Not Everyone Needs Continuous Insulation, but Here's My FAVORITE Thing about it

Some people can get really freaky about 'thermal bridging', and while I do think much of the discussion about it is way out of proportion, there is a reasoned approach when it comes to continuous insulation. Here's my take on the #1 reason to consider exterior continuous insulation on any project. See how we used Rockwool to turn our home into one of the most comfortable homes in the country: https://homediagnosis.tv/episode-206-windbreakers-air-sealing-and-insulation

Learn more about exterior insulation approaches: https://www.rockwool.com/north-america/products-and-applications/external-wall-insulation/

Get 1-on-1 help with any home: https://buildingperformanceworkshop.com/video-consulting

Spray Foam Inspection & Testing in Crawlspace and Side Attic

From 'Home Diagnosis' Season 2 Ep6: Spray foam insulation is often advertised as a cure-all, but there are LOTS of ways to mess it up. Here's a tour and testing of a home in Atlanta where the spray foam insulation isn't doing what it was intended to do. Watch the whole episode: https://homediagnosis.tv/episode-206-windbreakers-air-sealing-and-insulation

Join our Patreon team and be part of our exploration of the Science of Homes: https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV

How to Choose the RIGHT Windows for Your Home with Energy Modeling

FROM ‘HOME DIAGNOSIS’ SEASON 2 EP5: To avoid the extreme sales and marketing tactics we all see every day, we need science and measurement. Here's a quick tour through the evolution of homes (how homes work and why), the basics of energy modeling to compare how different home improvements will perform in the long run, and how the windows should install and function.

Every place is different, every home is different, every family is different- one size never fits all. To watch this entire episode about the science of doors and windows: https://homediagnosis.tv/episode-205-this-little-light-of-mine

Join our team for as little as $5/month and become part of the frontier exploring the science of homes: https://Patreon.com/HomeDiagnosisTV

Tiny House Building Science Basics

1. Tell us about the TinyLab:

Our #TinyLab is a 210 sq. ft. house on wheels we designed and built ourselves to be the best performing home most people have ever seen. It’s supremely airtight, quiet, and comfortable, while also being equipped with the best heating, cooling, and ventilation systems in the world. We’re showing Americans how home performance works with our non-profit Proof Is Possible Tour. There’s this mythology around houses that ‘they all have problems, that’s just how they are’; it’s just not true.

2. How did the TinyLab start?

Well, the dynamics of home performance are based in physics, which is tough to explain- our colleagues have been trying for decades. But these dynamics can have real consequences for your family- they can cause sickness or even death. We thought, ‘how can we show consumers home performance?’ The #TinyLab is what all homes could evolve to be, whether they’re big or small. It’s a critical time for this, since building codes in all 50 states are requiring performance testing.

3. What are the major findings between the relationship of health and homes?

Two major health problems anyone can find out themselves for starters: dampness and carbon monoxide (CO). The symptoms of CO poisoning are ‘flu-like’, but ask yourself how many times you’ve been to the doctor with ‘flu-like’ symptoms and ever been tested for CO poisoning (never, say most people). And though we know dampness causes mold, mildew, dust mites, etc, do we think about what causes dampness? It’s usually air leakage- air leakage is the single biggest problem in most homes.

4. How do you protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning?

The only way to be sure is to test. Whole-home performance testing can prove if your gas stove, water heater, furnace, or fireplace are exhausting properly and creating very little CO. We have a Defender ‘low-level’ monitor in the TinyLab. Your normal CO detector won’t always protect you. If it’s what’s called ‘UL-listed’ then it specifically will NOT protect children, pregnant women, ill or elderly people from low-level carbon monoxide poisoning. And it says so right in the manual. Crazy.

5. What are 5 tips you have for any homeowner/ renter reading this?

One: Your home is a system of interacting parts, so anyone who says one product can fix it is lying or naïve. Two: Proof is Possible- act on diagnostic proof before you undertake surgery on your home and before you pay your contractors for measured improvements. Three: airtightness is good- don’t let anyone tell you we should build crappy houses that can ‘breathe’ through the cracks. Four: ventilation is critical- take stale air out, bring fresh air in. Five: Our YouTube channel is called ‘Home Performance’- you can learn tips 6 through 1000 there.

6. What specific diagnostics are recommended for homes?

Great question! Blower door testing is most important- our TinyLab’s test proves that as first-time homebuilders, we achieved the most airtight standard in the world (that’s what makes it so quiet in here). Infrared thermal photos prove our insulation works. Pressure testing proves our home is not sucking air back in through exhaust fans or chimneys. Airflow testing proves our HVAC system’s working as designed. Air quality tests prove our family isn’t being poisoned. Proof is possible. Ask for it.

To learn more about your home’s performance, download the free ‘GeniusBooklet’ at:

https://buildingperformanceworkshop.com/geniusbooklet-how-your-home-works

To see the #TinyLab as it travels across the U.S. on the Proof Is Possible Tour, see the schedule at:

http://ProofIsPossible.com

Performance Duct Design & Installation: Advanced DIY

In our LONGEST VIDEO YET, get a comprehensive tour of the concepts, design, tools, and install tips that go into building a home's breathing apparatus- the central duct system. Here I get into both the conditioning duct system (heat pump/dehumidifier/filtration loop) and the ERV fresh air ventilation duct system.

Thanks to Neil Comparetto (https://www.facebook.com/comparettocomfortsolutions/) John Semmelhack (http://think-little.com) and Bryan Orr (https://hvacrschool.com) and many other HVAC pro friends for their continual advice and expertise.

I got all my Malco tools used here at: https://TruTechTools.com

Check out my awesome ride, the Aerocreeper: http://aerocreeper.com/

Check out all of Stellar Engraving's duct grilles: https://stellarairdecorativeventcovers.com/

Learn more about the HVAC design process: https://youtu.be/aCIrbSFWD20

Get consulting or training with Corbett: https://BuildingPerformanceWorkshop.com

Deck Bracket Solution for Exterior Insulated Homes

After consulting with Matt Risinger about deck connection options for homes with exterior insulation, I came across this brilliant solution! Here's a sneak peek.

Home Builder Framing and Insulation Mistakes

Corbett has made a few mistakes on one wall of this high performance house- he points out how and why this staging mistake happens in home builds all the time, and an inconvenient but effective way to fix it and ensure the performance of the envelope.

2 Years Later: is #TinyLab Still the Highest Performance Tiny House on Wheels?

Grace and Corbett built the world's highest performance tiny house on wheels in 2016. It was perfect. Then they toured it 13,000 miles across America and let 7,000 people come inside to feel, hear, and smell what perfectly tuned home performance is like.

What's the house performing like now, after all that torture? And under 2 inches of snow in Atlanta, Georgia? See for yourself in this 20-minute tour, complete with testing, demonstrations, and metrics that show Proof Is Possible, even for people who have never built a house before. The #TinyLab is still the undisputed most scientifically superior home performance demonstration in the world, and we sincerely hope others start challenging our work!

Finishing the #DryVault: Highest Performance Tool Shed in the World

See Corbett put the finishing touches on the airsealing and insulation of the #DryVault's enclosure in Atlanta. All that's left is to test the airtightness and insulation perfection with blower doors, infrared cameras, lasers and spaceships. For more on the Intello material and process, visit http://foursevenfive.com

Highest Performance Tool Shed in the World!

Welcome to the #DryVault, a super airtight, insulated, and dehumidified tool shed for the Building Performance Workshop's diagnostic tools in Atlanta, GA. Corbett will be helping homeowners make higher performance decisions on home improvement and new construction in Atlanta from this home base, and we can't wait to show off the framing and airsealing systems used here! For more on the airsealing products used, check out 475 High Performance Building Supply.