Sustainable North

ASK A BUILDER
By CCHRC Staff

The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
Q: What are the advantages of hot water infloor heat versus baseboard heating?
Radiant hot water (hydronic) floor heating systems’ costs are usually higher than [...]

[Read more →]

From The New York Times, Friday, August 13, 2010:
The recession is lingering, and so is the unspent stimulus money that was meant to help end it.
The latest example is the $3.2 billion that Congress voted in February 2009 as part of an economic stimulus package to simultaneously provide jobs and improve energy efficiency through block [...]

[Read more →]

ASK A BUILDER
BY CCHRC STAFF
The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
Q: Many people are fixing their old home and getting a rebate from the state. Is there still rebate money available for building a [...]

[Read more →]

From The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Monday, August 2, 2010:

The borough began taking applications last week for its wood stove repair and replacement program.
“The program is up and operational,” air quality director Glenn Miller said.
Applications are available at the borough air quality office on Peger Road.
The program is still evolving, and applications won’t be available on [...]

[Read more →]

ASK A BUILDER
By CCHRC Staff
The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
Q: A lot of people are participating in the rebate program to make their home more energy efficient. I was under the impression that [...]

[Read more →]

ASK A BUILDER
By CCHRC Staff
The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
Q: I have a concrete foundation. I heard insulating your foundation can save heat. How can I do that?
Concrete is very conductive, and heat [...]

[Read more →]

Alaska HomeWise: Ask a Builder
By Cold Climate Housing Research Center Staff
The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
I heard that metal-framed windows are a bad choice for Alaska. Why and what should I do about [...]

[Read more →]

By Cold Climate Housing Research Center Staff
The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
These days, it is popular to put foam insulation on the outside of buildings.  How did all this come about? 
      A building loses [...]

[Read more →]

ASK A BUILDER

By CCHRC Staff
The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
Q: How can I keep condensation off my windows in the winter?
Condensation is a product of the relationship between humidity and temperature.
The warmer [...]

[Read more →]

By CCHRC Staff home life.

ASK A BUILDER

Q: Is there anything I need to be cautious about when plugging in my automobile?Q: I’ve seen that there are now roof shingles that are solar panels.While a wide range of solar technologies work in Alaska and other cold climates, photovoltaic roof shingles are still too new and [...]

[Read more →]