Construction Instruction

Construction Instruction Building Science for everyone, everywhere! Helping you build better, longer lasting, healthier homes.
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Construction Instruction provides leading building professionals with the tools needed to apply building science principles while integrating cost-effective, practical solutions to build better, longer lasting, healthier homes. We offer hands-on training at our Colorado Experience Center, continuous online learning through our Ci App and help connect builders with solutions to improve build quality, make fewer mistakes and stand-out from the competition, all while remaining cost-competitive. The Ci app offers a quick and easy way to access pertinent information about building products and relevant information is available anywhere, such as at the job-site, office, home, or on the go!

09/08/2026

12+ Months On The Roof ☀️🌧️❄️

Last year we kicked off a long-term field study on WRB performance — real-world exposure vs. lab testing — alongside Building Knowledge Canada, Partel, and the University of Galway.

The big questions:
🔹 How do sun, rain, snow & weathering actually affect water holdout over time?
🔹 Do results differ across our test sites in Denver, Toronto & Galway?
🔹 How does real-world data compare to accelerated UV lab testing?
🔹 What does this mean for the products you spec and build with?

After 12+ months of exposure, our samples are officially packed up and headed to Ireland for analysis. 📦✈️

Results are coming soon. Follow along so you don't miss it 👇

Three Outstanding Opportunities To Learn From Building Science Industry Legend Gord Cooke at this year's EEBA Summit.Joi...
09/04/2026

Three Outstanding Opportunities To Learn From Building Science Industry Legend Gord Cooke at this year's EEBA Summit.

Join fellow high-performance builders in Saint Paul, MN, in mid-September for three packed days of advanced education, technical training, and real-world building science insights designed to elevate your projects and your business.

Construction Instruction's own Gord Cooke will lead three educational sessions at the conference:

Sep. 16th: Selling High Performance Homes
Sep. 17th: High Performance Mechanical Systems
Sep. 18th: Houses That Work

All sessions offer CEUs and are included in your EEBA Summit registration. If you're a MN builder in Xcel Energy territory, you can attend each course for only $59.

Register for the full Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA) Summit today. We hope to see you there!

09/03/2026

A high-performance wall is only as good as its weakest control layer.

Water. Air. V***r. Thermal.

When those four layers aren’t continuous and working together, the consequences can show up long after the house is finished: moisture problems, comfort issues, energy loss, and callbacks.

That’s why enclosure details matter.

At our Ci Live Enclosure Excellence class, we go beyond talking about building science. You’ll work with real assemblies to see how water actually drains, how air barriers stay continuous, where drying potential comes from, and how thermal bridges affect the overall performance of the enclosure.

Real assemblies. Real details. Hands-on learning you can take straight to the jobsite.

📍 Ci Experience Center in Denver, CO
📅 October 21–22

Seats are limited. Register today with the link in our bio.

09/01/2026

From the outside, a typical truss and a raised energy heel truss can look virtually identical. The difference shows up in the attic and in the performance of the home.

A low heel truss can compress insulation at the roof-to-wall interface, creating a weak spot in the thermal envelope right where you don’t want one.

A raised energy heel provides the vertical clearance needed to maintain adequate insulation over the top plate ideally at least R-38 in an R-50 attic.

Why does that matter?

→ Reduces thermal bridging at the roof-to-wall transition
→ Helps maintain more consistent interior temperatures
→ Improves overall comfort and energy performance
→ Reduces the potential for ice dams in cold climates

It’s a small framing decision that can have a big impact on how well the entire building enclosure performs.

The takeaway: Don’t just look at the insulation R-value. Look at where the insulation gets compromised.

Explore more free building science resources at www.ConstructionInstruction.com.

08/27/2026

What happens when you put an ERV’s performance to the test? 🔬

We’re putting Panasonic Indoor Air Solutions NA new BalancedHome Elite Plus ERV through its paces at Ci Labs in Denver.

Rated for 30–210 CFM with an 83% sensible recovery efficiency, this system is getting more than a quick install. We’ve added thermocouples at all four air ports and are measuring motor power so we can evaluate how it performs.

Because in high-performance homes, ventilation isn’t just about moving air. Airflow, heat recovery, controls, and energy use all matter.

And the best part? This ERV will become part of our hands-on Ci Live training, giving builders and HVAC professionals the opportunity to see the technology and the testing up close.

Want to see it in action? Come experience it at our Mechanical Mastery class on September 22-23.

Register today with the link in our bio.

08/25/2026

What Are We Doing Here? 👀 | Mechanical Mastery Edition

A little behind-the-scenes look at what hands-on learning looks like at Ci Live Mechanical Mastery class.

Because mechanical systems are too important to learn from a slide deck alone. 🔧

Over two hands-on days, you’ll work through real-world strategies for:

• Designing mechanical systems across climate zones
• Proper equipment sizing & selection
• Installation, commissioning & testing
• Ventilation strategies for healthier homes
• Plumbing efficiency & hot water delivery
• Practical tools you can put to work immediately

You'll learn alongside other builders, designers and HVAC professionals who are tackling the same challenges in the field.

If you’re ready to strengthen your mechanical knowledge and take better strategies back to the jobsite, come join us.

🏗️ Ci Live: Mechanical Mastery
📅 September 22–23, 2026
📍 Denver, Colorado

This is our final Mechanical Mastery class of 2026 and space is limited.

👉 Register today: https://ci-live.replit.app/events/1147/1147

08/21/2026

Last Call For Our Free Webinar - Register Today!

High-performance homes are designed to be tighter and more energy efficient, but those improvements can also change how moisture behaves inside the home.

Join us on Tuesday August 25th at 12:30pm EDT for our webinar on High Performance Homes in Humid Climates.

Ci’s Gord Cooke will be joined by Nikki Krueger from AprilAire to discuss why humidity has become a common challenge in high-performance homes, particularly in hot and humid climates. They will also explore when dedicated dehumidification is necessary and how a comprehensive moisture management strategy can support comfort, durability, indoor air quality, and long-term building performance.

The webinar will include approximately 45 minutes of educational content followed by 15 minutes of live Q&A.

Free Online Webinar: High Performance Homes in Humid Climates
Tuesday August 25, 2026
12:30–1:30 PM EDT

Register: https://ci-live.replit.app/events/1978/1978

08/20/2026

When installation details are hard to explain, show them. 👀

This animation demonstrates how the Quickflash Weatherproofing Products termination flashing panel helps create a continuous weather barrier at one of the more vulnerable areas of a home: the roof-to-wall transition.

Step flashing. Kick-out diverters. Eave details. Vertical wall assemblies.

There’s a lot happening in a small space and animations can makes it much easier to see how the pieces work together to manage water and protect against driven rain.

But this project also demonstrates something bigger: technical information doesn’t have to be complicated to communicate.

For manufacturers and building-product companies, animations can help:
• Clearly demonstrate installation processes
• Show how products work within an assembly
• Communicate details that static photography can’t
• Create content that can be adapted across languages and markets

And because the process is communicated visually, one animation can have a much longer life than a traditional product video.

This is just one example of how the Ci Media Production team helps manufacturers bring products, assemblies, and installation processes to life.

Have a product that’s difficult to explain?

📩 Contact us at [email protected] to learn how our animation creations can help.

08/18/2026

What happens when you give your roof assembly room to breathe? 👇

In the Ci Lab, Mark LaLiberte walks us through an insulated over-roof assembly that creates a ventilated space above the insulation and secondary roof deck.

Why does that matter?

💨 Continuous airflow helps keep the roof deck cooler
🏠 More insulation helps reduce heat loss
❄️ A cooler roof can reduce the potential for ice dams in cold climates
🔨 And a well-designed assembly can contribute to long-term roof durability

It’s a great example of how the way we design the assembly can have a major impact on building performance.

Have you used an insulated over-roof assembly in your builds? Or seen one used in your market?

Address

6850 Argonne Street Unit 100
Denver, CO
80249

Telephone

+17193759300

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