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The answer depends on where you live. Whirlybird vents rely on the wind for air movement. No wind, they are simply a static vent. Lots of wind without the proper size attic air intake (soffit vent), and they will suck on the house to make up the air that is being pulled out. The results […]

Code Green Energy codes have improved dramatically on paper since 2006—but weak enforcement and unclear implementation mean many homes never achieve the performance the IECC intends. By Robby Schwarz | March 13, 2026 I’ve been helping builders comply with energy codes since before the 2006 IECC. I became involved in the code-development process during the […]

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We use cookies and data to Deliver and maintain Google services Track outages and protect against spam, fraud, and abuse Measure audience engagement and site statistics to understand how our services are used and enhance the quality of those services If you choose to “Accept all,” we will also use cookies and data to Develop […]

We use cookies and data to Deliver and maintain Google services Track outages and protect against spam, fraud, and abuse Measure audience engagement and site statistics to understand how our services are used and enhance the quality of those services If you choose to “Accept all,” we will also use cookies and data to Develop […]

We use cookies and data to Deliver and maintain Google services Track outages and protect against spam, fraud, and abuse Measure audience engagement and site statistics to understand how our services are used and enhance the quality of those services If you choose to “Accept all,” we will also use cookies and data to Develop […]

We use cookies and data to Deliver and maintain Google services Track outages and protect against spam, fraud, and abuse Measure audience engagement and site statistics to understand how our services are used and enhance the quality of those services If you choose to “Accept all,” we will also use cookies and data to Develop […]

Hello All: We will be breaking ground in 2 months (May 2026) for our 1,500 sq ft, 2 story home in western NY State. But we have an issue with the radon mitigation system to be installed under the basement floor slab. We intend to put in a 5-inch layer of washed stone (grains approx […]

A few months ago, I asked about my wall assembly (Vapor barrier on interior with rigid foam exterior – GreenBuildingAdvisor) TLDR: Wall assembly is: Steel siding – House wrap- 1″ exterior continuous insulation (taped and glued) – 6″ steel girts with 6″ R19 in the cavity, plywood/drywall covering the wall. The consensus was go ahead […]

I have a house I’m building that requires a couple of the 2×6 exterior walls to have 1/2” OSB on either side of the wall for shear resistance. The wall will have R21 fiberglass batts inside. Exterior has a furred out rain screen assembly for ventilation and a vapor permeable WRB. I’m in climate zone […]