A construction venting strip to be placed at the interfaces between framing members that enclose a space. The strip acts as a conduit for the passage of air across it; prevents water from pooling on the surface of underlying framing members; seals penetrations passing through the strip and into the underlying framing members; acts as a thermal break; and may be used as a furring or shim strip. It is a linear strip of polymer with a side locating flange and a waterproof, self-sealing strip in its bottom face, The top face of the strip base has spaced pads extending therefrom with air passage channels there between. The air passage channels are configured for angular cut lines.

A construction venting strip to be placed at the interfaces between framing members that enclose a space. The strip acts as a conduit for the passage of air across it; prevents water from pooling on the surface of underlying framing members; seals penetrations passing through the strip and into the underlying framing members; acts as a thermal break; and may be used as a furring or shim strip. It is a linear strip of polymer with a side locating flange and a waterproof, self-sealing strip in its bottom face, The top face of the strip base has spaced pads extending therefrom with air passage channels there between. The air passage channels are configured for angular cut lines.

A construction venting strip to be placed at the interfaces between framing members that enclose a space. The strip acts as a conduit for the passage of air across it; prevents water from pooling on the surface of underlying framing members; seals penetrations passing through the strip and into the underlying framing members; acts as a thermal break; and may be used as a furring or shim strip. It is a linear strip of polymer with a side locating flange and a waterproof, self-sealing strip in its bottom face, The top face of the strip base has spaced pads extending therefrom with air passage channels there between. The air passage channels are configured for angular cut lines.

A method of providing fire protection to a structure includes the step of installing an intumescent mesh on a surface of the structure such that the intumescent mesh is exposed to outdoor environmental conditions. The intumescent mesh includes a mesh with a series of openings and an intumescent coating applied to the flexible grid such that air can pass through the openings in the intumescent mesh. The intumescent coating includes expandable graphite and a polymer-based carrier; and the intumescent coating does not degrade when exposed the outdoor environmental conditions. The intumescent coating remains flexible and resists cracking and spalling from the flexible grid.

A method of providing fire protection to a structure includes the step of installing an intumescent mesh on a surface of the structure such that the intumescent mesh is exposed to outdoor environmental conditions. The intumescent mesh includes a mesh with a series of openings and an intumescent coating applied to the flexible grid such that air can pass through the openings in the intumescent mesh. The intumescent coating includes expandable graphite and a polymer-based carrier; and the intumescent coating does not degrade when exposed the outdoor environmental conditions. The intumescent coating remains flexible and resists cracking and spalling from the flexible grid.

An exterior insulating system for a building includes at least one insulating panel having a wall-facing side and an outward-facing side, a top and a bottom, the at least one insulating panel having a slope at the top that angles downwardly from the wall-facing side to the outward-facing side; at least one elongated clip member fastenable along a soffit that is extending outwards from a wall of the building; and at least one auxiliary panel having a first edge that is dimensioned to be received by the at least one elongated clip member opposite a main body of the at least one auxiliary panel from a second edge of the at least one auxiliary panel that is connectable to the at least one insulating panel, the main body incorporating structure for permitting airflow through the main body.

An ember and flame resistant resettable automatic soffit vent includes a tray with ventilation openings formed in its floor. A mesh screen resides on the floor of the tray spanning the ventilation openings. A flat slide resides atop the screen and also has ventilation openings that match those of the tray. The slide has an open position wherein its ventilation openings align with those of the tray to allow airflow through the vent and a closed position wherein its ventilation openings are misaligned with the ventilation openings of the tray to close off airflow through the vent. The vent can be manually moved between its open and closed positions and one or more tension springs and a thermal link assembly cooperate to move the slide to its closed position if the vent is exposed to a high temperature cause by a fire very near a home. The vent also can be manually closed by a homeowner when a fire is threatening and then manually reopened when the fire threat passes without destroying the automatic closing feature of the vent.

An ember and flame resistant resettable automatic soffit vent includes a tray with ventilation openings formed in its floor. A mesh screen resides on the floor of the tray spanning the ventilation openings. A flat slide resides atop the screen and also has ventilation openings that match those of the tray. The slide has an open position wherein its ventilation openings align with those of the tray to allow airflow through the vent and a closed position wherein its ventilation openings are misaligned with the ventilation openings of the tray to close off airflow through the vent. The vent can be manually moved between its open and closed positions and one or more tension springs and a thermal link assembly cooperate to move the slide to its closed position if the vent is exposed to a high temperature cause by a fire very near a home. The vent also can be manually closed by a homeowner when a fire is threatening and then manually reopened when the fire threat passes without destroying the automatic closing feature of the vent.

A method for reducing the effects of the stack effect in a house with or without a combustion appliance is presented herein. The method comprising the steps of: creating a substantially air tight space in the lower portion of the house by sealing at least one of cracks, leaks and openings in the lower portion of house; improving airflow in the attic space of the house by at least one of installing soffits around the roof line, increasing a total number of soffits, and cleaning/clearing debris blocking airflow through pre-existing soffits; and creating at least one airflow path, direct or indirect, from the lower portion of the house to the attic space. If there is a combustion appliance the method further comprises the step of creating a combustion airflow path between the chimney stack and the attic space. A kit for carrying out the method is also presented.

An airflow-controlling valve is described for a soffit vent in which a one-piece valve member normally lies below a housing, both parts being deeply hill-and-valley deformed to give ample surface area for apertures essentially equal to the full area of the vent opening itself, allowing two-way venting flow unless and until inward-acting pressure reaches a certain strength, wherewith the valve is pushed up to close quietly against the housing to block flow; the valve falling opening again if the pressure differential reverses or simply subsides below that certain strength. An immediate need for the device is in ventilating houses and like building structures, and in particular in ventilating roof spaces such as attics to make the structures much more resistant to hurricane damage firstly by blocking ruinous rain entry while also harnessing the winds to prevent roof space pressurization, or even (given other openings are valved or closed off) to strongly depressurize the roof space by preventing inward airflow but allowing outward flow to wind-depressurized zones bounding the house.