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Greetings all, In my upcoming garage/workshop build in 20878 (Md.) I’m planning on using 2″ of Comfortboard 110 or Foamular 250 under slab, vertically inside my stem wall, and vertically between my slab edge and stem wall.  In the latter location, the insulation will serve as both insulation and expansion joint, which if I understand […]

I have one additional energy, efficiency, and vapor barrier question for the expert community. One story 125 year-old house in a cold climate in Northern Michigan..  We are removing old worn out Fiberglass batt insulation in the rafters above the master bathroom so that we can blow in loose fill cellulose at a significant level. […]

Product Guide The first new Minneapolis Blower Door to enter the market in decades looks to simplify how we test building tightness By Randy Williams | September 23, 2026 My first blower door—which is still in operation today—was The Energy Conservatory’s Model 3 Minneapolis Blower Door paired with a DG-700 manometer, which I purchased in […]

Best Practices We already know how to build better homes. The challenge is building them consistently enough to refine the process, reduce risk, and improve performance over time By Emily Mottram | September 22, 2026 If you spend enough time in residential construction, you start to notice a pattern. Every project is treated like a […]

1″ PEX is pretty stiff, but should still work. The thing that helps you here is that PEX is *very* strong in tensile strength. You could pull it with hand labor, or use a “chugger”, which is what electricians use to pull long runs of heavy cable. A chugger can easily pull with enough force […]

New York Allocates $1 Billion to Building and Clean Energy Programs The package includes $500 million for building upgrades and thermal networks and $300 million for solar and public renewable-energy projects. By Danielle Naidu September 23, 2026 Energy-efficiency upgrades, heat pumps, solar installations, food-waste reduction and agricultural resiliency projects will receive funding through a $1 […]

hi- looking to rebuild my house and want to end up with a high performing build, close to passive as possible. Trying to educate myself and every turn is a brand new question. I live on the northern part of the Jersey shore, between a couple rivers and few miles from the ocean. Climate zone […]

DIY homeowner here looking for some guidance on a 100 year old cabin, located in zone 6b near State College, PA.   Single story, 38’x20’ wood framed cabin sitting over an open foundation.  We’ve had it for two years and I’m ready to figure out how to try and keep the floor a little warmer in […]

Q&A Spotlight Raised heels solve an insulation problem at the eaves—but how much is enough? By Chuck Bickford | September 21, 2026 Conventional roof trusses have a little geometry problem. As the top chord slopes toward the eave, the available space for insulation gets smaller and smaller. Unfortunately, heat doesn’t give you a discount just […]

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