Best Practices
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Getting Good Results from Fiberglass Batts
This less-favored insulation type will do a good job of slowing heat loss, if key details are attended to during installation
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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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Making Home Energy Upgrades
Guidance for choosing building assemblies and products that will reduce heating/cooling loads and operational costs
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Refrigerants: Ways to Reduce Their Environmental Impact
It’s time to go beyond leak prevention and A2L, toward more aggressive reduction goals
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Rafter Tail Removal for Home Performance Upgrade
A “chainsaw retrofit” was the solution for creating continuous air and thermal barriers from wall to roof on an old timber-frame farmhouse
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Design for Low-Carbon Building
Details from a Pretty Good House provide a roadmap to lowering a building’s carbon emissions
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Installing an Interior Air Barrier
Interior-only air-sealing strategies can work with the right products and techniques
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Adding Exterior Insulation to Existing Homes
Firsthand experience informs this basic plan for installing rigid insulation on the outside of an older building
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Protecting Heat Pumps from Rain and Snow
Tips and product recommendations for ensuring optimal heat pump performance under wet and potentially damaging conditions
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Home Maintenance Tasks You’re Probably Not Doing (and Should Be)
Six straightforward tasks to perform on a schedule to ensure your equipment and home environment are being optimally maintained for best function