Category: Insulation
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180: Why Adding Insulation Causes Moisture Issues in Buildings
When Prof. Dr. Hartwig Künzel was studying Chemical Engineering, his father was a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute. Hartwig followed in his father’s footsteps after becoming interested in the preservation of heritage buildings. He soon discovered that he could apply his engineering training to diagnosing the moisture problems that occurred after buildings were insulated.
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Eco Designer Advisor Conference 2017
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in Blog, Design, Draughts, Health, Heating, Housing, Industry, Insulation, Prefab, Renovating, Society, Sustainability, VentilationPrefabrication, high performance homes, indoor air quality, Homestar, sustainable concrete and airtightness are just some of the topics presented at this year’s Eco Design Advisor (EDA) Conference in Wellington, May 1st – 2nd. Some fortuitous free time allowed me to attend this small conference once again. And once again, I was impressed. Eco Design Advisors…
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166: How to Upgrade Your Thermal Envelope Above the Building Code
When you’re designing a new home, or getting one built, you should invest as much as you can to upgrade the thermal envelope. Put in as much insulation as you can, and invest in the best windows you can afford. In this episode, I walk through the minimum requirements of the New Zealand building code…
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143: Why is foam such a good building material?
Many people have concerns about using foam (polystyrene) because of the chemicals used to make the stuff. In fact some of those chemicals are on the Living Building Challenge Red List. So why is foam such a good building material? Foam is a Great Insulator It’s all about R-value. Foam is an incredible thermal insulator. For…
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125 Slab Edge Insulation
Why is slab edge insulation so important? Surely it’s the roof we should all be worried about, right? Doesn’t heat go up? This is true, but the ground is cold. More importantly, the air right near the ground is really cold in winter. And this really cold air is right up close to one of…
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My Insulation Experiment
Overhead, the rain pelted down on the metal roof just above my head. I later found out that it was a record rain storm for Auckland. I believed it. The roof of the circa 1920s house I was crouched in bore an almost identical resemblance to the construction and thermal performance of the simple corrugated steel…
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119: Green Home Building
Kelly Hart is an amazing thinker and innovator. He’s passionate about the environment and generous with the resources and learning he shares. Notes for the episode are to come. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know: Green Home Building Kelly Hart’s amazing hub of resources and links: GreenHomeBuilding.com Source of alternative house plans: DreamGreenHomes…
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116: Cut Heat Loss at the Slab Edge
Concrete slab edge insulation is one of my hot topics. It seems to spark debate, firstly about if it’s worth doing, then secondly about how to do it. I recently spoke with manufacturer and experienced business owner, Mike Peters of Fort Wayne, Indiana who’s come up with an easy solution for builders to cut heat…
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103: It’s All About Airtightness
Derek Ward’s strength is the science that connects good design with good performance. Clioma House specialises in ‘airtightness and effective insulation’. They help bridge the gap between the drawing board and the construction site. Call the Experts, Early The sooner you think about how much you want to do in relation to performance, the cheaper…
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101: Vernacular Construction
Episode Foundations (the bottom line at the top) Invest up front in a good designer and you’ll save during construction. Vernacular construction is about designing and building appropriately for the local conditions. For a sustainable home, focus on insulation and ventilation.