Recent Q&A

• Spiders, flies, ladybugs, hornets and beetles

  I have just installed both range and bath vent fans and 4 passive air inlets. We live in big orchard and farm country where the flying and crawling insect populations…

• Wedi replaces green board and cement backer?

  http://us.wedi.de/_shared/_pdf/infomaterial/zum_herunterladen/wedi_technical_handbook.pdf Any thoughts on the use of the Wedi or Fundo systems? Looks like puting it over drywall will make a bathroom stand up better to bulk water, spray, and…

• Please demystify cellulose grades and quality

  Please demystify cellulose grades and quality ... why use one cellulose brand over another? I need the best for dense packing, new construction dry material install and I want it…

• Sealing PEX and PVC pipe penetrations

  I am reposting this to the Code section; not getting an answer in General Questions. What do I use to meet code-required fire blocking and good weatherizing/air sealing for the…

• Air sealing and fire blocking PEX and PVC penetrations

  What do I use to meet code-required fire blocking and good weatherizing/air sealing for the circumferential individual tube/pipe and ganged tubes (a cluster of tubes), penetration gaps for PEX-to-wood (and…

• Finding the cold and hot spots in the envelope with an infrared thermometer

  I asked a few weeks back for advice on an affordable infrared detector for finding cold spots to pinpoint infiltration problems, heat loss and insulation effects. I found a mid-range…

• Do I have to clean out and replace the Great Stuff?

  I have been back-side and edge sealing and also sealing the gaps on the inside of electrical boxes with Great Stuff Door and Window (low expansion foam). Then today I…

• Warming passive make-up air for exhaust only ventilation

  I need advice on where to locate and how to condition (or at least protect occupants from the cold flow) incoming make up air. I need to bring the rigid…

• Controllng infiltration through entry way doors

  在我caulked-to -death cottage, there is annooying air infiltration around my front and back doors. The inflow increases when exhaust fans are turned on, the negative pressure results in the…

• Blowing dense-packed cellulose into Larsen truss walls and open rafter bays

  This is what is keeping me up at nights: Larsen trusses have no stud cavity walls and in my building the trusses are also open to the rafter bays (i.e…