Library

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

Vinyl siding estimating and installation guide for vinyl siding products.

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

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

A publication highlighting recommendations that contribute to improved overall performance in the structural shell and focus on good connection details to tie together exterior walls, roofs and floors.

Research study discussing how housewraps restrict or permit the passage of water molecules based on size, but cannot control the direction in which the water vapor molecules move.

Information sheet about insulating slabs.

Information sheet containing images and descriptions of cantilevers.

Carpet and Rug Institute website homepage.

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.

Guide about designing and installing closed crawlspaces in the Southeast.

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

Website discussing building foundation problems caused by settling soil in Colorado.

Information guide describing issues with concrete floors, in multiple climate zones.

Document discussing moisture considerations and testing techniques for concrete floors.

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

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.

Information sheet about crawlspace insulation, including installation details.

Article discussing whether or not to seal and insulate crawlspaces.

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

Report analyzing results in crawlspace retrofits in multifamily buildings.

Report about an experimental evaluation conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

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

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

Link to all versions of ASCE/SEI 24, a standard describing the minimum requirements and expected performance for the siting and design and construction of buildings and structures in flood hazard areas that are subject to building code requirements.

Article discussing flow-through assemblies of walls.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Report assessing slab-on-grade foundation insulation energy savings.

Report outlining results from a 2005 hygrothermal pilot study in the South.

Video describing how a frost-protected shallow foundation (FPSF) is constructed and including use of a stay-in-place EPS (expanded polystyrene) footing form that provides insulation and simplifies the installation of frost-protected monolithic concrete slab foundations.

Video describing how a frost-protected shallow foundation (FPSF) is constructed and including use of a stay-in-place EPS (expanded polystyrene) footing form that provides insulation and simplifies the installation of frost-protected monolithic concrete slab foundations.

Report covering reservoir claddings, back ventilation and vapor throttles.

Information sheet providing links and resources for insulating basements in cold climates.

Fact sheet defining “lowest floor,” identifying common construction practices that are violations of NFIP regulations, and discussing benefits of exceeding the NFIP minimum building elevation requirements; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact...

FEMA report describing findings from an investigation of Hurricane Ike in Texas and Louisiana and residential construction recommendations based on those findings.

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

Glossary of terms used by the National Flood Insurance Program

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

Document describing guidance and requirements for flood openings in walls at and below grade.

Report about an experimental evaluation has been conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

Report describing the experimentally evaluated potential of a novel residential night cooling concept.

Report providing guidance on protecting foundation walls and enclosures from flood damage.

Information sheet including a checklist of steps to follow for pouring concrete.

Document covering basic moisture control principles in the design of above-grade building enclosures; driving rain as a moisture load on walls; a classification system of the various rain control strategies available for walls; and good design practises for walls.

Webpage containing downloadable fact sheets covering carpet-related topics including Indoor Air Quality, Asthma and Allergy, Cleaning Products, and Environmental Sustainability.

Report describing how to construct a frost protected shallow foundation (FPSF) as a practical alternative to a deeper, more-costly foundation in cold regions with seasonal ground freezing and the potential for frost heave.