Library

This document includes tips for safely and effectively cleaning up a home after a flood. It is available in several languages.

Website providing series of short how-to videos, infographics and more resources on cleaning up a home after a flood.

Report analyzing the effect of global climate change on national interests, and providing climate predictions.

Article describing issues with attic ventilation fans and why the state of Georgia residential code does not allow plug-in attic ventilation fans.

Document describing amendments to IECC 2015 to create the Georgia State Minimum Standard Energy Code.

Website with prepopulated information about the United States renewable resources.

A website providing free access to a variety of U.S. and international maps.

Report covering the fire performance of combustible cladding over combustible insulation.

Report identifying Building America and 2021 International Energy Conservation Code climate zone designations for every county in the United States; where a county's climate zone designation has changed since the 2018 IECC, that change is indicated as well.

A article about the best practice method of installing fiber cement siding, to install flashing at the butt joints of the siding boards, rather than face caulking the butt joints afterwards.

Report documenting short-term test results of the Shift House and compares the results of Passive House Planning Package and Building Energy Optimization modeling of the project.

A report describing how to build a high-performance affordable house to achieve 30% whole house energy savings in the mixed-humid climate region.

Factsheet describing re-siding retrofits containing exterior insulation and window upgrades aimed at improved energy savings and comfort.

Guide detailing best practices on how to build wall assemblies with absorptive claddings such as brick, stone that drain and dry well.

Article describing methods for designing and constructing multifamily buildings with insulating concrete forms (ICFs).

Report covering reservoir claddings, back ventilation and vapor throttles.

Blog article citing the risks and downsides of attic ventilation fans from a building science perspective.

Web page describing how to identify heat-related illness and how to prevent it.

Article providing guidance for installing manufactured stone veneer, including information on rainscreens.

Webpage featuring hundreds of illustrations of masonry construction details for brick, congrete, stone, tile, stucco, etc.

Report providing extensive guidance on controlling moisture in building envelopes through proper selection and installation on air, water, thermal, and vapor barriers.

A website issuing watches, warnings, forecasts, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather and increasing the understanding of hazards.

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

Webpage presenting updated maps for annual average temperature and precipitation in the contiguous U.S.

A study on how fires spread through exterior building envelopes with discussion on how fires propagate in a rain screen cavity.

Webpage providing guidance for homeowners on how much snow weight a typical roof can handle and when to consider removing snow from the roof.

An example of a form a building codes department created to ensure builders are fully aware and have taken steps to provide drainage so that water doesn’t accumulate behind siding. This example is from the city of Newberg, Oregon.

Technical report describing the Re-Side Right initiative by the New Jersey Institute of Technology's Building America research team that proposes enhancing home efficiency during the re-siding process by incorporating an insulating layer that acts as both an air barrier and water resistive barrier...

Report providing recommended designs and guidance for rebuilding homes destroyed by hurricanes in the Gulf Coast.

Article describing moisture and ice dam issues in attics and how to air seal the attic floor.

Research study identifying the best performing, most energy-efficient and cost- effective techniques to provide controlled mechanical ventilation and humidity control in hot- humid climates with thermally efficient building envelopes.

Report describing the testing of various siding materials for their ability to resist bullets from small firearms.

Report on air-sealing programs for energy-efficiency retrofits.

Q&A article discussing how to address moisture issues in an attic in a wet and humid coastal climate.

Report on hybrid ventilation methods for insulated and sealed crawl spaces.

Website providing the pros and cons of different siding materials for home building, including wood, vinyl, fiber cement, stucco, brick, metal, and stone.

Webpage providing information about design snow loads and a free interactive ground snow load mapping tool for the contiguous United States, as well as snow load calculation methods.

Manual describing the installation process for Craneboard insulated vinyl siding; while installation is similar across insulated vinyl siding products, see manufacturers for specific guidance.

Specification describing criteria for manufactured polymeric materials used to provide a rainscreen function, a means for the drainage of liquid moisture and the ventilation of vapor moisture that enters an above-grade exterior wall assembly which was published in the year 2019, and is available for...

A website providing timely and accurate forecasts and watches for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes over the contiguous United States.

Report covering coating and back venting wood based claddings and trim.

A research paper discussing the use of foundation heat exchangers for ground source heat pump systems in European climates.

This document covers a description of the need and applied solutions for supplemental dehumidification in warm-humid climates, especially for energy efficient homes where the sensible cooling load has been dramatically reduced.

Research study making several recommendations to whole-home program designers and implementers for improving the cost effectiveness and reach of whole-home programs.

A story about bees building a hive in the drainage plane behind the brick veneer siding. The bees entered the wall through unprotected drainage holes.

Projectile missile testing of various wall panel configuration to understand how the different wall constructions would perform when struck with wind driven debris from a hurricane.

Article from Green Building Advisor on the importance of window selection in hot climates, with an emphasis on window glazing.

Standard 55 specifies conditions for acceptable thermal environments and is intended for use in design, operation, and commissioning of buildings and other occupied spaces; is the current version of the standard, which was published in the year 2021, and is available for preview and purchase at the...

Factsheet providing design guidance for engineers describing how to characterize snow drifts on roofs in three dimensions rather than two, as anticipated in the 2022 edition of the standards, ASCE 7 - Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures.