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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 51 - 100 of 104

Author(s)
ATCO Rubber Products Inc.,
Air Duct Council
Organization(s)
ADC
Publication Date
Description
Presentation about proper installation of flexible ducts.
Author(s)
National Center for Environmental Health,
Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Organization(s)
NCEH,
DEHSP,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
HHS,
CDC
Publication Date
Description
This manual is designed for state and local healthy homes programs that are working to reduce secondhand smoke exposure in multiunit housing. The manual provides field-tested strategies, recommendations, best practices, and tools.
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
Guide providing homeowners tips on how to secure bookcases and other heavy furniture with brackets and child-proof drawer and cabinet locks.
Author(s)
Holladay
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet presenting the correct methods for building an insulated cathedral ceiling.
Author(s)
Holladay
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet presenting techniques for installing cellulose insulation.
Author(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Organization(s)
PNNL
Publication Date
Description
Report providing information about techniques and approaches to improve the efficiency of recessed lighting.
Author(s)
Guertin Mike
Organization(s)
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Publication Date
Description
Central return designs require an open pathway between the room and the heart of the house where the return grill is located.
Author(s)
Dobson
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Description
Article describing how insulated siding can save homeowners energy by providing continuous exterior insulation.
Author(s)
Lstiburek
Organization(s)
BSC,
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Description
Article describing air leakage in buildings.
Author(s)
Winkler Jon,
Christensen Dane,
Tomerlin Jeff
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report documenting the measured performance of six residential ENERGY STAR vapor compression dehumidifiers.
Author(s)
Aldrich Robb,
Puttagunta Srikanth
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Report describing the sealing and insulating of HVAC duct systems in existing homes.
Author(s)
Beal David,
McIlvaine Janet E R,
Fonorow Ken,
Martin Eric
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Description
Document illustrating guidelines for efficient installation of interior duct systems in new housing.
Author(s)
Premier SIPS
Organization(s)
Premier SIPS
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet with nail withdrawl capacities in OSB.
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
Glossary of terms used by the National Flood Insurance Program
Author(s)
California Statewide Utility Codes and Standards Program
Organization(s)
California Public Utilities Commission,
CPUC
Publication Date
Description
Document describing recommended modeling rules, potential compliance credits, and eligibility criteria for residential night ventilation cooling systems for California’s Title 24 energy efficiency standards.
Author(s)
Butcher Thomas
Organization(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
ASHRAE
Publication Date
Description
Article investigating how a linear input/output relationship can be used as a simple model of the performance of a combination hydronic heating system over heating only, DHW only, and combined loads.
Author(s)
Paul Fisette
Organization(s)
UMass Amherst Department of Environmental Conservation
Publication Date
Description
Article describing how ice dams form on residential roofs, how they damage homes, and solutions to prevent future dams.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet with the definition and uses for a raised truss.
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
The RERH specifications and checklists take a builder and a project design team through the steps of assessing a home’s solar resource potential and defining the minimum structural and system components needed to support a solar energy system.
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
The RERH specifications and checklists take a builder and a project design team through the steps of assessing a home’s solar resource potential and defining the minimum structural and system components needed to support a solar energy system.
Author(s)
Paul Fissette
Organization(s)
Journal of Light Construction
Publication Date
Description
Q&A article discussing how to address moisture issues in an attic in a wet and humid coastal climate.
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
Guidelines to assist builders in designing and constructing homes equipped with a set of features that make the installation of solar energy systems after the completion of the home’s construction easier and less expensive.
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
Specifications to assist builders in designing and constructing homes equipped with a set of features that make the installation of solar energy systems after the completion of the home’s construction easier and less expensive.
Author(s)
Merrifield Brian
Organization(s)
Fire Protection Research Foundation,
FPRF,
National Fire Protection Association,
NFPA
Publication Date
Description
Literature review from NFPA on the use of insulation to protect the piping in home fire sprinkler systems from freezing conditions.
Author(s)
Guertin Mike
Organization(s)
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Publication Date
Description
Article describing ways to protect roofs from water infiltration by using self-adhering underlayment in vulnerable locations such as roof valleys, eave edges (to help deal with ice dams), rake edges, roofs to vertical walls (such as dormers), sidewall protection, the bottom of dormer valleys, and...
Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report about the impact on the loads when common safety factors are applied to the load calculation process using two houses that meet the 2009 IECC prescriptive path modeled as the accurate baseline.
Author(s)
Taggart,
Sikora,
Wiehagen,
Wood
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Research study providing a comparison of selected retrofit activity typically done, versus that same retrofit activity approached from an integrated high performance remodeling and quality management perspective.
Author(s)
Hales
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Description
Article describing the risks associated with vented and unvented crawlspaces in different climate zones.
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
Guide describing details that serve as a visual reference for each of the line items in the Thermal Enclosure System Rater Checklist.
Author(s)
Christensen Dane
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.
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
Guide describing details that serve as a visual reference for each of the line items in the Water Management System Builder Checklist.
Author(s)
World Health Organization
Organization(s)
World Health Organization
Publication Date
Description
This text is one of series of supporting documents that provide guidance on implementing the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for drinking-water quality. It is intended to support improvement of water safety within buildings.