The rains are finally here

After almost no rain for 6 months, the rains are finally here. It's time to find out where the leaks are in doors and windows, and to start weatherproofing to keep the heat and dry inside and the cold and wet outside.

Windows are one of the most likely suspects for energy inefficiency, which means that it's important to replace old, leaky windows with new, high-performance windows.

Make sure that whoever installs the new windows uses proper flashing materials and installation methods. Improper installation can cause moldy nightmares later down the road.

Build It Green Advanced Training

It's a real blessing to live in an area where there's such a wealth of information. I've always been committed to building with materials that are more easily renewable, and using engineering that requires fewer of those materials. There's always more to learn, and here in the Bay Area there's a plethora of great resources for more information.

I spent the last few days taking a refresher course with Build It Green (http://www.builditgreen.org/). The course is Advanced Green Building, and covers everything from greywater systems to new building materials out on the market.

In addition to keeping up with green building advances, it's nice to meet so many other green builders. Always a good time mixing better living and better building.