Library

Federal statistics about national energy consumption in residential homes.

2018 edition of code establishing a baseline for existing building retrofits to reach appropriate safety levels under new construction requirements covered in other ICC codes.

Article describing vapor retarder requirements in the International Residential Code and International Building Code 2021.

Guide providing information for homeowners and renters on how to clean up residential mold problems and how to prevent mold growth.

Report discussing opportunities and trends in the U.S. home performance contracting industry, along with market drivers such as consumer demand; federal, state, and local programs; and utility and non-governmental programs.

Article describing methods for venting a vented attic and a roof assembly over an unvented attic.

Article describing utility rates, net metering policies, installation costs, financial incentives, and other info for both consumers who are interested in installing renewable energy systems and for energy justice and clean energy advocates.

Report examining the structural properties and applications of an innovative studless building system, detailing its testing regime and providing an engineering guide for architects and engineers.

Fact sheet poster describing how to add exterior, continuous, rigid insulation to the exterior walls when replacing siding on an existing home.

Report on the design and evaluation of extended plate and beam.

Case study on the design and evaluation of extended plate and beam, located in Mount Joy Pennsylvania.

Report examining the effectiveness of an aerosolized acrylic technique for air sealing existing homes to reduce air leakage and improve energy efficiency.

Technical report describing the research behind a new aerosol-based sealing method, utilizing pressurization and a dispersed sealant fog, facilitated by a standard blower door, to automatically measure, locate, and seal air leaks in new homes in the United States, providing an efficient solution to...

Fact sheet describing an innovative aerosol-based sealing technique for tightening building envelopes in new homes, involving pressurizing the structure and dispersing an aerosol sealant "fog" to autonomously identify and seal leaks, with real-time feedback through a standard blower door and laptop...

Brochure describing the benefits of air-sealing for homeowners.

Article about different types of weather resistant barrier.

Report outlining workflow and results of regression models on monthly and daily utility data (meter readings of electricity consumption), outlining a process for screening and gathering useful results from inverse models.

This ANSI/RESNET/ICC standard provides a consistent, uniform methodology for evaluating the airtightness of building, dwelling unit, and sleeping unit enclosures and heating and cooling air distribution systems, and the air flows of mechanical ventilation systems.

Website homepage of APA – The Engineered Wood Association, a nonprofit trade association combining the research efforts of scientists and engineers, APA promotes new solutions and improved processes that benefit the entire industry.

Report describing partner approaches to achieving the Building America goal of 30% whole-house source energy savings using packages adopted at the community scale, using building projects in Florida as a reference.

Technical report describing the thermal performance of 40 common building envelope details for mid- and high-rise buildings, including analyses to optimize energy efficiency and reduce thermal bridging.

Technical fact sheet describing ways to construct asphalt shingle roofs to be more resistant to high winds and hurricanes; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

This Best Practices Manual is the product of Hammer & Hand’s ongoing work to document and internally codify our standard operating procedures for construction practice.

Web based tool providing decision-making guidance for selecting wall assembly components.

Report presenting the building america research to market plan.

This report will review, and summarize the current state of understanding and research into enclosures with higher thermal resistance, so-called “High-R Enclosures.” Recommendations are provided for further research.

Guide describing methodologies for assessing and mitigating thermal bridging in building envelopes, featuring detailed performance data, interface solutions, and assembly-specific strategies for energy-efficient construction.

Article describing the control layers (air, thermal, and vapor barriers) needed to build homes successfully in very cold locations.

Website providing CAD files and drawings of advanced framing details.

Document outlining building science principles about air flow, heat flow and moisture flow in homes.

Article describing customer tip sheet and how ceiling fans are one of the most popular and generally well regarded of all home energy efficiency features.

This is a guide for establishing smoke-free policies in public housing and multifamily properties.

Information sheet discussing how OSB will define the future of the structural sheathing market. OSB will define the future of the structural sheathing market. - See more at: http://bct.eco.umass.edu/publications/by-title/choosing-between-oriented-strandboard-and-plywood/#sthash.RilEtDpl.dpuf

You can save energy and maintain a comfortable swimming pool temperature by using a smaller, higher efficiency pump and by operating it less.

Report on the stability of furring strips as a means for cladding attachment over walls with thick exterior rigid insulation.

Article describing correct ways to attach rigid insulation to the exterior of commercial and residential buildings.

Research study investigating the energy performance and cost effectiveness of several state-of-the-art retrofit strategies that could be used in residential houses in the Boston and New England area.

A website explaining the various shades of light, from warm to cool colors, with a visual diagram illustrating the various shades of light.

Report describing how space-conditioning systems are operating in the field and if these systems are meeting required standards.

Report outlining the steps developers can take to create high-performance standards on a community-wide scale.

Article introducing the FTC’s new EnergyGuide label, including estimates of annual energy usage.

A website explaining how to properly dispose of old refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment.

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. Walls with...

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.

Website providing building science based guidance and training for residential construction.

Brochure helping homeowners identify hazards, work with contractors to remove the hazards, help ensure the work is done properly, and educate when they can return safely to the home.

Report telling consumers how radon gets into a home and how to reduce radon entry into a home.

Document presenting step-by-step process for installing rigid insulating sheathing over wood studs or house wrap.

Article describing research encouraging use of exterior insulation to warm interior sheathing surfaces in walls and roof assemblies to reduce the likelihood of condensation during cold weather

Report focusing on building envelopes that have been enhanced with phase change materials (PCMs), which can simultaneously reduce total cooling loads and shift peak-hour loads.