Library

The next generation of building enclosures is a key step toward achieving high-performance goals through decreasing energy load demand and enabling advanced space-conditioning systems. Yet the adoption of high-R enclosures and particularly high-R walls has been a slow-growing trend because...

Website providing guidance about mold and moisture for homes, schools, multifamily and commercial buildings.

Online course providing an overview of mold prevention and mold remediation.

Report on a study monitoring moisture conditions of double-stud wall assemblies with different insulation in Devens, Massachusetts.

Standard covering overs mounting systems, including mounting devices, clamping devices and ground lugs for use with photovoltaic modules and panels and contains requirements for ground-mounted and roof systems as part of a nonstructural building component.

Article describing mulch requirements and benefits.

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

Guide providing information on controlling attic ductwork sweating.

A document providing guidance on integrating a PV array with a roof system.

Study examining how design features, such as building envelope openings and compartmentalization, affect the wind pressure in typical low-rise buildings with gable and hip roofs.

Report covering wind loading on roofing assemblies.

Large scale simulation study investigating the effects of cool roofs and walls on buildings of various vintages across the U.S., with special attention given to California.

Website providing guidance on how to reduce the risk of damage to a home from hail.

Webpage providing guidance for homeowners on how much snow weight a typical roof can handle and when to consider removing snow from the roof.

Article describing how ice dams form on residential roofs, how they damage homes, and solutions to prevent future dams.

Fact sheet from Wisconsin Focus on Energy explaining how to prevent future ice dams on homes by learning about their formation and mitigation of contributing factors.

Case study describing the External Thermal and Moisture Management System developed by the NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership for retrofitting roofs with rigid foam over the roof deck, especially on one and a half-story homes.

List of recommendations from IBHS on how to protect homes from ice dam formation.

Website providing an online calculator for determining energy and cost savings from installing radiant barriers in attics.

Fact sheet describing analysis of potential heating and cooling savings from radiant barriers in attics.

U.S. Department of Energy's website describing radiant barriers in homes.

Website with answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about attic radiant barriers.

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.

Report covering the performance of residential buildings during three hurricanes impacting Florida in 2004.

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

Searchable database of over 3,000 roofing products that have undergone solar reflectance and thermal emittance testing.

Fact sheet describing conditions for wildfire, how a home catches fire, how to create a survivable space, the ideal fire resistant home.

Webpage explaining how to mitigate heat loss through roofs for ice dam prevention.

A report presenting alternative approaches for reducing the costs of roof-mounted, grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems.

An EPA guide describing the causes and impacts of summertime urban heat islands, promoting strategies for lowering temperatures in U.S. communities.

Article describing moisture and ice dam issues in attics and how to air seal the attic floor.

Webpage from FEMA describing how to properly reconstruct masonry fireplace chimneys damages by earthquakes.

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

Fact sheet describing how to install bracing to retrofit roof dormers for increased wind resistance.

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

Factsheet providing homeowners with an overview of approaches for flashing and sealing roof penetrations to help discussion with a roofing contractor.

Fact sheet describing flashing of roof penetrations to make a home more resistant to high winds, hurricanes, and rainwater intrusion.

Report covering non-combustible continuous exterior insulation and non-combustible roof venting.

Fact sheet describing proper roof sheathing installation and illustrating fastening methods that will enhance the durability of a building in high-wind areas; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Fact sheet describing recommended practices for the use of roofing underlayment as an enhanced secondary water barrier in coastal environments and optional installation methods; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Q&A article discussing how to address moisture issues in an attic in a wet and humid coastal climate.

Fact sheet describing the importance of proper roof and deck flashing, and typical and enhanced flashing techniques for coastal homes; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Webpage discussing the characteristics of sunlight and how cool roofs work to reduce solar heat gain.

Report from FEMA describing techniques for floodproofing structures.

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

Report informing building stakeholders about the risks a snow event poses to their buildings, preventative measures to take before the snow season, and actions that should be taken before, during, and after a snow event.

Webpage providing information about design snow loads and a free interactive ground snow load mapping tool for the contiguous United States, as well as snow load calculation methods.

Specifications 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.

Spreadsheet tool that computes solar reflectance index (SRI) and roof surface temperature based on solar reflectance and thermal emittance using ASTM standard E 1980.

Standard describing a simple, relatively cost-effective approach to evaluating the ability of a variety of materials to support microbial growth using a small chamber method. A preview of the standard is available at the link, with the full version available for purchase.