Education opportunities

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NWTC Courses: Regularly scheduled NWTC courses will help you achieve educational credits required by the Wisconsin DSPS. Check out the Seminars & Continuing Education Digital Catalog for a list of upcoming seminars and continuing education offerings! Seminars, Continuing Education and Training are offered on a variety of topics:  

• Leadership
• Continuous Improvement Processes
• Human Resources
• Computer Skills
• OSHA
• Safety
• Health
• Dental,
• Small Business
• Public Safety and more!
• CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE DIGITAL CATALOG!

WBA Foundation Classes Online

Earn your continuing education credits from the comfort of your own home or office! Register online at
https://www.wisbuild.org/online-courses   Members: Classes are FREE - all you need is your WBA login information! Any questions contact Brad Boycks at WBA, (608) 242-5151, ext. 16 or email bboycks@wisbuild.org   Listed below are the current courses available. Click here for more information.

DUCTLESS HEAT PUMP APPLICATIONS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE HOMES - During this session, we will discuss the advancements in ductless heat pumps and the application for high-performance homes. Learn about the concept of high performance homes and the application of residential variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems to meet their design and efficiency requirements. We will review the scale upon which high performance homes are measured, the process to properly design an HVAC system for these homes, and ventilation and dehumidification strategies that are required in low load homes.

PART III: ATTICS AND ROOFS THAT DON’T WORK AND WHY - Taking building investigations and turning them into building science puzzles is fun and informative. In Part II, we learned how to configure high performance attics and roofs. What can we learn from roofs and attics that have had problems? We can learn about tolerances attics and roofs have for heat and moisture management and quite a bit about how to and not to retrofit existing attics and roofs.

PART II: ATTIC AND ROOF CONFIGURATIONS THAT WORK AND WHY - Using the building science and building code for attics and roofs, we will work through which roof and attic configurations work and why. Peter will work with a local high performance builder and roof/attic mock-ups to get into the nitty-gritty of materials, sequencing, and trades interaction for high performance attics and roofs.

HOUSING DISRUPTION REALITIES, CRISES AND TRANSFORMATIONS: ARE YOU READY? - Virtually every major industry has experienced, or is in the process of experiencing, massive disruption. Housing has been able to sit on the sidelines with its first-cost dominated business model and uniquely disaggregated industry, but not for much longer. That’s because there are three new realities setting the stage for disruption, five crises making disruption an imperative, and four transformations that will drive disruption in an industry totally resistant to change. Within this larger disruption context, high performance homes will play an increasingly critical role that needs to be fully integrated. Will you be ready?

BUSINESS SUCCESS: LEARNING TO MASTER THE GREY AREAS - Systems are critical to a successful business, but sometimes we get caught up in trying to manage and design controls for components that refuse to cooperate. When is it more efficient and profitable to leave things undefined and grey? When do we benefit from leaving things open and malleable? How do we build systems that help us become comfortable and eventually benefit from the messy parts of our work? This provocative session will challenge you and help you take your business to new levels.

BUILDING A BETTER BASEMENT - In this session we will take a hard look at below grade walls and what it takes to properly manage the potential for bulk water intrusion and keeping the indoor environment dry, healthy, and safe. We will look at the primary issues; condensation and bulk water intrusion. Understanding the physics of both new and existing below grade wall assemblies, we will uncover the root issues and identify two distinct strategies that work with water rather than against it to ensure a truly durable and enduring assembly.

DUCTED MINI SPLITS APPLICATIONS AND PERFORMANCE - This session explores both ductless and ducted mini splits, with a focus on the latter. Performance and operation for cooling and heating is discussed, with a focus on cold climate heat pump operation. Case studies on basic installations for older homes and on inverter-driven ducted mini-split systems are shared, highlighting the impact they have on low load, high-performance homes.

ADVANCEMENTS IN WINDOW AND WALL TECHNOLOGY - Windows are one of the most important features of a building envelope, allowing us to maintain a connection with the outdoors while we remain comfortable and safe indoors. The window industry has been challenged to deliver see-through products that provide energy efficiency, occupant comfort, safety, beauty and low maintenance. This session explores the elements of window design for energy performance and looks at advancements that have been made to meet ENERGY STAR® target levels for windows and doors.

WATERPROOFING EXISTING BASEMENTS FROM THE INSIDE - For years, the question of waterproofing from the inside has dogged Peter. He kept hearing about all sorts of coatings that could “negative-side” waterproof, but didn’t know how to compare the anecdotes to building science. In this session, Peter cuts through the hype and the misdirection of standardized testing and figures out what works, what doesn’t and why. Check it out to see what stands up to the Wingnut Water Test!

HIGH PERFORMANCE WALL ASSEMBLY AND DETAILS - Wall assembly details like corners, deck connections, fastening schedules, tapes, window bucks, furring strips and cladding attachment present challenges. Our presenter is a nationally recognized green design and building expert who set out to determine if there was a simple high performance wall system to resolve these challenges in new construction, remodeling and retrofit situations. Join us to hear the results of his extensive pursuit. He’ll walk through each layer of wall assembly and share lessons learned, as well as the strategies and materials behind this new approach he’s dubbed the 'awesome wall.’