Library

Online calculator for estimating payback of adding additional insulation to your house.

Article summarizing for potential homeowners items to check or demand from the builder in designing a home for a cold climate.

Website that explains and provides diagrams for covering up above-grade rigid foam insulation.

Information sheet presenting techniques for installing cellulose insulation.

Blog entry describing methods for insulating basement walls on the interior or exterior.

An article and video of a breakdown on the preparation and installation of basement insulation.

Article from Montana State University Extension explaining how proper insulation techniques can greatly reduce the risks of ice dams on roofs in cold climate zones.

Article describing issues with condensation in unvented attics insulated with open-cell spray foam.

Article outlining the casuses and solutions for ice dam problems.

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.

Fact sheet describing principles of insulating steam distribution and condensate return lines as an effective way to prevent energy loss.

A guide for users and energy raters of insulated siding as home insulation.

Article describing how insulated siding can save homeowners energy by providing continuous exterior insulation.

Website providing builders with information about meeting RESNET Grade 1 criteria when installing insulation.

Article outlining the use of spray polyurethane foam in residential buildings.

Report discussing how to create livable space in the attic that meets IRC code requirements by either creating a ventilated roof assembly, or and unvented attic assembly.

The purpose for this document is to provide basic guidance on the use of proven installation techniques that can be used by installers to help ensure correct “dense pack” application of JM Spider® in drill & fill applications.

Article describing walls and moisture development on them.

Article from University of Arizona on keeping homes cool during extreme heat, both personal and system changes.

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

Article discussing the downside to recessed can lights.

Website providing information about Knauf Insulation.

Guidebook providing useful examples of high performance retrofit techniques for the building enclosure of wood frame residential construction in a cold and somewhat wet climate.

Siding installation guide for Ply Gem Siding Group products.

Project discussing buried or encapsulated ducts and their pros and cons.

Web resource that lays out the pre-work considerations, methods and finishes for installing mechanical insulation.

Website providing medical information about malignant mesothelioma, a cancer related to asbestos exposure.

Report detailing a three-winter study on unvented roof assemblies in a cold climate, assessing insulation material, ridge diffusion vent presence, vapor control membranes, relative humidity, and interstitial airflow. Results indicate that utilizing air-permeable fibrous fill insulations in unvented...

Report detailing a three-winter study on unvented roof assemblies in a cold climate, assessing insulation material, ridge diffusion vent presence, vapor control membranes, relative humidity, and interstitial airflow; results indicate that utilizing air-permeable fibrous fill insulations in unvented...

Guide providing information on controlling attic ductwork sweating.

Article from Smarter Homes NZ on home building techniques that incorporate passive cooling.

Article outlining moisture accumulation in open cell spray polyurethane foam.

Information sheet with the definition and uses for a raised truss.

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...

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

Report describing a study using parametric computer simulations of 112 single-family and 63 multi-family residential building prototypes to quantify the contributions of building components such as roofs, walls, windows, infiltration, outside air, lighting, equipment, and people to the aggregate...

Presentation describing RESNET grading criteria for insulation installation.

Guide on retrofitting insulation in cavities.

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.

Article describing how insulating and air sealing unfinished attic spaces can lead to reduced energy bills in some homes.

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.

Fact sheet describing building envelope performance measures applicable to residential and small commercial construction.

Factsheet describing the use of rigid foam insulation to meet energy efficiency requirements and minimize fire risks.

Job Process sheet for the manufactured housing industry showing how to split and notch insulation batts to fit around electrical boxes and wiring in a factory production environment.

SPFA website homepage.

Literature review from NFPA on the use of insulation to protect the piping in home fire sprinkler systems from freezing conditions.

Guide describing the installation of windows in walls that have foam plastic insulating; guide provides several methods for attaching, supporting, and flashing windows in walls with rigid foam sheathing. (Note: The link only goes to the table of contents for the guide, the full guide can be...

This standard specification covers the classification, composition, physical properties, and dimensions of mineral fiber (rock, slag, or glass) blanket intended for use as thermal insulation on surfaces at various temperature ranges. This version of the standard was published in the year 2019 and is...