Energy-Smart Details

When building with double-stud walls to maximize energy efficiency, locating windows can be a challenge. Traditionally, windows either lie flat on the exterior sheathing ("outies") or are installed closer to…

Kneewalls are commonly found in attics, especially in attics that have been converted to living space, but they can be difficult to insulate properly. In this "Energy-Smart Details" article, senior…

Double-stud walls are a low-tech way to create highly energy-efficient walls with common materials and familiar assemblies

For better energy performance, homes built on piers, rooms above garages, and cantilevered bays need properly air-sealed and insulated floors.

These construction drawings illustrate the details that make houses more durable, comfortable, and energy efficient.

Learn the places where cold air is most likely to leak in during the winter and how best to seal them.

Rigid-foam insulation installed above the roof assembly can create an energy-smart roof.

In this "Energy Smart Details" article, Martin Holladay describes how to seal leaks in fireplaces, floors, walls, chases, and soffits.

Seal all air leaks between the wall and the window frame for an airtight barrier.

If you aren’t building in a high-wind area, continuous sheathing is likely to cost more than other bracing solutions. This article discusses four alternatives for shear bracing foam-sheathed walls.