Insulation

• Reusing Loose-Fill Cellulose

  Working around existing attic insulation to seal air leaks may be more cost-effective than removing and replacing it

   
• 

  Installing Dense-Pack Cellulose (Subscriber content)

  This economical material both air-seals and insulates

   
• 

  Building Cost-Effective Emergency Housing in Alaska (Subscriber content)

  Innovative open-web trusses allow for easy assembly, high R-values, and minimal thermal bridging

   

• Better Materials for Super-Insulation

  Feedback from a JLC reader

   
• 

  Tightening Up a Two-Family House (Subscriber content)

  Chasing down and fixing energy leaks in an old house can be tricky and expensive, but utility incentives may help.

   

• Curbing Conductive Heat Loss Through a Glulam Beam

  Conductive heat loss through a glulam beam may be a minor problem in the context of whole-house heat loss.

   
• 

  Bora-Foam Bugless Insulation Panels

  Most rigid insulation is susceptible to termite damage but Bora-Foam isn't.

   
• 

  Fireproof Foam Insulation

  GacoFireStop is the first open-cell foam approved for use in attics and crawlspaces with no additional ignition barrier.

   
• 

  Avoiding Problems With Spray Foam (Subscriber content)

  To make sure you’re getting a good spray-foam installation, choose a certified contractor and run regular material tests.

   
• 

  Compact Foam Sprayer

  Graco claims that the Reactor E-8p Portable Plural-Component Sprayer is the first foam sprayer specifically designed to apply the new no-heat polyurethane formulations.

   

• Betting Big on Spray Foam in Coastal Carolina

   
• 

  Building a Simple Passive House

  In September 2009 I completed a deep energy retrofit on a small house in Point Reyes Station, Calif., some 50 miles north of San Francisco.

   
• 

  An Energy Retrofit in Stages (Subscriber content)

  I'm a building energy consultant in central Wisconsin. I recently had a chance to perform a major energy retrofit on a modest ranch-style house just south of Lacrosse, Wis.

   
• 

  Tightening A House Shell From The Outside

  Our construction company recently completed a major remodel and energy retrofit of a split-level home in northern Vermont.

   
• 

  Insulating With Exterior Spray Foam (Subscriber content)

  Closed-cell foam acts as air-sealing, insulation, and secondary drainage plane in this unique home.

   
• 

  On Site With Zip System Sheathing

  Get faster dry-in and a tighter building envelope without housewrap.

   

• Roof Venting in a Wet Climate

  Q: I'm planning to reroof an expanded Cape Cod on a barrier island off the East Coast, where strong winds and moisture from the ocean are common.

   
• 

  High-Performance Homes on a Budget

  Well-thought-out details make energy-efficient houses both attractive and affordable.

   
• 

  Making a Business of Ice Dams

  Though it’s not for the fainthearted, dealing with ice damage can be a profitable sideline

   

• JLC Report

  Is rain-screen siding worth the effort?; lawsuit calls LEED certification false and misleading; Maine gets its first statewide code; more