Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 118 results:

A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home

2012

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

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

A Citizen’s Guide to Radon - The Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Radon

2016

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Report telling consumers the risks of radon, how radon gets into a home, and steps consumers can take to reduce radon exposure in their homes.

A Ventless Gas Fireplace Doesn't Belong in Your Home

2013

Bailes Allison A

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Information sheet about unvented fireplaces and combustion safety.

ACCA Standard 4 - Maintenance of Residential HVAC Systems

2019

Air Conditioning Contractors of America

ACCA

Standard providing nationally recognized, manufacturer-endorsed set of inspection tasks for HVAC maintenance.

Actions for Flood Resilient Homes: Wet Floodproofing

2020

City of Edina

Report providing guidance on wet floodproofing crawlspaces, unfinished basements, and garages.

Actions You Can Take to Protect a Flood-Prone House or Business with a Crawlspace

2020

Association of State Floodplain Managers' Nonstructural Flood Proofing Committee

ASFPM

Report providing guidance to homeowners and business owners on protecting crawlspaces from flood damage.

Air Infiltration from Attached Garages in Canadian Houses

2001

Fugler Don

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation,

CMHC,

Environment Canada,

Health Canada,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Document reporting results from a study done to evaluate effects of automotive emissions from attached garages on the indoor environment.

Air Quality Sensor Performance Evaluation Center

2025

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. EPA

Website describing indoor air quality, and common indoor pollutants and how to reduce exposure to them.

Air Sensors International Conference

2025

University of California

University of California Davis

Website describing archived program inforamtion for the Air Sensors International Conference, hosted by the University of California, Davis.

American Cleaning Institute

2020

American Cleaning Institute

ACI

American Cleaning Institute website homepage.

American National Standard for Hardwood and Decorative Plywood, ANSI/HPVA HP-1-2020

2020

American National Standards Institute,

Decorative Hardwoods Association

ANSI,

DHA

Standard detailing the specific requirements for all face, back, and inner ply grades as well as formaldehyde emissions, moisture content, tolerances, sanding, and grade marking which was published in 2020, can be acquired through a subscription with the ANSI webstore.

An Update on Formaldehyde

2016

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

USCPSC

Updated detailed information about Formaldehyde.

Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness, FEMA P-2064

2020

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Report explaining how to develop, practice, and maintain emergency plans that reflect what must be done before, during, and after a disaster to protect people and their property.

Asbestos: Worker and Employer Guide to Hazards and Recommended Controls

2015

National Institution of Health,

et al.

NIH,

OSHA,

EPA,

HUD

Guidance from HUD, EPA, NIH, and FEMA for workers who deal directly with asbestos.

ASHRAE Position Document on Indoor Carbon Dioxide

2025

American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers

ASHRAE

Document describing recent discussions on indoor carbon dioxide (CO 2) levels.

ASTM D8405-21 Standard Test Method for Evaluating PM2.5 Sensors or Sensor Systems Used in Indoor Air Applications

2021

ASTM International

Attached Garages and Indoor Air Quality

2001

Air Infiltration and Ventilation Centre

AIVC

Report describing information for builders and retrofitters about eliminating hazards and coincidental energy losses that come from attached garages.

Carbon Monoxide - Environmental Health Effects Research Series

1977

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

National Service Center for Environmental Publications

EPA,

NSCEP

Source for information about Carbon Monoxide including health effects and measures to reduce exposure.

Change Is In the Air

2014

The Cadmus Group

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,

HUD

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

Closed Crawl Space Performance: Proof of Concept in the Production Builder Marketplace

2008

Dastur Cyrus,

Mauceri Maria,

Hannas Benjamin

Advanced Energy

Report aimed to quantify the impact of closed crawlspaces in new homes, and investigate modeling software to ensure accuracy of energy consumption predictions in these homes.

Closed Crawl Spaces - An Introduction to Design, Construction and Performance

2005

Dastur Cyrus,

Davis Bruce,

Warren William E

Advanced Energy

Guide about designing and installing closed crawlspaces in the Southeast.

Closed Crawlspaces Do Double Duty

2005

Dastur Cyrus,

Davis Bruce

Home Energy Magazine

Article describing how closed crawlspaces can do "double duty" by controlling moisture and providing energy savings.

Combustion Appliance Safety & Efficiency Testing

1995

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Information sheet summarizing inspection and testing of combustion appliances taught during the 2006 Florida whole-house weatherization training as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hot Climate Initiative.

Conditioned Crawl Space Construction, Performance and Codes, BA-0401

2004

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Report outlining how conditioned crawlspaces perform better than vented crawlspaces in terms of safety, health, comfort, durability and energy consumption.

Construction and Demolition: How to Properly Dispose of Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Equipment

2011

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

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

Consumer Tips for a Post-Disaster Home Restoration

2015

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUD

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.

Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction - How to Fix Your Home

2016

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

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

CPA Publishes VOC Emission Barrier Effects Technical Bulletin - VOC Emission Barrier Effects of Laminates, Overlays and Coatings for Particleboard, Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) and Hardboard

2024

Composite Panel Association

CPA

Technical bulletin addressing surfacing options in regards to composite wood panels and their emission barrier capabilities.

Crawlspaces – Either In or Out, BSI-115

2020

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article discussing whether or not to seal and insulate crawlspaces.

Decay of Wood

1969

Baker Maurice C

National Research Council Canada,

NRC

Article describing the causes of wood decay and moisture issues.

Earthquake Safety at Home, FEMA P-530

2020

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Guide provides homeowners ways to prepare for an earthquake and protect a home against earthquake damage.

Energy Savings Plus Health: Indoor Air Quality Guidelines

2014

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

This publication provides a set of best practices for improving indoor air quality in conjunction with energy upgrade work in homes.

Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool: Emergency Action Plan Shelter-in Place

2020

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA,

U.S. Department of Labor,

DOL

Website providing information on preparing to stay or go, shelter-in-place procedures, and additional resources.

Experimental Evaluation of Installed Cooking Exhaust Fan Performance

2010

Singer Brett C,

Delp William W,

Apte Michael G

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Report on the performance of range hood exhaust fans.

Factsheet: What is Indoor Air Quality?

2025

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. EPA

Fact sheet describing indoor air quality (IAQ), including information on common sources of indoor air pollutants and best practices for improving IAQ.

FEMA Continuous Load Path

2023

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Article explaining what a continuous load path is and the key connection points that make it up.

Field Trial of an Aerosol-Based Enclosure Sealing Technology

2015

Springer David,

Harrington Curtis

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report presenting the results from several demonstrations of a new method for sealing building envelop air leaks.

Filtration and Disinfection FAQ

2023

American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers

ASHRAE

ASHRAE Q&A addressing HVAC filtration and disinfection for reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Fixing Wet Basements and Crawlspaces

2012

Todd Jason

Home Energy Magazine

Article describing methods to manage moisture, rainwater, and vapor in basements and crawlspaces.

Formaldehyde

2014

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Detailed information about Formaldehyde including health effects and strategies to reduce exposure.

Foundation Design Handbook

2013

Carmody John,

et al.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

University of Minnesota

Handbook providing guidance on the design and construction of foundations for homes, including insulation, air sealing, and water management details for basements, crawlspaces, and slabs.

Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations

2022

Williams Randy

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Article describing what the building codes say about frost-protected shallow foundations as a cost-saving alternative to conventional concrete foundations.

Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations 1

2010

Holladay Martin

Fine Homebuilding

Guides describing frost-protected shallow foundations as an alternative method for building an energy-efficient foundation for a house in a cold climate that uses less concrete and saves on labor.

Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations Reduce Costs, Save Energy

2014

Hooker Kenneth A

Concrete Construction

Article describing frost-protected shallow foundations with construction drawing details.

Garage Performance Testing

2004

Health Canada,

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

CMHC,

Environment Canada

Results from a research program testing airtightness, implications of air leakage and contaminant reduction over the garage-to-house interface.

GLP Emissions Criteria

2024

Carpet and Rug Institute

CRI

Document describing the emissions criteria for carpets, cushions, and adhesives to qualify as those with low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions under the Carpet and Rug Institute's Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality Testing Program.

GREENGUARD Certification for Paints and Coatings

2009

GREENGUARD Environmental Institute

Standard describing GREENGUARD Emission Criteria for use with GREENGUARD Certification Program for Low Emitting Products.

Guide for Team Leaders to Help Disaster Victims Get Back to a Healthy Home

2022

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,

et al.

HUD,

CDC,

EPA,

FEMA,

OSHA

Guidance from HUD for volunteer team leaders, project managers and supervisors who work in recovery and rebuilding after natural disasters.

Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home 2nd Edition: Portable Air Cleaners, Furnace and HVAC Filters

2022

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Report about opportunities for ventilation when traditional methods are limited by weather conditions or by contaminants in the outdoor air.

Hazard and Risk Assessment Maps

2021

U.S. Geological Survey

USGS

Webpage providing maps and information to assess the particular hazards and risks for an area.