Energy Efficient Construction

Energy-Efficient Construction

• Mystery Inspector 7: Is a 2x4 Header for an 8-Foot Opening Too Small?

  A quick look at some framers who get energy-efficient framing right.

   

• How to Install Fiberglass Batt Insulation

  For the best insulation performance, install with care.

   

• Mystery Inspector 6: Simple, Neat Air-Sealing for Plumbing and HVAC

  An inspection of a Maryland jobsite reveals good air-sealing techniques put into practice.

   

• Mystery Inspector Visits Arlington, Va.

  Over the past decade as better building practices have worked their way into the code, and as builders and consumers have become more interested in energy-efficient construction, it has been interesting to see if the practices that we write about in magazine articles make it to the job site.

   

• Mystery Inspector 1: Wasteful Wall Framing

  An unsuspecting production builder is the object of our inaugural sneak peek. We visited a multifamily jobsite over the weekend to have a look at quality measures being implemented by one of America’s biggest builders. The houses are framed, plumbed, wired, ducted, and in the process of being...

   

• Mystery Inspector 2: Air Sealing Electrical Boxes

  How to get a tight air seal and provide insulation at electrical boxes like light switches in new wood frame construction.

   

• Mystery Inspector 5: Ductwork Done Right

  Sealed ductwork saves energy and keeps indoor air clean, and the materials you use make a difference.

   

• New Barrier Offers Easy-to-Use Protection for Window Corners

  Ease window installation with this wall-integrated system that creates a seamless barrier around corners.

   

• A Prefab House Adapts to Changing Weather Conditions

  Dynamic D*Haus can open up into different shapes to expose more walls to sunlight.

   

• 10 Business Trends That Will Shape Housing in 2013

  Builders were growing again in 2012, but new challenges lie ahead.

   

• The Chemical Industry Weighs In on Buildings’ Energy Efficiency

  A new report about lowering greenhouse gas emissions is part alarm, part product pitch.

   

• Revitalizing the Nation with Urban Construction

  A new book posits that America desperately needs a peacetime challenge, and building entirely new cities could be it.

   

• High-performance builders need to offer energy efficiency; comfort

  As homes get better at keeping the outdoors at bay, high-performance builders seek better ways to deliver indoor comfort and energy efficiency.

   

• A New Label to Declare Building Products' Contents

  A West Coast–based certifier's new content label allows manufacturers to declare their products' contents in an effort to promote greater transparency.

   

• Reducing Buildings' Greenhouse Emissions Will Require a Global Effort

  A new survey of real estate and construction executives finds that cheap energy and lax regulations are obstacles to creating more-efficient buildings.

   

• Unity Homes Launches, Aiming at Affordable High-Performance

  The new builder has lofty growth ambitions, made possible by its panelized construction process.

   

• Seeking Building Material Alternatives in the Natural Order

  Scientists turn to biomimicry to devise better, safer products.

   

• Materials Supplier Gives Strapped Cities a Reason to Reuse Vacant Lots

  AmeriSus kicks in $2,500 for every house built with its kits.

   

• Sizing up Green: Combining Big Size With Sustainability Goals

  VertHaus, a New Jersey green developer, retrofits homes on spec. In this example, the home's footprint increased from 2,300 to 5,000 square feet. Can it still be considered green?

   

• A Modular Unit for a Shifting Population

  At 400 square feet and free of the grid, the structure offers unique solutions to some of society’s upcoming challenges.