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Unvented cathedralized attic (UCA) assemblies, created by eliminating ventilation and by moving the thermal insulation and air barrier from the ceiling plane to the rafters,… Read More

This paper examines methods of using hygrothermal models, primarily WUFI, to assess the impact of energy efficient enclosure upgrades on the durability of historical buildings. Means of producing and… Read More

Providing rigid insulating sheathing to the exterior of a wall assembly is a technique that has been used in cold climates for more than 40 years. Recently it has begun to be integrated… Read More

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

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… 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… 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… Read More

 I feel the earth move under my feet1 To state the obvious earthquakes are a major threat to the structural integrity of homes.  New homes and existing homes need to be connected to… Read More

Stucco over concrete masonry units (“CMU’s)1 aka “block walls” is a Florida thing….that sometimes migrates north.  We know a lot about how they work…but sometimes we forget…  And then… Read More

My pappy said, “Son you’re going to drive me to drinkin’ if you don’t stop framing that hot rod1 buildin’…” Have you heard the story of the frame wall race Where spruce and pine were settin… Read More