Home Innovation Insights

Insider insights on what's going on in the home building industry.

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Thomas Kenney, PE
April 19, 2018

Hot or Not: How's Your Product's Thermal Performance?

With increasingly stringent energy codes, building product manufacturers are developing new products and innovative construction techniques to improve the thermal envelope. Code officials, builders, and architects want reliable thermal conductivity data. But, without testing, you can't know the U-value of the assembled component. Hot Box testing is a reliable way to capture shareable, marketable data that is far superior to modeled performance.

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Thomas Kenney, PE
April 2, 2018

Product Certification: Are You Ready for the Challenge?

For many smaller building product manufacturers, simply following best practices and common sense may work most of the time. But, for those looking to grow market share and compete on a regional or national level, that may not be enough. Having a formal quality assurance (QA) system is often the next step in your company's journey to market growth and success; and it is a must for getting your product certified as code compliant.

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Thomas Kenney, PE
December 19, 2013

Student Design Teams "Race to Zero" in DOE's Challenge Home Competition

In mid-December, we closed out registration for the DOE Challenge Home Student Design Competition. The response we got from colleges and universities across North America was really inspiring — all told, 32 teams have stepped up to the challenge in DOE's "race to zero" in energy-efficient home designs. Find out more.

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Thomas Kenney, PE
May 23, 2013

The Modern Crawlspace: No Rot, Mold, or Bugs About It!

The IRC now has provisions for unvented crawlspaces, which can be practical, energy-efficient options for those building in hot-humid climates. But what's the best way to build these types of crawlspaces? Our new builder resources can help.

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Thomas Kenney, PE
January 24, 2013

Under the Hood: ANSI Standards Development Process

With the January 10th approval of the 2012 National Green Building Standard by ANSI, here's a glimpse into the practice of “due process” – a hallmark of a formal consensus process that sets the NGBS apart.

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Thomas Kenney, PE
October 11, 2012

It's Hip to be Square Footage Savvy

The Home Innovation Research Labs recently ushered the ANSI square footage standard through a regular review and updating process. Are you confident in your ability to assess square footage? This standard can be a huge benefit.

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Thomas Kenney, PE
August 23, 2012

An Open Invitation to the Home Building Industry

Many know Home Innovation Research Labs for our product testing and certification marks, but here are some examples why we’re much more than just a pretty certification label. The invitation is open – get to know us!

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Author Bio
Tom Kenney, Vice President of Engineering & Research
Thomas Kenney, PE
Vice President of Engineering & Research

Home Innovation Research Labs most senior research engineer with nearly 30 years of service. Tom's extensive experience with a wide range of engineering disciplines and housing product and system issues give him a depth of knowledge and a practical perspective that is unmatched in the home building research industry.