Home Comfort Book Links
The links are in order by pages of the book. Duplicates aren’t shown twice in a chapter, for instance links to other chapters like HVAC 101 are only shown once per chapter. Thanks again!
Foreword
Energy Star Homes, The Horrors - A Facebook group started by a homeowner who had to rip out and replace his HVAC, including ductwork, 18 months after he bought a new Energy Star 3.0 home. http://bit.ly/EnergyStarHorrors
Energy Smart Home Performance Google Reviews http://bit.ly/ESHPGoogleReviews
Energy Smart Home Performance Case Studies - Highly detailed look at some of our projects. http://bit.ly/CaseStudiesEnergySmart
Energy Smart Home Performance Where We’ve Been Published http://bit.ly/ESHPWhereWeveBeenPublished
House Whisperer YouTube Channel http://bit.ly/HouseWhispererYouTube
Home Comfort 101
Robert Bean LinkedIn Profile http://bit.ly/RobertBean
Healthy Heating - Robert Bean’s website full of research about how designing for humans leads to good buildings. http://bit.ly/HealthyHeating
1915 Case Study - The example from the blower door readings, the home experienced an 80% reduction in air leakage. http://bit.ly/1915CaseStudy
1970s Two Story Home Case Study http://bit.ly/1970sCaseStudy
1996 Center Hall Colonial Case Study http://bit.ly/1996CaseStudy
HVAC 101 Chapter - What’s important in a heating and cooling system to make your home healthy, comfortable, and efficient. http://bit.ly/HVAC101Chapter
HVAC 102 Chapter - If you buy the wrong sized HVAC system, true comfort will be impossible. This chapter shows how it is sized. http://bit.ly/HVAC102Chapter
New Measurement Tools - A detailed review of 7 consumer grade Indoor Air Quality monitors. http://bit.ly/IAQMonitorComparisonESHP
VOCs and Humidity - A paper from Robert Bean that mentions Dr. Richard Corsi of the University of Texas Austin’s research connecting higher humidity levels with higher VOC off gassing. http://bit.ly/VOCsAndHumidity
Latent Heat - Essentially humidity. http://bit.ly/LatentHeatWikipedia
Insulation Types Guide http://bit.ly/InsulationTypesGuide
Finding a Home Performance Specialist Guide - Future guide to finding someone to help you make your home awesome. Sign up if you want to see it, it’s a vote. http://bit.ly/FindingHPS
Mold and Moisture Chapter - A future chapter. Sign up to vote. http://bit.ly/MoldAndMoistureChapter
Florida Solar Energy Center Ventilation Study - Attic ventilation is not as important as you think is one key conclusion. http://bit.ly/AtticVentilationStudyFSEC
Air Sealing Guide - This will be a separate book that has easy to follow illustrations and photos showing how to air seal all common components of US homes. Sign up to find out when it’s ready. http://bit.ly/AirSealingGuide
Home Comfort 102 Chapter - Future chapter showing the details of keeping humans comfortable. It also digs into comfort from a larger perspective, aka Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). IEQ involves 6 comfort characteristics - thermal quality, air quality, sound quality, vibration quality, light quality, and odor quality. Sign up to vote to see it. http://bit.ly/ComfortAndIEQ
Sensible Heat - The temperature of the air, essentially. http://bit.ly/SensibleHeat
Energy Vanguard - Excellent blog by Dr. Allison Bailes. http://bit.ly/EnergyVanguardDrAllisonBailes
Diminishing Returns of More Insulation - Excellent Energy Vanguard article showing that more is not necessarily better. http://bit.ly/InsulationDiminishingReturns
Habitat for Humanity of Portage County - http://www.habitatofportage.org/
Habitat Retrofit Series http://bit.ly/HabitatSeries1Principles
Air Sealing Guide - Detailed how-to guide to seal up your home. http://bit.ly/AirSealingGuide
1959 Case Study http://bit.ly/1959CapeCaseStudy
Fresh Air/Mechanical Ventilation Guide - A big part of making your home healthy. What’s the difference between an ERV and a dehumidifier? Or pressurization vs. neutral strategies? This guide will tackle those questions and much more. http://bit.ly/FreshAirChapter
Home Comfort 102 - A deeper dive into what makes humans comfortable so you can figure out what is bugging you. Did you know that lighting, noise, vibration, odors, and air quality are all part of comfort too? http://bit.ly/ComfortAndIEQ
Petri Dish House - It’s not easy to cause severe mold problems in an older home, but this family managed it. Learn how. http://bit.ly/PetriDishHouse
Energy Smart Case Studies - http://bit.ly/CaseStudiesEnergySmart
Comfort Guides - Complete listing of Nate the House Whisperer guides. http://bit.ly/ComfortGuides
Thermodynamics: It’s Not Rocket Science - Joe Lstiburek of Building Science Corp’s explanation of building physics. I “borrowed” my rules from him. Dr. Joe has lots of awesome stuff to read and is one of the best sources in this field. http://bit.ly/ThermoDynamicsNotRocketScience
Habitat Retrofit Series http://bit.ly/HabitatSeries1Principles
Stack Effect Demonstration - Larry Janesky of Dr. Energy Saver gives an excellent measured demonstration of the stack effect. http://bit.ly/DrEnergySaverStackEffect
HVAC 101
Home Comfort 102 - A deeper dive into what makes humans comfortable so you can figure out what is bugging you, and then make a plan to solve it. Did you know that lighting, noise, vibration, odors, and air quality are all part of comfort too? http://bit.ly/ComfortAndIEQ
Mold and Moisture Chapter - Amazingly, mold and moisture are caused by water. Yep, you heard it here first. Understanding a few key things to look for can tackle many moisture issues. When complete, this chapter will provide an introduction to the topic. If you want to see it, vote here by signing up. http://bit.ly/MoldAndMoistureChapter
Fresh Air/Mechanical Ventilation Guide - Adding outdoor air (which isn’t always fresh) is a big part of making your home healthy. What’s the difference between an ERV and a dehumidifier? Or pressurization vs. neutral strategies? This guide will tackle those questions and much more. http://bit.ly/FreshAirChapter
Sick Building Syndrome - http://bit.ly/SickBuildingSyndromeSBS
Healthy Home/Indoor Air Quality Chapter - What are particulate matter or VOCs? Are they a problem in your home? Understanding the concepts is where solutions begin, this chapter outlines what a healthy home is and what to do to get one. http://bit.ly/HealthyHomeIAQChapter
Buy an Air Quality Monitor - Our in depth review of 7 different devices and their pros and cons. http://bit.ly/IAQMonitorComparisonESHP
Lew Harriman IAQ Radio Interview - Lew talks about moisture in homes in an approachable way. He wrote the EPA’s guide to controlling moisture in buildings. Not to be missed. http://bit.ly/LewHarrimanIAQRadio
Joe Lstiburek Just Right and Airtight - The inimitable Dr. Joe talks about Fresh Air Ventilation in his characteristic funny yet slightly abrasive manner. http://bit.ly/JustRightAirTight
Dew Point Calculator - http://bit.ly/DPCalc
Record Dew Points - http://bit.ly/RecordDewPoints
HVAC 102
Oversized HVAC & A Fast Car - I demonstrate how a huge HVAC system operates by flooring and letting off the throttle in a fast car. Watch me snap my neck! http://bit.ly/OversizedHVACandFastCar
Buy an Inexpensive Infrared Gun - The diagnostic category from the Energy Smart Store. You might consider a Flir One infrared camera as well. http://bit.ly/EnergySmartStoreDiagnostics
Home Comfort 102 - A deeper dive into what makes humans comfortable so you can figure out what is bugging you, and then make a plan to solve it. Did you know that lighting, noise, vibration, odors, and air quality are all part of comfort too? http://bit.ly/ComfortAndIEQ
Energy Wise Structures - Richard Rue has guaranteed energy use on over 45,000 homes with zero failures. He also was kind enough to give us hourly temperature data for Cleveland. http://bit.ly/EnergyWiseStructures
HVAC 101 Chapter - What’s important in a heating and cooling system to make your home healthy, comfortable, and efficient. http://bit.ly/HVAC101Chapter
February 2015 Was Coldest February in Cleveland - http://bit.ly/ColdestClevelandFebruary
Home Comfort 101 - The keystone chapter of the book teaches how your home actually works physics-wise. http://bit.ly/HomeComfort101
Fresh Air/Mechanical Ventilation Guide - Adding outdoor air (which isn’t always fresh) is a big part of making your home healthy. What’s the difference between an ERV and a dehumidifier? Or pressurization vs. neutral strategies? This guide will tackle those questions and much more. http://bit.ly/FreshAirChapter
Using a Thermostat to Diagnose Comfort Problems - Ecobee thermostats are a useful diagnostic tool. This article was also published in The Journal of Light Construction (behind a pay wall.) http://bit.ly/EcobeeDiagnosis
Little Old House with Amazing Comfort - HVAC expert Cameron Taylor’s account of seeing the 1900 House of the Future Case Study. http://bit.ly/LittleOldComfyHouse
Energy Wise Structures - Richard Rue has guaranteed energy use on over 45,000 homes with zero failures. He also was kind enough to give us hourly temperature data for Cleveland. http://bit.ly/EnergyWiseStructures
February 2015 Was Coldest February in Cleveland - http://bit.ly/ColdestClevelandFebruary
Insulation Types Guide
Home Comfort 101 - The keystone chapter of the book teaches how your home actually works physics-wise. http://bit.ly/HomeComfort101
DSIRE National Database of Energy Efficiency Programs - http://bit.ly/DSIREEfficiencyPrograms
Air Sealing Guide - Detailed guide showing how to air seal all major air leaks in attics, walls, basements, and crawlspaces. Includes helpful notated photos and illustrations. This will be a separate product from The Home Comfort Book. http://bit.ly/AirSealingGuide
Healthy Home/Indoor Air Quality Chapter - What are particulate matter or VOCs? Are they a problem in your home? Understanding the concepts is where solutions begin, this chapter outlines what a healthy home is and what to do to get one. http://bit.ly/HealthyHomeIAQChapter
1957 Cape Cod Case Study - http://bit.ly/1957CapeCodCaseStudy
Green Building Advisor Rigid Foam Guide - Some types absorb water. http://bit.ly/GBARigidFoamGuide
Green Building Advisor Rigid Foam Cold Weather Performance - http://bit.ly/GBAFoamBoardColdWeatherPerformance
Green Building Advisor Foam Board Install Video - http://bit.ly/GBAInstallFoamBoard
Buy a Foam Gun - Energy Smart Air Sealing Store Category - http://bit.ly/AirSealingStoreESHP
AirKrete Billed as Non-Allergenic - http://bit.ly/AirKrete
2012 Injection Foam Blower Door Challenge - Still unanswered. http://bit.ly/YuckyFoamInRetrofitWalls
Formaldehyde Foam Back From Dead - BuildingGreen.com http://bit.ly/FormaldehydeFoamBackFromDead
Fomo WallSeal Product Page - http://bit.ly/FomoWallSealHandiFill
1900 House of the Future Case Study - http://bit.ly/1900HouseOfTheFuture
Boric Acid on Wikipedia - http://bit.ly/BoricAcid
Building Doctors Dense Pack Technique Video - An excellent video comparison of dense pack techniques and results. Well worth the watch. http://bit.ly/DensePackTechniques
Building Doctors - A great Home Performance outfit to work with in LA, Dan Thomsen really gets it. http://bit.ly/BuildingDoctors
Fiberglass Doesn’t Stop Air Leaks Video - http://bit.ly/FiberglassDoesntStopAir
Fiberglass Saves Production Energy 12X in First Year - NAIMA white paper, take with a grain of salt. http://bit.ly/FiberglassInsulationEnergyContent
NAIMA Site - North American Insulation Manufacturer’s Association, mostly fiberglass and rock wool. http://bit.ly/NAIMAakaInsulationInstitute
What Are Soffits - http://bit.ly/SoffitWikiPedia
Comfort Guides List - Our full list of available resources. http://bit.ly/ComfortGuides
Confessions of an Insulation Contractor - My painful journey into and out of contracting. http://bit.ly/ConfessionsPt1
What Is a Blower Door? - http://bit.ly/WhatDoesABlowerDoorMean
Fiberglass Leaks Video - http://bit.ly/FiberglassDoesntStopAir
Why I Don’t Like Spray Foam in Existing House Walls - Technically this is injection foam, but most consumers look up spray foam. http://bit.ly/YuckyFoamInRetrofitWalls
Formaldehyde Foam Back from the Dead - http://bit.ly/FormaldehydeFoamBackFromDead
A Visual Guide to Why Fiberglass Batt Insulation Underperforms - Energy Vanguard. http://bit.ly/FiberglassUnderperformingEnergyVanguard
Batts, Blown or Sprayed: What’s the Best Attic Insulation - Energy Vanguard. http://bit.ly/BestAtticInsulationEnergyVanguard
Flat or Lumpy: How Would You Like Your Attic Insulation - Energy Vanguard. http://bit.ly/FlatOrLumpyInsulation
Green and Competitive - NAIMA whitepaper about production energy of fiberglass. http://bit.ly/FiberglassInsulationEnergyContent
Building Science Corporation - Hands down the best information I’ve found. http://bit.ly/BuildingScienceCorp
Green Building Advisor - One of the other best resources. http://bit.ly/GreenBuildingAdvisor
Journal of Light Construction - A great magazine for construction pros that is also good for advanced DIYers. http://bit.ly/JLCOnline
Energy Vanguard - Allison Bailes writes a great and useful blog. http://bit.ly/EnergyVanguardBlog
Bath Fan Guide
Fresh Air/Mechanical Ventilation Guide - Adding outdoor air (which isn’t always fresh) is a big part of making your home healthy. What’s the difference between an ERV and a dehumidifier? Or pressurization vs. neutral strategies? This guide will tackle those questions and much more. http://bit.ly/FreshAirChapter
Bath Fans Store - Fans we like along with hard to find accessories for installing them correctly. http://bit.ly/EnergySmartStoreBathFans
Home Ventilation Institute Bath Fan Guide - http://bit.ly/BathFanGuideHVI
Efi.org Bath Fan Sizing Guide - http://bit.ly/BathFanSizingEFI
Five Reasons Why Bath Fans Have Poor Flow - http://bit.ly/BathFansPoorFlow
Why Bath Fans Are Failing Energy Star Homes - http://bit.ly/BathFansFailingEnergyStarHomes
Lighting Guide
Energy Smart Lighting Store - Bulbs we have bought and know we like. A good starting place. http://bit.ly/EnergySmartStoreLighting
How to Pick a CFL - http://bit.ly/HowToPickAnEfficientBulb
Chapter Links
Home Comfort 101 - The keystone chapter of the book teaches how your home actually works physics-wise. http://bit.ly/HomeComfort101
HVAC 101 Chapter - What’s important in a heating and cooling system to make your home healthy, comfortable, and efficient. http://bit.ly/HVAC101Chapter
HVAC 102 Chapter - If you buy the wrong sized HVAC system, true comfort will be impossible. This chapter shows how it is sized. http://bit.ly/HVAC102Chapter
Insulation Types Guide http://bit.ly/InsulationTypesGuide
Bath Fans Guide http://bit.ly/BathFanGuide
Lighting Guide http://bit.ly/UltimateLightingGuide
Future Chapters/Guides
Want to see any of these? Put in your email as a vote, and you’ll be first to know when they’re complete, and maybe even get to read them before publication...
Air Sealing Guide - Detailed guide showing how to air seal all major air leaks in attics, walls, basements, and crawlspaces. Includes helpful notated photos and illustrations. This will be a separate product from The Home Comfort Book. http://bit.ly/AirSealingGuide
Fresh Air/Mechanical Ventilation Guide - Adding outdoor air (which isn’t always fresh) is a big part of making your home healthy. What’s the difference between an ERV and a dehumidifier? Or pressurization vs. neutral strategies? This guide will tackle those questions and much more. http://bit.ly/FreshAirChapter
Healthy Home/Indoor Air Quality Chapter - What are particulate matter or VOCs? Are they a problem in your home? Understanding the concepts is where solutions begin, this chapter outlines what a healthy home is and what to do to get one. http://bit.ly/HealthyHomeIAQChapter
Home Comfort 102 - A deeper dive into what makes humans comfortable so you can figure out what is bugging you, and then make a plan to solve it. Did you know that lighting, noise, vibration, odors, and air quality are all part of comfort too? http://bit.ly/ComfortAndIEQ
Mold and Moisture Chapter - Amazingly, mold and moisture are caused by water. Yep, you heard it here first. Understanding a few key things to look for can tackle many moisture issues. When complete, this chapter will provide an introduction to the topic. If you want to see it, vote here by signing up. http://bit.ly/MoldAndMoistureChapter
Energy Smart Store Links
Products we like with short reviews, most we have used. We get a small part of sales, it’s a great way to support us if you want to, and doesn’t cost extra.
Air Sealing Store - DIYing some upgrades? Here are some products you’ll need. http://bit.ly/AirSealingStoreESHP
Bath Fans Store - Fans we like along with hard to find accessories for installing them correctly. http://bit.ly/EnergySmartStoreBathFans
Diagnostics Store - Products for figuring out what the root cause of problems in your home are. http://bit.ly/EnergySmartStoreDiagnostics
Lighting Store - Bulbs we have bought and know we like. A good starting place. http://bit.ly/EnergySmartStoreLighting
Foreword
Energy Star Homes, The Horrors - A Facebook group started by a homeowner who had to rip out and replace his HVAC, including ductwork, 18 months after he bought a new Energy Star 3.0 home. http://bit.ly/EnergyStarHorrors
Energy Smart Home Performance Google Reviews http://bit.ly/ESHPGoogleReviews
Energy Smart Home Performance Case Studies - Highly detailed look at some of our projects. http://bit.ly/CaseStudiesEnergySmart
Energy Smart Home Performance Where We’ve Been Published http://bit.ly/ESHPWhereWeveBeenPublished
House Whisperer YouTube Channel http://bit.ly/HouseWhispererYouTube
Home Comfort 101
Robert Bean LinkedIn Profile http://bit.ly/RobertBean
Healthy Heating - Robert Bean’s website full of research about how designing for humans leads to good buildings. http://bit.ly/HealthyHeating
1915 Case Study - The example from the blower door readings, the home experienced an 80% reduction in air leakage. http://bit.ly/1915CaseStudy
1970s Two Story Home Case Study http://bit.ly/1970sCaseStudy
1996 Center Hall Colonial Case Study http://bit.ly/1996CaseStudy
HVAC 101 Chapter - What’s important in a heating and cooling system to make your home healthy, comfortable, and efficient. http://bit.ly/HVAC101Chapter
HVAC 102 Chapter - If you buy the wrong sized HVAC system, true comfort will be impossible. This chapter shows how it is sized. http://bit.ly/HVAC102Chapter
New Measurement Tools - A detailed review of 7 consumer grade Indoor Air Quality monitors. http://bit.ly/IAQMonitorComparisonESHP
VOCs and Humidity - A paper from Robert Bean that mentions Dr. Richard Corsi of the University of Texas Austin’s research connecting higher humidity levels with higher VOC off gassing. http://bit.ly/VOCsAndHumidity
Latent Heat - Essentially humidity. http://bit.ly/LatentHeatWikipedia
Insulation Types Guide http://bit.ly/InsulationTypesGuide
Finding a Home Performance Specialist Guide - Future guide to finding someone to help you make your home awesome. Sign up if you want to see it, it’s a vote. http://bit.ly/FindingHPS
Mold and Moisture Chapter - A future chapter. Sign up to vote. http://bit.ly/MoldAndMoistureChapter
Florida Solar Energy Center Ventilation Study - Attic ventilation is not as important as you think is one key conclusion. http://bit.ly/AtticVentilationStudyFSEC
Air Sealing Guide - This will be a separate book that has easy to follow illustrations and photos showing how to air seal all common components of US homes. Sign up to find out when it’s ready. http://bit.ly/AirSealingGuide
Home Comfort 102 Chapter - Future chapter showing the details of keeping humans comfortable. It also digs into comfort from a larger perspective, aka Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). IEQ involves 6 comfort characteristics - thermal quality, air quality, sound quality, vibration quality, light quality, and odor quality. Sign up to vote to see it. http://bit.ly/ComfortAndIEQ
Sensible Heat - The temperature of the air, essentially. http://bit.ly/SensibleHeat
Energy Vanguard - Excellent blog by Dr. Allison Bailes. http://bit.ly/EnergyVanguardDrAllisonBailes
Diminishing Returns of More Insulation - Excellent Energy Vanguard article showing that more is not necessarily better. http://bit.ly/InsulationDiminishingReturns
Habitat for Humanity of Portage County - http://www.habitatofportage.org/
Habitat Retrofit Series http://bit.ly/HabitatSeries1Principles
Air Sealing Guide - Detailed how-to guide to seal up your home. http://bit.ly/AirSealingGuide
1959 Case Study http://bit.ly/1959CapeCaseStudy
Fresh Air/Mechanical Ventilation Guide - A big part of making your home healthy. What’s the difference between an ERV and a dehumidifier? Or pressurization vs. neutral strategies? This guide will tackle those questions and much more. http://bit.ly/FreshAirChapter
Home Comfort 102 - A deeper dive into what makes humans comfortable so you can figure out what is bugging you. Did you know that lighting, noise, vibration, odors, and air quality are all part of comfort too? http://bit.ly/ComfortAndIEQ
Petri Dish House - It’s not easy to cause severe mold problems in an older home, but this family managed it. Learn how. http://bit.ly/PetriDishHouse
Energy Smart Case Studies - http://bit.ly/CaseStudiesEnergySmart
Comfort Guides - Complete listing of Nate the House Whisperer guides. http://bit.ly/ComfortGuides
Thermodynamics: It’s Not Rocket Science - Joe Lstiburek of Building Science Corp’s explanation of building physics. I “borrowed” my rules from him. Dr. Joe has lots of awesome stuff to read and is one of the best sources in this field. http://bit.ly/ThermoDynamicsNotRocketScience
Habitat Retrofit Series http://bit.ly/HabitatSeries1Principles
Stack Effect Demonstration - Larry Janesky of Dr. Energy Saver gives an excellent measured demonstration of the stack effect. http://bit.ly/DrEnergySaverStackEffect
HVAC 101
Home Comfort 102 - A deeper dive into what makes humans comfortable so you can figure out what is bugging you, and then make a plan to solve it. Did you know that lighting, noise, vibration, odors, and air quality are all part of comfort too? http://bit.ly/ComfortAndIEQ
Mold and Moisture Chapter - Amazingly, mold and moisture are caused by water. Yep, you heard it here first. Understanding a few key things to look for can tackle many moisture issues. When complete, this chapter will provide an introduction to the topic. If you want to see it, vote here by signing up. http://bit.ly/MoldAndMoistureChapter
Fresh Air/Mechanical Ventilation Guide - Adding outdoor air (which isn’t always fresh) is a big part of making your home healthy. What’s the difference between an ERV and a dehumidifier? Or pressurization vs. neutral strategies? This guide will tackle those questions and much more. http://bit.ly/FreshAirChapter
Sick Building Syndrome - http://bit.ly/SickBuildingSyndromeSBS
Healthy Home/Indoor Air Quality Chapter - What are particulate matter or VOCs? Are they a problem in your home? Understanding the concepts is where solutions begin, this chapter outlines what a healthy home is and what to do to get one. http://bit.ly/HealthyHomeIAQChapter
Buy an Air Quality Monitor - Our in depth review of 7 different devices and their pros and cons. http://bit.ly/IAQMonitorComparisonESHP
Lew Harriman IAQ Radio Interview - Lew talks about moisture in homes in an approachable way. He wrote the EPA’s guide to controlling moisture in buildings. Not to be missed. http://bit.ly/LewHarrimanIAQRadio
Joe Lstiburek Just Right and Airtight - The inimitable Dr. Joe talks about Fresh Air Ventilation in his characteristic funny yet slightly abrasive manner. http://bit.ly/JustRightAirTight
Dew Point Calculator - http://bit.ly/DPCalc
Record Dew Points - http://bit.ly/RecordDewPoints
HVAC 102
Oversized HVAC & A Fast Car - I demonstrate how a huge HVAC system operates by flooring and letting off the throttle in a fast car. Watch me snap my neck! http://bit.ly/OversizedHVACandFastCar
Buy an Inexpensive Infrared Gun - The diagnostic category from the Energy Smart Store. You might consider a Flir One infrared camera as well. http://bit.ly/EnergySmartStoreDiagnostics
Home Comfort 102 - A deeper dive into what makes humans comfortable so you can figure out what is bugging you, and then make a plan to solve it. Did you know that lighting, noise, vibration, odors, and air quality are all part of comfort too? http://bit.ly/ComfortAndIEQ
Energy Wise Structures - Richard Rue has guaranteed energy use on over 45,000 homes with zero failures. He also was kind enough to give us hourly temperature data for Cleveland. http://bit.ly/EnergyWiseStructures
HVAC 101 Chapter - What’s important in a heating and cooling system to make your home healthy, comfortable, and efficient. http://bit.ly/HVAC101Chapter
February 2015 Was Coldest February in Cleveland - http://bit.ly/ColdestClevelandFebruary
Home Comfort 101 - The keystone chapter of the book teaches how your home actually works physics-wise. http://bit.ly/HomeComfort101
Fresh Air/Mechanical Ventilation Guide - Adding outdoor air (which isn’t always fresh) is a big part of making your home healthy. What’s the difference between an ERV and a dehumidifier? Or pressurization vs. neutral strategies? This guide will tackle those questions and much more. http://bit.ly/FreshAirChapter
Using a Thermostat to Diagnose Comfort Problems - Ecobee thermostats are a useful diagnostic tool. This article was also published in The Journal of Light Construction (behind a pay wall.) http://bit.ly/EcobeeDiagnosis
Little Old House with Amazing Comfort - HVAC expert Cameron Taylor’s account of seeing the 1900 House of the Future Case Study. http://bit.ly/LittleOldComfyHouse
Energy Wise Structures - Richard Rue has guaranteed energy use on over 45,000 homes with zero failures. He also was kind enough to give us hourly temperature data for Cleveland. http://bit.ly/EnergyWiseStructures
February 2015 Was Coldest February in Cleveland - http://bit.ly/ColdestClevelandFebruary
Insulation Types Guide
Home Comfort 101 - The keystone chapter of the book teaches how your home actually works physics-wise. http://bit.ly/HomeComfort101
DSIRE National Database of Energy Efficiency Programs - http://bit.ly/DSIREEfficiencyPrograms
Air Sealing Guide - Detailed guide showing how to air seal all major air leaks in attics, walls, basements, and crawlspaces. Includes helpful notated photos and illustrations. This will be a separate product from The Home Comfort Book. http://bit.ly/AirSealingGuide
Healthy Home/Indoor Air Quality Chapter - What are particulate matter or VOCs? Are they a problem in your home? Understanding the concepts is where solutions begin, this chapter outlines what a healthy home is and what to do to get one. http://bit.ly/HealthyHomeIAQChapter
1957 Cape Cod Case Study - http://bit.ly/1957CapeCodCaseStudy
Green Building Advisor Rigid Foam Guide - Some types absorb water. http://bit.ly/GBARigidFoamGuide
Green Building Advisor Rigid Foam Cold Weather Performance - http://bit.ly/GBAFoamBoardColdWeatherPerformance
Green Building Advisor Foam Board Install Video - http://bit.ly/GBAInstallFoamBoard
Buy a Foam Gun - Energy Smart Air Sealing Store Category - http://bit.ly/AirSealingStoreESHP
AirKrete Billed as Non-Allergenic - http://bit.ly/AirKrete
2012 Injection Foam Blower Door Challenge - Still unanswered. http://bit.ly/YuckyFoamInRetrofitWalls
Formaldehyde Foam Back From Dead - BuildingGreen.com http://bit.ly/FormaldehydeFoamBackFromDead
Fomo WallSeal Product Page - http://bit.ly/FomoWallSealHandiFill
1900 House of the Future Case Study - http://bit.ly/1900HouseOfTheFuture
Boric Acid on Wikipedia - http://bit.ly/BoricAcid
Building Doctors Dense Pack Technique Video - An excellent video comparison of dense pack techniques and results. Well worth the watch. http://bit.ly/DensePackTechniques
Building Doctors - A great Home Performance outfit to work with in LA, Dan Thomsen really gets it. http://bit.ly/BuildingDoctors
Fiberglass Doesn’t Stop Air Leaks Video - http://bit.ly/FiberglassDoesntStopAir
Fiberglass Saves Production Energy 12X in First Year - NAIMA white paper, take with a grain of salt. http://bit.ly/FiberglassInsulationEnergyContent
NAIMA Site - North American Insulation Manufacturer’s Association, mostly fiberglass and rock wool. http://bit.ly/NAIMAakaInsulationInstitute
What Are Soffits - http://bit.ly/SoffitWikiPedia
Comfort Guides List - Our full list of available resources. http://bit.ly/ComfortGuides
Confessions of an Insulation Contractor - My painful journey into and out of contracting. http://bit.ly/ConfessionsPt1
What Is a Blower Door? - http://bit.ly/WhatDoesABlowerDoorMean
Fiberglass Leaks Video - http://bit.ly/FiberglassDoesntStopAir
Why I Don’t Like Spray Foam in Existing House Walls - Technically this is injection foam, but most consumers look up spray foam. http://bit.ly/YuckyFoamInRetrofitWalls
Formaldehyde Foam Back from the Dead - http://bit.ly/FormaldehydeFoamBackFromDead
A Visual Guide to Why Fiberglass Batt Insulation Underperforms - Energy Vanguard. http://bit.ly/FiberglassUnderperformingEnergyVanguard
Batts, Blown or Sprayed: What’s the Best Attic Insulation - Energy Vanguard. http://bit.ly/BestAtticInsulationEnergyVanguard
Flat or Lumpy: How Would You Like Your Attic Insulation - Energy Vanguard. http://bit.ly/FlatOrLumpyInsulation
Green and Competitive - NAIMA whitepaper about production energy of fiberglass. http://bit.ly/FiberglassInsulationEnergyContent
Building Science Corporation - Hands down the best information I’ve found. http://bit.ly/BuildingScienceCorp
Green Building Advisor - One of the other best resources. http://bit.ly/GreenBuildingAdvisor
Journal of Light Construction - A great magazine for construction pros that is also good for advanced DIYers. http://bit.ly/JLCOnline
Energy Vanguard - Allison Bailes writes a great and useful blog. http://bit.ly/EnergyVanguardBlog
Bath Fan Guide
Fresh Air/Mechanical Ventilation Guide - Adding outdoor air (which isn’t always fresh) is a big part of making your home healthy. What’s the difference between an ERV and a dehumidifier? Or pressurization vs. neutral strategies? This guide will tackle those questions and much more. http://bit.ly/FreshAirChapter
Bath Fans Store - Fans we like along with hard to find accessories for installing them correctly. http://bit.ly/EnergySmartStoreBathFans
Home Ventilation Institute Bath Fan Guide - http://bit.ly/BathFanGuideHVI
Efi.org Bath Fan Sizing Guide - http://bit.ly/BathFanSizingEFI
Five Reasons Why Bath Fans Have Poor Flow - http://bit.ly/BathFansPoorFlow
Why Bath Fans Are Failing Energy Star Homes - http://bit.ly/BathFansFailingEnergyStarHomes
Lighting Guide
Energy Smart Lighting Store - Bulbs we have bought and know we like. A good starting place. http://bit.ly/EnergySmartStoreLighting
How to Pick a CFL - http://bit.ly/HowToPickAnEfficientBulb
Chapter Links
Home Comfort 101 - The keystone chapter of the book teaches how your home actually works physics-wise. http://bit.ly/HomeComfort101
HVAC 101 Chapter - What’s important in a heating and cooling system to make your home healthy, comfortable, and efficient. http://bit.ly/HVAC101Chapter
HVAC 102 Chapter - If you buy the wrong sized HVAC system, true comfort will be impossible. This chapter shows how it is sized. http://bit.ly/HVAC102Chapter
Insulation Types Guide http://bit.ly/InsulationTypesGuide
Bath Fans Guide http://bit.ly/BathFanGuide
Lighting Guide http://bit.ly/UltimateLightingGuide
Future Chapters/Guides
Want to see any of these? Put in your email as a vote, and you’ll be first to know when they’re complete, and maybe even get to read them before publication...
Air Sealing Guide - Detailed guide showing how to air seal all major air leaks in attics, walls, basements, and crawlspaces. Includes helpful notated photos and illustrations. This will be a separate product from The Home Comfort Book. http://bit.ly/AirSealingGuide
Fresh Air/Mechanical Ventilation Guide - Adding outdoor air (which isn’t always fresh) is a big part of making your home healthy. What’s the difference between an ERV and a dehumidifier? Or pressurization vs. neutral strategies? This guide will tackle those questions and much more. http://bit.ly/FreshAirChapter
Healthy Home/Indoor Air Quality Chapter - What are particulate matter or VOCs? Are they a problem in your home? Understanding the concepts is where solutions begin, this chapter outlines what a healthy home is and what to do to get one. http://bit.ly/HealthyHomeIAQChapter
Home Comfort 102 - A deeper dive into what makes humans comfortable so you can figure out what is bugging you, and then make a plan to solve it. Did you know that lighting, noise, vibration, odors, and air quality are all part of comfort too? http://bit.ly/ComfortAndIEQ
Mold and Moisture Chapter - Amazingly, mold and moisture are caused by water. Yep, you heard it here first. Understanding a few key things to look for can tackle many moisture issues. When complete, this chapter will provide an introduction to the topic. If you want to see it, vote here by signing up. http://bit.ly/MoldAndMoistureChapter
Energy Smart Store Links
Products we like with short reviews, most we have used. We get a small part of sales, it’s a great way to support us if you want to, and doesn’t cost extra.
Air Sealing Store - DIYing some upgrades? Here are some products you’ll need. http://bit.ly/AirSealingStoreESHP
Bath Fans Store - Fans we like along with hard to find accessories for installing them correctly. http://bit.ly/EnergySmartStoreBathFans
Diagnostics Store - Products for figuring out what the root cause of problems in your home are. http://bit.ly/EnergySmartStoreDiagnostics
Lighting Store - Bulbs we have bought and know we like. A good starting place. http://bit.ly/EnergySmartStoreLighting
