I was called in to perform a last minute duct test for a modular home builder.  He was all in a dither to have a duct test and a blower door test done on a Friday so that he could get his Certificate of Occupancy (CO) so the homeowner could move in the following Monday.  He said that he’d just found out that he needed these tests.  The building inspector asked for them at the last minute!

I was glad to do it partially because it’s good to have builders aware of what is going on…

This article can change one’s perception about flooring and can act as an excellent guide in helping one to go for the right kind of flooring. Flooring can be both concrete and tile flooring. However the question lies as to which kind of flooring can provide hassle free maintenance, belong lasting and will add to the necessary drama and beautification to one’s home or business place.

The answer to this can give rise to debate until one discovers the benefits of applying tiles for…

“What gets measured gets managed” is a quote often attributed to the venerable management expert Peter Drucker.  The simple but powerful idea behind the statement is that without quantitative measurement, it is impossible to benchmark the current state and manage progress toward a desired state.  Variations of the quote abound but it is difficult to trace the quote to a specific book, paper, or speech.  As it turns out, an earlier incarnation of this idea predates Drucker.

Renowned…

In a machine-driven, machine dependent world, power is the basic need. Power outage can bring all the activities to a grinding halt. Solar energy can provide a solid power boost to the bustling cities like Tampa, while helping the households and commercial establishments to reduce their carbon footprints.…

Spring has sprung and now it’s time to open the windows and clean! But, while you are doing your spring cleaning and clearing out old things, it’s good to think about what you can do to go green in the process of cleaning. Whether it’s recycling, changing out your lightbulbs, or doing some minor repairs to your…

If you’re working at a lab, then safety is most probably one of the main aspects that you are constantly looking out for.

In order to ensure your lab is working efficiently, you should be confident that you are actually safe while working. Otherwise, your lab operations might be negatively affected. Worse, that could lead to a myriad of many other problems, including but not limited to: inaccurate lab results, stress and many others.

So, how can we make our lab safe? Here are…

The phrase “open architecture” probably elicits a beautiful picture of a roofless garden or a spacious home with many windows, few walls, and as little a barrier as possible between human and nature. But in reality, “open architecture” has to do with the unsexy steel of computers, the motherboards and software that gets run.…

Combustion Safety Testing is one of the most important components of the HEP QCI exam.  Because it is linked to the safety of the occupants, it has been a fundamental element of BPI exams since the inception of the organization.  As we make homes tighter and more energy efficient, we cut back on the…

A quality control program requires knowing a lot about a lot of different subjects.  A HEP (BPI Home Energy Professional) Quality Control Inspector is qualified to compare a project outcome to the project requirements or work scope so that the final result is satisfactory to both the program and the homeowner.  It requires both technical knowledge as well as “soft skills” which are…

GAF has introduced training called the Home Energy Saver Certificate - Building Science for the Roofing Professional.  It's online, ondemand training narrated by Shane Monday of HUB Energy Group.  The professional roofing contractor sees a much larger number of existing homes than many other types of contractors. We're working to connect them with Home Energy Professionals.

You can check out the training we developed and register for free at:…

In a partnership of Latvia scientistists has been developed a building energy efficiency evaluation program.

Energy audit is a procedure of building survey and analysis, which aims to identify incoming and outgoing flows of energy in the building. After energy audit, energy-saving features (energy efficiency measures) can be determined and evaluate from the technical and economic point of view. Energy audit role began to rise in the last few years, when heating…

Houses should last a very long time.  The Knap of Howar was built approximately fifty-five hundred years ago.  Pueblos in New Mexico were built over a thousand years ago.  Saltford Manor House, in Somerset, England was built sometime in the twelfth century and is still occupied!  These houses are built of extremely durable materials like stone or adobe.  But even the wooden houses…

There are several different kinds of darts available on the market that are made from brass through to Tungsten, which by far happens to be the most popular metal for Wolfram darts.

The metal of Tungsten has been utilized for the production of darts since the early 70s, as it happens to be twice as heavy and dense as brass and a dart that is made of tungsten will be half the size of a dart made up of brass. This indicates that it becomes quite easy for the players to accomplish close…

Does a programmable thermostat for an in-floor electric radiant heat system add efficiency, or is it faux efficiency?

My electrician installed in-floor electric heat in a second floor bathroom remodel I recently completed, and he used a non-programmable therm. I asked him to change it, and he pushed back that there is little efficiency gain because the thermal mass of the mud bed and tile create a long cycle time to raise the temperature. Better to leave the temperature set, and have…