Thermal shutters: save energy with moveable window insulation Windows provide many benefits to a home, including light, air, passive heat, and aesthetics. Yet they are the weakest part of the building envelope. While today’s triple-pane windows are far more efficient...
What’s the advantage of putting plastic film on the windows in winter? Plastic film is the most helpful for windows that are old or in bad condition. If installed properly, putting plastic film over a window is almost equivalent to adding an extra pane of glass on the...
What is egress? Egress is a means of emergency escape, and is required for all residential buildings by the International Residential Code (IRC) for residential buildings. Currently, the IRC requires a form of egress in basements and rooms where people sleep. Each...
Choosing a door that will keep out the cold Doors have a tough job in Alaska, where inside and outside temperatures can range more than 100 degrees in the winter, causing sticking, jamming, warping and other cold climate phenomena. Exterior doors used to be custom...
What is a clearstory window? A clearstory is an architectural term for high windows that allow light into a room. It can refer to windows on an outside wall that are placed too high for people to see out of, or to windows placed on a separate raised roof. The figure...
I’ve heard tankless hot water systems can save money for domestic water heating. How do I know if it’s right for me? Unlike conventional water heaters which must continuously expend some energy to maintain a large volume of heated stored water to meet demand, tankless...
