Roof considerations for northern climates

With any important decision in life, it is necessary to understand the trade-offs associated with the choices made. The same is true when selecting a roofing assembly. A common theme is sustainability and the use of ‘green’ building methods and materials—however, trouble can arise when materials are selected and purchased solely because of perceived energy or environmental benefits.

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Sprayfoam in the Attic: When is venting appropriate?

For decades, designers of attics and crawlspaces have used cross-ventilation to minimize potential for moisture accumulation and condensation. However, spurred by recent claims of energy savings and moisture control, unvented attics have become popular in both residential and commercial applications. While these attics can be used in many circumstances, this author believes there are reasons to use vented assemblies in many situations.

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The single-ply skinny on EPDM

With evolving building codes, changing weather patterns, and emerging sustainability needs, demands on commercial roofing installations are ever-changing. The same is true for the debates centring on which materials and assemblies prove most reliable.

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Specifying modern timber connections

Widely used in conventional frame construction, wood is not new to the Canadian design community. What is ‘new,’ however, are changes to building codes that allow for taller structures to be constructed of wood, along with the introduction and development of new products like cross-laminated timber (CLT) and other massive wood panels manufactured from laminated veneer lumber (LVL) or laminated strand lumber (LSL).

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