Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Description
Web page explaining what a cool roof is and how they work, as well as benefits to their use and links to research studies.
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 1 - 50 of 193
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA
Publication Date
Description
Web page providing information on the types of cool roofs and their benefits to consumers.
Organization(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Description
ENERGY STAR webpage discussing the costs and benefits of cool roofs.
Organization(s)
LBNL
Publication Date
Description
LBNL webpage introducing heat island effect and cool materials concepts, and providing links to LBNL pages explaining cool pavements, cool roofs, and cool walls.
Organization(s)
LBNL
Publication Date
Description
LBNL webpage providing resources and tools related to cool technologies, including the SRI calculator and the DOE Cool Roof Calculator.
Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Description
Searchable database of over 3,000 roofing products that have undergone solar reflectance and thermal emittance testing.
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Publication Date
Description
Spreadsheet tool that computes solar reflectance index (SRI) and roof surface temperature based on solar reflectance and thermal emittance using ASTM standard E 1980.
Organization(s)
California Air Resources Board
Publication Date
Description
Webpage discussing the characteristics of sunlight and how cool roofs work to reduce solar heat gain.
Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Description
Website providing information about the Cool Roof Rating Council including programs, membership, and resources for the construction industry.
Organization(s)
ORNL
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheet describing analysis of potential heating and cooling savings from radiant barriers in attics.
Organization(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Description
Energy Star web page providing guidance on attic ventilation.
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
Webpage describing the use of cool roofs to reduce heat islands and and benefits and costs.
Organization(s)
JLC
Publication Date
Description
Article describing ways to design and construct a building to resist wildfires.
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Webpage from U.S. Department of Energy describing 'cool roofs' and their usage for passive home cooling.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for high wind resistance.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for hurricane resistance.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
List of recommendations from IBHS on how to protect homes from ice dam formation.
Organization(s)
SCEC,
ECA,
USC
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
Washington Post
Publication Date
Description
Article from Washington Post on passive cooling measures for homes during extreme heat.
Organization(s)
LSU Ag Center Research Extension
Publication Date
Description
Web article describing many ways homeowners, contractors, and builders can make homes more resistant to hurricanes, tornadoes, high winds, floods, and hail.
Organization(s)
CCHRC
Publication Date
Description
Webpage describing how different amounts and types of snow loads affect the structural integrity of roofs and homes.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Calculator determining the appropriate design pressures for steep-slope roof coverings for roofers and evlauators.
Organization(s)
Purdue University
Publication Date
Description
Article from Purdue University on the potential for white paint technology to lower air conditioning usage requirements.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report providing extensive guidance on controlling moisture in building envelopes through proper selection and installation on air, water, thermal, and vapor barriers.
Organization(s)
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Publication Date
Description
Article describing how to counterflash a chimney by tucking the upper pieces of counterflashing into the chimney mortar joints and overlapping them over the various pieces of base flashing, which are nailed to the roof deck.
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
A PDF containing the SERC Solar PV System Field-Inspection Checklist.
Organization(s)
MARC
Publication Date
Description
A guide on the use of rain barrels for greater water efficiency and use in gardens and lawns.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Checklist for verifying FORTIFIED levels and documentation needed.
Organization(s)
Florida Division of Emergency Management
Publication Date
Description
A document aimed at reducing the vulnerability of a gable end roof to wind damage in a hurricane.
Organization(s)
ICC Evaluation Service
Publication Date
Description
This report requires all elements of rooftop PV panel systems to be designed for component and cladding pressures per ASCE 7-10.
Organization(s)
MCA
Publication Date
Description
An installation training manual discussing the installation of metal roofing materials and related accessories, for both new construction and retrofit projects.
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
An EPA guide describing the causes and impacts of summertime urban heat islands, promoting strategies for lowering temperatures in U.S. communities.
Organization(s)
Florida Building Code
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheet describing the test procedure for wind and wind driven rain resistance of discontinuous roofing systems.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Website providing guidance on how to reduce the risk of damage to a home from hail.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Website offering an online training that teaches disaster-resistant best practices for roofers.
Organization(s)
FLASH
Publication Date
Description
Report providing architects, designers, and homeowners with information to make house plans useful for constructing a more wind resilient structure.
Organization(s)
HIRL
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheet describing flashing of roof penetrations to make a home more resistant to high winds, hurricanes, and rainwater intrusion.
Organization(s)
HIRL
Publication Date
Description
Factsheet providing homeowners with an overview of approaches for flashing and sealing roof penetrations to help discussion with a roofing contractor.
Organization(s)
NRCA
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
CEA
Publication Date
Description
Article from California Earthquake Authority on the benefits of retrofitting homes to withstand earthquake forces, with a focus on foundations, walls, and chimneys.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance in severe thunderstorms, straight-line wind events, and high winds at the outer edges of tornadoes.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Checklist highlighting key concepts of wind design uplift pressures and design uplift pressure ratings for proper selection and installation of residential roof covering systems to comply with section R905.1 of the 2015 International Residential Code for a FORTIFIED Roof™–New Roof designation.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for high wind and hail resistance.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance to high wind and hail.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Webpage providing guidance for homeowners on how much snow weight a typical roof can handle and when to consider removing snow from the roof.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Factsheet describing ways to install sheathing over existing 1x roof decking.
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Report summarizing the requirements for strenghtening and protecting the roof, openings in the house, and creating a continuous load path to strengthen walls and foundation per the IBHS Fortified Homes Hurricane Standard for Existing Homes.
Organization(s)
American Plywood Association,
APA
Publication Date
Description
A publication highlighting recommendations that contribute to improved overall performance in the structural shell and focus on good connection details to tie together exterior walls, roofs and floors.
Organization(s)
IBHS,
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
Rocky Mountain Institute,
RMI
Publication Date
Description
Article from RMI on how climate change is leading to an increase in critical extreme heat hours and what smart building strategies can be taken to mitigate some of these effects including paint color and insulation.