Library

This case study describes costs associated with 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.

Report covering exterior energy retrofits of masonry buildings.

FEMA risk management series guide on hospital safety and resilience to natural disasters.

Report providing information on ways to incentivize funding of hazard mitigation programs.

Webpage providing a step-by-step guide for replacing the exterior caulking on your home.

Fact sheet poster describing benefits and qualification of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) certified Zero Energy Ready Homes and providing eight examples of certified homes.

Information sheet with HVAC duct insulation, testing, maintenance and performance information.

Report on how airtighness changes as houses age.

Technical report describing design and construction methodologies for durable balconies and decks, focusing on proper sloping, flashing, drainage, and ventilation to mitigate moisture-related issues.

Website describing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR New Homes and Apartments program with links to builder and homeowner resources.

Fact sheet describing weatherstripping materials, types, expected life expectancy, installation requirements, and pros and cons.

Fact sheet poster describing the certification of window attachment products such as storm windows, roller shades, cellular shade, and solar screens by the Attachment Energy Rating Council (AERC).

Online textbook describing energy, including energy types, and energy use in homes.

Research study examining efficiency retrofit opportunities, typical renovation practices, and pathways for achieving U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) goals for existing homes in Florida.

Document presenting a simple starting point to determine the most cost-effective Energy Savings Measure Packages (ESMP) for existing homes to achieve 15% and 30% savings in 37 locations across the United States.

Report exploring feasibility of designing prescriptive retrofit measure packages for typical Chicago region multifamily buildings in order to achieve 25% source energy savings.

Report summarizing post-retrofit results for 13 existing homes in a deep energy retrofit pilot program.

Report evaluating opportunities to improve and streamline delivery of residential retrofit measures.

Report examining implementation of an exterior insulation and over-clad strategy for brick masonry buildings in Chicago.

Technical report describing the evaluation of four different ventilation strategies for providing make-up air in high-performance, new construction multifamily buildings in the Northeast, emphasizing the challenges posed by increasing airtightness standards and the variability of system performance...

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

Report comparing a high-performance house with a code-built control home.

Report presenting the results from several demonstrations of a new method for sealing building envelop air leaks.

Article describing five fundamental changes to building construction from the last 50 years and their modern construction consequences.

Journal article describing energy and cost savings potential from air sealing multifamily town homes.

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

A fact sheet on how to prepare for a natural disaster by storing food and water through an emergency food supply.

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.

Website providing resources for roofers to construct high-wind, hurricane, and hail-resistant roofs from IBHS Fortified program.

A guideline containing fire sprinkler insulation requirements from the Prescott, Arizona Fire Department.

Article describing techniques to air-seal townhouses and row houses.

Website article touring areas hit hardest by tornadoes to see how they are building differently to protect against the next big twister.

Information sheet about air barriers.

Brochure describing insulation and air-sealing details.

Document providing a roadmap to aid Habitat for Humanity affiliates in building high performing houses by using materials and techniques that are affordable, do not add any maintenance burden, and are volunteer friendly.

Article describing the causes that form ice dams, as well as solutions for preventing future ice dams on roofs, focusing on air sealing to prevent hot air leakage.

Article describing the impact of stack effect on building performance, highlighting how pressure differences caused by temperature and height affect air infiltration and exfiltration, and detailing strategies like compartmentalization and distributed mechanical systems to manage airflow and maintain...

Article describing the stack effect in buildings.

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.

NOAA webpage providing images and short descriptions of different types of hurricane shutters.

Report detailing the design and construction of 10 new houses under the Wyandotte Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2.

Report outlining results from a 2005 hygrothermal pilot study in the South.

An impact test report from projectile missile tests against brick veneer, verifying that brick veneers perform well to resisting hurricane force wind driven debris.

Report providing information about techniques and approaches to improve the efficiency of recessed lighting.

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.

A factsheet providing information on how to prevent pests from entering the home by sealing cracks and openings.

Article explaining installing cavity insulation.

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.

Article describing air leakage in buildings.

Information sheet providing links and resources for insulating basements in cold climates.