Better Building Works, LLC

Better Building Works, LLC Building-science based energy audits, indoor air quality consulting, design. Energy & Design Consultants

During our humid Roanoke summers, warm, wet outside air enters the crawl space vents and passes right through the fluffy...
06/23/2026

During our humid Roanoke summers, warm, wet outside air enters the crawl space vents and passes right through the fluffy fiberglass. When that humid air hits the air-conditioned, cool subfloor, it condenses into water. This is why fiberglass in crawl spaces often gets heavy, droops, and leads to moldy subfloors. Thankfully, many building professionals are moving away from this insulation method in crawl spaces!

Did you know your lungs generate more pressure during a normal breath than we use to test an entire house?A standard blo...
06/16/2026

Did you know your lungs generate more pressure during a normal breath than we use to test an entire house?

A standard blower door test depressurizes a home to just 50 Pascals (Pa). Meanwhile, your body creates about 100 Pa every time you take a quiet breath.

That comparison highlights an important building science principle: homes are incredibly sensitive to pressure differences. Small pressure changes can affect comfort, energy efficiency, moisture control, and even building durability.

At Better Building Works, we use blower door testing to uncover the hidden ways air moves through your home.

Check your air filters!! Study shows that 29% of people have never change their air filters, 82% of people forget or fai...
06/11/2026

Check your air filters!! Study shows that 29% of people have never change their air filters, 82% of people forget or fail to replace their filters every 1-3 months, and only 18% of people actually change their filters regularly.
Because heating and cooling systems are in heavy use throughout Virginia's seasons, keeping an eye on your filter is essential for keeping energy bills low and avoiding costly repairs.

What do you get when you mix building science, cocktails, and cutting-edge tech? Another successful night of BS and Mart...
06/09/2026

What do you get when you mix building science, cocktails, and cutting-edge tech? Another successful night of BS and Martinis!

A massive thank you to everyone who joined us on Friday. We love bringing our local building community together, and Friday's turnout was incredible!

A huge shoutout to John Brock from Brockworks, Inc. for dropping some serious knowledge on the future of our industry. John gave us an exclusive look into how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming building design and construction—making workflows faster, smarter, and way more efficient.

He also gave us a breakdown of his game-changing new app, Spot! Spot is leveraging AI to streamline communication, organize project details, and solve everyday builder pain points on the fly. The future is officially here, and it's exciting to see local innovators leading the charge.

Looks can be deceiving! At first glance, this crawlspace looks beautifully done. But zoom in on those edges...They misse...
06/04/2026

Looks can be deceiving! At first glance, this crawlspace looks beautifully done. But zoom in on those edges...
They missed the most important part: the seal. Because these edges are left open, major air is still flowing through, making this fancy-looking job practically useless. Don't pay for aesthetics when you need actual performance!

What does an uninsulated attic access look like in a 1920s home? A massive heat leak! Fun fact people used to pack old N...
06/02/2026

What does an uninsulated attic access look like in a 1920s home? A massive heat leak!
Fun fact people used to pack old Newspaper into wall voids, layer them under floors, and paste them over walls to seal drafts.
Pretty cool history, but definitely not doing the heating bill any favors today!

We all love a fresh-smelling home, but those "scent cartridges" included with many purifiers are often just chemical coc...
05/08/2026

We all love a fresh-smelling home, but those "scent cartridges" included with many purifiers are often just chemical cocktails in disguise. By using them, you’re actually pumping Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), phthalates, and synthetic irritants right back into your space. Use your purifier for what it was built for—removing odors, not masking them with toxins. Let’s keep the air actually clean, not just "perfumed."

What can a door do? Privacy, security, ventilation, views, access. These doors do it all and are one of our favorite Mex...
05/07/2026

What can a door do? Privacy, security, ventilation, views, access. These doors do it all and are one of our favorite Mexican technological innovations.

We can't get enough of the architecture in Mexico, so here are some more things we find intriguing. This spectacular exh...
05/06/2026

We can't get enough of the architecture in Mexico, so here are some more things we find intriguing. This spectacular exhaust hood is deceptively simple. The grand sculptural form houses lighting, and a simple exhaust fan at the very top. Because the house is so well ventilated and the shape of the hood is wide at the bottom and narrow at the top, the fan at the top can be much smaller.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! We love to geek out on architecture that is perfectly suited to its climate zone. This is a house i...
05/05/2026

Happy Cinco de Mayo!
We love to geek out on architecture that is perfectly suited to its climate zone. This is a house in Mérida, Mexico, where annual temperatures rarely fall lower than 70°F and can go as high as 103°F, along with high humidity. This 19th century home offers cool shade in the outdoor loggia and fresh air and light from the open courtyard. All rooms open to the Loggia. This same home would not work as well in Roanoke, Virginia, but we can learn lessons from it. Building science helps us understand why things work, and how to use materials appropriate for the local environment.

Address

Roanoke, VA
24011

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 7pm
Tuesday 8am - 7pm
Wednesday 8am - 7pm
Thursday 8am - 7pm
Friday 8am - 7pm

Telephone

(540) 345-0900

Website

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