Editor's Notepad

We produced a record number of how-to and tool-tip videos this year. Here are the ten most-watched episodes from the past 12 months.

John Hess is planning to build a super-insulated house in New England, and is considering a masonry heater. These high-mass heaters require a fire only once or twice a day,…

A wood stove in an old, leaky house? No problem. Air consumed by the stove could easily be replaced via the abundant air leaks that most old houses had. In…

A homeowner building a house in Massachusetts asks for advice on insulating a cathedral ceiling

Uncoupling membranes used between a tile floor and a concrete slab should prevent any cracks in the concrete from affecting the tile, but will it lower the thermal mass potential…

With the insulation and felt paper in place, we hope to start siding soon.

Planning a house for a cold climate, a builder weighs the merits of double 2x4 stud walls vs. 2x6 walls with exterior rigid foam insulation.

Historic preservation rules may prohibit the replacement of single-pane windows that contribute to energy losses. Are these edicts reasonable, or do they represent the triumph of tradition over common sense?

With insulation defining the space, the barn frame is starting to look like a building.

Adding rigid foam insulation to the outside of the building reduces thermal bridging. Choosing the right insulation for the wall cavity is another question altogether