlast Board and Batten product. It has a (small) integrated rainscreen of about 1/8″ (20mm), and we are pairing that with HydroGap for a little bit of additional drainage. While we would have loved a full-on rainscreen, it was not going […]
Hi everyone, Building a “Pretty Good House” in Climate Zone 5. Attic is specified at R-60 blown cellulose, with a 6:12 roof and currently a 22″ raised/energy heel. Builder suggested eliminating the raised heel to save money, saying almost the entire attic would still be R-60 and only the perimeter near the exterior walls would […]
MALCOLM TAYLOR | Posted in General Questions on September 5, 2026 07:21pm A bit academic for me as I’m not in the climate zones where they can be used, but I’m curious: Where the ports are used, and the permeable insulation is at the roof line, is there any need for either a vapour-retarder or […]
I will soon be insulating and finishing an interior scissor truss ceiling in climate zone 7 with a vented attic above. The bottom truss chords will be insulated with rockwool batts and cellulose will be blown in above the batts. Siga Majrex will be used as an air barrrier and is properly draped over all […]
Editor’s note: The following article by Allison Bailes originally appeared in Fine Homebuilding #265, March 2017. While many discussions about ductwork focus on wasted energy and comfort, this article explains why poorly designed or leaky duct systems can also affect indoor air quality, occupant health, and even combustion safety. It’s well known that leaky, poorly […]
We are building a 1½-story home in Houston (Climate Zone 2) and are trying to achieve a high-performance building enclosure without using spray foam. Our current design is to insulate at the roofline using R-38 Rockwool between the rafters, with vapor-diffusion ports at the roof ridges for moisture control. The HVAC equipment, humidifier, and ductwork […]
Still sealing this rim joist and have run into this gap between double joists, which, unfortunately, I have a few of. As you see in the photo below there is no access to the cavity between the joists so I think my only option is to drill holes where I can and blindly fill the […]