Sign up for ProTradeCraft Newsletters
Get all the latest news and updates.

Building Envelope

NASA
Chart of Atmospheric carbon levels from 800 BC to today. Source: NASA

Building and Remodeling for Climate Change

Construction details, jobsite construction videos, and audio explanations of the challenge our housing stock faces and solutions to dig out of the hole.
Jan. 14, 2025
Ice Dams and R-Value of Snow

Ice Dams and the R-Value of Snow

Ice Dams happen when the roof deck is warm enough to melt snow, and the outside temperature is cold enough to freeze that melted snow
Jan. 6, 2025
Artworks Uw Wlf5 Tbj Oz1 Ab7 R 5y Ip Cq T500x500

Adsorption: The Fourth State of Water (7 Minutes of BS)

The Top-listened-to podcast of 2024: Dr. Joe Lstiburek explains the fourth state of water: ADSORPED water, with a D. It exists on surfaces as tiny monolayers that fill pores and...
Dec. 10, 2024
Insulating A Basement Slab For A Warm Subfloor

A Warm Basement Subfloor

Pressure-treated sleepers and Expanded polystyrene foam insulation (XPS) isolate the subfloor from the slab
Dec. 3, 2024

Building Resilience Show

Install Glue-Down Engineered Flooring on A bConcrete Slab (Building Resilience 4)

Installing a Glue-Down Engineered Wood Floor in a Basement

Building Resilience season 4 kicks off in the basement of a castle with engineered wood flooring
Nov. 29, 2024
SCH Horizon
PTC_Building-Resilience_logo

Building Resilience Season 3: Resilient Exteriors

Two WRB solutions help to build resilience into the mix. Add a rainscreen, four cladding options cover to the walls, and a sticky roofing membrane under a standing seam metal ...
Oct. 12, 2024
Qqv Iw Yaka O1wt Vo Pxqm Vrq7y038 M Haev Ao7lhv5s Osy

Standing Seam Metal Roof and Dry Stack Stone (Building Resilience Show)

In this final episode of season 3, we install standing seam metal roofing on the roof from ABC and dry stack manufactured stone on the walls
Sept. 2, 2024
R4hs Oy Rkb O Hpcwj Lpj Bm S Fmy D Luv Gt F5 R Yejo X Dr Nsk

Controlling Air, Water, and Vapor at the Roof Deck with VaporDry (Building Resilience)

A vapor-permeable roofing underlayment stops air and liquid water while allowing vapor to pass, ensuring a durable roof deck. A layer of Cedar Breather creates a ventilation airspace...
Aug. 2, 2024

Animations

A7 X Jnx Fyuxvsop9k Fjf P67v Zm Sa 1 Xna Hk Dj Lu Eqgnq

How to Lay Out and Cut Hip Rafters

In previous summations, we illustrated how to calculate hip and valley rafters for a basic hip roof. We also identified the leading cause of humpy hips: High Heels. Or heel height...
Nov. 5, 2024
Historic Brick Insulation Retrofit

How to Insulate Old Masonry Buildings Without Causing Water Problems

Letting the brick dry evenly is the key for old masonry walls that want to leak less energy
Oct. 17, 2024
Jk P2 Lg3l G Gz U Nn9mi Tp1o Z Fy Wq1 Ox Iqk Np6 Lh8tl0 K0

Attic Living Space: Cathedralized Roof Insulation

Move (plenty of) insulation into the roof for comfortable attic living space
Oct. 8, 2024
F2 Pndj Ew I2 A B2 Ix Ivlir Iw7 Ln Ouz D41 Bh Rs A7 Sssg A

Retrofitting for Repeated Flooding: Brick Wall with Spray Foam and Drainage Mesh

To make walls resistant to flood damage,mMake a route for drainage, protect the structure, and use water-tolerant materials to rebuild
Sept. 27, 2024

YouTube Picks

V4 Llx6x2v2wts0 Y6 Zg K9o3 O8o C Md Jnh319 J Lpglsf4 M

Defensible Space and Other Wildland Fire Protection Strategies

Home design and retrofitting techniques for wildland wildfire defense
Jan. 13, 2025
Qs Wmn8n Lb6 P Tazh4 Tjx0ei Rz Y Pz Qk7e Nseq93i Zg Up I

Controlling Dust When Using a Grinding Wheel on Masonry

Silicosis is a Lung Disease You Get from Masonry Dust—It Can Kill You if you breathe the dust from cutting concrete and masonry
Dec. 26, 2024
Stringer Layout with a Story Pole & a Calculator!

Stringer Layout with a Story Pole & a Calculator!

Framing stock is a bad choice for a stair template; it is heavy, thick, and hard to trace accurate lines from. Use 1x stock and a calculator to avoid cumulative error.
Dec. 16, 2024
How to Make Pieces Fit Perfectly! (Measure and Scribe at the Same Time)

A Perfect Fit, the First Time

A simple way to scribe and measure a closed countertop for a perfectly tight fit
Dec. 9, 2024