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Structural Insulated Panel Systems (SIPS) are prefabricated building panels consisting of plastic foam cores sandwiched between two skins, typically oriented strand board (OSB) or plywood (Figure 1… Read More

Garages were once easy to deal with.  Their function was to store a vehicle.  Not anymore.  Garage space is becoming too valuable for just vehicle storage.  They are becoming part of the house and… Read More

Below grade water management is necessary for all below grade spaces.  Yes, we were here before (BSI-125: Concrete Basement Foundations – July, 2021), but we covered only two approaches – the most… Read More

So here we are…ready for the “big show”…but not quite at the big show.  Think of it this way…to get to zero energy conservation takes us most of the way…and the last bit is the renewables piece.  We… Read More

Water is weird…and I point this out in an admiring manner…  Water by itself is weird…it is a “polar molecule”…think “tiny magnets”….but when it changes phase from a liquid to a solid or from a liquid… Read More

Snap, Crackle and Pop are beloved gnome characters…cartoon mascots of Rice Krispies breakfast cereal produced by a small company you might have heard of…Kellogg’s1.  Rice Krispies are one of the best… Read More

Where foundation insulation is on the exterior of foundations and touches the ground it needs to be protected.   Yes, this should be obvious, but it is often overlooked.  One of the most overlooked… Read More

To vent, or not to vent…that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer  The slings and arrows of outrageous moisture, Or to take arms against them And by opposing end them.  To… Read More

At the most basic level a building is an environmental separator – it keeps the outside out and the inside in.  Why?  Well, sometimes the outside sucks and we want to keep it from getting into the… Read More