Venting and SIPs

Okay, so now you have a really tight envelope, then you go punching holes in it for vents and exhaust fans. With LEED, you need to a) select your exhaust fans carefully--for low energy use and high efficiency and, if you're sensitive to noise, low sones; and b) be thoughtful about planning your vents. You will want to gang them where you can. Where you can't, be sure to keep it tight and clean and foam seal around the access.

In rooms with showers, you may wish to consider a humidistat. If you have children (like I do), they may not remember to turn on an exhaust fan while taking a shower. So if it's automatic, it will run until the humidity is back to where it should be, reducing the possibility of mold. I like quiet ones; most major brands have one.

The crew is framing the upstairs today, and what a bear it is with all the posts and beams. Very nice to look at, very tricky to frame—but we're in good hands with Bob, Scott, Jason and Red, who seem to understand my convoluted direction.