Browse by Category | Building America Solution Center

Guide describing how to insulate a basement to improve the overall thermal performance of the building and provide more dry, usable conditioned space for home occupants and HVAC equipment.

Guide describing how to air-seal around plumbing and piping penetrations through walls, ceilings, and floors.

Guide describing how to air-seal sill plates in single-family homes and multifamily buildings.

Guide describing Installing blanket fiberglass insulation on the interior walls of a conditioned, unfinished basement as an alternative to best practice solutions.

Guide describing methods to manage groundwater under and around urban multifamily buildings.

Guide describing how to install a capillary break to help manage moisture in foundations.

Guide describing how to create a capillary break at all crawlspace floors using polyethylene sheeting to manage moisture in crawlspaces.

Guide describing how to install a capillary break under a slab foundation using either polyethylene sheeting or rigid insulation installed over aggregate or over sand and geotextile matting.

Guide describing how to apply water management strategies to below-grade walls.

Guide describing installation of sump pumps in the basement or crawlspace of a home.

Guide describing methods for short-term control of erosion during construction and long-term measures for controlling erosion on sloped sites or sites with river banks or shore lines.

Guide describing how to install slab edge insulation when retrofitting existing slab-on-grade foundations.

Guide describing how to insulate a new foundation wall or an existing foundation wall by adding rigid insulation to the exterior side.

Guide describing how to properly grade a site so water will flow away from the foundation.

Guide describing how to design or retrofit a crawlspace to reduce the risk of damage during a flood event.

Guide describing how to construct flood-resistant homes using pier, pile, post, or column foundations.

Guide describing ways to construct a raised-slab foundation to increase a home's resistance to floods.

Guide describing how to air-seal and insulate the floor above an unconditioned basement or crawl space.

Guide describing how to help drain water away from the perimeter footing.

Guide describing the air-sealing of rim joists on walls connecting homes and attached garages.

Guide describing the installation of gutters, downspouts, and alternate options for managing rainwater run-off from roofs.

Guide describing different options for providing seismic and thermal resistance for homes with basement foundations, crawlspace foundations, or crawlspace foundations with a "cripple" wall.

Guide describing how to construct exterior walls with insulated concrete forms.

Guide describing how to insulate a floor overhang (or cantilever) on an existing home by adding insulation and an air barrier to air seal the floor joist bays under the cantilever.

Foundations, Floors, and Site

Air Sealed, Insulated Basements

Air Sealing Plumbing and Piping

Air Sealing Sill Plates

Basement Blanket Insulation

Below-Grade Water Management for Urban Sites

Capillary Break at Crawlspace Floor - Polyethylene Sheeting under Concrete Slab

Capillary Break at Crawlspace Floors - Polyethylene Lapped Up Walls and Piers or Secured in the Ground

Capillary Break Beneath Slab - Polyethylene Sheeting or Rigid Insulation over Aggregate or Sand and Geotextile Mat

Damp-Proof Exterior Surface of Below-Grade Walls

Drain or Sump Pump Installed in Basements or Crawlspaces

Erosion Control for Slopes, Stream Banks, and Dunes

Exterior Edge Insulation for Existing Foundation Slabs

Exterior Insulation for Existing Foundation Walls

Final Grade Slopes Away from Foundation

Flood-Resistant Crawlspace Foundations

Flood-Resistant Pier, Pile, Post, and Column Foundations

Flood-Resistant Raised-Slab Foundations

Floor Above Unconditioned Basement or Vented Crawlspace

Footing Drain Pipe

Garage Rim/Band Joist Adjoining Conditioned Space

Gutters and Downspouts

Increase Seismic Resistance and Thermal Performance of Basement, Crawl Space, and Crawl Space with Cripple Wall Foundations

Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)

Insulating and Air Sealing Existing Floor Overhangs (Cantilevers)

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Foundations, Floors, and Site