Library

Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

A starting point for ballparking and comparing the cost of different siding materials and a brief overview of the pros and cons of different siding materials.

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

Article describing how omission of two small but critical wall details, a kick-out flashing and a weep screed, lead to extensive water damage to a wall.

Factsheet describing how triple-pane windows can outperform standard single and double-pane windows.

Factsheet describing re-siding retrofits containing exterior insulation and window upgrades aimed at improved energy savings and comfort.

Factsheet outlining how window attachments like cellular shades, roller shades, storm windows with low-emissivity coatings, and solar screens are low-cost steps that can be implemented to keep homes cool in the summer.

NOAA webpage providing images and short descriptions of different types of hurricane shutters.

Study evaluating opportunities for reducing cooling energy use in a hot dry climate through the use of shading and window options.

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

Study using simulations to understand the impact that shading and natural ventilation would have had on the survivability of non-air-conditioned buildings during the 2021 heat wave in the Pacific Northwest.

This document covers how broken windows can allow wind and rain inside the house and even lead to roof failure.

Report with guidance for installing windows with foam sheathing on wood-frame walls.

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

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.

2017 version of a standard covering requirements for single- and dual-pane windows, glazed side-hinged door systems, sliding doors, tubular daylighting devices, and unit skylights developed jointly by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), the Canadian Standards Association...

Report examining performance measures in the context of a large-scale renovation project.

Brochure describing use of low-e storm windows as effective ways weatherization programs can increase the efficiency of windows without significant costs.

Technical report assessing the market for Low-e storm windows based on market data, case studies, and recent experience with weatherization deployment programs.

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

Siding installation guide for Ply Gem Siding Group products.

Document describing a process to help builders, homeowners, and designers select energy-efficient windows for new and existing residential construction in all U.S. climate zones.

Document providing information and guidance about rehabilitating, retrofitting, and replacing wood window assemblies in residential construction.

Technical article presenting the results of an analysis on the effect of insect screens on window solar heat gain coefficients and U-values.

Fact sheet describing how typical wall moisture barrier systems work, the moisture barrier system and common problems associated with them; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Article describing how moisture accumulates inside of structures and issues that result.

Report providing extensive guidance on controlling moisture in building envelopes through proper selection and installation on air, water, thermal, and vapor barriers.

Practical guide describing the management of moisture during a building's design, construction and maintenance.

EPA guidance document providing information on moisture control in buildings.

Article discussing moisture control in buildings as well as building design and construction strategies for keeping buildings dry and allowing buildings to dry out if they do get wet.

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.

Article describing mulch requirements and benefits.

Database from the National Fenestration Rating Council providing a directory of NFRC-certified window products searchable by manufacturer, product type, CPD number, or various NFRC label specifications.

An article about double-hung windows.

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

Standard providing a procedure for determining fenestration attachment product U-factors.

Standard for determining fenestration attachment product SHGC and visible transmittance.

Database of NFRC rated windows.

Newsletter providing news and information to members of the New Jersey National Guard.

Standard/specification establishing requirements for fenestration products to be referenced by model codes.

Technical report describing research aimed to provide window manufacturers with foundational guidance for installing windows in walls with continuous insulation (CI), addressing critical aspects such as evaluating common installation methods, establishing acceptance criteria for window performance...

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

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.

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

Recovery Advisory document provide guidance related to the use and installation of opening protection systems to protect glazed openings (windows) from wind-borne debris during high-wind events.

Technical fact sheet describing the selection and installation of storm shutters and impact-resistant glazing and other types of opening protection in windborne debris regions; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”