Category: Best Practices

Getting Spray Foam Right

by Rachel White This blog post was originally posted in January 2016, before we fully understood the issues of embodied carbon in construction. That research has led us to reduce but not eliminate our use of spray foam. In some cases – old basement walls, for instance – spray foam is so superior to any… Read more »

Ice Dam It: Don’t Get Mad, Get Insulation (and Air Sealing)

ice dam

by Paul Eldrenkamp Whenever we suffer a severe winter, our phones ring off the hook with calls from people with ice dams who are none too happy about it. By this point though damage is already done. We’d much rather people call us before they get ice dams, because the best way to deal with… Read more »

A Socioeconomic Context For Ice Dams

ice dam

by Paul Eldrenkamp This past winter, national insurance companies were sending their “catastrophe response teams” to the Boston area. I personally met with adjusters and cleanup crews from places as far ranging as Minnesota, Utah, Tennessee, and Alabama and there was a preponderance of ice dams. The catastrophe had nothing to do with hurricanes or… Read more »

Why and How We Strive to Avoid Additions

view of kitchen with dining area by Rachel White It's easy to solve a client's problem by adding square feet with an addition. The living room is cluttered with toys and games? Just add a family room! There isn't enough space to eat in the kitchen? Just bump out to create a breakfast nook! Time and again we encounter clients who... Read more »