Built Right: A Builder’s Net Zero Envelope Course

A builder’s net zero envelope course · 20 Details · October 2026

Built Right shows how a net zero, Passive House-level wood-frame envelope is actually detailed and built on site in BC: the details, the order of trades, what goes wrong and how to check it. It is the next step after our Building Science Deep Dive, which explains the physics.

Who it’s for: builders, site supervisors, trades, designers, students of zero energy building courses, and homeowners planning a high-performance home.

Part 1 · The plan

• Detail 01: The Air Barrier Strategy
  How to choose the air barrier for a net zero home in BC: interior vs exterior, the pencil test, airtightness targets and who owns it on site.
• Detail 02: Air Barrier Materials & Compatibility
  Membranes, tapes, sealants and primers: the material limit, adhesives and weather, compatibility, surface prep and pull tests on site.
• Detail 03: Thermal Bridges in Wood Framing
  Framing factor, nominal vs effective R-value, advanced framing, insulated headers and continuous exterior insulation for wood-frame walls.

Part 2 · Below grade

• Detail 04: Slab Edges & Under-Slab Insulation
  Capillary break, under-slab insulation, slab-edge thermal break, sealed poly and BC’s radon rough-in, sequenced with the plumber.
• Detail 05: Foundation-to-Wall Transition
  Seal, drain and protect the base of a wood-frame wall: sill gaskets, capillary breaks, membrane tie-ins, base flashing and 200 mm clearance to grade.
• Detail 06: Rim Joists & Floor Lines
  Carry the air barrier and insulation past every floor line: exterior and interior approaches, rim joist condensation, spray foam vs cut-and-seal.

Part 3 · Windows & doors

• Detail 07: Window Rough Openings
  Window rough openings step by step for wood-frame rainscreen walls: sill pan, flashing order, sill drainage and the air seal on all four sides.
• Detail 08: Where the Window Sits in the Wall
  Innie, middle or outie: how window position in a thick wall changes edge heat loss (psi-install), support with bucks and brackets, and flashing.
• Detail 09: Doors, Sliders & Thresholds
  How to build a door sill that drains: sloped sill pans with three dams, large sliding doors, low thresholds and the air seal under the sill.

Part 4 · Walls

• Detail 10: Exterior Insulation & Cladding Attachment
  Hanging cladding over exterior insulation: strapping and long screws, choosing the board, R-value lost to attachments, and keeping the layer continuous.
• Detail 11: Double-Stud & Deep Walls
  Double-stud and deep walls: high R from ordinary framing and cellulose, why the sheathing runs cold, and how to build the wall airtight and able to dry.
• Detail 12: Decks, Balconies & Ledgers
  How to carry decks and balconies on a net zero house: freestanding decks, standoff brackets, ledgers on blocking, flashing, drainage and membranes.

Part 5 · Roofs & penetrations

• Detail 13: The Attic Air Barrier
  Seal the ceiling before the insulation buries it: top plates, pot lights, fans, the attic hatch, raised-heel trusses and baffles at the eaves.
• Detail 14: Vaulted & Flat Roofs
  Vaulted and flat roofs with no attic: vented, above-deck and split insulation, coastal BC moisture risks, low-slope membranes and code checks.
• Detail 15: Roof-to-Wall Transitions
  How to carry the air barrier from wall to ceiling or roof: choosing the path, pre-stripping the top plate, raised heels, eaves, gables and parapets.
• Detail 16: Pipes, Ducts & Wires Through the Envelope
  Fewer holes, planned holes, every hole sealed: service cavities, duct collars, HRV cold-side ducts, dampers, airtight boxes and plumbing vent gaskets.

Part 6 · Testing & carbon

• Detail 17: Sequencing & Trade Coordination
  Build order and hold points, the pre-construction meeting, who installs, protects and checks each layer, same-day repairs, photos and test scheduling.
• Detail 18: Mid-Construction Blower Door Test
  Test airtightness before insulation and drywall: timing, preparing the house, finding leaks with smoke and a thermal camera, fixing and re-testing.
• Detail 19: Final Testing & Troubleshooting
  The final airtightness test explained: ACH50, NLR and NLA, test standards, BC airtightness levels, test-day set-up and fixing a failed result.
• Detail 20: Lower-Carbon Envelope Choices
  Cut the embodied carbon in a house: concrete and insulation choices, foam blowing agents, trade-offs, and Vancouver’s embodied carbon direction.