Thermal comfort / Discussions

...thermal mass in homes for energy efficiency. We were hopeful that phase change drywall with wax beads would make more of an impact in the green home building community than it has just yet, so if you or anyone knows of any new PCM materials on the market please let us know in the comments section below! While clearing ...

I took off the trim around a sliding door during the summer in search of a pesky cricket, I found the cricket but I also found big gaps between window and frame work, it looks like there might be caulking around windows and door on the outside. Now I'm wondering if there is any insulation around any of the  windows and...

...thermal bridging through the rough opening, they are best set inside a bit. You can see a thermal image of heat loss through windows on this page. And have you chosen windows yet? We have a page on how to choose the best windows and what to look for in window performance. Choosing triple pane windows instead of double ...

...thermal mass inside the home, so if you invest in a very efficient wall assembly and airtight building envelope, you can often wait out a heat wave (at least on the main floor) without the need for artificial cooling, as the concrete absorbs the ambient heat from the home. That and even a small localized heat pump may ...

Earlier posts regarding the Kenogami House talked about using a phase change thermal battery, to avoid overheating during sunny winter days that provided too much passive solar heat. How well did that experiment work at collecting excess heat?   It was also mentioned using the radiant hydronic floor, moving purposely h...

...comfortable, and there are really only minimal differences between the comfort that different systems will deliver. I would base my choice of systems mostly on cost and ease of installation, along with design considerations of the house. Warmboard sounds like a system worth considering if you desire radiant floor heat ...