Lynn Underwood

Thanks to the green-building movement, energy efficiency is becoming a mainstay in the IRC and the IECC. But what does it mean to you?

Micro-cogenerators, or combined heat and power (CHP) systems, are both environmentally friendly and a money saver

With the proliferation of regional and national green-building rating systems, it’s hard to choose the best one. To complicate the situation further, or perhaps to simplify it, the National Association of…

Q: I have a 1960s home with a floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace. I am converting an entertainment center into a fireplace surround, and I’d like to add a stone or granite…

Q: According to code, I need to provide egress through a window with a net-clear opening of 5.7 sq. ft. if I add a bedroom to my basement. What does…

A handy one-way valve installed below in the counter can solve a venting challenge and simplify plumbing design

Q: When I was a plumber’s helper in the 1960s, we used a single 2-1/2-in. galvanized pipe to vent back-to-back kitchens and bathrooms. Nowadays, though, I see 3-in. vent pipe…

Q: We are building a home with bedrooms in the basement. Two of them have windows that are below grade. We plan to use egress windows that are approved for bedrooms,…

An undersized egress window in a bedroom can spell disaster in a fire