Library

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...

A study on how fires spread through exterior building envelopes with discussion on how fires propagate in a rain screen cavity.

Report briefly reviewing past research on the effects of occupant behavior on residential energy use and then covering a two year pilot evaluation of a low cost residential energy feedback system installed in twenty case study homes in Florida.

Manual describing design, detailing, material selection and troubleshooting for plaster, IEFs, and drywall, with information on continuous insulation, air barriers, rain screens, and ratings for fire and sound.

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.

Document with information about the most practical methods to achieve whole-wall performance of R-30 or above.

Research study identifying best practices of three successful high performance, custom home builders in the upper Midwest.

Report documenting actual energy savings of a retrofit project in Boulder, CO.

Research study exploring a test method measuring air leakage between units through common surfaces and air infiltration across exterior, noncommon surfaces of the enclosure.

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.

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.”

Information sheet about how to reduce thermal bridging in walls.

Document outlining the approach to quality assurance in the construction process as recommended by Building Science Corporation for new residential construction.

Report designed to help a builder understand quality management and its role in transitioning from conventional to HPH building and remodeling.

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 covering basic moisture control principles in the design of above-grade building enclosures; driving rain as a moisture load on walls; a classification system of the various rain control strategies available for walls; and good design practises for walls.

Article describing rammed earth construction

Searchable database of wall cladding and coating products that have undergone solar reflectance and thermal emittance testing.

Report covering the reconstruction of flood damaged homes.

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

Table in the IRC describing bracing requirements for specified wind speeds and building story locations.

Technical bulletin describing National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements for flood openings in foundation walls and walls of enclosures below elevated buildings.

Document containing some of the basic characteristics for energy performance, durability, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality that should be met in all high performance homes.

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...

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.

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

Report describing research efforts focused on examining the audit reports for quality, comprehensiveness, and consistency.

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

Report about a tool developed to enable users to compare a typical 1970s ranch home against an IECC 2009 code-compliant home of the same configuration and against the 70s base case plus retrofits.

Information sheet describing solar PV upgrade for an existing homes.

Information sheet describing tankless hot water heating systems in existing homes.

Information sheet describing solar hot water systems in existing homes.

Information about a roof retrofit using a metal, cool roof system.

Information sheet about envelope and roof moisture control retrofit for a home.

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.”

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

Report summarizing commissioning, short-term testing, and analysis that occurred before, during, and just after the actual retrofit of the Bay Ridge project.

Website providing information about INSULSPAN structurally insulated panels.

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

Paper describing the development and testing of an affordable net-zero energy house in Lenoir City, Tennessee.

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

California Energy Commission report presenting the concept of cool walls and providing guidelines for their building- and climate-appropriate use to conserve energy and reduce emissions.

Research study presenting a unique opportunity to both identify and evaluate deep retrofit measures that are practical and potentially cost effective for the retrofit market, as well as review the cost effectiveness of the Passive House design approach for achieving energy savings in deep retrofits.

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.

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...

Standard that covers the minimum performance and acceptance criteria for an air barrier (AB) material or system for framed walls of low-rise buildings with the service life of the building wall in mind. This link directs to a preview of the current version of the standard, published in the year 2019...