Brian Pontolilo

Brian Pontolilo has spent nearly a quarter-century as a journalist, writer, editor, and producer covering residential design and construction at Fine Homebuilding magazine and GreenBuildingAdvisor.com. Brian has a degree in professional writing, worked for a short time at local newspapers, and as a novice in landscape construction, painting, and carpentry before coming to the Taunton Press, and during the many breaks he has taken from office life. On his most recent hiatus from full-time employment, Brian designed and built a net-zero-energy house in northwest Connecticut following the Pretty Good House philosophy. He rejoined the FHB staff once again in the summer of 2023.

Recent Articles

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  Product Guide

  Another Look at Residential Water Leak Detectors

  Some of these devices are more than a leak alarm—they can help protect your plumbing, understand water usage, and diagnose plumbing problems

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  Best Practices

  Building Mistakes to Avoid, Part 2

  Builders share lessons learned from building science–related failures to help others safeguard a home's performance

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  Best Practices

  Building Mistakes to Avoid, Part 1

  From missing flashing details to incomplete roof venting, understanding how things go wrong is a good initial step toward getting them right

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  Building Matters

  Variations on the Larsen Truss

  Builders continue to innovate around this decades-old method of framing a wall that puts insulation to the exterior

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  Building Matters

  Getting Started with Air-Sealing

  More building departments are beginning to require verified air-sealing. With a little information and planning, even builders new to blower-door tests can do much better than code. 

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  Product Guide

  Things to Consider When Choosing Insulation

  With implications on the building envelope, the environment, and installer and homeowner health, R-value is just the beginning

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  Building Matters

  Who’s Using Advanced Framing?

  Value engineered framing uses fewer resources, saves money, and creates more space for insulation. Here’s how some regular GBA contributors use these techniques.

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  Building Matters

  Thoughts for Owner-High-Performance Builders

  We live in an age when all the information you need to design and build a great home is at your fingertips. And still, the gaps between knowledge and experience are humbling. 

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  Building Matters

  Getting Mudsills Right

  For a great start to your framing, pay strict attention to the mudsill. Know the codes, mark and measure with accuracy, provide a capillary break, and plan for air-sealing.

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  Product Guide

  Water Leak Detectors

  Smart devices are more than a leak alarm, they can help you understand your water usage and diagnose plumbing problems