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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 90

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,
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)
Vinyl Siding Institute
Organization(s)
Vinyl Siding Institute
Publication Date
Description
Publication with installation guidance for vinyl siding.
Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
International Code Council
Publication Date
Description
2018 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
2018 edition of code establishing a baseline for energy efficiency by setting performance standards for the building envelope (defined as the boundary that separates heated/cooled air from unconditioned, outside air), mechanical systems, lighting systems and service water heating systems in homes...
Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Description
2018 edition of code establishing minimum regulations for mechanical systems, including heating, cooling, ventilation, exhaust, ducts, fireplaces, combustion and hydronic systems, using prescriptive and performance-related provisions.
Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Description
2018 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)
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,
Dickson B,
Grisolia A,
Poerschke A,
Rapport A
Organization(s)
IBACOS
Publication Date
Description
This report describes 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. With a well-designed manifold, each duct receives...
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)
American National Standards Institute,
Air-Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration Institute
Organization(s)
ANSI,
AHRI
Publication Date
Description
Standard 680 establishes definitions, classifications, test requirements, data requirements, ratings, operating requirements, marking and nameplate data and conformance conditions for residential air filter equipment.
Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
American National Standards Institute,
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)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
EPA's website about asbestos.
Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE
Publication Date
Description
Web-based mapping tool offering a fast, reliable way to look up key design parameters specified in Standard ASCE 7-10, 7-16, or 7-22 for a specific address or location. The tool is free to use and can look up data for eight different environmental hazard types: wind, tornado, seismic, ice, rain...
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 Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE,
Structural Engineering Institute,
SEI
Publication Date
Description
Standard using deficiency-based and systematic procedures that use performance-based principles to evaluate and retrofit existing buildings to withstand the effects of earthquakes. The current version of this standard was published in the year 2017, and is available in both digital and print...
Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE,
Structural Engineering Institute,
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)
Oscar Castillo
Organization(s)
4 Home Sales Realty
Publication Date
Description
Article describing different types of earthquake shut-off valves for home buyers.
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. This version of the code was published in the year 2017 and is available to order at the referenced link. There are also versions...
Author(s)
Kochkin,
Wiehagen
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. The Guide is...
Author(s)
Kochkin,
Wiehagen
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...
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety,
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
IBHS,
NFPA
Publication Date
Description
Factsheet describing research by IBHS into causes of deck ignition in a wildfire and tips for constructing and maintain decks to reduce the risk by ignition by embers and under-deck fires.
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program
Organization(s)
FEMA,
NEHRP
Publication Date
Description
Reference guide helping families prepare for an earthquake and prevent earthquake-related damage.
Author(s)
Boulder County Land Use Department,
Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting Department
Organization(s)
Boulder County
Publication Date
Description
A factsheet that provides information and requirements for emergency water supplies for firefighting in Boulder County, Colorado.
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)
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 & 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)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Checklist providing the type of roofing felt recommended by IBHS as a quilified sealed roof deck system for asphalt shingle or metal roofing.
Author(s)
Lstiburek
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report covering the fire performance of combustible cladding over combustible insulation.
Author(s)
Mark Parlee
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)
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)
Lstiburek
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Article describing issues with condensation in unvented attics insulated with open-cell spray foam.