Library

Information sheet providing details on the vapor permeance of different types of materials used in building assemblies.

Article from Green Building Advisor on strategies to take when building homes to reduce the need for air conditioning, including insulation, windows, site selection, and roofing.

Research study examining the effective moisture penetration depth (EMPD) model and its suitability for building simulations.

Research study searching for combinations of existing technologies that could enable a minimally invasive, cost-competitive, easily deployable method of upgrading soil-side foundation insulation in existing buildings.

Handbook providing guidance on the design and construction of foundations for homes, including insulation, air sealing, and water management details for basements, crawlspaces, and slabs.

A structural insulated panel (SIP) roof has no embedded lumber in the structure, and therefore nothing substantial for attaching PV array and solar hot water mounts. Single or double lumber splines could be put into the panels, or I-joists at 4-foot intervals could be added.

Report exploring four questions to determine the level of risk associated with adding drained exterior insulation to the exterior of an existing home during an energy retrofit.

Article describing the insurance savings of a home with a hip roof versus a gable roof from the perspective of an insurance advisor.

Guidebook providing useful examples of high performance retrofit techniques for the building enclosure of wood frame residential construction in a cold and somewhat wet climate.

Report about exterior sheathing insulation and inward driven moisture issues.

Report explaining moisture-related concerns for high R-value wall assemblies and discusses past Building America research work that informs this study.

Research report describing study of exterior retrofit approach for air sealing, insulating, and water management conducted by the NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership team run by University of Minnesota.

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

Report covering non-combustible continuous exterior insulation and non-combustible roof venting.

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.

Report describing filtration, distillation, and disinfection methods of water treatment.