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This pamphlet is designed for members of the residential construction and remodeling industries, as well as owners and managers who work in affordable housing. It presents building guidance for both… 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

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

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

 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 foundations to… Read More

Don’t get hit by a wave1….Don’t get too wet…and…Make sure you dry…The best way to design for floods is to build in places where you don’t get floods. Yeah, right. We have gotten pretty good at… Read More

Five Integrated Pest Management Strategies to Consider Pests include insects and animals that have a harmful effect on humans, food or living conditions.  Pests include insects, termites, ants,… Read More

One of the most common foundation approaches to residential construction are concrete basements.  They can be insulated on the inside or the outside.  The basis of all basement foundations is as… Read More

Where Does The Vapor Barrier Go?You have a concrete parking garage under a building.  You have to insulate the underside of the structural slab between the building and the parking garage.  The… Read More