Library

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

Fact sheet describing air-sealing concerns and remedies, including HRV/ERV installation, caulking, spray foam, and weatherstrip installation.

Article describing how to stop air leaks around the windows and doors of a home.

Information sheet from FEMA on preparation for extreme heat, including measures for keeping homes cool.

Document focusing on the design and wall components that contribute to a pressure equalized rain screen wall, including the frequency of the weep holes and other brick masonry rain screen wall requirements.

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

Installation manual for installing metal panel siding.

An article illustrating common errors found in fiber cement siding installations. Many of these errors and poor flashing examples apply to siding materials beyond fiber cement siding.

Article about how mortar droppings during the installation of a brick veneer can clog the weep holes in the wall assembly causing moisture damage. The article also illustrates products that can be installed in the ventilated cavity to mitigate this problem.

Report covering the rainwater performance of building assemblies.

Fact sheet describing weatherstripping materials, types, expected life expectancy, installation requirements, and pros and cons.

Online textbook describing energy, including energy types, and energy use in homes.

ENERGY STAR specifications for residential window, door and skylights, Version 6, effective January 1, 2015.

An example of a commercially available thermally expansive fire stopping product for controlling the spread of fires in a rainscreen cavity.

Fact sheet discussing safe room and storm shelter door assemblies along with ICC® 500 compliance.

A website containing FEMA publications on safe rooms for both residential and community use.

Report comparing a high-performance house with a code-built control home.

Report describing dry floodproofing technologies for non-residential buildings, including information about regulatory requirements, design considerations, and descriptions of floodproofing methods and equipment.

Factsheet describing garage door pressure rating requirements in high wind– prone areas.

Website describing results of research on impacts to garage doors from hurricanes, tornadoes, and high wind events.

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

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.

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.

Central return designs require an open pathway between the room and the heart of the house where the return grill is located.

Report covering reservoir claddings, back ventilation and vapor throttles.

Report describing ways to retrofit a home to make it more hurricane resistant.

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

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...

Fact sheet describing residential tornado safe room doors.

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

Fact sheet describing methods for flashing and air-sealing windows and doors.

Information sheet about window retrofit strategies for hot-dry climates.

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

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

Standard establishing requirements for the performance and installation of gasketing systems including mortised to doors, frames or both which was published in the year 2021 and a can be purchased to be viewed in full from the ANSI webstore in the link.

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...

Standard describing a test method measuring air-leakage rates through a building envelope under controlled pressurization and de-pressurization which was published in the year 2019 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link.

Standard describing two techniques for measuring air leakage rates through a building envelope in buildings that may be configured to a single zone which was published in the year 2022 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link.

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

A guide for homeowners on determining the risks from tornadoes and hurricanes and selecting a safe room type and location, as well as providing detailed plans for safe room construction.

Fact sheet describing best practices for flashing doors and windows to minimize air and water intrusion.

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 describing tips for effectively installing weatherstripping on windows and doors.

A presentation about the need for rainscreens including the damage water and moisture ingress into a home’s siding and framing can cause, and ways to design a resilient wall that drains and ventilates well.