Recent Q&A

• Ductwork for Whole-House Dehumidifier

  I am building a 6000 sq ft house in Alabama. Downstairs is about 4000 of those sq ft. On one of the two A/C units downstairs, we are installing a…

• Tankless water heater – mount inside or outside?

  I am in middle of a 6000 sq ft home build in Alabama. Will be using 2 tankless water heaters. I have space available to mount inside attic but could…

• Whole house dehumidifier – where to install?

  I am currently building a 2 story, 5400 sq ft home in Alabama where humidity is often high. We will install a whole house dehumidifier ("WHD") as part of the…

• Should I spray foam the underside of the floor in my crawl space?

  I have a 1450 sq. ft. lake house in Alabama built in 1964. The crawlspace is not ventilated nor is it encapsulated. Its about 24-36" high. There is only dirt…

• Fireplace in tight house

  I have just starting building a new house which will have an Isokern fireplace. The hose will be relatively tight with ZIP sheathing and spray foam insulation. Besides opening a…

• Window SHGC in Zone 3

  What is a reasonable goal for my windows' solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) in Zone 3. Obviously in Alabama, we want to minimize heat gain to save on A/C costs.…

• Sheathing and insulating a new house in Zone 3

  I am about to build a house in central Alabama - zone 3. I want an efficient house and it seems every house I've seen built around this area merely…