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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 - 81 of 81

Moisture Performance of High-R Wall Systems

Author(s)
Shah,
Kochkin
Organization(s)
Home Innovation Research Labs
Publication Date
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...

New Analyses Reveal WUI Growth in the U.S.

Author(s)
U.S. Forest Service
Organization(s)
USDA
Publication Date
Article describing the growth of the wildland urban interface in the United States from 1990 to 2010, expanding from 30.8 to 43.4 million homes (a 41% increase), and growing from 581,000 to 770,000 kM2 (33% growth), an increase of 189,000 km2, an area that is larger than Washington State.

NFPA 22 – Standard for Water Tanks for Private Fire Protection

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
An NFPA standards document that provides minimum requirements for the design, construction, installation, and maintenance of tanks and accessory equipment that supply water for private fire protection.

NFPA 54/ANSI Z223.1: National Fuel Gas Code

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Publication Date
Code providing minimum safety requirements for the design and installation of fuel gas piping systems in homes and other buildings.

OSHA Fact Sheet: Working Safely with Chainsaws

Author(s)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Organization(s)
OSHA
Publication Date
A fact sheet educating the public on the proper operation of chainsaws to reduce the risk of injury from use.

Plant for the Sun!

Author(s)
Forestry and Natural Resources
Organization(s)
Purdue University
Publication Date
Blog article describing considerations for how to use trees for shading to reduce cooling energy demand.

Rating the States

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Report assessing building codes in the 18 states most prone to hurricanes, as of 2018.

Reduce Pest Intrusion

Author(s)
Building Energy Codes Program
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Fact sheet explaining code-compliant methods for dealing with pests.

Rooftop Solar Panel Attachment: Design, Installation, and Maintenance

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Recovery advisory guide providing guidance on existing code requirements as well as recommend best practices for attachment design, installation, and maintenance of rooftop solar panels to increase panel wind resistance in the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Maria.

San Francisco's Big Seismic Gamble

Author(s)
Fuller,
Singhvi,
Williams
Organization(s)
New York Times
Publication Date
Article describing San Francisco and how impending seismic activity may affect modern skyscrapers.

Stop Pests in Housing

Author(s)
Northeastern IPM Center
Organization(s)
Northeastern IPM Center
Publication Date
Website providing information on all types of pest management for multi-family housing.

Sustainable Development Guidelines

Author(s)
Gray
Organization(s)
Town of Clarkdale
Publication Date
Presentation on sustainable development including water conservation, passive solar, daylighting, natural ventilation, and land use.

Testing the Performance and Dynamic Control of Energy-Efficient Cellular Shades in the PNNL Lab Homes

Author(s)
Cort Katherine A,
McIntosh Joshua A,
Sullivan Greg P,
Ashley Travis A,
Metzger Cheryn E,
Fernandez Nicholas
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Efficiency Solutions
Publication Date
DOE-sponsored report describing the experimental design and results of testing the energy performance of Hunter Douglas double-cell cellular shades under various control schemes in the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Lab Homes.

The Growing Threat of Urban Flooding: A National Challenge 2018

Author(s)
Texas A&M University
Organization(s)
Texas A&M University,
University of Maryland
Publication Date
Article from Texas A&M University and the University of Maryland analyzing why and how urban flooding happens and what can be done to mitigate damage.

The Impacts of Cooking and an Assessment of Indoor Air Quality in Colorado Passive and Tightly Constructed Homes

Author(s)
Militello-Hourigan,
Ryan Edward,
Shelly L Miller
Organization(s)
University of Colorado-Boulder
Publication Date
Article describing a field study that test ventilation performance in nine homes and found current ventilation was inadequate to remove PM2.5 and CO2 levels; however, a directly exhausting range hood can reduce peak PM2.5 concentrations by 75% or more.

Vent Flashing Done Right: Back Up Roof Vent Boots With Flashing, Counterflashing, And Proper Shingling to Prevent Leaks

Author(s)
Guertin Mike
Organization(s)
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Publication Date
Article describing a method for flashing roof vent boots, describing how to flash the pipe, how to flash over and under the pan, and finish by shaping the shingles, as well as addressing potential water leakage by adding an additional seal with EPDM flashing tape with a butyl adhesive backing to the...

Vinyl Siding Installation

Author(s)
Vinyl Siding Institute
Organization(s)
Vinyl Siding Institute
Publication Date
Website describing proper methods for installing vinyl siding on homes.

Water Tank Standards for Fire Protection

Author(s)
San Diego County Fire Authority
Organization(s)
San Diego County
Publication Date
A San Diego County standard outlining the requirements for installing fire protection water tanks.

Where Your Front Door Meets the Forest

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Organization(s)
USDA
Publication Date
Webpage describing the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and how to plan residential building to mitigate wildfire risks associated with building in the WUI.

Window Attachments

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
U.S. DOE
Publication Date
DOE presentation describing a project to study window attachments.