The HTRC

The Homeowners & Trades Resource Center

Remodeling Show 2015

This year the Remodeling & Deck Expo returns to Chicago – this time they moved up the street about a mile to the Navy Pier. Another change, well you now also get to add JLC to the title which I will get to below. The name of this ship was aptly fitting for the early […]

Come join us at Illinois B4 Conference – Feb. 26 & 27

Welcome to the start of conference season. The biggest one for builders & designers happened last week with the newly merged NAHB IBS (International Builders Show) & KBIS. Depending on your interests, like Energy Efficiency / Building Better / Green you could probably attend at least one a week for the next few months or like my friend Allison go […]

Home Retrofits – Lessons Learned

Late April & early May for me was filled up by conferences that included ACI National & a regional EEBA conference on Houses that Work. One of the sessions I attended at ACI was a shared presentation based on using ductless heat pumps (DHP) in cold climates & the 1000 home challenge. While this may […]

So you want / need to pass RESNET’s CAZ Tests?

By the end of this year all HERS Raters & Field Inspectors (RFI’s) in good standing must complete CAZ training & testing. While one can debate should they or shouldn’t they the die has been cast and the mandate has been made. If you wish to listen to an entire hour long presentation on this – feel free. If not feel […]

My Take: ACI & the Ventilation Debate

This is our second of three articles dealing with the ACI conference I attended back in late April. This one is specifically dealing with ventilation, which includes the Great Ventilation Debate which was originally titled; “The Ventilation Standard Debate – The Real Housewives of 62.2.” As I have stated before – ventilation is needed in […]

My Take: ACI 2014 part 1

My last week of April & early May was filled up by conferences that included ACI National & a regional EEBA conference on Houses that Work. While the EEBA conference is locked down to one session, trying to choose just one session in each block at ACI was challenging, as there were so many good […]

AED: Construction Equipment Show

Got to love air travel sometimes – Wednesday @ 0300 in Chicago – 20 with flurries… 2 hours later – well Hello Houston @ a nice 57… The reason I am on a plane & flying to Houston, well it is actually for a conference, but not one of my usual ones. This conference is put […]