Library

Article describing vapor retarder requirements in the International Residential Code and International Building Code 2021.

Vinyl siding estimating and installation guide for vinyl siding products.

Webpage listing ACCA Manual J and D calculation software that is approved by ACCA.

Report assessing the accuracy of HEST as it was being developed and to provide information useful to DOE program managers and HEST development team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Research study discussing how housewraps restrict or permit the passage of water molecules based on size, but cannot control the direction in which the water vapor molecules move.

Part I of the Guide addresses walls constructed with 2x6 wood frame studs, wood structural panel (WSP) sheathing as exterior sheathing, gypsum board as interior sheathing, and a cladding system installed over WSP sheathing in low-rise residential buildings up to three stories in height.

Article discussing flow-through assemblies of walls.

Report assessing slab-on-grade foundation insulation energy savings.

Online calculator for estimating payback of adding additional insulation to your house.

Factsheet describing how HEScore, a tool used for energy modeling, rates home energy performance based on physical assets and makes recommendations for improvement.

Report covering reservoir claddings, back ventilation and vapor throttles.

FEMA report describing findings from an investigation of Hurricane Ike in Texas and Louisiana and residential construction recommendations based on those findings.

Report providing extensive guidance on controlling moisture in building envelopes through proper selection and installation on air, water, thermal, and vapor barriers.

Webpage describing the Quality Install Tool, an open-source web app designed to simplify, standardize, and expedite the creation of high-quality installation documentation for HVAC installations and efficiency upgrades.

Document covering basic moisture control principles in the design of above-grade building enclosures; driving rain as a moisture load on walls; a classification system of the various rain control strategies available for walls; and good design practises for walls.

A free tool used to calculate the required minimum flow rate of dwelling-unit ventilation.

Software enabling low-carbon planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting.

A CD guide intended to help communities mitigate damage or loss from tornadoes and other extremewind events, and provide public information resources for conveying the importance of safe room construction.

Tool determining the most economical and efficient photovoltaic array location and position.

Handheld solar site analysis tool capturing whole-horizon images for a site and generating shading analysis reports.

A field guide with residential construction best practices.

Fact sheet poster describing a DOE tool that walks homeowners through a series of simple questions to produce a list of retrofit recommendations to improve the energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and durability of the homeowners’ home, while also lowering their carbon footprint.

Information sheet describing the function of a vapor barrier, and methods to retard the migration of water vapor.

Document outlining a well-detailed drainage plane and flashings.