Recent Q&A

• How to for simple flat interior trim

  What's the best way to do interior flat (rectangular cross-section) trim, particularly for where door casings and base meet?I think typically, trim around windows and doors is set up with…

• Attic access

  I'm considering using a hinged gable vent to provide attic access. The building code references I've come across seem to specify the size, headroom and "readily accessible". I haven't found…

• How best to model and heat/cool a 2-floor space?

  What is the best way to model the heating & cooling loads of a 2-floor space with a mezzanine? I have an "A-frame" 1.5 story with a 2-story cathedral ceiling…

• Remodel insulation retrofit, mixed approach

  Hello everyone. We're remodeling our home on the coast of NC in warm-humid zone 3. Our house is a 1.5 story with 8" (7.25" actual) rafters which currently has a…

• Does applying spray foam require removing sheetrock from rafters?

  We are in climate zone 3 warm-humid coastal NC and are renovating our house, including air sealing and improving the roof insulation. We have a 1.5 story house with a…

• Air sealing the rafter-joist intersection on a 1.5-story house

  First off, I'm in Zone 3A, Warm Humid, Waterfront Coastal. Design temps are 89 and 29. I own a 1.5 story that has the usual knee walls and unsealed/poorly insulated…

• Vapor-reducing sealer for concrete / brick?

  My house is in zone 3, marine/coastal, on the water, so really humid much of the year. The house is on pilings with the ground level a concrete slab with…