Controlling Against Moisture Damage for Wall Sheathing

Moisture can cause many structural problems and create a very unhealthy home for your family when mold and mildew begin to form. Building a home that deals effectively with moisture requires due diligence from design to installation and on to maintenance. The home must be built in such a way as to prevent leaks which are the biggest cause of damage and it must also eliminate condensation which occurs naturally in every home.

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With Blower-Door Tests, Timing is Everything

If you have been administering your blower door test at the end of your build, then you may be missing out on an essential opportunity to make your building envelope even tighter. Doing two blower-door tests; one mid-way through your build and one at the end, will give you a unique opportunity to fix cracks and holes before they get covered over by insulation and sheetrock.

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Taller Wall Sheathing Makes Walls Stronger

Innovative manufacturers like West Fraser that think outside the box have flipped the structural sheathing panels for vertical installation and increased their height. Longer wall sheathing like TallWall enables an overlap at the joists which eliminates hinge points to increase wall strength. Longer sheathing also reduces the number of seams which improves energy efficiency and makes for a stronger, smoother, flatter wall.

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8 Strategies for Better Energy Efficiency in a Retrofit or Addition Part 1

Homes built as recently as the 1980s are riddled with gaps in the building envelope and have far too little insulation to measure up to modern energy efficiency standards. Retrofitting an old home will make it more comfortable, will reduce energy costs and will make it kinder on the environment. The question is; where do you get the most bang for your retrofitting buck? Here is a basic guide to help you to decide where your money is best spent.

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