Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Brochure about creating an air barrier by sealing drywall assemblies.
This library contains research reports produced by the Building America program and other building science resources used to support this Solution Center. The materials cover both new construction and existing homes. Use the search box and/or the filters to explore hundreds of residential building resources. Access to some references not produced by Building America may require purchase from the publisher. Documents are listed alphabetically. While we continually update our database, links may have changed since posting. Please contact our webmaster if you find broken links.
Showing results 1 - 47 of 47
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Brochure about creating an air barrier at tub, shower and fireplace walls.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Description
Report on adding insulation to load-bearing mass masonry buildings.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Research study discussing how housewraps restrict or permit the passage of water molecules based on size, but cannot control the direction in which the water vapor molecules move.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Research study describing a number of promising foundation and basement insulation strategies that can meet the requirement for better thermal control in colder climates while enhancing moisture control, health, and comfort.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report considers a number of promising wall systems that can meet the requirement for better thermal control.
Organization(s)
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report providing a summary of key lessons learned from the first ten years of the Building America program and also included a summary of the future challenges that must be met to reach the programs long term performance goals.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report on the stability of furring strips as a means for cladding attachment over walls with thick exterior rigid insulation.
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Brochure explaining the essential basis for advanced framing and some of the more common advanced framing details.
Organization(s)
Home Innovation Research Labs
Publication Date
Description
The Guide addresses walls constructed with 2x4 wood frame studs, wood structural panel (WSP) sheathing as wall bracing and added backing for foam sheathing, a layer of rigid foam sheathing insulation up to 1.5 in. thick over the WSP, and a cladding system installed over the foam sheathing in low...
Organization(s)
Home Innovation Research Labs
Publication Date
Description
Part I of the Guide addresses walls constructed with 2x6 wood frame studs, wood structural panel (WSP) sheathing as exterior sheathing, gypsum board as interior sheathing, and a cladding system installed over WSP sheathing in low-rise residential buildings up to three stories in height. Walls with...
Organization(s)
ARIES,
Levy Partnership
Publication Date
Description
Report about the Advanced Envelope Research effort will provide factory homebuilders with urgently-needed, cost effective methods for meeting emerging energy code requirements.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report about an expert meeting focused on issues surrounding cladding attachment and performance of walls with exterior insulating sheathing.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Expert Meeting about interior insulation retrofit of mass masonry wall assemblies held on July 30, 2011.
Organization(s)
PHI,
Home Innovation Research Labs
Publication Date
Description
Report on high-R wall design called extended plate and beam that uses foam sheathing insulation with wall framing.
Organization(s)
IBACOS
Publication Date
Description
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is interested in finding cost-effective solutions for deep energy retrofits (DERs) related to exterior wall insulation in a cold climate, with targets of 50% peak load reduction and 50% space conditioning energy savings.
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Guide providing information on using exterior foam insulating sheathing in building wall assemblies to enhance thermal performance.
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Brochure with details on advanced framing techniques.
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Report providing testing methodology to evaluate structural rim header designs over openings up to 6 ft. wide and applicable to one- and two-story homes.
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Report with test results that serve as a baseline of data for further material tests of other high-R wall systems and for comparison to whole-house wind pressure testing.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Description
Report exploring four questions to determine the level of risk associated with adding drained exterior insulation to the exterior of an existing home during an energy retrofit.
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Article explaining installing cavity insulation.
Organization(s)
PARR,
Indoor Climate Research and Training,
Illinois Sustainable Technology Center,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Description
Report on the impact of air sealing between the foundation and the living space on radon transport reduction across the foundation and living space floor assembly at fifteen home.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Description
Report on two approaches to retrofitting existing double-stud walls.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report describing a deep energy enclosure retrofit solution for insulating mass masonry buildings from the interior.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Measure Guideline research report providing simple, long term, and durable solutions when using tapes and flashing membranes in conjunction with the exterior face of rigid polymeric foam sheathing to create the drainage plane of a wall system.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report describing wall assemblies that use layers of rigid exterior insulation thicker than 1-½ inch and require a secondary cladding attachment location exterior to the insulation.
Organization(s)
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet providing information on installing Rigid XPS foam board insulation to existing brick masonry walls.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Report summarizing the importance of properly insulating and air sealing masonry walls, providing step by step instructions and approaches.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report describing the use of mineral fiber insulating sheathing in a high performance enclosure retrofit package.
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center Industry Partnership,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Document providing renovators and retrofit contractors an overview of considerations when including wall air sealing and insulation in an energy retrofit project.
Organization(s)
IBACOS
Publication Date
Description
Report covering the fundamental waterproofing strategies for tub and shower assemblies.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Report describing the work conducted for high performance hybrid assemblies.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Description
Report explaining moisture-related concerns for high R-value wall assemblies and discusses past Building America research work that informs this study.
Organization(s)
Home Innovation Research Labs
Publication Date
Description
The next generation of building enclosures is a key step toward achieving high-performance goals through decreasing energy load demand and enabling advanced space-conditioning systems. Yet the adoption of high-R enclosures and particularly high-R walls has been a slow-growing trend because...
Organization(s)
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Report providing guidance to air sealing multifamily homes.
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet with details on pan flashing for exterior walls.
Organization(s)
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Document with information about the most practical methods to achieve whole-wall performance of R-30 or above.
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Research study exploring a test method measuring air leakage between units through common surfaces and air infiltration across exterior, noncommon surfaces of the enclosure.
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet about how to reduce thermal bridging in walls.
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Information about a roof retrofit using a metal, cool roof system.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Document describing issues of wind pressure resistance in walls with exterior rigid foam sheathing installed directly over framing members.
Organization(s)
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Document about development of models for evaluating thermal performance of walls in existing homes that will improve the accuracy of building energy simulation tools when predicting potential energy savings of existing homes.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Research study investigating the thermal efficiency of fasteners, namely drywall screws and siding nails, in high-performance wood-framed walls.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Research study describing a detailed 3D computational fluid dynamics model that evaluates the thermal performance of uninsulated wall assemblies.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report summarizing NRELs efforts to develop diagnostic test cases to conduct accurate energy simulations when phase change materials (PCMs) are modeled in residential buildings.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Description
Report summarizing current research, summarizes issues that have been experienced with current best practices, and recommends ways in which the best practices can be improved for water managing sheathings.