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Library

This library contains research reports produced by the Building America program and other building science resources used to support this Solution Center. The materials cover both new construction and existing homes. Use the search box and/or the filters to explore hundreds of residential building resources. Access to some references not produced by Building America may require purchase from the publisher. Documents are listed alphabetically. While we continually update our database, links may have changed since posting. Please contact our webmaster if you find broken links.

Showing results 651 - 695 of 695

Understanding Attic Ventilation, BSD-102

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
BSD-102 report providing guidance about whether to construct a vented or unvented attic based on hygro-thermal zone.

Understanding Drainage Planes, BSD-105

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Guide providing information about controlling rainwater through use of drainage planes.

Understanding Vapor Barriers, BSD-106

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Information sheet describing the function of a vapor barrier, and methods to retard the migration of water vapor.

Unvented Roof Assemblies for All Climates, BSD-149

Author(s)
Schumacher Christopher
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report reviewing unvented roof assemblies, such as conditioned attics and unvented cathedral ceilings that are becoming common in North American construction.

Unvented Roof Summary, RR-0301

Author(s)
Ueno Kohta
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Document summarizing the various papers on unvented conditioned cathedralized attics found on BSC's website.

Upgrading Below Grade Spaces - Residential Energy Efficiency Stakeholder

Author(s)
Huelman Patrick H,
Breidenbach Sam,
Schirber Steve
Organization(s)
NorthernSTAR,
University of Minnesota,
UMN,
NSTAR,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Presentation describing the challenges of insulating an existing basement, presented to the Building America residential energy-efficiency stakeholder meeting.

Using Solar Hot Water to Address Piping Heat Losses in Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)
Springer David,
Seitzler Matt,
Backman Christine,
Weitzel Elizabeth
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report on investigating the effectiveness of using solar thermal water heaters to address heat losses from piping while recirculating water in multifamily buildings.

Validation of a Hot Water Distribution Model Using Laboratory and Field Data

Author(s)
Backman Christine,
Hoeschele Marc
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research study comparing TRNSYS Type 604 pipe model against laboratory pipe heat loss test data and detailed field monitoring data.

Validation Study of Experimental Insulating and Air-Sealing Technology for Enclosed Roof Cavities

Author(s)
Lamm Douglas,
Bell Alexander
Organization(s)
Building Envelope Materials,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research report that validates Pinhole Insulation®, offering a cost-effective, minimally invasive solution for enhancing insulation and air sealing in enclosed roof cavities, improving R-value by 60% compared to traditional methods.

Variability in Measured Space Temperatures in 60 Homes

Author(s)
Roberts David,
Lay Kerylyn
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
EnerNOC
Publication Date
Report discussing the measured variability in indoor space temperatures in a set of 60 homes located in Florida, New York, Oregon, and Washington.

Ventilating Your Home

Author(s)
Puttagunta Srikanth
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Information sheet about proper ventilation and air sealing.

Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2022

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
American National Standards Institute
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
ANSI
Publication Date
Standard that provides procedures and methods for meeting minimum ventilation and indoor air quality requirements to engineers, design professionals, owners, and jurisdictional authorities where model codes have been adopted. This is the current version of the standard, which was published in the...

Ventless Fireplace Inspection

Author(s)
Gromicko Nick
Organization(s)
International Association of Certified Home Inspectors,
InterNACHI
Publication Date
Document outlining important safety considerations of ventless fireplaces.

Verification and Validation of EnergyPlus Conduction Finite Difference and Phase Change Material Models for Opaque Wall Assemblies

Author(s)
Tabares-Velasco Paulo Cesar,
Christensen Craig B,
Bianchi Marcus V A,
Booten Chuck
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report summarizing NRELs efforts to develop diagnostic test cases to conduct accurate energy simulations when phase change materials (PCMs) are modeled in residential buildings.

Verifying a Simplified Fuel Oil Field Measurement Protocol

Author(s)
Henderson Hugh,
Dentz Jordan
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research study developed and verified a fuel oil flow field measurement protocol that is cost effective and can be performed with little training for use by the BB program as well as other weatherization programs and building science researchers.

Vinyl Siding Installation Manual

Author(s)
Vinyl Siding Institute
Organization(s)
Vinyl Siding Institute
Publication Date
Publication with installation guidance for vinyl siding.

Waste Reduction Model (WARM)

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Information sheet with the Waste Reduction Model (WARM), designed to help solid waste planners and organizations track and voluntarily report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions from several different waste management practices.

Water Management of Non-Insulating and Insulating Sheathings - Final Report

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W,
Smegal Jonathan
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report summarizing current research, summarizes issues that have been experienced with current best practices, and recommends ways in which the best practices can be improved for water managing sheathings.

Water Safety in Buildings

Author(s)
World Health Organization,
Institutional Repository for Information Sharing
Organization(s)
WHO,
IRIS
Publication Date
This text is one of series of supporting documents that provide guidance on implementing the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for drinking-water quality; intended to support improvement of water safety within buildings.

WaterSense Products

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
WaterSense
Organization(s)
EPA,
WaterSense
Publication Date
Resource that provides guidance when choosing products that meet WaterSense program requirements.

Weatherstripping

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing how weatherstripping can be an easy and cost-effective way to save money on energy costs and improve comfort by reducing drafts.

West Village Student Housing Phase I: Apartment Monitoring and Evaluation

Author(s)
German Alea,
Bell Colin W,
Dakin Bill,
Hoeschele Marc
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report assessing the performance and cost-effectiveness of a zero net energy community project in Davis, CA.

Western Red Cedar Siding General Installation

Author(s)
Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
Organization(s)
Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
Publication Date
Webpage describing how to flashing installation

What Makes it Energy Star? Performance Criteria

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Information sheet outlining the criteria for ENERGY STAR qualified, windows, doors, and skylights.

What’s Wrong With This Practice? Undercutting Doors, Info-804

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Article discussing the risks that can occur from undercutting bedroom doors to provide return airflow from bedrooms, as well as corrective measures that can be taken to address these risks.

Which Spray Foam is Right For You?

Author(s)
Zoeller William
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Document describing different spray foam materials including some pros and cons and technical specifications.

Why Add a Tank to a Tankless Water Heater?

Author(s)
Chandler Michael
Organization(s)
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Publication Date
Article about one way to deal with the cold-water surprise effect of tankless water heaters.

Why Seal and Insulate?

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Introductory guide to air sealing the envelope of a home to reduce wasted energy and save on energy costs.

Wildfire Home Retrofit Guide

Author(s)
Restaino Christina,
Kocher Susan,
Shaw Nicole,
Hawks Steven,
Murphy Carlie,
Quarles Stephen L
Organization(s)
University of Nevada Reno Extension,
University of California Cooperative Extension,
Tahoe Resource Conservation District,
Cal Fire
Publication Date
A report for homeowners and contractors providing specific recommendations for how to retrofit existing components of a home to withstand wildfire.

Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings - In Hurricane-Prone Regions, Second Edition, FEMA P-804

Author(s)
Escarment Jadon W,
Ibraheem Abdullah,
Lelfhelt Jr Donald L,
O'Connor Brian,
Overcash Glenn,
Reeder Adam,
Stafford T Eric,
Willsey Brian
Organization(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
FEMA
Publication Date
Guide presents mitigation measures in a Mitigation Package which combined set of retrofit measures that must be implemented for a house to provide a defined level of protection; identifies three successive Mitigation Packages: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. Implementing the Mitigation Packages...

Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings, FEMA P-804

Author(s)
Kapur Omar,
Mahadevia Amit,
Park Jae,
Passman Samantha,
Perotin Manuel,
Reeder Adam,
Seitz Laura,
Sheldon Adrienne,
Tezak Scott
Organization(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
FEMA
Publication Date
Report providing guidance on how to improve the wind resistance of existing residential buildings in Mississippi and across the Gulf Coast.

Windows & Skylights Tax Credit

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Tax credit for ENERGY STAR certified windows, doors and skylights.

Wood Combustion Basics

Author(s)
Curkeet Rick
Organization(s)
Intertek
Publication Date
Presentation about the combustion properties of wood.

Wood Drying: Equilibrium Moisture Content

Author(s)
University of Minnesota,
NorthernSTAR
Organization(s)
UMN,
NSTAR
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing the moisture properties of wood.

Wood Handbook, Wood as an Engineering Material

Author(s)
Forest Products Laboratory
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
USDA
Publication Date
Report summarizing information on wood as an engineering material, and presents properties of wood and wood-based products of particular concern to the architect and engineer.

Wood Stoves, Fireplaces, Pellet Stoves, and Masonry Heaters

Author(s)
Washington State Department of Ecology
Organization(s)
Washington State Department of Ecology
Publication Date
Webpage describing burn bans, which wood burning devices are legal in Washington, why wood smoke is harmful to health, and how to reduce the smoke from your wood burning device.