Browse by Category | Building America Solution Center

Guide describing how to slope solid surfaces outside of a home so rainwater flows away from the home.

Guide describing methods for installing pest-resistant ground cover around foundations to resist borrowing rodents and other pests.

Guide describing how to install appropriate connectors to provide a continuous load path to improve the wind resistance of attached porches, carports, and decks during high-wind events.

Information guide describing things to consider in the attic, ceiling, or roof before attempting retrofits of items including HVAC, wiring, or structural systems.

Information guide describing things to consider before attempting air sealing, insulating, and equipment retrofits in a home that has combustion appliances located within the home.

Information guide describing things to consider when considering home retrofits in the basement or crawlspace including HVAC, wiring, or structural systems.

Information guide describing options to consider when retrofitting or upgrading a home's HVAC system.

Information guide describing hazardous materials that may encountered in the home when retrofitting a home, including asbestos, mold, and radon.

Information guide describing best practices for dealing with hazards that might be encountered when returning to a home to do renovations after a natural disaster.

Guide describing how to evaluate ventilations systems before performing home upgrades.

Information guide describing things to consider before retrofitting walls, windows, and doors, including wiring, moisture protection, and lead paint.

Information guide describing how to balance air pressure in supply and return ducts of a central forced air system to minimize drafts and help provide consistent temperatures from room to room.

Guide describing how to correctly vent a clothes dryer to direct exhaust air out of the home.

Guide describing proper sizing and installation of high-MERV furnace and air-handler filters.

Guide describing battery backup systems, for use with or without photovoltaic panels, to safely store and supply electricity during a power outage.

Guide describing how to correctly locate duct terminals to meet the ENERGY STAR Certified Homes program.

Guide describing how to install a radon mitigation fan to actively remove radon from the home.

Guide describing ways builders can block off entry points and otherwise make homes inhospitable to all manner of pests.

Guide describing common areas of thermal bridging in mass (concrete) and steel-framed multistory buildings and methods and materials for addressing those points of thermal bridging.

Guide describing how to install energy-efficient refrigerators in new and existing homes.

Guide describing removal of construction debris from flex ducts and protection of ducts and HVAC equipment during construction to keep them free of dust and debris.

Guide describing different options for providing seismic and thermal resistance for homes with 'cripple' wall crawlspace foundations, which are known for their instability.

Guide describing ways to retrofit an existing roof to increase its resistance to damage during hurricanes, high winds, and earthquakes.

Guide describing principles of insulating and air sealing band joists as a stand alone energy upgrade, or as part of creating a closed crawlspace.

Patio Slabs, Porch Slabs, Walkways, and Driveways Slope Away from House

Pest-Resistant Ground Cover at Foundation Perimeter

Porches, Carports, and Deck Attachments

Pre-Retrofit Assessment of Attics, Ceilings, and Roofs

Pre-Retrofit Assessment of Combustion Appliances

Pre-Retrofit Assessment of Crawlspaces and Basements

Pre-Retrofit Assessment of Existing HVAC Systems

Pre-Retrofit Assessment of Hazardous Materials

Pre-Retrofit Assessment of Post-Disaster Home and Site Hazards

Pre-Retrofit Assessment of Ventilation Systems

Pre-Retrofit Assessment of Walls, Windows, and Doors

Pressure Balancing Supply and Return Ducts in Existing Homes

Proper Clothes Dryer Venting

Proper Installation of Furnace and Air-Handler Filters

PV Battery Storage for Power Outages

Quantity and Location of Supply and Return Duct Terminals Match Contractor Balancing Report

Radon Fan

Reduce Pest Intrusion

Reducing Thermal Bridging in Mass and Steel-Framed Multifamily Buildings

Refrigerators

Removing Construction Debris from Ducts

Retrofit Existing Crawl Space Foundations with Cripple Walls to Increase Seismic Resistance and Thermal Performance

Retrofit of Existing Roofs for Hurricane, High Wind, and Seismic Resistance

Rigid Foam Board Insulation for Existing Band Joists