We love things that can serve more than one purpose, and one building material—nsulated concrete forms—do just that. Insulated concrete forms are rigid foam forms that hold concrete in place during curing and remain in place to insulate the concrete walls. The lego-like foam blocks are a simple construction material that provides an energy-efficient, durable building. More

Oh, what change a year can bring! Last October, our barn was barren and bleak. Built in '44 as a hen house, the old outbuilding lacked lighting, heating and insulation. Needless to say, any egg-laying occupants flew the coop long ago — today, the two-story space is a workshop and gallery, warm and well-lit. Come take a beak, I mean peak, inside! More

Q: What is the safest and most effective insulation for our attic crawl space? I am considering having new insulation installed—most likely in just the crawl space above our ranch house. What is the most environmentally safe and nontoxic insulation available? Would that insulation also be the most energy-efficient?

Sent by Allison More

The key elements of a passive house.

Sunday's New York Times Business section documented one Boston family's adventure of building a passive home in rural Maine. "A so-called passive home...is so purposefully designed and built—from its orientation toward the sun and superthick insulation to its algorithmic design and virtually unbroken envelope—that it requires minimal heating, even in chilly New England," explains The New York Times. The house required so few heating elements—in fact, this Maine home can stay warm throughout the winter without a furnace—that the homeowners were denied insurance coverage by several carriers suspicious of the new home's quality. More

FlexiKork, designed by Signature Innovations, is a flat, sound control floor underlayment made from 100% recycled rubber and cork that is used directly under a variety of floor finishes, including solid and engineered hardwood, laminates, ceramic tile, stone, brick, vinyl and carpet. More

Whisper Wool acoustic underlay helps reduce noise often associated with wood and laminate flooring. It's made with a minimum of 85% recycled wool recovered from carpet manufacturers, and offers a slight insulating value (R-0.65) when used under floating floors. More

If you've ever driven by a residential construction site (or resided in one), chances are you've seen a house covered with Tyvek. As our builders began wrapping the barn’s exterior walls, I began to wonder — what exactly is this Tyvek stuff made of and why is it so commonly used?
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Okay, let's backup, emerging may be a little misleading, because aerogels were invented decades ago! Primarily used in NASA applications, Aerogels, which are the world's lightest solid materials, has been very difficult for people to grasp both literally and figuratively until recently. Aerogels are incredibly lightweight (only three times heavier than air!), strong and highly insulating and are now being used as real-life insulators. More

Last Friday night, I found myself ranting about building insulation to a disinterested friend. "But you don't understand, dude," I insisted, "this new spray foam stuff is revolutionary!" Thankfully, I knew you guys would enjoy these pictures — you're almost as nerdy about home improvement as I am! More

Flexible water bottles, hand soap derived from biofuel, and a machine that extracts water from air were among the innovations shown at Go Green Expo in Los Angeles this weekend. After scouring the show for the most useful and well-designed goods and services, we thought we'd share these 10 favorites… More