Blog Archives

It’s Difficult to Compare U-Factors

Posted by on 19/ 11/ 15

The U-factors reported by European window manufacturers—whether given in European units (W/m2^K°) or North American units (Btu/ft2^F°)—are difficult to compare with U-factors reported by North American man­ufacturers. European and North American laboratories use different protocols to test window U-factors, and most glazing experts agree that European U-factors would look worse if the windows were tested according to NFRC requirements.

 

A core of cork increases thermal performance.

 

The interior of the frame, — which is made of either fir or spruce, is left exposed.

 

Zertifikat

 

Triple glazing with warm-edge spacers is filled with argon or krypton.

  It’s Difficult to Compare U-Factors

OPTIWIN

U-factor: 0.137

SHGC: 0.53

VT: 0.72 (glass only)

  It’s Difficult to Compare U-Factors

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Clay-Based Plasters

Posted by on 19/ 11/ 15

From a Building Biology standpoint, clay – based plasters provide a superior wall finish because of the remarkable hygroscopic prop­erties of clay. For more information about mixing your own plasters, we recommend The Natural Plaster Book (listed at the end of this chapter). Resources for commercially pre­pared clay-based plaster are:

• American Clay Enterprises: A variety of clay-based plasters for interior finish­ing, including three texture styles and 42 colors.

• Japanese Wall: Several lines of interior and exterior natural plasters imported from Japan. All-natural, nontoxic plasters contain sand, diatomite earth, clay, natural stone chips, and straw.

Plaster Finish

Because of the porous nature of plaster, it will stain and show fingerprints if left unfinished...

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Double top plate

Posted by on 19/ 11/ 15

see carpenters raising the wall and then standing on ladders to nail on the dou­ble top plate, the job is much quicker and easier to do while the wall is still on the deck.

On butt walls, the double top plate laps over the top plate ЗУ2 in. (for a 2×4 wall) so that it can tie into a through wall.

On through walls, the double top plate cuts back from the end of the top plate ЗУ2 in. to leave room for the double top plate on the butt wall to lap over and tie the two walls together (see the drawing above). There is а ЗУ2-ІП. mark on the through walls left from when you located the corners with the corner­marking tool. Lay the double top plate on the wall with one end ЗУ2 in. from the end of the top plate. Go to the other end and cut the plate at the other ЗУ2-ІП. mark...

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Immune Dysfunction Related to Formaldehyde Exposure in the Home

Posted by on 19/ 11/ 15

P. F. is a 54-year-old woman who was in good health until 1981 when she moved into a new mobile home. Shortly thereafter she developed a digestive disorder with gas and bloating, severe insomnia, and a chronic cough with frequent epi­sodes of bronchitis. By the following year she was suffering from persistent fatigue and frequent respiratory infections, including her first case of pneumonia. She became sensitive to most prod­ucts containing formaldehyde, especially press – board. She noted that she experienced "brain fog" while shopping at the local mall. Her symptoms continued to worsen, and now included allergies, hypoglycemia, and lethargy.

P. F...

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Building outside corners and channels

Posted by on 19/ 11/ 15

Building outside corners and channels

Building outside corners and channels

Three-stud channel

 

Building outside corners and channelsBuilding outside corners and channels

stud is nailed in flush with the end of the plate. The second stud is nailed in flat alongside the first so that when the intersecting wall is raised, it can be nailed into the flat stud.

A blocked-up corner can be built by nail­ing three equally spaced blocks in place of the full-length center stud used in
the three-stud corner. Whichever type you choose, the corner should provide adequate nailing not only for the inter­secting wall but also for interior and exterior wall finishes and trim. I person­ally prefer the solid, three-stud corner or channel. I try to use two straight studs for the side pieces and a bowed or knotted stud for the center piece.

Building outside corners and channelsUse 1 6d nails to fasten the studs at the corner to the plate...

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Procession

Posted by on 19/ 11/ 15

While the principle of procession is still primarily about space, it also pertains to time. The best houses speak to us in a visual language with which we are all familiar. A gate in a picket fence that opens onto a narrow path that leads through a yard to an open porch that covers a door is a set of symbols we rec­ognize as signposts guiding us through increasingly private territory towards the threshold of someone’s clandestine world. Such "layering” (as it is often called) demarcates public space from semiprivate and private spaces. This serves to put us at ease, as it ensures that we will never be left to wonder if we have overstepped our boundaries as guests...

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Windows, Doors, Siding, and Exterior Trim

Posted by on 19/ 11/ 15

EACH PHASE OF A HOMEBUILDING PROJECT OFFERS A NEW SET OF CHALLENGES

and rewards, but the work that we do in this chapter is especially exciting. The big, stick-framed box we’ve built is about to receive a beautiful skin, with windows and doors added to make it weatherproof. By the time we’ve finished the tasks in this chapter, the house will show oil" its finished exterior appearance. And with the inside protected from the elements, we arc free to take on all the interior work ahead.

As I mentioned in chapter 4, its common practice in some parts of the country to sheathe wood-framed walls before they are raised rather than after. In other areas, sheathing is eliminated and diagonal steel or wood braces arc installed to nelp walls resist shear forces...

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Install ridge shingles and the ridge vent

Posted by on 19/ 11/ 15

At the ridge, many builders install ridge shingles on the roof ends with a ridge vent between them. An alternative is to install the ridge vent across the entire roof, even though the ends of the vent (located over the gable – end overhangs) are not functional. Some ridge vents do not require a cap of roof shingles, but others do. No matter which type of ridge vent von use, follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding its installation (see the photo at left).

Ridge shingles arc easy to make—simply cut regular three-tab shingles into three pieces, as shown in the top left photo on the facing page. Lay the shingle upside-down on a piece of plywood and cut it with a utility knife...

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CLUBS AND LOUNGES

Posted by on 19/ 11/ 15

When you are dealing with clubs and lounges, you must pay attention to Board of Health requirements. Remember that if a restaurant will be serving alcoholic beverages, the building will be treated as a club or lounge for fixture require­ments. I should also point out that the tables we are using are from the Standard Plumbing Code. Local codes vary, so don’t use these tables for your actual work. I’m providing the tables for the sake of examples, not as the final word.

I’m not going to continue doing routine examples of table use. You should understand the basic concepts now. However, I will touch on the remaining categories and provide you with sample tables for determining minimum plumbing fixtures. Figure 9.9 is a table set up for clubs and lounges...

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Eco-toxicity Tests

Posted by on 19/ 11/ 15

Despite most regulatory constraints being based on physico-chemical analysis, the hazard toward the natural environment represented by a contaminated solution or matrix cannot simply be assessed on the basis of the single analytical approach. The latter supposes that the contaminants can all be identified and are not too numerous (which is not always the case), but moreover, the chemical concentration does not provide any information about phenomena of synergy or antagonism between pollu­tants, and does not provide information about the toxicity towards living organisms (criterion H14 of the European Directive 91/689). Biological methods can do so (ADEME, 1999). The purpose of these methods is to assess the eco-toxicological danger of solutions and matrix...

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