DIY Green Home Improvement » New Homes

Whether Wood Weathers

Peterbilt — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:40:05 +0000

Subtitle:

Solar degradation of lignin at wood’s surface is the single most important factor affecting the weathering of wood and subsequent paint adhesion

Images:

The weathering of wood is very different from decay; weathering is breakdown at the surface only. While there are a number of forces that contribute to weathering of wood—moisture, temperature, abrasion by wind-borne particles, air pollution—it’s the narrow band of high-energy ultraviolet light in sunlight that is the dominant force (see Image #1).

What bare wood looks like when cut or milled

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Tweet This

How Heat Moves Though Homes

John Straube — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:05:28 +0000

Subtitle:

Space-age radiant barriers, like ceramic paints, work great in the vacuum of outer space, but here on Earth, heat moves by conduction, convection, and radiation, simultaneously, all the time.

Images:

This podcast series is excerpted from a two-day class called “Building Science Fundamentals” taught by Dr. Joe Lstiburek and Dr. John Straube of Building Science Corporation.

Podcast NID:

How Heat Moves Though Homes

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Tweet This

Efflorescence is a Sign of a Foundation With Water Damage

JoeLstiburek — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:55:44 +0000

Subtitle:

The white powder on the surface of brick, block, and mortar between rocks is water and salt attacking these porous materials. In new construction you can prevent it — in old houses, you can only control it.

Images:

This podcast series is excerpted from a two-day class called “Building Science Fundamentals” taught by Dr. Joe Lstiburek and Dr. John Straube of Building Science Corporation.

Podcast NID:

Salt and Water Can Crumble Any Masonry

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Tweet This

Air Barrier or Vapor Barrier? – Building Science Podcast

JoeLstiburek — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:23:50 +0000

Subtitle:

Air leaks are a big source of moisture problems that lead to bugs, mold, and rot in homes

Images:

This podcast series is excerpted from a two-day class called “Building Science Fundamentals” taught by Dr. Joe Lstiburek and Dr. John Straube, of Building Science Corporation.

Podcast NID:

Why Homes Need Air Barriers To Stay Dry

Related items

Tweet This

Get Certified as a Master Green Professional

Peterbilt — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:13:09 +0000

Subtitle:

GBA is the engine behind the building science half of NAHB's new certification

Images:

As part of a new Master Certified Green Professional designation, NAHB worked with GreenBuildingAdvisor to develop a rigorous training course covering green home building, full of building science and quality construction details. This course premiered at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas just last week.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Tweet This

Will solar panel mounts cause roof leaks?

Building Science — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:11:23 +0000

Subtitle:

When Monica from New Jersey learned that her solar installer plans to drill 54 holes in her south roof, she wondered whether she should worry about roof leaks

Images:

Our latest Question of the Week comes from a homeowner in New Jersey. Monica is uncertain of the best way to insulate the roof of a new second-story addition on her Cape Cod home. She wonders whether it’s wise to insulate directly under the roof sheathingMaterial, usually plywood or oriented strand board (OSB), but sometimes wooden boards, installed on the exterior of wall studs, rafters, or roof trusses; siding or roofing installed on the sheathing—sometimes over strapping to create a rainscreen.
— especially since the mounting system for her photovoltaic(PV) Generation of electricity directly from sunlight. A photovoltaic cell has no moving parts; electrons are energized by sunlight and result in current flow. array requires 54 holes to be drilled in her asphalt shingle roof.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Tweet This

Can a Kitchen Downdraft Fan Be Connected To an HRV?

Daniel Morrison — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:11:26 +0000

Subtitle:

Heat recovery ventilators bring fresh air into a house while exhausting stale air. Builders pull stale bathroom air through HRVs all the time — but what about greasy kitchen air?

Images:

Powerful kitchen exhaust fans do a good job of removing cooking odors and smoke. They also have the potential to depressurize a house, causing water heaters to backdraft and pulling ashes out of the fireplace and onto the hearth.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Tweet This

Can Spray Foam Rot Your Roof?

Daniel Morrison — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:43:53 +0000

Subtitle:

In the Q&A forum, Nick from Louisiana asked why these icicles appeared after he spray foamed the underside of his roof.

Images:

When northern builders see icicles, they think “ice dam.” Heat from the living space leaks into the attic and melts snow on the roof; the water runs down the roof until it gets to the colder eave, where it freezes. When water backs up behind the ice dam at the eave, it can get under the shingles and leak into the interior.

In the north, icicles are often a sign of trouble.

In New Orleans, however, there is usually no snow to melt. Icicles coming out of a roof here represent something different. But they are still trouble.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Tweet This

Germany-Based Modular Home Supplier Sets Its Sights On America

Builder Magazine: Modular — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:19:21 +0000

Huf Haus opens a sales office in Cleveland and is pursuing affluent clients who seek something out of the ordinary.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Tweet This

Factory-Built Green Housing

Builder Magazine: Modular — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:06:40 +0000

New World Homes offers traditional house styles that combine off-site building with high-level performance.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Tweet This