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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 106

Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Report about opportunities for ventilation when traditional methods are limited by weather conditions or by contaminants in the outdoor air.

Guide to Staying Safe During Wildfires

Author(s)
SafeHome.org
Organization(s)
SafeHome.org
Publication Date
Webpage describing how to guard homes and properties against wildfire, as well as what to do during a wildfire, whether sheltering in place or attempting evacuation.

Health Problems Caused by Secondhand Smoke

Author(s)
Office on Smoking and Health,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Organization(s)
OSH,
NCCDPHP,
CDC
Publication Date
Webpage that describes health problems that can be caused by secondhand smoke.

Healthy Homes Manual: Smoke-Free Policies in Multiunit Housing

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
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.

How to Find Indoor airPLUS Compliant Low Emission Products

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Companion document to the Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications, providing guidance on identifying compliant products, including industry databases and examples of product labeling.

IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings under Construction

Author(s)
Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association
Organization(s)
Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association
Publication Date
Book providing project management guidance in maintaining satisfactory indoor air quality (IAQ) of occupied buildings undergoing renovation or construction.

Indoor Air Pollution from Cooking

Author(s)
California Air Resources Board
Organization(s)
CARB,
California Environmental Protection Agency,
CalEPA
Publication Date
Article describing ways home owners can improve ventilation in their kitchens.

Indoor Air Quality in 24 California Residences Designed as High-Performance Homes

Author(s)
Less,
Mullen,
Singer,
Walker
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
This research study used pollutant measurements, home inspections, diagnostic testing and occupant surveys to assess IAQ in 24 new or deeply retrofitted homes designed to be high performance green buildings in California.

Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications Version 1 (Rev. 04)

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Document outlining specifications that were developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize new homes equipped with a comprehensive set of indoor air quality (IAQ) features.

Integrated Ventilation System Increases Energy Efficiency and Ease of Installations

Author(s)
NREL
Organization(s)
NREL,
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing the newly developed Ventilation-Integrated Comfort System (VICS) that reduces space requirements and eliminates costly ductwork for separate heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, all while enhancing performance, addressing the demand for energy-efficient homes, and...

Introduction to Buildings Systems Performance: Houses that Work II

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report that describes BSC's Houses That Work II (HTWII) climate-specific technical resource, beginning with an overall HTWII introduction and four sections explaining the four most important hygro-thermal climate regions: Hot-Humid, Mixed-Humid, Cold, and Hot-Dry/Mixed-Dry.

Is There a Downside to High-MERV Filters?

Author(s)
Springer
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Information sheet about efficiency and health benefits of MERV filters.

Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rules

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
EPA’s 2008 Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule (as amended in 2010 and 2011), aims to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation, repair and painting activities.

Mass Save Deep Energy Retrofit Builder Guide, GM-1302

Author(s)
Pettit,
Neuhauser,
Gates
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Guidebook providing useful examples of high performance retrofit techniques for the building enclosure of wood frame residential construction in a cold and somewhat wet climate.

Measure Guideline: Selecting Ventilation Systems for Existing Homes

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
This document addresses adding—or improving—mechanical ventilation systems to existing homes. The purpose of ventilation is to remove contaminants from homes either directly or by dilution. This report discusses where, when, and how much ventilation is appropriate in a home, including some...

Mesothelioma.net

Author(s)
Mesothelioma.net
Organization(s)
Mesothelioma.net
Publication Date
Website providing medical information about malignant mesothelioma, a cancer related to asbestos exposure.

Mold, Housing & Wood

Author(s)
Robbins,
Morrell
Organization(s)
Western Wood Products Association
Publication Date
Document addressing common questions about moisture, mold and wood.

New Source Performance Standards

Author(s)
EPA
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
A list of EPA federal regulations regarding stationary sources of air pollution.

Particulate Matter Indoors

Author(s)
American Lung Association
Organization(s)
ALA
Publication Date
American Lung Association web page providing information on particulate matter and indoor air quality.

Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Website from the EPA containing information for homeowners and renters about how to identify asbestos in the home and how to deal with it to reduce exposure to it.

READ THIS: Before You Design, Build or Renovate, GM-0602

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph,
Brennan Terry
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Document with important building science considerations, designed for members of the residential construction and remodeling industries, as well as owners and managers who work in affordable housing.

Research and Development of a Ventilation-Integrated Comfort System

Author(s)
Puttagunta Srikanth,
Aldrich Robb,
Cleary Barnett
Organization(s)
Steven Winter Associates,
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Publication Date
Technical report describing the research and development of the Ventilation-Integrated Comfort System (VICS) which is a specifically designed, energy-efficient solution that seamlessly integrates with low-capacity, ducted heating, and cooling systems, offering controllable, balanced energy recovery...

Residential Energy Dynamics

Author(s)
Residential Energy Dynamics
Organization(s)
Residential Energy Dynamics
Publication Date
A free tool used to calculate the required minimum flow rate of dwelling-unit ventilation.

Sealed Combustion, Info-601

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Information sheet about sealing combustion appliances to ensure good indoor air quality.

Smart Control Logic for Mechanical Ventilation in Humid Environments

Author(s)
NREL
Organization(s)
NREL,
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing field validations of a smart ventilation system to assess its effectiveness in assisting low-load homes in humid environments by maintaining acceptable indoor humidity conditions while ensuring adequate ventilation and indoor air quality.

Smart Ventilation Controls Boost Energy Efficiency and Indoor Air Quality

Author(s)
Burkett Helen,
Martin Eric
Organization(s)
NREL,
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,
EERE
Publication Date
Fact sheet outlining the research behind how smart ventilation controls boost energy efficiency and indoor air quality, including research findings from seasonal temperature, timer, and real-time weather-based controls showing that all three systems showed potential for energy savings while...

Smoke-Free Multifamily Housing

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Publication Date
Toolkits for residents and owner/managers who live and work in federally assisted housing.

Soil Gas Control, Info-110

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Information sheet about soil gas control strategies for foundations.

Strategy Guideline: Mitigation of Retrofit Risk Factors

Author(s)
Berman Mark,
Smith Pepper,
Porse Erik
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Document targeting retrofit program managers, retrofit contractors, policy makers, academic researchers, and non-governmental organizations that work to realize energy savings from home energy upgrades (HEUs).

Sunnyvale Marine Climate Deep Retrofit

Author(s)
German Alea,
Siddiqi Aqdus,
Dakin Bill
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Research project evaluating the pre-and post-retrofit energy consumption of a marine climate retrofit, compare actual energy use to original predictions, and identify opportunities for cost savings in other similar retrofits in this climate.

Take the Mold Course

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Presentation, and online course, that provides an introduction to mold and mold remediation for environmental and public health professionals.

The Corsi-Rosenthal Box

Author(s)
Roberta Burnes
Organization(s)
Kentucky Department of Air Quality
Publication Date
Presentation describing how to make a Corsi-Rosenthal Box for air cleaning.

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.