Library

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

High-density sidewall cavity insulation can be a major comfort and savings boost. It saves energy by slowing both conductive and convective losses, but only if the right things are done and done right. This always requires site-specific thinking.

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.

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.

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.

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 test method measuring air-leakage rates through a building envelope under controlled pressurization and de-pressurization which was published in the year 2019 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link.

Standard that describes the principles for the design of a hot box apparatus and the minimum requirements for the determination of steady state thermal performance of building assemblies when exposed to controlled laboratory conditions. The current version of the standard was published in 2019, and...

Standard describing two techniques for measuring air leakage rates through a building envelope in buildings that may be configured to a single zone which was published in the year 2022 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link.

Article describing ways to protect roofs from water infiltration by using self-adhering underlayment in vulnerable locations such as roof valleys, eave edges (to help deal with ice dams), rake edges, roofs to vertical walls (such as dormers), sidewall protection, the bottom of dormer valleys, and...

Information sheet describing correct application of stucco.

Fact sheet describing water management in a residential building.

Fact sheet describing the test procedure for wind and wind driven rain resistance of discontinuous roofing systems.

Manuals describing design, materials, and installation techniques applicable to almost all types of roof systems; four-volume set includes Metal Panel and SPF Roof Systems, Membrane Roof Systems, Architectural Metal Flashing and Condensation and Air Leakage Control, and Steep-Slope Roof Systems.

Document providing an overview of the Thermal Bypass Checklist for the ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes program.

Guide describing details that serve as a visual reference for each of the line items in the Thermal Enclosure System Rater Checklist.

Report sumarizing a workshop to initiate a professional discussion about eventual benefits of the application of massive technologies in US buildings.

Article from Purdue University on the potential for white paint technology to lower air conditioning usage requirements.

Factsheet providing design guidance for engineers describing how to characterize snow drifts on roofs in three dimensions rather than two, as anticipated in the 2022 edition of the standards, ASCE 7 - Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures.

Fact sheet outlining best design and construction practices for tile roofing in high wind areas; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Report presenting information that aids qualified architects and engineers in the identification of the best available refuge areas in existing buildings for sheltering in place during a tornado.

BSD-102 report providing guidance about whether to construct a vented or unvented attic based on hygro-thermal zone.

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 focusing on the performance and durability of unvented-cathedralized attics in hot-humid climates with both tile and asphalt shingle roofing.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.