The HTRC

The Homeowners & Trades Resource Center

2018 IECC – 2nd Public Comment Period Open

 Illinois is now officially one step closer to adopting the 2018 IECC as amended by the CDB. The official language can be found on page 5 (aka pg 21,491 of volume 42, issue 49) of the Illinois Register. As required there is one more public comment period that lasts for 45 days (till January 22, […]

Filed Under: Building Codes December 12, 2018 By SLS

Energy Code Basics: FAQ – State Wide Code Apply Locally?

Does a “state wide” code still apply if the local Building Department / has not adopted it? What happens if they “adopt” or “list” it but flat out state that they don’t enforce it or maybe just certain parts of it? How does this impact you; are you free to skip some items, use less […]

Filed Under: Building Codes November 14, 2018 By SLS

2018 IECC – Illinois Board Approved Version

Based on the Administrative Rules for the Energy Code  (71 IAC 600.130) once the Advisory Council has recommended modifications to the Energy Code (See: Where we stand (Sub Committee’s)), the Capital Development Board is to review them (9.11.18). As they review those amendments they are also allowed to accept, reject, or make changes on there […]

Filed Under: Building Codes September 27, 2018 By SLS

Energy Code Basics: Avoiding the most common fail

No one likes to fail a building inspection especially when you get dinged a penalty from the Building Department for it. Not only are you out the fee & time you spent there, but it can leave the homeowner or General Contractor wondering about your work. So what is the biggest failure? Duct leakage or […]

Filed Under: Building Codes July 13, 2018 By SLS

Energy Code Basics: Duct Testing – 4% or doesn’t matter?

I’ve looked everywhere… read the code book three times… you’re full of it, they fail… The issue? Well that is where does it state that while duct testing is required, only those following the Prescriptive* path have to be at 4% or less while those following the Performance* or ERI* Paths just have to test […]

Filed Under: Building Codes June 1, 2018 By SLS

2018 IECC & Illinois – Where we stand (Sub Committee’s)

Updated: As we have been covering, the State of Illinois is under the clock to adopt the latest Energy Code (2018 IECC) per the EEB Act (The Full Timeline). At this point in time, the sub-committee’s should have reviewed & voted on all the proposed changes as the next step is the full council votes […]

Filed Under: Building Codes May 25, 2018 By SLS

Energy Code Basics: 3 Key Terms & Compliance Paths

As a certified HERS rater and ICC Residential Energy Inspector / Plans Examiner I find many builders and even inspectors that get confused when it comes to the Energy Codes (IECC). So with that in mind we have started a new series on the basics not written in code speak, starting with the three means […]

Filed Under: Building Codes May 21, 2018 By SLS

2018 IECC & Illinois – Pre-Commentary Meeting & Significant Changes

January 10th: While initial public commentary period should have started on the 1st, it has been pushed back to get approval on the form to be used (link below & approved.) An official notice should be coming out in the next week (Official Page & Form valid to March 31st) and I expect to see […]

Filed Under: Building Codes January 10, 2018 By SLS

2018 IECC & Illinois – Timeline

UPDATED It is that time again, as the 2018 IRC & numerous other building codes have been published, the State of Illinois is now under the clock to adopt the latest IECC per the EEB Act. The timeline as it stands at the moment is: September 2017 – Publication Date  December 2017 – Convene initial […]

Filed Under: Building Codes December 4, 2017 By SLS

Guest Post: How The 2015 Energy Code Affects Historic & Existing Buildings

So what happens when a couple of veteran construction editors get frustrated that construction media hasn’t really moved beyond magazines to an actual jobsite tool like, say your smart phone? Well they decided to create their own site to meet those needs and went live last June. Say hello to ProTradeCraft.com; a training and information resource site created for builders, remodelers, […]

Filed Under: Building Codes Tagged With: Guest Posting March 31, 2016 By SLS

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »

Featured Posts

February – Winter Maintenance Checklist

Ahhh February, we are now in the second full month of winter and many people in the northern states and elsewhere are starting to feel run down from a lack ...

Read More

Getting ready for Spring: Your deck & grill

Hopefully, this last snow storm was it for spring (really?) meaning most of us can start getting ready to grill and get back to enjoying the great outdoors. Needless to ...

Read More

Taxes, Record Keeping, & Clearing the Clutter

Taxes, Record Keeping, & Clearing the Clutter

Oh no, it’s April 16th and taxes were due… are due on the 18th? In reality, my taxes were actually filed back in February, but if this were any other ...

Read More

FAQ: Should I close my crawl space vents during winter?

FAQ: Should I close my crawl space vents during winter?

In short the answer is generally yes, they should be closed up during the winter months. If you follow our Monthly Maintenance Schedule, we recommend the month of October as ...

Read More

FAQ: Do I need to change my HVAC filter monthly?

FAQ: Do I need to change my HVAC filter monthly?

If you follow our Monthly Maintenance Program, the first item we have listed is "Change out your HVAC filter." This has brought up a few questions, namely: Do I need ...

Read More

FAQ: Exterior HVAC units - Should I cover my unit, or... fall & wintertime questions

When it comes to the exterior HVAC unit most people wonder about hiding them and reducing the amount of noise. We delved into that topic in our Spring & Summer ...

Read More

FAQ: Ceiling fan direction - summer & winter

One of the biggest questions out there is which direction should my fan be running and how can I tell. You look at the switch and realize it isn't any ...

Read More

The HTRC - Copyright © 2006–2023 by TheHTRC.com & SLS Construction & Building Solutions LLC http://SLS-Construction.com