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I’m building a shop-over-garage building in climate 6B, with 90 psf ground snow load. Due to some design constraints on height and cost, I’m not doing a fancy hot roof with vented overroof. Instead, it’s basic cathedral ceiling construction: sawn rafters with batt insulation; vapor membrane between finished ceiling and rafters; plywood deck, underlayment, and […]
Hi everyone, I am in the situation of having a poured concrete retaining wall connected to the foundation, causing an unavoidable thermal bridge through the concrete into the conditioned space. The design intent was to insulate the exterior of the foundation for all the known beneficial reasons, but this unavoidable thermal bridge has me questioning […]
Hi All, Young architect here trying my best to employ some better design principles. Working on a gut renovation of a 1940s detached single family home in northern Queens, NY. It is 3,000sf spread over 2 stories, plus cellar, and occupiable attic. The house is getting new self-adhered WRB (air barrier), spray foam to make […]
BSC’s detail for a backdam are shown in the page below. A reasonable go-to is a rip of 1/2″ plywood that also acts to lift the stool/sill upward a bit. Then an interior air seal around all four sides of the window, from the “wrap” to the window unit. I strongly recommend having *either* a […]
Product Guide Aftermarket controllers promise remote control, energy tracking, and smarter scheduling for ordinary electric water heaters. I installed one on my own aging water heater to see how well the technology works By Randy Williams | July 10, 2026 Many seasonal homes and cabins sit empty for days or weeks at a time, yet […]
How Data Centers and AI are Impacting Communities’ Utility Bills and Air Quality The explosive expansion of generative AI is driving massive electricity consumption, prompting utility companies to delay fossil fuel plant retirements and pass infrastructure costs onto regional ratepayers. By Abbe Ramanan June 26, 2026 Data centers — large buildings filled with computer servers, […]
Intermodal Shifts and Retail Consolidation De-Carbonize Logistics Freight Leveraging 3PL orchestration, intermodal rail conversions and weigh-station bypass software allow shippers to slash transport emissions while boosting margins. By Dutch Fry June 09, 2026 Shaping a more sustainable supply chain doesn’t just benefit the earth; it also streamlines logistics, maximizes efficiency and cuts costs in the […]