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Explore this extensive library of building science guidance including research reports from DOE’s Building America program as well as hundreds of other articles, fact sheets, webpages, and reference documents related to constructing and renovating homes.

Showing 151 - 200 of 312 results:

How to Seal Up to Prevent Rodent Infestations

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
·
Organization(s)
CDC
Description
A website providing a checklist of important areas to check when sealing holes inside and outside of the home to prevent entry by rodents and other outside pests.

Ignition Resistant Construction Design Manual

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Colorado Springs Fire Department
·
Organization(s)
City of Colorado Springs,
State of Colorado
Description
Wildfire guidance for homes located in the wildland urban interface, focused on site design and individual pieces of the home.

Ignition Resistant Construction Guide

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
FireSafe Montana
·
Organization(s)
FireSafe Montana
Description
Ignition resistant residential construction and landscaping guidelines from FireSafe Montana.

Improving Recessed Lighting

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
·
Organization(s)
DOE
Description
Report providing information about techniques and approaches to improve the efficiency of recessed lighting.

Indoor Air Quality in 24 California Residences Designed as High-Performance Homes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Less Brennan,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Description
This research study used pollutant measurements, home inspections, diagnostic testing and occupant surveys to assess IAQ in 24 new or deeply retrofitted homes designed to be high performance green buildings in California.

Industry Becoming More Comfortable with Excess Flow Valves

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Pipeline & Gas Journal
·
Organization(s)
Pipeline & Gas Journal
Description
Article describing excess flow valves installed on gas lines to shut-off natural gas flow to a home in the event that a gas line is severed due to an earthquake, natural disaster, earthquake, etc.

Information About Purchasing And Installing

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Southern California Gas Company
·
Organization(s)
SoCalGas
Description
Webpage detailing how to purchase and install the correct shut-off valve for homes in California, including differences between earthquake and excess flow valves and how to install each.

JM Spider® Drill & Fill Installation Guide

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Johns Manville
·
Organization(s)
Johns Manville
Description
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.

Just Right and Airtight, BSI-053

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
·
Organization(s)
BSC,
Building Science Corporation
Description
Article describing air leakage in buildings.

Laboratory Testing of Aerosol for Enclosure Air Sealing

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Modera Mark,
Harrington Curtis
·
Organization(s)
Western Cooling Efficiency Center - UC Davis,
Building Industry Research Alliance,
BIRA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Research study to help development of an application protocol for aerosol sealing of building shells that will eventually be demonstrated on buildings in retrofit and new construction.

Land Use Tool: Wildland-Urban Interface Code (WUI Code)

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Planning for Hazards: Land Use Solutions for Colorado
·
Organization(s)
Planning for Hazards: Land Use Solutions for Colorado
Description
Website describing the wildland-urban interface code and providing links to resources.

Living with Fire: Homeowners' Firesafe Guide for Montana

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
FireSafe Montana
·
Organization(s)
FireSafe Montana
Description
Guide for homeowners describing actions they can take to modify their home and the surrounding site to create a survivable space to reduce the amount of damage a home would likely experience during a wildfire.

Long-Term Results: New Construction Occupied Test House, Urbana, Illinois

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Stecher Dave,
Allison Katherine
·
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Description
Report about a two-year study intended to document the energy performance of a house in each sub-metered area and compare the performance to modeled predictions and to assess the thermal comfort performance of the single point mini-split heat pump.

Low-Cost Radon Reduction Pilot Study

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Francisco Paul W.,
Rose William B,
Merrin Zachary
·
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
Indoor Climate Research and Training,
Illinois Sustainable Technology Center,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Report on the impact of air sealing between the foundation and the living space on radon transport reduction across the foundation and living space floor assembly at fifteen home.

Maintain Defensible Space

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
·
Organization(s)
Cal Fire
Description
A webpage outlining CAL FIRE’s recommendations for creating defensible space.

Mass Save Deep Energy Retrofit Builder Guide, GM-1302

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Neuhauser Ken,
Gates Cathy,
Pettit Betsy
·
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Description
Guidebook providing useful examples of high performance retrofit techniques for the building enclosure of wood frame residential construction in a cold and somewhat wet climate.

Mastic Home Exteriors Installation Guide

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

Mea Culpa Roofs, BSI-083

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
·
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Description
Article describing methods for insulating and air sealing vented and unvented roofs in various climates zones.

Measure Guideline: Air Sealing Attics in Multifamily Buildings

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Maxwell Sean,
Otis Casey
·
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Description
Guideline describing the importance of the different types of multifamily building attics and their unique challenges, and outlines strategies and materials used in air-sealing them.

Measure Guideline: Air Sealing Mechanical Closets in Slab-on-Grade Homes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Dickson Bruce
·
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Description
Document covering two fundamental retrofit strategies for air sealing around air handling systems that are located within the living space in an enclosed closet.

Measure Guideline: Guide to Attic Air Sealing

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
·
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Description
Guideline describing information and specifications relevant to air-seal existing attics.

Measure Guideline: Sealing and Insulating Ducts in Existing Homes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Aldrich Robb,
Puttagunta Srikanth
·
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Description
Report describing the sealing and insulating of HVAC duct systems in existing homes.

Minnesota Power New Construction Energy Efficiency Program

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Minnesota Power
·
Organization(s)
Minnesota Power
Description
Website describing Minnesota Power’s New Construction Energy Efficiency program that promotes building practices and technologies that enhance new residential construction.

Mitigation Ideas: A Resource for Reducing Risk to Natural Hazards

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
·
Organization(s)
FEMA
Description
Report providing a resource that communities can use to identify and evaluate a range of potential mitigation actions for reducing risk to natural hazards and disasters.

Moisture Control for Residential Buildings

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
·
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Report providing extensive guidance on controlling moisture in building envelopes through proper selection and installation on air, water, thermal, and vapor barriers.

Moisture Management for High R-Value Walls

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
LePage Robert,
Schumacher Christopher,
Lukachko Alex
·
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Description
Report explaining moisture-related concerns for high R-value wall assemblies and discusses past Building America research work that informs this study.

Moisture Research - Optimizing Wall Assemblies

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Arena Lois,
Mantha Pallavi
·
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Report describing evaluation of several configurations of wall assemblies to determine the accuracy of moisture modeling and make recommendations to ensure durable, efficient assemblies.

Moving Ducts Inside: Big Builders, Scientists Find Common Ground

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Lubliner Michael,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
WSU Extension Energy Program,
Washington State Department of Community Trade and Economic Development
Description
Conference paper making the case that moving ducts to conditioned space saves energy, is practical for production builders (when accompanied by careful pre-planning), and creates significant andmarketable energy savings for homebuyers.

National Fire Protection Association

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
·
Organization(s)
NFPA
Description
National Fire Protection Association website.

Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Schneider Philip J,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Natural Institute of Building Science,
NIBS
Description
Report updating and expanding on a 2005 study that found, among other things, that every $1 of natural hazard mitigation funded by FEMA between 1993 and 2003 saved the American people an average of $4 in avoided future losses.

Natural Hazards and Sustainability for Residential Buildings, FEMA P-798

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Gromala David S,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
FEMA
Description
Report describing the interactions, both positive and negative, between common green building practices and the robustness of residential buildings to withstand natural hazards.

New National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
National Research Council Canada
·
Organization(s)
NRCC
Description
Report for local governments, planners, emergency managers, developers, insurers, and property owners describing ways to improve the wildfire resistance of buildings, infrastructure and communities in the wildland urban interface.

Newporter Apartments: Deep Energy Retrofit Short-Term Results

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Gordon Andrew,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Report demonstrating cost-effective energy savings targets as well as improved comfort and indoor environmental quality associated with deep energy retrofits by a large public housing authority as part of a larger rehabilitation effort.

NFPA 1142 – Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
·
Organization(s)
NFPA
Description
An NFPA Standard that identifies a method for determining the minimum water supply necessary for structural fire-fighting purposes in areas where it has been determined that there is no water or inadequate water for fire fighting.