Library

This standard provides a benchmark for safe electrical design, installation, and inspection to protect people and property from electrical hazards and has been adopted in all 50 states.

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

Fact sheet poster describing an online tool offered within the Building America Solution Center which provides construction guidance for builders and contractors in building and renovating homes to be more resistant to natural disasters such as hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes and wildfires, etc.

This page provides important information on how to protect yourself and your family if you suspect that you might have vermiculite insulation from Libby, Montana.

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

Webpage describing the Quality Install Tool, an open-source web app designed to simplify, standardize, and expedite the creation of high-quality installation documentation for HVAC installations and efficiency upgrades.

Fact sheet describing design and construction practices to reduce the likelihood of water intrusion in walls and foundations in residential construction.

Document with important building science considerations, designed for members of the residential construction and remodeling industries, as well as owners and managers who work in affordable housing.

Report covering the reconstruction of flood damaged homes.

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

Guide discussing ways that homeowners in ground-secured houses can reduce the risks and damage caused by floods upon residential buildings.

Fact sheet describing best practices in installing leak-free refrigerant systems, including specifics on creating flare joints and brazed joints, pressure testing, vacuum testing, and charging the system with refrigerant.

Website describing the U.S. Department of Energy's residential buildings program.

Presentation providing information about correctly installing ductwork in new and existing homes.

U.S. DOE report summarizing findings from literature and research relevant to HVAC installation practices.

Website providing resources for seismic retrofits for builders and homeowners as well as city permit requirements from the City of Portland OR.

Report providing architects, designers, and homeowners with information to make house plans useful for constructing a more wind resilient structure.

Presentation describing RESNET grading criteria for insulation installation.

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.

Manual describing methods for rodent-proofing buildings.

Recovery advisory guide providing guidance on existing code requirements as well as recommend best practices for attachment design, installation, and maintenance of rooftop solar panels to increase panel wind resistance in the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Maria.

Factsheet describing air-sealing.

Reports describing a mathematical methodology for assessing the seismic performance of buildings.

Technical study exploring the impact of different installation faults on heat pump performance in a single-family house.

High-density sidewall cavity insulation can be a major comfort and savings boost. It saves energy by slowing both conductive and convective losses, but only if the right things are done and done right. This always requires site-specific thinking.

How hard can it be to insulate a flat sheet of concrete? I mean you only have three choices – on the top, on the bottom, or on the edge. OK, you might have some combination of the three as well.

Webpage describing the STEP campaign encouraging the use of smart diagnostic tools to reduce installation faults.

Guidelines to assist builders in designing and constructing homes equipped with a set of features that make the installation of solar energy systems after the completion of the home’s construction easier and less expensive.

This guide and workbook offers practitioners with the knowledge to properly implement the measurement and documentation procedures required in the ANSI/ACCA 5.

Brochure describing insulation approaches for homes with slab-on-grade floors.

Brochure with information about how to select and install house wrap and other weather-resistive barriers.

Fact sheet describing water management in a residential building.

Conference paper summarizing the relative performance of currently available Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWH) models, the energy implications of different installation locations (garage, basement, or conditioned space) and ducting configurations (exhaust ducting, full ducting, or no ducting), as well...

Information sheet about types and installation of insulation.

Tool designed to find utility partners that can help with the installation of EV chargers.

Information sheet with methods for constructing or retrofitting basements to reduce moisture issues.

Guide providing information about controlling rainwater through use of drainage planes.

Presentation describing the challenges of insulating an existing basement, presented to the Building America residential energy-efficiency stakeholder meeting.

Technical fact sheet highlighting important building connections and illustrating the proper use of various types of connection hardware; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Users guide to help contractors and homeowners use the Cold Climate Heat Pump Sizing Support Tools developed by NEEP to size and select the best air source heat pumps for their cold climate location.

Publication with installation guidance for vinyl siding.

Report summarizing current research, summarizes issues that have been experienced with current best practices, and recommends ways in which the best practices can be improved for water managing sheathings.

A builder checklist guide for the water management of properties with appropriately-designed building technologies.

AIA CEU course covering design considerations for below-grade waterproofing for new construction, the types of below-grade systems available, and specific concerns associated with waterproofing deep foundations.

Webpage describing how to flashing installation

An article describing a way to protect drain and ventilation holes in brick veneer siding against pests. Selecting a fine screen mesh opening (1/55-inch or 0.5-mm) is important to guard against small insects such as subterranean termites.

Webinar presenting best practices in HVAC design and commissioning

Document describing different spray foam materials including some pros and cons and technical specifications.

Conference paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Thermal Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings describing moisture from basements and crawlspaces as a source of indoor humidity and providing recommendations for finishing below-grade spaces to limit potential indoor...

Report providing guidance on how to improve the wind resistance of existing residential buildings in Mississippi and across the Gulf Coast.