Vents in Glass Block are a Terrible Idea
We get multiple requests a year for basement glass block windows with vents and we have to explain why they are a terrible idea. Here’s why: Humidity In the summer, your basement tends to be cooler than the rest of the house. Warm moist air rushes into your basement when you open a vent and then it condensates. This contributes toward that mildew smell in the basement. Homeowners often try to mitigate that problem by running a dehumidifier which uses a lot of electricity a…
Why Black is a Horrible Color for a Roof
Black roofs put fashion over function and are a horrible choice for energy. There are ethical reasons to choose a lighter color as well. Ask yourself these important questions before making a horrible decision: Do I want the color because it’s in fashion right now? If so, would you mind changing the color of the roof once this fashion trend changes? What is your resale of a house with a dated roof? Will a cost-minded and energy efficiency-minded millennial, which is that gene…
House wrap should protect against Moisture
There are many house wrap products available and even why you would need house wrap. Moisture management, air barriers and wind reduction are some of the key benefits of a good house wrap. If you understand the benefits, you would never want to install siding without it. Some builders and remodelers will skip house wrap all together — that is a mistake. A good house wrap goes over the exterior sheathing of a house but below the siding. It creates a wa…
Building Better – Industry Innovation
If you’re the type of person who likes to improve yourself or your projects each time you do one, you’ll appreciate our approach. Building Better explains how we do things — every project, like every class or seminar, is an opportunity to improve. We ask ourselves, how could this have been done better? Skepticism toward new product innovation Decades of experience have shown us exciting innovations in materials and methods of installation. Some have been go…
Understanding Ice Damming
In late winter I get many calls from people asking me if I could put new gutters on their houses to solve their ice damming problems. I have to be honest with them and explain that ice damming is a product of ventilation and insulation gutters won’t fix their ice damming problems. It may not be good for business, but there are things more important than chasing the almighty dollar. To understand ice damming you have to understand its root cause. When warm air comes in conta…
Choose a Light Colored Roof to Save Energy
Q: As an apartment-dweller in SoCal (or anywhere): I’m curious as to how a tenant could effectively persuade/encourage her landlord to upgrade the property to be energy efficient — using a company such as yours? A: Needs are definitely different in Southern California than they are in Wisconsin. For instance, you often see times of extreme heat making any asphalt shingled roof short-lived by you. While we might see one out of 5000 houses with a red clay tile roof here in the …
Don’t Waste Money on a Door at the Big Box Stores
Did you ever hear the saying, “buy cheap, buy twice?” That saying is very important when considering purchasing a door. I get calls all the time from customers who thought they were saving money by buying from a big home improvement store only to be frustrated when it comes time to get their doors or windows installed. Today was no exception. I spoke with a nice lady who bought a storm door off the shelf from Lowe’s and now they want to charge her $500 to have it installed. H…
Energy Rebates and Credits Vary by Product
It seems that every salesman in their respective industry is willing to tell a homeowner what they want to hear — there is a tax credit that will pay for your new home improvement. Unfortunately it’s not always true. Tax credits and tax deductions vary from year to year (if they exist at all for that year). In 2009 and 2010 homeowners rushed to purchase new windows with what was the best tax break ever. Many slick salesmen told people, even in the final days of 2010, that th…
Soffit and Fascia Do’s and Don’ts
“Yeah, I can do that” has become a commonplace phrase as unemployment has soared and the market has generated a surplus of unlicensed handymen. One day they are installing carpeting and the next day they tell you they’re an expert installing soffit. So how do you know what is the right way to do things and what is the wrong way to do them? To make an informed decision you have to first define what your goals are and what you wish to accomplish. Making your home maintenance fr…