by Joseph R. Provey | Aug 30, 2013 | Basements, Building Envelope, Crawl Spaces
Your floors are cold but the last time you checked, the floor joists above the crawlspace were stuffed with batts of fluffy insulation. What gives? Homeowners whose homes are built over crawlspaces may wonder about this. Or they may simply turn up the thermostat and...
by Joseph R. Provey | Aug 12, 2013 | Conditioned Spaces, Heating & Cooling
What do athletes and dancers have in common with HVAC systems? Good balance! Without it, all sorts of fumbles, falls, and fiascos can ensue. For example, one room or floor of a house might be uncomfortably hot while another too cold. Air you’ve paid to heat gets...
by Joseph R. Provey | Jul 6, 2013 | Basements, Building Envelope
A typical basement, in winter, is like having an air conditioner running under your floorboards. In summer, it’s akin to living above a swamp, with damp foundation walls and floors, sweaty pipes, musty odors, and many-legged creatures scurrying about. There are two...
by Joseph R. Provey | Jul 1, 2013 | Basements
The real measure of a successful basement remodeling is … that it doesn’t feel like a basement. But that’s not always so easy. Basement spaces tend to be broken up by utilities and obstructions that above-grade spaces don’t have to contend with. Many consist of...
by Joseph R. Provey | Jul 1, 2013 | Conditioned Spaces, Electrical
One of the guilty moments for anyone trying to live in a green and sustainable way is when you’re emptying a damp load of wash into a gas or electric clothes dryer. You know it’s going to use a lot of BTUs – but it’s just so convenient. In fact, clothes dryers use...
