Behind The Walls
Home Improvement can be a nightmare or a dream come true. Learn how to be smart with your new home build or remodel and engineer your home for safety and lasting beauty from the inside out.
Green Building Products looking to the Solar Stars
-What is the hottest area in your house during summer? Unless it is a recently built home with a totally insulated envelope chances are it’s your attic. And attics can get hot costing you thousands of dollars every year. Here…
Your House Is Always Under Live Electricity
-No one really ever thinks about the fact that live current is always present in your house wiring. We take it for granted. It’s simply been that way pretty much since Thomas Edison. We expect building codes to keep us…
Don’t Get Fried! The Importance of Surge Protectors
-For years we have been told to plug our electronic devices (computers especially) into surge protectors. We can all relate to sometimes heeding this advice and sometimes getting lazy with our laptops and plugging in to the nearest outlet that…
New 3D-Vision Stud Finder Sensor Lets You See Inside Your Walls
-Want to mount a TV securely – even the thinnest is still pretty heavy – or even hang a picture. Will you know where your studs are? We can all relate to the difficulties here and traditional stud finders can…
Honeywell Connected Thermostats Now Support Amazon’s Alexa
-Honeywell has joined the wave of manufacturers opening up their connected devices to Amazon’s voice activated Alexa. By simply saying “Alexa,” customers with Honeywell Lyric Round™ (first and second generation) or Total Connect Comfort (Wi-Fi and RedLink) thermostats can adjust…
Wind Power Enters The Mix For The Passive House Trend
-For years homeowners have been reluctant to embrace wind power. The turbines haven’t been attractive and solar has been a primary focus. But that is changing. As battery technologies have improved, enthusiasts of the passive house trend are adding wind…
Home Indoor Air Quality: The Next Big Home Category
-Home indoor air quality is becoming the leading concern among consumers and is driving a new category of home products that is projected to reach over $5.64 billion by 2021. Devices that impact indoor air quality largely focus on heating…
How To Go Passive House On A Shoestring Budget
-A modest farmhouse in the Ireland is demonstrating how it is possible to build a passive house on a strict budget. What is Passive House? It’s a concept that started in Germany around a home being net-zero in energy consumption.…
Traditional Air Conditioning Systems Get the Boot as Consumers Turn Toward Energy-Efficient Models
-The vendor landscape of the global air conditioning systems market is speckled with large and established companies such as Gree Electric Appliances, Inc., Daikin Industries Ltd., and Carrier Corporation; emerging players such as Panasonic Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation, and The Midea…
Wildlife Conservation Benefits from Your 2×4’s?
-Construction inherently leads to consumption of natural resources. As an offsetting element it is great when you finds products from companies with a strong commitment to wildlife conservation, and are good stewards of natural resources. Which is why we were…
Indoor Air Quality Challenges in Energy Efficient Homes
-Homeowners who undertake construction or major home renovations today are focused on one key element – energy efficiency. So are we in our latest building project, The Greenwich House. But note, there are some new challenges regarding indoor air quality in…
5 Important Details To Build A Healthy & Quiet House
-Noise is often one of the most overlooked considerations in home construction. In fact when you are watching home buying shows often “noise from the street” is a decision factor. Enter most empty houses and your voice echoes. Even in…
A Solid Exterior Air and Water Barrier Has Some Unanticipated Payoffs
-Anyone who has ever built or renovated a house will tell you one thing right off the bat: Be prepared for delays and changes every day. Even the best made plans get rocked by material delays, shipping and delivery problems,…
When Home Remodeling Gets Interesting
-Should you purchase a standard set of house plans or is it better to work with an architect? Buying a pre-designed set of house plans works best when properties are level and building regulations are simply. Plans have to be…
Home Remodeling With Integrity
-Do it right! Do it right the first time! These are two mantras that should be your guide through every remodeling project. Here is why: On one level, shortcuts create temporary solutions every time. The price tag of remodeling jobs…
Kitchen Renovation: Structural Remodeling
-Open concept kitchens are a buzzword in kitchen remodels today. Connecting the kitchen space with family room and dining spaces are the rage – and rightfully so. It will turn an old and isolated kitchen into a social space where…