Browse by Category | Building America Solution Center

Guide describing ways to strengthen roof assemblies for resistance to hurricanes, high winds, and earthquakes.

Information guide describing how to calculate attic passive ventilation with example calculations.

Guide providing information about flashing around a chimney to protect the intersection of the roof and chimney walls from water intrusion and anchoring of a chimney to prevent collapse in high winds.

Guide discussing disaster resistance related to clay or concrete tile roofing when installing roofing on new construction or when repairing or replacing roofing on existing homes.

Guide describing causes of condensation in attics and roof assemblies during cold weather and ways to reduce this condensation.

Guide describing how ice dams form and how roofs can be constructed to prevent them.

Guide describing how to provide a strong continuous load path from the roof through the wall to the foundation to ensure a structurally sound building and increase racking resistance in hurricanes, high winds, tornados, and earthquakes.

Guide describing continuous rigid insulation installation procedures to reduce thermal bridging and help provide thermal protection.

Guide providing information on how cool roofs and wall cladding surfaces work, which climates can most benefit from them, and how to find and select cool roofs and wall cladding products.

Guide describing the installation of roof vents that are resistant to damage from high winds and entry of wind-borne rain, wildfire embers, or pests.

Guide describing how to insulate and air-seal dropped ceilings and soffits to prevent air leakage.

Guide describing the practice of burying HVAC ducts in loose-fill insulation on the attic floor.

Guide describing approaches to burying and encapsulating ducts in unconditioned attics to increase the overall R-value of duct insulation.

Guide describing how to repair or replace skylights in existing homes.

Guide describing how to provide a continuous water control layer across the roof assembly by sealing all penetrations for pipes, vents, etc. in existing roofs.

Guide describing how to install and properly integrate flashing at the intersection of the wall and roof on an existing home.

Guide describing construction of gable roof overhangs to resist uplift pressures in high winds.

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

Guide describing the advantages and disadvantages of gable roofs and hip roofs and how both designs react under high wind loads.

Guide describing how to correctly air-seal a wall with missing top plates or open wall cavities.

Guide describing how to air seal and insulate a non-ICAT recessed "can" light from an accessible attic in an existing home.

Guide describing how to install insulation below platforms constructed in the attic for walkways, HVAC equipment, or storage.

Guide describing how to brace gable end walls to resist wind pressures.

A guide describing how to install low-sloped ("flat") roofs with insulation above the roof deck that resist wind pressures during high-wind events.

Roofs & Attics

Bracing of Roofs for Hurricane, High Wind, and Seismic Resistance

Calculating Attic Passive Ventilation

Chimneys Connected to Roof Structure

Clay or Concrete Tile Roofs

Condensation Control in Attics and Roofs in Cold Weather

Construct Roofs and Attics for Ice Dam Prevention

Continuous Load Path Provided with Connections from the Roof through the Wall to the Foundation

Continuous Rigid Insulation Sheathing

Cool Roofs and Walls to Reduce Heat Gain

Disaster-Resistant Roof Venting

Dropped Ceiling/Soffit Below Unconditioned Attic

Ducts Buried in Attic Insulation

Ducts Buried in Attic Insulation and Encapsulated

Existing Skylights Repaired or Replaced and Fully Flashed

Flashing of Penetrations in Existing Roofs

Flashing of Roof-Wall Intersections in Existing Homes

Framing of Gable Roof Overhangs

Gutters and Downspouts

Hip Roof vs Gable Roof

Install Top Plates or Blocking at the Top of Walls Adjoining Unconditioned Spaces

Insulating and Air Sealing Existing Non-ICAT Recessed Lights

Insulation Below Attic Platforms

Lateral Bracing in Gable End Walls

Low-Slope ("Flat") Roofs

Filter

Roofs & Attics