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Library

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 51 - 100 of 140

Fastening Furring Strips to a Foam-Sheathed Wall

Author(s)
Holladay Martin
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor,
GBA
Publication Date
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.

FEMA Continuous Load Path

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Article explaining what a continuous load path is and the key connection points that make it up.

Field Energy Performance of an Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) Wall

Author(s)
Maref Wahid,
Armstrong Marianne Margaret,
Saber Hamed,
Ganapathy G,
Nicholis M,
Swinton Michael C,
Rousseau M
Organization(s)
National Research Council Canada,
NRC,
ResearchGate
Publication Date
Research study evaluating the dynamic heat transmission characteristics through two identical Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) wall assemblies in Ottawa, Canada.

Fire Protection of Facades

Author(s)
Marija Jelčić Rukavina,
Milan Carević,
Ivana Banjad Pečur
Organization(s)
University of Zagreb
Publication Date
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.

Flow-Through Assemblies, BSI-091

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Article discussing flow-through assemblies of walls.

Foam Shrinks, and Other Lessons, PA-1201

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Journal article describing lessons learned from updating a 16-year-old deep-energy retrofit.

Fold-Form

Author(s)
Owens Corning Insulation
Organization(s)
Owens Corning Insulation
Publication Date
Information sheet with manufacturer specifications about insulated concrete forms.

HardiPlank Lap Siding Butt Joint Flashing

Author(s)
Fratzel Todd
Organization(s)
Home Construction and Improvement
Publication Date
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.

Heat Island Group - Berkeley Lab

Author(s)
Heat Island Group,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Organization(s)
LBNL
Publication Date
LBNL webpage introducing heat island effect and cool materials concepts, and providing links to LBNL pages explaining cool pavements, cool roofs, and cool walls.

High-R Roofs Case Study Analysis, BA-1006

Author(s)
Straube John,
Grin Aaron
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report that considers a number of promising wall systems that can meet the requirement for better thermal control.

House Siding Options, Plus Costs, Pros & Cons 2020

Author(s)
Siding Cost Guide
Organization(s)
Siding Cost Guide
Publication Date
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.

Hurricane Retrofit Guide - Wood Frame Walls

Author(s)
Florida Disaster
Organization(s)
Florida Division of Emergency Management
Publication Date
Report describing the hurricane retrofit guide with focus on walls and wooded framed walls.

ICC-ES Evaluation Report, ESR-1679

Author(s)
ICC Evaluation Service
Organization(s)
ICC Evaluation Service
Publication Date
ICC-ES Evaluation Report reviewing proprietary steel shear wall panels developed by Simpson Strong-Tie Company to resist vertical and lateral loads in walls resulting from wind or earthquakes.

Impact Resistance of Brick Veneer Structures to Hurricane Debris

Author(s)
Bennett Richard M,
Borchelt Gregg J,
Bryja Jim,
Kjorlien Bill
Organization(s)
Canada Masonry Design Centre,
CMDC
Publication Date
An impact test report from projectile missile tests against brick veneer, verifying that brick veneers perform well to resisting hurricane force wind driven debris.

Insulated Siding Provides Continuous Insulation

Author(s)
Dobson Matt
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Article describing how insulated siding can save homeowners energy by providing continuous exterior insulation.

Inward Drive – Outward Drying, BSI-061

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report covering reservoir claddings, back ventilation and vapor throttles.

JM Spider® Drill & Fill Installation Guide

Author(s)
Johns Manville
Organization(s)
Johns Manville
Publication Date
The purpose for this document is to provide basic guidance on the use of proven installation techniques that can be used by installers to help ensure correct “dense pack” application of JM Spider® in drill & fill applications.

Joni Mitchell, Water and Walls, BSI-071

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
BSC,
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Article describing walls and moisture development on them.

Lead-Safe Renovations for DIYers

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Website describing best practices for minimizing exposure to lead while doing repairs and renovations in homes built in 1978 or earlier.

Masonry Detailing Series

Author(s)
International Masonry Institute
Organization(s)
International Masonry Institute
Publication Date
Webpage featuring hundreds of illustrations of masonry construction details for brick, congrete, stone, tile, stucco, etc.

Mastic Home Exteriors Installation Guide

Author(s)
Ply Gem Siding Group
Organization(s)
Ply Gem Siding Group
Publication Date
Siding installation guide for Ply Gem Siding Group products.

Monitoring of Unvented Roofs with Fibrous Insulation, Diffusion Vents, and Interior Vapor Control in a Cold Climate

Author(s)
Ueno Kohta,
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report detailing a three-winter study on unvented roof assemblies in a cold climate, assessing insulation material, ridge diffusion vent presence, vapor control membranes, relative humidity, and interstitial airflow. Results indicate that utilizing air-permeable fibrous fill insulations in unvented...

Monitoring of Unvented Roofs with Fibrous Insulation, Diffusion Vents, and Interior Vapor Control in a Cold Climate

Author(s)
Ueno Kohta,
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report detailing a three-winter study on unvented roof assemblies in a cold climate, assessing insulation material, ridge diffusion vent presence, vapor control membranes, relative humidity, and interstitial airflow; results indicate that utilizing air-permeable fibrous fill insulations in unvented...

Nail Withdrawal Capacities in OSB

Author(s)
Extreme Panel Technologies
Organization(s)
Extreme Panel Technologies
Publication Date
Information sheet with nail withdrawl capacities in OSB.

Performance profiles of exterior fire protective building envelopes

Author(s)
Jarnskjold Tobias,
Jensen Geir,
Knudsen Atle
Organization(s)
Edition Diffusion Presse Sciences,
EDP Sciences
Publication Date
A study on how fires spread through exterior building envelopes with discussion on how fires propagate in a rain screen cavity.

Plaster and Drywall Assemblies Manual

Author(s)
Fowler Mark,
Stanley Bryan,
Coats Darin
Organization(s)
Technical Services Information Bureau,
Walls & Ceilings
Publication Date
Manual describing design, detailing, material selection and troubleshooting for plaster, IEFs, and drywall, with information on continuous insulation, air barriers, rain screens, and ratings for fire and sound.

Potential benefits of cool walls on residential and commercial buildings across California and the United States: Conserving energy, saving money, and reducing emission of greenhouse gases and air pollutants

Author(s)
Rosado Pablo,
Levinson Ronnen
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Publication Date
Large scale simulation study investigating the effects of cool roofs and walls on buildings of various vintages across the U.S., with special attention given to California.

Preventing Ice Dams Fact Sheet

Author(s)
Wisconsin Focus on Energy
Organization(s)
Wisconsin Focus on Energy,
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Fact sheet from Wisconsin Focus on Energy explaining how to prevent future ice dams on homes by learning about their formation and mitigation of contributing factors.

Protect Your Home from Ice Dams

Author(s)
IBHS DisasterSafety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
List of recommendations from IBHS on how to protect homes from ice dam formation.