Library

Research study documenting market-ready energy solutions to improve the efficiency of new affordable housing in the marine climate of Washington State.

DOE-sponsored report describing a study investigating condensation buildup on windows when using insulating shades.

Report about the Advanced Envelope Research effort will provide factory homebuilders with urgently-needed, cost effective methods for meeting emerging energy code requirements.

Report about an expert meeting focused on issues surrounding cladding attachment and performance of walls with exterior insulating sheathing.

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

Expert meeting report aimed at a greater understanding of the windows research that Building America partners and national laboratories are engaged in to help professionals and consumers choose best practice strategies.

Report that demonstrates the durability, constructability, and cost-effectiveness of the extended plate and beam (EP&B) wall system for new construction housing projects in compliance with the International Energy Conservation Code, addressing moisture risk management and high-performance envelope...

Report on high-R wall design called extended plate and beam that uses foam sheathing insulation with wall framing.

Fact sheet describing the Extended Plate Wall (EPW) a system that incorporates a 2-inch layer of foam plastic insulative sheathing within the framing for top and bottom plates, streamlining air sealing, window and door installation, weather resistive barrier application, and cladding attachment for...

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is interested in finding cost-effective solutions for deep energy retrofits (DERs) related to exterior wall insulation in a cold climate, with targets of 50% peak load reduction and 50% space conditioning energy savings.

Research study developing baseline engineering analysis to support the installation of thick layers of exterior insulation (2 in. to 8 in.) on existing masonry walls and wood framed walls.

Webpage from LSU AgCenter answering frequently asked questions after gutting a flooded home, including mitigation strategies for future floods.

Information sheet about what length screws should be used, and how closely to space the screws when fastening furring strips to a foam-sheathed wall.

An example of a commercially available thermally expansive fire stopping product for controlling the spread of fires in a rainscreen cavity.

Article explaining what a continuous load path is and the key connection points that make it up.

Research study evaluating the dynamic heat transmission characteristics through two identical Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) wall assemblies in Ottawa, Canada.

Webpage providing assistance with finding the AERC climate zone of particular locations to aid in selecting window attachment products.

A report showing what happens when windows break as a result of temperature differences between the inside and outside of the home, as well as code standards for the State of California regarding window exposure to wildfires.

A guide for designers, architects, engineers, and fire experts on how to design rainscreen and ventilated cavities such that they don’t contribute to the spread of a fire.

Report describing dry floodproofing technologies for non-residential buildings, including information about regulatory requirements, design considerations, and descriptions of floodproofing methods and equipment.

Article discussing flow-through assemblies of walls.

Journal article describing lessons learned from updating a 16-year-old deep-energy retrofit.

Information sheet with manufacturer specifications about insulated concrete forms.

Report about development of effective strategies to reduce the overall building energy use in line with Building America goals in this modestly priced market rate project.

Article describing the fundamentals and basics of glazing hazard mitigation practices for both new and existing buildings.

Report focuseing on dynamic window and opaque envelope technologies for GEBs, including electrochromic glazing, automated attachments, and thermal storage.

Guide providing information on using exterior foam insulating sheathing in building wall assemblies to enhance thermal performance.

A article about the best practice method of installing fiber cement siding, to install flashing at the butt joints of the siding boards, rather than face caulking the butt joints afterwards.

Document providing supplemental information for code enforcement professionals about header hangers in bearing walls.

LBNL webpage introducing heat island effect and cool materials concepts, and providing links to LBNL pages explaining cool pavements, cool roofs, and cool walls.

Case study of new home construction in the hot-dry and mixed-dry climate zones.

Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

Article from NREL on wall construction guidelines for homes in hot climate zones.

Report that considers a number of promising wall systems that can meet the requirement for better thermal control.

Report providing testing methodology to evaluate structural rim header designs over openings up to 6 ft. wide and applicable to one- and two-story homes.

Report with test results that serve as a baseline of data for further material tests of other high-R wall systems and for comparison to whole-house wind pressure testing.

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

Report covering control of hydrostatic pressure in wall assemblies.

Report providing a collection of fact sheets describing guidance for constructing homes in wildfire zones.

A starting point for ballparking and comparing the cost of different siding materials and a brief overview of the pros and cons of different siding materials.

Article summarizing for potential homeowners items to check or demand from the builder in designing a home for a cold climate.

Checklist for verifying FORTIFIED levels and documentation needed.

Report describing ways to retrofit a home to make it more resistant to earthquakes.

Factsheet describing how triple-pane windows can outperform standard single and double-pane windows.

Factsheet describing re-siding retrofits containing exterior insulation and window upgrades aimed at improved energy savings and comfort.

Factsheet outlining how window attachments like cellular shades, roller shades, storm windows with low-emissivity coatings, and solar screens are low-cost steps that can be implemented to keep homes cool in the summer.

Guide discussing observations, recommendations, and technical guidance as a result of Hurricane Katrina

Code describing the requirements for existing site-built single-family homes to receive roof-to-wall retrofits when re-roofing.

Report describing the hurricane retrofit guide with focus on walls and wooded framed walls.