MAC the Builder

06/25/2026

CONDENSATION ON WINDOWS

When the temperature of your glass reaches the dew point, it will condensate.
Condensation occurs when warm, moist air touches a surface that is at or below the dew point. To prevent a surface from condensing, you either have to keep the surface temperature warm, keep the surrounding air dry, or eliminate the temperature difference.
All solid materials have the potential to condensate. This can lead to suspicious growth, especially on porous materials.

05/06/2026

Bondco LLC did this porch the right way!

Your attic has to ventilate. With foam insulation on the inside of the home, the porch attics sometimes get sealed from being able to ventilate the stall hot humid air. And who wants a vent on the front of their house? No one!

This method eliminates the attic space and will have foam insulation in the cavity void. Keeping the porch cooler and preventing growth in an unventilated attic.

04/22/2026

A built-in humidity sensor in your bathroom exhaust fan will create a self-sustaining home. The exhaust will automatically kick on once moisture is detected, preventing mold growth from stall humid air.
A minimum of one cfm per square foot of floor area is needed for properly size an exhaust. Undersizing will not remove enough humidity.
Insulating the exhaust duct, prevents any condensation in the attic that will lead to more damage.
At your exhaust exit, there should be no vented soffit within three feet of the exhaust. This prevents moisture from immediately entering your attic space year round.
Thank you to Cutze Builders LLC for once again creating homes that will last for generations.
I’ve included an extra picture showing what happens when a bathroom is not properly exhausted.

04/15/2026

📣New residential code enforcement alert for northeast Louisiana construction ‼️
❗️Manual J Load Calculations
❗️Blower Door Test on all homes
❗️Duct Tightness Test on all homes
❗️R8 duct, ceiling boxes, and plenums

04/09/2026

04/08/2026

Moran Construction has been using the Huber Engineered Woods Zip Systems sheathing for years. With proper installation of zip tape and liquid flashing, we are getting the tightest homes that we have tested.
Shown below, this home in The Orchards has a measurement of 0.52 ACH! 😎
Building quality homes that are energy efficient and will last for generations is the goal. Stopping air infiltration is critical to achieve this!

04/05/2026

This is caused by air leakage in a two year old house. Proper sealing, conditioning, and ventilation is critical year round!

This particular home has had problems super fast because of not running the air conditioning. Circulating and conditioning stall, humid Louisiana air is a must.

It’s undetermined how long it would take for the same thing to happen even when conditioning the air; the question is not if it will happen, but when?

03/24/2026

ACH (Air Changes per Hour) in a blower door test measures how many times the total volume of air within a home leaks out and is replaced by outside air in one hour. It quantifies building airtightness; a lower ACH indicates better energy efficiency and less leakage.

We are in the process of testing products and installation methods, to determine the most cost effective, longest lasting way to air seal your home. Caulk that cracks in 3 months is not the answer. And my smoke machine has proven the flaws with canned spray foam.

This product would be used in applications such as remodels when you do not want to remove the exterior fasade, from the attic side of ceiling penetrations, or when using a similar fire rated sealantLaborde Construction ll.

Keeping out unconditioned and unfiltered air is a critical step to a healthy, energy efficient home.

A big thanks to Laborde Construction for taking an effort with us to build a better, longer lasting home. 🏠 💪

03/22/2026

The standard method of corner wall framing in Louisiana leaves a poorly insulated, isolated cavity. Here are some affordable framing methods to ensure proper insulating and reducing thermal bridging.

2x4 studs have a R-Value of 4.38. The minimum code requirement for exterior walls is R-13 insulation. This is why you can see studs with a thermal camera.

T-Studs in the third picture are the best option but are more expensive. With more insulation and tighter air sealing, we build not only more energy efficient homes, but healthier homes.