Browse by Category | Building America Solution Center

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

Overview guide providing background information on extreme heat in the United States as it relates to homes and links to guides describing specific ways to make homes more resistant to extreme heat.

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

Guide describing wall assemblies and materials that are resistant to destruction from wildfires.

Guide describing how to provide combustion air for fireplaces and how to test fireplaces for combustion safety.

Guide describing how to apply flashing to the bottom of exterior walls to create a continuous drainage plane.

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 how to install flashing that is integrated with air and water control layers around piping, vents, and other wall penetrations as part of an exterior wall retrofit.

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.

Overview guide describing residential floodproofing steps.

Guide describing how to create an air barrier between the garage and the conditioned space above it to prohibit pollutants from entering a home's interior.

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

Guide describing fuel tank anchoring practices for disaster resistance.

Guide describing garage doors that are pressure-rated to withstand wind pressures from hurricanes, high winds, and tornados.

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

Guide describing gas-fired boilers and hot water heat distribution systems used for home heating.

Guide describing the installation of a tankless hot water heater to provide domestic hot water that is heated on demand without the standby losses associated with tank storage water heaters.

Information guide describing options and considerations for installing a generator for backup power in case of temporary power outages.

Guide describing sizing and installation of foundation heat exchangers, which can be connected to a heat pump system used for spacing conditioning as well as domestic water heating.

Exterior Insulation for Existing Foundation Walls

Extreme Heat Overview

Final Grade Slopes Away from Foundation

Fire-Resistant Wall Assemblies

Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Have Proper Ventilation

Flashing at Bottom of Exterior Walls

Flashing of Penetrations in Existing Roofs

Flashing of Roof-Wall Intersections in Existing Homes

Flashing of Wall Penetrations in Existing Homes

Flood-Resistant Crawlspace Foundations

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

Flood-Resistant Raised-Slab Foundations

Flooding Overview

Floor Above Garage

Floor Above Unconditioned Basement or Vented Crawlspace

Footing Drain Pipe

Framing of Gable Roof Overhangs

Fuel Tanks Anchored for Disaster Resistance

Garage Doors are Pressure Rated

Garage Rim/Band Joist Adjoining Conditioned Space

Gas-Fired Boilers

Gas-Fired Tankless Water Heaters

Generators for Back-Up Power During Outages

Ground-Source Heat Pump Foundation Heat Exchanger (FHX)

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