Along the coast where wind-blown rain is a regular weather feature, it's no surprise to builders that the exterior of a home must be carefully detailed to manage water. Properly installed housewrap and flashing are the key elements of an effective water-resistive barrier. But rainwater is not the...
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Aging Public Housing Repaired
PITTSBURGH—An unusual loan guarantee, backed only by the promise of energy efficiency, helped the Allegheny County Housing Authority (ACHA) pay for some pricey new windows for several of its oldest public housing projects.
Landscaping; energy conservation
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HOT-5+ Technology Released
, a division of Acuity brands, has announced HOT-5+ technology, its solution to obtaining optimal lumen output from T5 and T5HO lamps. The Lumen Optimizer, as it is called, acts as a thermostat adjuster, either preserving warm air around the cold spot of the lamp or extracting heat to ensure it is...
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LED 3W MR16
Intended as a replacement for the standard dichroic MR16, the LED 3W MR16 uses 90 percent less energy than an incandescent MR16 and offers near-zero heat output and an eight-year lifespan. Producing 80 lumens, the lamp is offered in white, warm white, red, green, blue, and amber.
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New Hope for Old Buildings
Leonard Frenkil Jr. is a big believer in heat submetering.
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Q: What's the best way to remove a water stain from a sand-finish plaster ceiling? The plaster was applied over electric radiant-heating cable stapled to Gypboard backing, with a sand finish that won't tolerate any rubbing. Could we use a tinted wash that
Even in a cold climate, these efficient units can provide both domestic hot water and whole-house heating.
With high fuel prices here to stay, now is the time to get it right.
You can now get a prefabricated sunroom that will satisfy nearly every design and budget. But you have to work with the manufacturer to make sure you get what you and your customers want. Our guide to systems, glazing, and current codes will help you select sunrooms for the long run, leaving...
In the hot, humid South, it's not enough to install high-efficiency air conditioning. Dedicated dehumidification, along with impeccable attention to sealing the building enclosure, is required. Researchers at LSU exhibit three practical systems that balance performance and cost in the "LaHouse"...
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Q. Passive Solar Flooring Instead of tile, my clients want to install a wood-finish floor over the insulated concrete slab of a planned passive solar addition. They've also asked us to install tubing in the slab to give them the option of radiantly heating the space. But won't wood flooring have a...
Extra insulation, smart window placement, and thermal mass add comfort and generate energy savings for this New England home.
All windows worth buying should carry a valid warranty and meet basic structural and thermal performance measures. On the coast, however, strong winds and blowing rain make it imperative that windows meet even more stringent performance requirements. Editor Clayton DeKorne sorts through the...
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INTRODUCTION
From the busy streets of New York City to the quiet towns of Montana, more and more multifamily developers are beginning to embrace green building principles.
Q. Same Windows, Different Climates? As a HERS rater working in north-central New England, I've noticed that the U-values of the windows that most builders are installing are quite good — below .35 — but they have low SHGC (solar heat-gain coefficient) values. While it seems that windows with...
Supporting a floating stone countertop; floor warmers; cabinets
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Using PEX in solar water heating; solar hot-water storage; hot-water recirculation; leak testing
Enclosing a front porch
Solar water heating has a proven record of cutting energy costs. Here's what you need to know to help customers choose the right system.