Library

Webpage from Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) on identifying key problem spots on unreinforced masonry chimneys and how to retrofit them to withstand seismic forces.

Report reviewing unvented roof assemblies, such as conditioned attics and unvented cathedral ceilings that are becoming common in North American construction.

Document summarizing the various papers on unvented conditioned cathedralized attics found on BSC's website.

Report addressing the ever increasing percentage of whole house energy use that is attributable to miscellaneous electricity loads (MELs) and major appliances.

Report covering wind uplift and roofing membrane failures.

Webpage describing the use of cool roofs to reduce heat islands and and benefits and costs.

Article describing a method for flashing roof vent boots, describing how to flash the pipe, how to flash over and under the pan, and finish by shaping the shingles, as well as addressing potential water leakage by adding an additional seal with EPDM flashing tape with a butyl adhesive backing to the...

Report describing the formation of icicles and ice dams along poorly ventilated roofs and how to mitigate ventilation issues with insulation and vents.

Report describing the use of attic ventilation to control moisture in cathedral roofs and avoid the formation of ice dams.

Guide providing information on controlling attic ductwork sweating.

Document describing the measured annual performance data from 12 recent-vintage very low energy homes in the US.

Report covering the migration of wind-blown embers in roof vents.

Article describing how to weatherproof dormers using peel-and-stick membranes when flashing a dormer.

Report assessing the performance and cost-effectiveness of a zero net energy community project in Davis, CA.

Report describing sloped roof assemblies with high levels of thermal performance.

Web page explaining what a cool roof is and how they work, as well as benefits to their use and links to research studies.

Factsheet describing the importance of system charging, superheat and subcooling.

Webpage describing how different amounts and types of snow loads affect the structural integrity of roofs and homes.

Article describing ways to design and construct a building to resist wildfires.

Study showcasing the location of the highest uplift force on the hip, ridge, and perimeter regions of roofs, and thus roofing material needs for the most fasteners and adhesive at these locations.

Study analyzing wind pressures on hip roofs where two hip roofs come together forming an L or T shaped roof or building.

Research study describing an evaluation of selected windows undertaken by IRC researchers at Ottawa’s Laurier House (now being used as a museum) to determine their effectiveness in controlling condensation.

Fact sheet describing impact-resistant window systems with specifics on Florida’s building codes.

A hurricane retrofit guide describing techniques for strengthening roof-to-wall connections for family homes.

Report describing Net Zero house design with sloped roof assemblies.