Design & Manufacturing

Settling the long-running dispute between the parties that school construction is a state and local responsibility, the American Jobs Plan includes  $100 billion in funds for public school upgrades and construction, with $50 billion to be provided through direct grants… Read More

Net Zero Buildings magazine has highlighted the ERA supported Weinberg Commons low income housing development in Washington D.C. in a section featuring building envelope improvements in historic buildings. The article mentions an EPDM membrane being specified for its long term sustainability… Read More

Carlisle Companies Inc.’s Construction Materials unit has donated an EPDM roofing membrane for use on Weinberg Commons, a 1960s low-income multi-family housing project in Washington that was retrofitted to lower energy costs. Carlisle and Weinberg Commons were connected through the… Read More

“If Einstein were alive, many roofing contractors might be turning to him for help. Faced with the complex problem of choosing roof systems to fit their customers’ budgets and building code requirements, roofing professionals are being bombarded with “science-based” solutions… Read More

“The need for, use and design of a vapor retarder in the design of a roof system used to be a hotly debated topic. It appears now—when vapor retarders are needed more than ever—the design community seems to have lost… Read More

This article explains that white roofing might not be the best choice for San Diego, California. “Today, the majority of new roofing is a white single-ply membrane, either TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) or PVC (polyvinyl chloride). This is due mostly to… Read More

“Cool roofs are a good example. In an effort to reflect incoming solar radiation, and therefore cools buildings and lessen energy demand during summer, painting one’s roof white has been proposed as an effective strategy. Cool roofs have been found… Read More

The author proposes to get back to thinking about the basics of building science. Let’s start thinking about buildings as if there was no air conditioning or heating. What color roof would make the building most comfortable to use? It… Read More

“The U.S. Green Building Council, Cool Roof Rating Council, legislative bodies and the U.S. Department of Energy are encouraged to reevaluate their stance on reflective roofing. Energy-efficient roofing is a complicated issue, and no one material holds all the answers.”