Category: Building knowledge

    • Passive House Design Principles for New or Existing Homes

      Passive House Design Principles for New or Existing Homes

      When using cavity insulation, the framing material can still transmit energy through a process called thermal bridging. Thermal bridging detracts from energy efficiency and is especially problematic when metal framing is used. Continuous insulation, the more efficient system, can counteract this effect. It refers to a single continuous layer of insulation wrapping an entire structure.

    • Top Five Plants That Clean Indoor Air

      Plants can do much more than help bring color and life to a home’s interior. They’re a great addition to any room, are more sustainable than cut flowers and offer us a way to bring nature indoors. Though there are plenty of aesthetic reasons to include plants in a home redesign, there are practical ones,…

    • Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Options

      There are plenty of reasons to drive more fuel-efficient vehicles. Rising fuel prices are just one motive, as is a concern for the environment. Awareness of the damage that internal combustion engines and traditional power generation can cause is generally the inspiration most people have when adopting greener personal vehicles. Zero Tailpipe Emissions Most vehicles…

    • Conserving Water at Home: Things You Can Do To Save the Planet

      Conserving Water at Home: Things You Can Do To Save the Planet

      Saving water saves more than just the water, but also all that energy used to treat it. Here are four quick ways you can do your part to save water, save the energy it costs to treat it and bring it to your tap and save the planet.

    • Residential Toilets—A History And Options

      Residential Toilets—A History And Options

      As late as 1940, nearly half the houses in the US lacked an indoor flush toilet, and people still relied on the outhouse, which was little more than a rough wooden shed featuring a bench with a hole in the middle of it, built above a large pit. Thankfully, toilets are now standard in all…

    • Residential Insulation Options for South Florida

      Residential Insulation Options for South Florida

      It may seem like a house in a temperate area like Miami wouldn’t need much insulation, but the opposite is true. While houses in colder regions of the country require insulation to keep the heat in, homes in southern Florida must be insulated to hold the heat at bay and minimize the amount of work…