Insulating / Guides

...insulating glass windows may be a game-changer Suspended-film insulating glass windows are an intelligent way to make windows super high-performance with insulating properties up to R-17, without adding too much weight for window frames to cope with . Since air is an insulator, trapping it (or gas) between two or mor...

...Insulating below slab-on-grade foundations Why insulate under a slab on grade foundation? For comfort, and to save money, that's why! In many areas Building Code has fallen behind common sense on what specification of insulation to use under a slab , It is common to install as little as R5 insulation below slab floor...

...insulating additives] are making claims that defy the laws of physics. " - Alex Wilson "There is poetic justice to a story in which a distributor of “insulating” paint ends up shivering during the winter and sweating during the summer because of the ineffectiveness of his worthless paint." - Martin Holladay "Everyt...

...Insulating a basement is a great idea if it wasn't insulated when built , as before we began insulating foundation walls and below slabs (see slab on grade) , it was generally estimated that basement heat loss accounted for about 1/3 of the total heat loss of a house. It is likely that such an abysmal starting place ma...

...Insulating crawlspaces: The best way to insulate a crawlspace would be to do it from the ground up and consider it just part of the conditioned space as you would with any basement. We make no secret of the fact that we aren't huge fans of spray foam due to the emissions associated with it (with exceptions for eco-fr...

...insulating walls The most important thing to remember when insulating exterior walls during renovations, is to be sure not to trap moisture between two vapor barriers . If a home already has a vapor retarder or vapor barrier, it’s important not to add another vapor-impermeable layer on the opposite side of the wall t...

Hemp insulation manufactured in Canada! Nature Fibres is a young company based in the town of Asbestos, Quebec, which began manufacturing hemp insulation in the winter of 2018. As the town’s name suggests, it was heavily reliant on the manufacturing of asbestos, but those mining and manufacturing facilities are clos...

WATCH MORE sustainable building VIDEOS Once a decision has been made to choose between a crawlspace or a slab foundation , you need to know how to finish the edge off durably. Typically the exterior edge of a slab on grade is made of EPS foam and can be parged. Having used rigid Rockwool panels meant we needed a...

Framing lumber choices for building homes Framing lumber, also known as structural wood, is the grade of wood used for house framing (studs, Larsen Trusses for Double-Stud walls , headers, roof trusses and floor joists, etc. as well as in timber frame construction). Its technical characteristics make it perfectly su...

...insulating a home will add cost of course, up until a certain point. With such extreme insulation , builder Forest Pearson was able to avoid the cost of installing a furnace and ductwork, instead opting for a modest amount of baseboard heaters - not our favorite as baseboard heaters can be noisy, but if fixed they can ...

...insulating your hot water pipes. Your hardware store should have 4-foot lengths of foam for your pipes, make sure you get the right dimension. They’re super easy to install and often come with an adhesive that requires simply pulling off the tape and pressing it together. This is a fast and easy upgrade assuming yo...