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Understanding the Electrical System: As it Enters the Home

We use electricity every day, but how much do we really understand about how it enters our homes and gets distributed throughout the building. From the service drop and meter to the service equipment, subpanel, and individual branch circuits, each component serves a specific purpose within the electrical distribution system.

But it’s not just about getting electricity from point A to point B. It’s also about understanding the components that make it possible. As with so many aspects of building, understanding the fundamentals allows us to better understand how the entire system works together.

This drawing illustrates electrical component names as a typical service drop system. This drawing was done for the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors. The base drawing is to discuss electrical component names as a general concept as you look at home inspection codes. You will not find specific material callouts.
#house #build #construction #residential #code

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Josh Salinger's building life changed in this Test Hut.

A chance conversation, a debate over building science principles, and the right person listening. It led to years of collaboration with Fine Homebuilding and Green Building Advisor, and the opportunity to share everything he's learned.

On the latest Build It Forward, Josh tells the whole story, and why giving it all away has only helped Birdsmouth Design-Build.

Watch the full conversation with Josh here:
Link in bio.

Build Better™ with @benjaminobdyke - get samples of their roof and wall products:
https://benjaminobdyke.com/get-a-sample-build-forward-podcast

Work with Auburndale Builders on your high-performance build.
vision@auburndalebuilders.com

Made with @prmeabl_ at the Building Science Corporation Test Hut

#BuildItForward #AuburndaleBuilders #HighPerformanceBuilding #BuildingScience #BuildingCommunity #BuildingCulture #JoshSalinger #BirdsmouthDesignBuild #BenjaminObdyke #BuildBetter

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A FIRST FOR ME.....but definitely not a last. On a recent project we used MBRICO TILE on the top of an EVOLUTION STEEL FRAMED DECK. Some would say a match made in heaven.....in conversation with the builder Josh, there was a little learning curve but ultimately a very favorable result. Have you used EVOLUTION steel decks? Or MBRICO Tile finishing system?

#lovewhatyoudo #architect #lovethisstuff #longliveourbuildings #deck

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💰Only 10 days to go! 💰Every donation help because your gift is doubled: $25 becomes $50, $50 becomes $100, $100 becomes $200…and $20,000 becomes $40,000.

Support tuition scholarships, care and feeding for the Studio classroom and Barn spaces and our ability to create new course offerings in 2027. Visit http://studiohpdc.org to donate, or the linktr.ee in our bio. And thanks!!

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Getting in early on a project isn't always enough.

On the latest Build It Forward, @joshuasalinger of Birdsmouth Design-Build explains that even when architects let his crew in early, the advice didn't always stick. They were explaining small details on every job, getting pushback, and watching it turn into a game of telephone between the architect and the client.

Watch the full conversation with Josh here:
Link in bio.

Build Better™ with @benjaminobdyke - get samples of their roof and wall products:
https://benjaminobdyke.com/get-a-sample-build-forward-podcast

Work with Auburndale Builders on your high-performance build.
vision@auburndalebuilders.com

Made with @prmeabl_ at the Building Science Corporation Test Hut

#BuildItForward #AuburndaleBuilders #HighPerformanceBuilding #BuildingScience #BuildingCommunity #BuildingCulture #DesignBuild #JoshSalinger #BirdsmouthDesignBuild #BenjaminObdyke #BuildBetter

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BUILT FOR THE DESERT....sensitive to mountain views.....functional water collection.....building incorporated shading......durable wall and roof assemblies......beautiful aesthetics with @nakamotoforestry ......exceptional window performance @europeanarchitecturalsupply ....lastly EXCEPTIONAL EXECUTION by @beckettconstruction

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THE SHELF YOU SEE is for a stainless steel drain system. It is a system with precision leveling capacity. The top of the drain system is flash with the top of the drain. Many swimmers appreciate the level top drain as it limits wave reverberation as one swims their laps. Looking forward to seeing this pool come together.....a side note, notice the entry stairs to the pool to the left of the photo. The SST drain system coastlines the stair entry...

#longliveourbuildings #lovethisstuff #lovewhatyoudo #architect #pool

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INSTALLING THE OKNOPLAST DOOR/TRANSOM in our replacement project. The transom is factory attached to the door as a singular unit ready for install...the fine gents at Laurel Windows getting the job done, and making it look absolutely beautiful....

#lovewhatyoudo #architect #lovethisstuff #longliveourbuildings #windows

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Watching other builders online is great, until you copy something that's perfectly right for Alabama and you build in northern Minnesota.

On the latest Build It Forward, @joshuasalinger of Birdsmouth Design-Build makes the case for local knowledge too. In Portland, his Contractors Breakfast Club has been getting together for years to talk about where to source things locally and which subs are doing good work.

Watch the full conversation with Josh here:
Link in bio.

Build Better™ with @benjaminobdyke - get samples of their roof and wall products:
https://benjaminobdyke.com/get-a-sample-build-forward-podcast

Work with Auburndale Builders on your high-performance build.
vision@auburndalebuilders.com

Made with @prmeabl_ at the Building Science Corporation Test Hut

#BuildItForward #AuburndaleBuilders #HighPerformanceBuilding #BuildingScience #BuildingCommunity #BuildingCulture #JoshSalinger #BirdsmouthDesignBuild #BenjaminObdyke #BuildBetter

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Design it well. Use the right materials. Install them correctly. Test it.

@joshuasalinger calls that quality, and he doesn't see any daylight between quality building and high-performance building.

In this conversation on Build It Forward, @nick_at_ab sits down with Josh in the Building Science Corporation Test Hut at Summer Camp 2026. They cover his path from bartending to running Birdsmouth Design-Build, how he starts a retrofit on a leaky old house, and the conversation in this Test Hut that changed his career.

Watch now on YouTube:
Link in bio.

Thank you to @betsypettit7746 for graciously hosting us, and to @benjaminobdyke for making this conversation possible.

Build Better™ with samples of their roof and wall products:
https://benjaminobdyke.com/get-a-sample-build-forward-podcast

Made with @prmeabl_

#BuildItForward #AuburndaleBuilders #HighPerformanceBuilding #BuildingScience #BuildingCommunity #BuildingCulture #DesignBuild #JoshSalinger #BirdsmouthDesignBuild #BenjaminObdyke #BuildBetter

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TRUCKS HAULING, CRANES LIFTING...gents giving direction , panels landing, things getting leveled, panels getting sealed, it is in fact a symphony of tasks, and I love the music. @thetruebuild is handling this with the upmost professionalism....

#longliveourbuildings #lovethisstuff #lovewhatyoudo #architect #precastconcrete

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WITH THE PRECAST FOUNDATION SYSTEM INSTALLED....there are a number of details to discuss. Here we have a condition where I have a line of windows in the basement meeting up with the foundation wall. The window wall is sunk into the ground to meet frost protection requirements. The upper wall to the right bridges the gap from undisturbed soil to a seat on the adjacent sunken wall. The void will get filled with stone but understand the prexast panels are designed to bridge openings upwa r ds of 8 ft. While it may look not as substantial as you would like, this system is completely engineered beyond the structural requirements at hand.

#longliveourbuildings #lovethisstuff #lovewhatyoudo #architect #foundation

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