Recent Q&A

• Rigid foam and dimple mats

  My concrete contractor will be applying bituminous waterproofing tar on the outside of the basement walls up to grade. We are considering putting 4" of rigid to the exterior of…

• Second guessing ERV/HRV install

  Planning for new construction in the Finger lakes region this year. Both our architect (recommends ERV) and a local insulation contractor (recommends HRV) are advising us to install a stand…

• T&G cathedral ceiling air barrier question

  We are located in the Finger lakes region of NY and are considering T&G cathedral ceiling. Roof assembly would be Zip Roof Sheathing, un-vented roof with 7" of closed cell…

• External wall layers comparison question

  External wall layers comparison question: Zip R Insulated sheathing vs. 4" rigid foam (atop and exterior to) OSB sheathing? This is going to focus strictly on exterior, above grade wall…

• Reclaimed and factory second rigid foam

  我见过几个recommendations here and there on obtaining reclaimed rigid foam. One post actually mentioned the Syracuse area, close to where I live, so I checked…

• Solid Concrete vs Cement Block Foundation

  My husband and I are starting construction on a home in the Central New York Finger lakes region this summer. We plan to GC the project ourselves. We are seasoned…

• Conditioned Spaces vs. Unconditioned Spaces

  To better understand the concept, I recently read the article "Cool Hand Luke Meets Attics" by Joseph Lstiburek and Martin's "Creating a Conditioned Attic". I think I understand, just for…

• Is the Panasonic Intelli Balance 100 ERV a reasonable new construction DYI project?

  The Panasonic Intelli Balance 100 ERV seems to be rather new on the market, and I am looking for information on ease of it being a DIY installation project during…