Library

Research report describing study of interior and exterior air sealing techniques to stop ice dams in five 1.5-story retrofit homes conducted by the NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership team run by University of Minnesota.

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.

Brochure providing information about flashing in all cimates.

Information sheet providing information about vapor management in building assemblies.

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

Research study about key sustainability concepts, durability, energy efficiency and new flood resistant design.

This report will review, and summarize the current state of understanding and research into enclosures with higher thermal resistance, so-called “High-R Enclosures.” Recommendations are provided for further research.

Report on the stability of furring strips as a means for cladding attachment over walls with thick exterior rigid insulation.

Research study investigating the energy performance and cost effectiveness of several state-of-the-art retrofit strategies that could be used in residential houses in the Boston and New England area.

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. Walls with...

The Guide addresses walls constructed with 2x4 wood frame studs, wood structural panel sheathing (WSP) as wall bracing and added backing for foam sheathing, a layer of rigid foam sheathing insulation up to 1.5 inches thick over the WSP, and a cladding system installed over the foam sheathing in low...

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.

Report focusing on building envelopes that have been enhanced with phase change materials (PCMs), which can simultaneously reduce total cooling loads and shift peak-hour loads.

Job Process sheet for the manufactured housing industry showing how to cut insulation batts to fit wall cavities in a factory production environment.

Guidance document on deep energy retrofits.

Case study describing foundation wall moisture studies at a research facility in Minnesota run by Building America team NorthernSTAR.

Research study that utilizes EnergyPlus equipped with the moisture capacitance model to analyze the indoor relative humidity in three home types.

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.

Case study describing novel technique for installing exterior spray foam on foundation walls that uses high-pressure water sprayer and a “hydro vac” to remove dirt along the foundation wall.

Expert Meeting about interior insulation retrofit of mass masonry wall assemblies held on July 30, 2011.

Report on the field evaluation of whole-building approaches and estimation of the relative contributions of select technologies toward reducing energy use related to space conditioning in new manufactured homes.

Research report assessing the moisture and cooling load impacts of airtightness and mechanical ventilation in homes in hot-humid climates.

Information sheet about groundwater control.

Research study presenting results of an existing home monitoring project designed to measure wall cavity moisture characteristics.

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.

Report presenting system design packages for cold and mixed-humid climates.

Report with guidance for installing windows with foam sheathing on wood-frame walls.

Article discussing indoor water management.

Research study describing field testing performed in 32 two-story Florida homes to characterize wind washing failures of the house air and thermal boundary.

Report targeting the growing number of homes utilizing deep retrofit measures and new construction practices to realize sufficiently lower infiltration levels that require mechanical ventilation as prescribed by ASHRAE Standard 62.2.

Report documenting the measured performance of six residential ENERGY STAR vapor compression dehumidifiers.

Report focusing on managing the driving forces that move air and water vapor across the building envelope.

Document describing good practices for insulating basements in new and existing homes.

Measure Guideline research report providing simple, long term, and durable solutions when using tapes and flashing membranes in conjunction with the exterior face of rigid polymeric foam sheathing to create the drainage plane of a wall system.

Case study about how to properly tape insulating sheathing drainage planes.

Document providing information on basement insulation, air sealing and water management retrofits.

Report summarizing the importance of properly insulating and air sealing masonry walls, providing step by step instructions and approaches.

Report covering the fundamental waterproofing strategies for tub and shower assemblies.

Report describing the work conducted for high performance hybrid assemblies.

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

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.

The next generation of building enclosures is a key step toward achieving high-performance goals through decreasing energy load demand and enabling advanced space-conditioning systems. Yet the adoption of high-R enclosures and particularly high-R walls has been a slow-growing trend because...

Document describing a hygrothermal modeling study, including all of the US climate zones, a range of interior humidity levels and numerous arrangements and types of insulation.

Information sheet about mold mitigation.

Report highlighting the evaluation methods used and extent of wind washing found in a study analyzing wind washing in thirty-two two-story homes.

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.

Case study describing the External Thermal and Moisture Management System developed by the NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership for retrofitting roofs with rigid foam over the roof deck, especially on one and a half-story homes.