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All About Washing Machines
The best clothes washers save water and energy compared to older models — but most of the energy used for laundry is gobbled up by your clothes dryer
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Exhaust-Only Ventilation Systems and Radon
Do exhaust-only ventilation systems increase the risk of radon entry?
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What’s the Definition of an ‘R-20 Wall’?
It’s surprisingly tricky to determine what the code means by an ‘R-20’ wall
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EMFs and Human Health
Can exposure to electric fields or magnetic fields make you sick?
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Do Homeowners Need to Understand Home Performance?
Houses are complicated, and ignorant homeowners are vulnerable prey for ill-informed contractors
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Using Interior Poly As an Air Barrier
Alaskan builders still use a technique developed in the 1980s by Canadian superinsulation pioneers: the use of interior polyethylene as an air barrier
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Two New Exterior Insulation Products for Walls
InSoFast sells EPS foam panels with integral plastic furring strips, while Tyvek has introduced a squishy quilted housewrap
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All About Furnaces and Duct Systems
Most forced-air heating systems are still poorly designed and installed
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Justin Fink’s Canned Spray Foam Tip
Have a spray bottle handy, so you can mist the area with water before using the spray foam
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Twenty Below and Off the Grid
When the thermometer drops, rural Vermonters pay close attention to heat flow