Which is worse, metal through-wall flashing or a big ‘ole insulation gap?

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This holds true for building science details as well. As best-practice research from Passive construction standards is making its way into mainstream building codes, there are some simple (yet elusive) mentality shifts……

Underperformance Of Tilted Glass Units

This is one of those cases where the label performance should not be taken at face value: U-value of glass units – if the glass is meant to be installed horizontal or with a tilt angle. The analysis shown here……

Energy Demand vs Load in Passive House | Monday BS

Do you use the terms “demand” and “load” interchangeably? Well… stop. 🙂 There is a subtle yet important difference, and the closer you get to Passive House level the more it matters! Join Emu Mariana for this week’s Monday B.S.……

The impact of thermal mass vs insulation | Monday BS

A common misconception, especially in the world of sustainable or “green” building, is the impact of thermal mass vs thermal insulation. A lot of this confusion comes from well meaning design movements like “Passive Solar” and earthships. Often, in single-family……

Anatomy of an ERV | Monday BS

Monday B.S. (Building Science) with Emu Mariana – Jan 10, 2022 Ever curious about these mysterious HRVs and ERVs that everyone in the Passive House world is always talking about? Tune in for a simple breakdown of this key element……

Thermal bridging of I-Joist vs Larsen Truss

I-Joist vs Larsen Truss: Does it make a difference for exterior high R-Value insulating? Many high-performance buildings, when addressing the issue of super-insulation, will opt for traditional 2×6 stud framing with an added layer of exterior insulation to help reach……

Construction Moisture Management: Catch Up or Lawyer Up

Moisture in buildings has become increasingly worrisome for construction professionals in recent years. American buildings are subject to a wide variety of defects related to water in its different forms – liquid, vapor and sometimes snow and ice. These range……