New homeowner Evelyn Cagnetti recently contacted NAIMA to share her frustration about her new Energy Star home, which she had built in February of last year. Shortly after moving in, Evelyn noticed that the upstairs was hot, stale, and stuffy during the winter months. Still, she didn’t know why until she checked the second-floor ceiling and found insulation remnants but no insulation.
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According to an Associated Builders and Contractors report, the U.S. construction industry needs to hire more than 430,000 more workers this year than in 2020 to keep pace with construction demand.[1] While construction has had a longstanding skilled labor shortage since the great recession in 2008, theories abound on why attracting skilled labor is still such a tough challenge. This week, we look at three takes on the labor issue, and its impact as the industry looks to attract workers in the future.
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The U.S. housing market saw a record low supply of homes for sale at 1.16 million in April, down 25 percent from the prior year. With demand driven by the lowest fixed mortgage rates in 50 years, a current housing shortage at 4 million homes nationwide,[1] and higher costs for building materials, land, and labor, any home building option that promises to speed construction while reducing costs is attractive. Enter 3D printed homes – an efficient, cost-effective, and resilient option for new home construction.
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy recently issued a preliminary analysis of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), noting that the code will improve energy efficiency in residential buildings. DOE’s technical analysis of the updated code (relative to the 2018 IECC edition) pegs national savings of approximately:
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If you’ve been following our blog for some time now, you know that we write regularly about basic building science. In fact, we completed a primer, Building Science 101 with Building Scientist Allison Bailes a few years back. Dr. Bailes, a Georgia resident, recently wrote the state’s Department of Community Affairs to object to a proposal that would allow as little as R-20 spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation to be used on the underside of the roof deck in new homes built in the state when R-38 is required. You may ask why R-20 SPF at a blower door rating of 3ACH 50 was proffered as a substitute for R-38 and 5ACH 50. So did Bailes.
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Experts predict that 20-30 percent of the U.S. workforce could be working from home multiple days per week by the end of 2021.[1] With this shift to remote work, a dedicated home office becomes essential, and optimizing that space for functionality and comfort is a top priority.
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A report released this week by E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) highlights the tremendous impact of the pandemic on clean jobs. According to Clean Jobs America 2021, for the first time since the organization began tracking clean jobs, employment fell across the sector in 2020. The pandemic, the resulting economic fallout, and the lingering impacts of policies of the previous administration all contributed to a decline of 11 percent in the total number of clean jobs, the report notes.
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Fiberglass batts are commonly used to insulate flat ceilings and attic areas in both new and existing buildings. They offer performance, cost-effectiveness, and relative ease of installation, but that doesn’t mean they’re always installed properly. The performance of any insulation product is dependent not only on selecting the proper product but also on installing it correctly. So, how does one install batts in flat ceilings to maximize thermal performance?
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An increasing focus on mitigating climate change and constructing sustainable, resilient buildings has created a green buildings industry exploding with job opportunities. However, many job seekers simply don’t know those occupations exist.
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NAIMA has released a new report that documents the acoustical performance of residential wall cavity insulation products. The report is based on research conducted by Intertek Labs that tested seven wall assemblies with variations in cavity insulation products, including fiberglass, mineral wool, open cell spray foam, closed cell spray foam, and flash and batt applications with spray foam and fiberglass insulation.
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