Library

Article describing recessed lighting, which if installed incorrectly may contribute to air leakage and compromise building envelope efficiency.

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.

A website describing a list of common vocabulary used when describing light bulbs.

A simple three-step guide for homeowners who are looking to replace existing light bulbs with more energy-efficient, higher-performing bulbs.

Installation manual for installing metal panel siding.

A website explaining how to quickly clean up a broken compact fluorescent lightbulb.

A website explaining the various shades of light, from warm to cool colors, with a visual diagram illustrating the various shades of light.

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.

Website discusses differences between CFL and LED bulbs.

Report covering the rainwater performance of building assemblies.

A FAQ explaining the purpose of the Energy Independence and Security Act, a law which sets energy efficiency standards for lightbulbs.

Article from NAHB research center describing home building techniques for homes in hot climate zones.

Webpage on the ENERGY STAR website that list products that exceed the ENERGY STAR minimum criteria for their category, with links to several product categories, including windows, HVAC, home appliances, and computer monitors.

Website for finding rebates and special offers near you on ENERGY STAR certified products. Products that earn the ENERGY STAR label meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the U.S. EPA helping you save energy and money while protecting the environment.

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

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

Fact sheet defining a grid-interactive efficient building and its benefits.

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.

Report discussing the potential energy savings of new high-efficiency downlights, and the results of product testing to date.

Guide detailing best practices on how to build wall assemblies with absorptive claddings such as brick, stone that drain and dry well.

Report covering reservoir claddings, back ventilation and vapor throttles.

Article providing guidance for installing manufactured stone veneer, including information on rainscreens.

Article discussing the downside to recessed can lights.

A website explaining the measurement of light bulbs, measurable in lumens, & brightness levels that ENERGY STAR products produce.

A website explaining the basics of LED lightning, their lifespan, their use in general lighting applications, the amount of heat produced, and why you should choose ENERGY STAR certified LED products for your home.

Information about LED lighting technology.

A fact sheet providing information on ENERGY STAR certified LED bulbs & how to find the right one to fit your lighting fixture.

Webpage describing a lightbulb exchange program in Fairfax county, VA.

The light-emitting diode (LED) is one of today's most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing lighting technologies.

ENERGY STAR lightbulb criteria.

A website explaining why homeowners should install ENERGY STAR certified lightbulbs, which helps to save homeowners on utility bills and protect the environment.

American Lighting Association website homepage.

Webpage describing high-efficiency lighting choices for homeowners including LEDs, CFLs, and halogen bulbs.

A website exploring the use of lighting controls products like dimmers, motion sensors and timers to save energy in the home.

A website explaining basic lighting principles and terms & how they are applied to the home.

A website explaining lumens & how to compare the amount of light that lightbulbs can produce when shopping for replacements.

Webpage featuring hundreds of illustrations of masonry construction details for brick, congrete, stone, tile, stucco, etc.

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...

Information about recycling CFL lightbulbs.

A website explaining the benefits of recycling compact fluorescent lightbulbs and how the process can prevent the release of mercury into the environment.

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

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.

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...

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.