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Library

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 - 50 of 82

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Description
2009 edition of code for commercial buildings that brings together all structural, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical provisions for all buildings except detached one- and two-family residences and townhouses up to three stories.
Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Description
2009 edition of code establishing a baseline for the design and installation of fuel gas systems and gas fired appliances through performance requirements.
Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Description
2009 edition of code for residential buildings that creates minimum regulations for one- and two-family dwellings of three stories or less, bringing together all building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical provisions for one- and two-family residences.
Author(s)
International Code Council,
Florida Building Commission
Organization(s)
ICC,
FBC
Publication Date
Description
Florida building code including all the amendments and additions by Florida for the wind-borne debris regions and the high-velocity hurricane zone.
Author(s)
McGuigan Connor
Organization(s)
Sierra Club
Publication Date
Description
Article from the Sierra Club explaining 5 steps to take to ensure your home's resistance to wildfires, including site maintenance and roof construction guidelines.
Author(s)
Beach Robert,
Grisolia Anthony,
Dickson Bruce,
Poerschke Andrew,
Rapport Ari
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS
Publication Date
Description
Report describing an air distribution system composed of a series of uniformly-sized ducts that terminate in rooms throughout the home and return to a central manifold, similar in fashion to a “home-run” cross-linked polyethylene plumbing system.
Author(s)
West Chris
Organization(s)
Journal of Light Construction,
JLC
Publication Date
Description
Article describing methods for thermally isolating a garage in a Passive House-certified multifamily building.
Author(s)
American Institute of Architects
Organization(s)
AIA
Publication Date
Description
Report describing the experience gained from AIA’s Disaster Assistance Program with first-hand accounts of disaster response and recovery, case studies and other best practices, including approaches to designing buildings to be more adaptable to uncertainty.
Author(s)
Wilkerson
Organization(s)
Medeek Design
Publication Date
Description
Webpage providing mapping tool for obtaining ground snow load, based on ASCE 7-10, for any location in the contiguous United States, with the exception of locations requiring a case study due to extreme local variations in ground snow loads. Fee required for some data.
Author(s)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Organization(s)
ASME
Publication Date
Description
Code establishing the rules of safety relating only to pressure integrity for the design, fabrication, and inspection of boilers and pressure vessels during construction which was published in the year 2017 and is available to order at the referenced link.
Author(s)
Burkett Lena,
Cole Pam C,
Kaiser David,
Rosemiller Gil
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs,
CRA,
Colorado Code Consulting,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Webinar answering code-related questions on duct leakage tests, moisture levels in attics and crawlspaces, combustion equipment in conditioned attics, ventilation in multifamily buildings, and continuous insulation in residential construction.
Author(s)
Nahlik Matthew J.,
Chester Mikhail V.,
Pincetl Stephanie S.,
Eisenman David,
Sivaraman Deepak,
English Paul
Organization(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers,
ASCE
Publication Date
Description
Article published by American Society of Civil Engineers on different building types and their effectiveness resisting extreme heat from a building envelope perspective.
Author(s)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Organization(s)
NOAA
Publication Date
Description
Website providing weather data.
Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Description
ENERGY STAR clothes dryer buying guidance for consumers.
Author(s)
Kochkin Vladimir,
Wiehagen Joseph
Organization(s)
Home Innovation Research Labs,
HIRL
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...
Author(s)
Kochkin Vladimir,
Wiehagen Joseph
Organization(s)
Home Innovation Research Labs,
HIRL
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...
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
DOE's consumer information about energy and laundry.
Author(s)
Florida Department of Transportation
Organization(s)
FDOT
Publication Date
Description
Handbook describing the permitting process regulating the transfer of stormwater from private property owners to the State of Florida Department of Transportation stormwater drainage systems.
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheet providing an overview of how to properly prepare for a winter storm and how to protect yourself before, during, and after one.
Author(s)
Marija Jelčić Rukavina,
Milan Carević,
Ivana Banjad Pečur
Organization(s)
University of Zagreb
Publication Date
Description
A guide for designers, architects, engineers, and fire experts on how to design rainscreen and ventilated cavities such that they don’t contribute to the spread of a fire.
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheet instructing installers about flashing installed on a FORTIFIED roof and points to roof covering manufacturers for flashing installation instructions.
Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report covering the fire performance of combustible cladding over combustible insulation.
Author(s)
Parlee Mark
Organization(s)
Journal of Light Construction
Publication Date
Description
A story about how omission of two small but critical wall details, a kick-out flashing and a weep screed, lead to extensive water damage to a wall.
Author(s)
Home Innovation Research Labs,
National Association of Home Builders,
International Code Council
Organization(s)
HIRL,
NAHB,
ICC
Publication Date
Description
Fact Sheet describing the need for supplemental dehumidification, dehumidifier configuration options, and design considerations.
Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Article describing issues with condensation in unvented attics insulated with open-cell spray foam.
Author(s)
Widder Sarah H,
Metzger Cheryn E,
McIntosh Joshua A,
Petersen Joseph M
Organization(s)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
NEEA,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Publication Date
Description
Report describing the objective evaluation of space conditioning interactions between heat pump water heaters and home heating systems during winter 2016-2017, revealing a smaller than anticipated impact on space conditioning loads.
Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report covering reservoir claddings, back ventilation and vapor throttles.
Author(s)
Pennsylvania State University
Organization(s)
Pennsylvania State University,
PennState Extension
Publication Date
Description
Article explaining how to use integrated pest management to choose methods of pest control that are safe and effective.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
The light-emitting diode (LED) is one of today's most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing lighting technologies.
Author(s)
ENERGY STAR,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Description
ENERGY STAR lightbulb criteria.
Author(s)
Energy Saver,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Webpage describing high-efficiency lighting choices for homeowners including LEDs, CFLs, and halogen bulbs.
Author(s)
Bohac Dave,
Schoenbauer Ben,
Huelman Patrick H
Organization(s)
NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership,
NorthernSTAR,
University of Minnesota,
UMN
Publication Date
Description
Report describing the installation and operation of forced-air heating and domestic hot water combi systems in residential homes.
Author(s)
National Mechanical Insulation Committee
Organization(s)
NMIC
Publication Date
Description
Web resource that lays out the pre-work considerations, methods and finishes for installing mechanical insulation.
Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
ANSI
Publication Date
Description
Standard establishing a test procedure for evaluating the performance of air-cleaning devices as a function of particle size. This is the current version of the standard, which was published in the year 2017, and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link. The ASHRAE bookstore also...
Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE,
SEI
Publication Date
Description
Standard using performance-based principles to determine dead, live, soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, earthquake, wind, and fire loads, and their combinations for general structural design. This version of the standard was published in the year 2016 and is available in both digital...
Author(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Organization(s)
ARBI,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Study in which a central heat pump water heater system was monitored in detail and used to create a model for assessing similar systems in various climates.
Author(s)
Schneider Philip J,
Santos Janet,
Rashed Tarek,
Mickey Kathelene,
Isteita Maher,
Huyck Charles,
Ghosh Simi,
Eguchi Ronald,
Dash Nicole,
Scawthorn Charles,
Porter Keith
Organization(s)
Natural Institute of Building Science,
NIBS
Publication Date
Description
Report updating and expanding on a 2005 study that found, among other things, that every $1 of natural hazard mitigation funded by FEMA between 1993 and 2003 saved the American people an average of $4 in avoided future losses.