Can I Compress Insulation?
Compressing fiberglass provides more R-value per inch, but reduces the overall R-value.
Builder Insights / Blog
Category / DIY
Underlayment Installation Tips
If you are laying sheet vinyl or vinyl tiles over your subfloor, a layer of subfloor underlayment will need to be installed. It’s imperative that your underlayment is installed correctly and remains pristine; any dents, bumps, nails or edges will show through the flooring. There are some tricks you can employ to ensure that your underlayment layer is properly installed.
Top 4 Air Sealing Hotspots for Effective Building Envelopes
Your time is money, so knowing where to focus your air-sealing efforts will help you to achieve the desired results in a blower door test.
Fiberglass Batt Installation Tips
Fiberglass batts, when installed properly, can provide exceptional value. Here are some tips to getting the most out of your insulation:
How to Build for Major Wind Events
If you live in an area that is prone to wind events, you can build to mitigate damage to property and risk of injury.
Maintaining Professionalism When you Don’t Know the Answer
Discovering gaps in your knowledge is great as it helps you to improve and research areas that will make you a better builder and a better construction manager.
The Importance of Attic Ventilation
Ventilating your attic is key to reducing moisture and avoiding mold. Attic ventilation is a critical factor to ensure that moisture and hot summer air issues are addressed correctly. This will help to preserve the structural integrity of your roof system, reduce energy costs in the warm summer months, improve the effectiveness of your insulation in the winter months and prevent the formation of ice dams.
Should you Use Propane Heaters to Dry Buildings?
Often builders will use a propane heater to dry paint, drywall mud, etc. but what happens when hardwood is installed right after with no time to allow the house to dry?
Raised-Heel Trusses Save You Money and Time
One way to work smarter is to build using raised-heel trusses. From the APA: “Also known as energy-heel trusses, raised-heel trusses deliver cost-effective energy performance especially when combined with continuous plywood or OSB sheathing.”
With Blower-Door Tests,Timing is Everything
If you have been administering your blower door test at the end of your build, then you may be missing out on an essential opportunity to make your building envelope even tighter. Doing two blower-door tests; one mid-way through your build and one at the end, will give you a unique opportunity to fix cracks and holes before they get covered over by insulation and sheetrock.
