| Build A Better Home APA, the Southern Pine Council and the USDA Forest Products
Laboratory Advanced Housing Research Center have partnered
together on the building of a 2,200 square foot demonstration
home on the grounds of the Forest Products Laboratory in
Madison, Wisconsin. From the permanent wood foundation to the flashing around
the chimney, this 4 bedroom, 3-bath two-story house showcases
moisture-resistant building practices, the latest in energy
efficient appliances and HVAC systems and 'green building'
technologies advocated by the leading building science
experts. The Build
a Better Home demonstration house serves as an ongoing
classroom of better building practices:
A team of researchers instrumented
the walls in an effort to monitor the moisture
content and temperature behavior therein.
To test the house’s
tolerance for elevated indoor humidity, the
house's
interior is maintained at 40% relative humidity
during the winter months.
Each phase of the construction
process was photographed and videotaped
for future educational use.
While the construction was completed in October, 2001
and the house is no longer open to the public for touring,
APA representatives and other Build
a Better Home partners will conduct ongoing better
building practices meetings and seminars at the house.
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