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When it comes to dispelling the myths about green building, the proof is in the energy bills.
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Modest investments in existing buildings can reduce carbon emissions and utility bills by as much as 20 percent or 30 percent, yet few affordable rental property owners are making the necessary changes. Financial incentives and visible benefits are necessary to move energy efficiency forward.
When Trus Joist introduced the first engineered I-joist in 1969, it wasn't to save the planet. It was to help save a building industry that depended on huge, old-growth trees that were quickly becoming scarce and more protected by regulators.
Of the many principles incorporated into green building, moisture management is key to succeeding in at least two: health (in terms of avoiding mold) and durability (in terms of avoiding premature deterioration of materials). And while the business of building homes gets more difficult and more comp...
A narrow lot, a bay view, and a full range of green features shape this Martha Rose construction home.
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When builder Mike Scarlett signed on to participate in the HBA of Greater Dallas Green Built Parade of Homes, which debuted in September, he had never so much as built an Energy Star house. But he rose to the challenge, hiring a consultant to help him decode such eco-measures as spray-foam insulatio...
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Technology and Commonsense Design Are Your Dest Defenses Against Moisture
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The increasing demand for eco-friendly homes is driving interest in building materials and methods that conserve energy. One such product is spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation, with manufacturers reporting double-digit growth annually.
Most builders know by now that as homes have gotten tighter, indoor air quality has declined. Brian McElroy is proving you can have it both ways.
Today a working knowledge of daylighting needs to be part of every lighting designer's skill set. But in fact, Daylighting is a broad term that encompasses many methods and techniques. This article explains some of the fundamental principles of daylighting with windows and clerestories, aptly termed...
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As the general manager of a custom home builder in Orlando, Fla., Mike Williams is very familiar with concrete and steel as building materials. His usual routine, as it is for most Gulf Coast builders, is to construct a first level of masonry block over a concrete slab foundation and then top that w...
The pleasure afforded by a lovely view has always come at the expense of thermal efficiency, glare, and compromised security, a meager tradeoff for the many favorable attributes that windows afford. They frame scenes of the natural and manmade environment, and they let natural sunlight permeate our ...
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Don Ferrier is your customer, even though he doesn't buy the bulk of his framing lumber from you anymore. In fact, except for what he needs for interior walls, Ferrier doesn't buy framing lumber at all. For the envelopes of the half-dozen custom homes he builds every year in the Fort Worth, Texas, a...
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Mold growth in homes is the hot topic in the home building industry today. Headlines tout the danger of exposure to mold in our homes and at work. A member of the fungi family, mold comes in thousands of varieties and exists in every indoor and outdoor environment. It is a natural and necessary part...
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It all started with the goal of building an affordable, healthier, more durable, near-zero energy home that could resist natural disasters and be faster to build than a standard wood-frame house.
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Jonathan Katar of Sage Builders in Newton, Mass., agrees that now is the time for reform, whether required by law or not. But he thinks the emphasis should be on the building science of green remodeling--for example, insulation, on-demand heating and cooling systems, and water-saving plumbing. The m...
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When San Dimas, Calif.-based North American Residential Communities began installing radiant barrier sheathing in its homes, the builder's managers noticed a difference in their workers' break-time habits. Employees used to eat their lunch in the shade of the homes they were building, but now they s...
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The term “high performance” likely conjures up an image of a car, one that's sleek and speedy, with an extremely powerful engine. The expectations surrounding such cars are high, which is why their allure is so strong.
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Neighborhoods used to be built this way. Back in the day, at the turn of the previous century, there were no developers, no master plans, and no model-home complexes with a choice of six floor plans. Houses would go up individually on roomy lots, respectful of the regional style and the scale of wha...
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Structural insulated panels are an energy-efficient framing alternative.