Trendwatch: Edison light bulbs
One of the fun parts of rating new homes for programs like Energy Star and Greenbuilt North Carolina is that we get to see a lot of new homes. Whenever […]
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Momentum becomes hard work
Inertia gave way to momentum with the excavation of our site ( https://bit.ly/17nuJYU ). Not surprisingly that momentum has led to some hard work.
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The importance of the Living Building Challenge
I’m writing to introduce The Living Building Challenge (LBC). This collaborative’s mission is to encourage the creation of Living Buildings, Landscapes and Neighborhoods around the world while inspiring, educating and
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A breath of fresh air
Your green certification program (Energy Star, Greenbuilt NC, LEED Homes) requires a whole house ventilation system. What does that mean? What are your choices, and which one is best for
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Inertia becomes momentum
We have made it through the maze of permitting for our house with a relatively new wall system of precast concrete (Ideal Walls- https://www.idealbuildingsystems.com/home.aspx ). Plan
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Beginning Again, a house as an idea.
We have begun again. Our new house project is starting to take shape, at least on paper. Hopefully all of the trial and error will be done before we
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What to do when your bath fan fails
Bath fans are an incredibly important part of a high-performance home. Unfortunately they are also a frequently failed item when we perform final testing for programs like Energy Star and
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The Z dimension
The good news first. Judging by the inquiries for new work the local economy, particularly for residential construction, is gaining steam. The not so good news. I have a commission
Airtightness and Spray Foam Insulation
Spray foam makes houses tighter, right? Maybe. Usually. Having blower-door tested hundreds of homes with every insulation combination you can imagine, I’ve developed some opinions. Spray foam insulations have a
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Life on the Farm
Life on the Farm My great grandmother lived to be 103 years old. She was born, lived and worked, and died on the family farm in Hildebran, North Carolina.The farm