SawHorse, Inc.

DIY Solar Power Fan Installation - Reduce Shed Heat and Stagnant Air

A solar powered fan is a great and simple idea to remove excess heat from a shed. And this is a Scout project in addition, where (with supervision), the kids can get involved and learn as well.  Apparently this Scout shed sometimes reached 160 degrees F in the summer! Green Builder Matt Hoots explains the steps and shows us how it's done.  Note that this fan can also be installed in place of a rectangular garage bay glass...

Smart Exhaust Controls - Sensors Improve Garage and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

"There are good garages and bad garages…” according to Green Builder Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc.  And in the good ones, we breathe better air!    Matt reviews the benefits and and healthy air risks with attached and detached garages. The good news is that a ventilation fan can help remove the fumes we bring into garages when we park fossil-fuel powered vehicles inside a space that shares a wall with...

Automatic Bath Fan Sensors Reduce Humidity, Pollutants, and Odors

As Green Builder Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc. points out, most people don’t use ventilation properly.  Exhaust fans can be a missed opportunity for improving Indoor air quality, or IAQ, because so many people don’t turn them on, or they turn them off too soon.   In the kitchen, excessively loud hoods are also less likely to be used.  This means that cooking emissions are lingering in the air, and this problem is...

Rainstick Showers - Higher Water Pressure, Using 80% Less Water?

The Rainstick shower seems to offer the impossible, delivering high water pressure, while using a lot less water.  If you’re concerned about lower water pressure, this product can deliver a better experience for you while still saving water.  And if you take a longer shower, you no longer have to feel quite as guilty about wasting as much water and energy.  In all seriousness, the Rainstick shower uses .5 gallons per...

Heat Pumps and Cold Weather - Q&A / Myth Busting

Some myths take a while to go away…  Decades ago, Atlanta Green Builder Matt Hoots would likely have agreed that heat strips were often needed to help heat pumps keep up with heating demand in colder weather. Technology has since evolved, and this practice is no longer needed down to 20 degrees or even 0 or below, but with cold weather heat pumps.  In this video, Matt addresses some persistent concerns about heat...

Top Factors for Selecting New Windows

How do you decide what windows you need?  Green Builder Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc. shares some top considerations, but first he reminds us that every client, every job, every building, and every budget is different. So, that means there isn’t one answer that works for everyone.   To help make this decision, Matt has a set of top questions Matt asks his clients.  These include:  Start with overall...

European vs. American Windows - What's the Difference?

Have you been wondering what the difference is between European and American windows? (And have you had a European window seem to fall on you during vacation, and perhaps you panicked?) Check out this video by Green Builder Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc., and you'll be on your way to sounding like an expert.  We can summarize some key points here, but the visuals and Matt's explanations will also likely be...

Strategies for Managing Summer Attic Heat - Air Sealing and Insulation

Join Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc. and Amelia Godfrey, EarthCraft Program Manager for a conversation about attic heat, including why our attics get hot, why this matters, and strategies for managing air and energy leakage to keep homes and buildings cooler.  The two get to hang out in in Southface’s training cabin, which looks like a fantastic place to discuss building science!   Matt and Amelia discuss...

Aiming for Higher Performance Homes - A Holistic Approach is Best

  There are plenty of reasons people might not want or be able to renovate the interior of the home when trying to improve building performance.  What can you do to improve performance working on the outside?   In this video, Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc. and Chris Laumer-Giddens of LG Squared, Inc. discuss how to approach improving building energy efficiency. We don’t always want or need...

How Effective is ROCKWOOL Stone Wool Insulation Against Water?

  What happens to ROCKWOOL stone mineral or stone wool insulation when it gets wet? This is an important question, as insulation is installed on the outside of the house, on the roof, on the walls, and underneath the foundation.  All of these are areas where this building material will likely come into contact with water at some point.     As Matt Hoots of Sawhorse, Inc. and Chris Laumer-Giddens of LG Squared,...

Humidity, Hardwood and Homes: Protect the Air you Breathe and the Floor under your Feet, August 26, 12-1 pm EDT

Builders, flooring professionals and HVAC contractors: sign up to learn about how healthy air and humidity control are essential to protecting your work. Matt Hoots, President of SawHorse Builders in Atlanta, GA will discuss moisture and humidity infiltration in new and remodeled homes. Joseph Hillenmeyer, Channel Marketing Manager at Aprilaire will cover the specific solutions available to manage humidity. Brett Miller, V.P. of...

Free Building Science Webinar: Behind the Walls of the #1920sMakeoverATL Showhouse with LG Squared & SawHorse, Design+Build, May 24, 4-5 pm EDT

Go "Behind the Walls" (or in this case outside of them!) with Chris of LG Squared (Architect), Matt of Sawhorse, Inc. (Builder), and Dan of ROCKWOOL.   Join the #1920sMakeoverATL team as they prepare to take a very leaky house with almost no insulation to Passive House standards.  Chris, Matt, and Dan will introduce the project and walk through the house and review existing problem areas, including insulation. They'll also explain...