Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 110 results:

2010 Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings, FEMA P-804

2019

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Fact sheet providing an overview of the FEMA document Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings.

40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Marine Climate, Volume 11

2010

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report providing builders in marine climates with guidance for building homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

A Citizen’s Guide to Radon - The Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Radon

2016

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Report telling consumers the risks of radon, how radon gets into a home, and steps consumers can take to reduce radon exposure in their homes.

A Crash Course in Roof Venting, PA-1101

2011

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing methods for venting a vented attic and a roof assembly over an unvented attic.

About Attic Ventilation

2022

ENERGY STAR

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA,

ENERGY STAR

Energy Star web page providing guidance on attic ventilation.

Above the Flood: Elevating Your Floodprone House, FEMA 347

2000

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Document describing three methods for elevating a home out of the flood zone.

Alaska Residential Building Manual, 7th Edition

2008

Deer Charlie,

et al.

University of Alaska,

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation

Manual describing best practices or home construction in Alaska and northern climates.

Application of Spray Foam Insulation Under Plywood and Oriented Strand Board Roof Sheathing, BA-1312

2013

Grin Aaron,

Smegal Jonathan,

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Report covering moisture and leakage issues associated with spray foam insulation application to the underside of roof sheathing.

Attic Air Sealing Guide and Details, GM-1001

2010

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Document providing background and approach for the prep work necessary prior to adding attic insulation - focusing on combustion safety, ventilation for indoor air quality, and attic ventilation for durability.

Attic or Roof? An Evaluation of Two Advanced Weatherization Packages, BA-1205

2012

Neuhauser Ken

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report about a project that examines implementation of advanced retrofit measures in the context of a large-scale weatherization program and the archetypal Chicago, Illinois, brick bungalow.

Attics, Topic 4.01

2020

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

NREL

NREL webpage of standard work specification of exterior and interior, attic floors, attic knee walls, and unique installations.

Avoiding Moisture Problems

2003

Van der Meer Bill

National Association for State Community Services Programs,

NASCSP,

Weatherization Training Center at Penn College,

Pennsylvania College of Technology,

PCT

Technical article describing issues and moisture concerns related to weatherization efforts.

Avoiding Wet Roofs - Part I

2018

Yost Peter

Journal of Light Construction,

JLC

Article describing the building science implications of insulating vented or unvented attics.

Avoiding Wet Roofs - Part II

2018

Yost Peter

Journal of Light Construction,

JLC

Article describing the research into insulating vented versus unvented attics.

Best Practices Manual

2018

Hammer & Hand

This Best Practices Manual is the product of Hammer & Hand’s ongoing work to document and internally codify our standard operating procedures for construction practice.

BSC Information - Soil Gas Control for All Climates, Sheet 110

2009

Building Science Corporation

BSC

Information sheet about soil gas control strategies for foundations.

Builders Challenge Quality Criteria Support Document

2010

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Document providing guidance to U.S. home builders who want to accept the challenge.

Building America Best Practices Series - 40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Cold and Very Cold Climates, Volume 12

2011

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Guide describing measures that builders in the cold and very cold climates can take to build homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

Building America Guidance for Identifying and Overcoming Code, Standard, and Rating Method Barriers

2013

Cole Pam C,

Halverson Mark A

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

Guidance document providing BA research teams and partners with specific information and approaches to identifying and overcoming potential barriers to Building America (BA) innovations arising in and/or stemming from codes, standards, and rating methods.

Building America Residential System Research Results - Achieving 30% Whole House Energy Savings Level in Marine Climates, January 2006 - December 2006

2006

Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership,

et al.

BAIHP,

BIRA,

BSC,

CARB,

DEG,

IBACOS,

NAHBRC,

NREL,

IBCS

Report summarizing research results for the 30% energy savings level and demonstrates that lead builders can successfully provide 30% homes in the Marine Climate Region on a cost-neutral basis.

Building America Top Innovations 2013: Attic Air Sealing Guidelines

2013

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Fact sheet describing research sponsored by DOE's Building America program to research the importance of attic air-sealing and best practice attic air-sealing techniques for new and existing homes.

Building in Extreme Cold, BSI-031

2010

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing the control layers (air, thermal, and vapor barriers) needed to build homes successfully in very cold locations.

Building Radon Out - A Step-by-Step Guide On How To Build Radon-Resistant Homes

2001

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Document detailing how to build radon-resistant homes.

Ceilings and Attics

2000

Southface Energy Institute,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORNL,

SEI

Information sheet with information about insulating and ventilating attics.

Community-Wide Zero Energy Ready Home Standard

2016

Herk Anastasia,

Beggs Timothy

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

U.S. Department of Energy

Report outlining the steps developers can take to create high-performance standards on a community-wide scale.

Compact Buried Ducts in a Hot-Humid Climate House

2016

Mallay David

Home Innovation Research Labs,

HIRL

Report on heating and cooling air-distribution ducts that are insulated, installed close to the ceiling in a vented attic and covered with attic insulation to minimize energy loss.

Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction - How to Fix Your Home

2016

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Report telling consumers how radon gets into a home and how to reduce radon entry into a home.

Cool Hand Luke Meets Attics, BSI-077

2015

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing the difference between conditioned or unvented attics and unconditioned or vented attics.

Cool Solutions: The Whole House Fan

2018

Mott-Smith John

City of Davis,

State of California

Article describing the use of whole-house fans to provide cooling in the region surrounding Sacramento, CA.

Cost Analysis of Roof-Only Air Sealing and Insulation Strategies on 1 1/2-Story Homes in Cold Climates

2014

Ojczyk Cindy

University of Minnesota,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

NothernSTAR

Report exploring alternative methods to find long-term solutions to energy loss in 1 ½-story homes to save energy, improve comfort, prevent frost buildup on the underside of the roof deck, and reduce the risk of ice dam formation/reformation.

CRRC - Cool Roof Rating Council

2023

Cool Roof Rating Council

CRRC

Website providing information about the Cool Roof Rating Council including programs, membership, and resources for the construction industry.

Dam Ice Dam, BSI-046

2011

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing strategies for reducing the risk of ice dam formation on roofs in winter.

De-Icing Ice Dams, BSI-097

2018

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing the importance of air sealing, insulation, and roof ventilation in reducing the likelihood of ice dam formation on roofs in cold snowy climates.

Deep Energy Retrofits - Design and Construction Process

2015

Less Brennan,

Walker Iain S

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Design and Construction Process chapter provides detailed guidance for each process phase: pre-planning, planning, construction, test-out and post-occupancy.

Deep Energy Retrofits - Lessons learned

2015

Less Brennan,

Walker Iain S

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Lessons Learned chapter focuses on successful deep energy retrofit projects throughout the U.S.

Deep Energy Retrofits - Occupant Behavior

2015

Less Brennan,

Walker Iain S

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Occupant Behavior chapter discusses how to assess homeowner behavior patterns and use these patterns to enhance overall energy savings.

Deep Energy Retrofits - Reducing Costs and Increasing Cost-Effectiveness

2015

Less Brennan,

Walker Iain S

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Reducing costs and Increasing Cost-Effectiveness chapter provides suggestions for controlling deep retrofit costs, including both 'do's' and 'don'ts'.

Evaluation of the Lateral Performance of Roof Truss-to-Wall Connections in Light Frame Wood Systems

2011

National Association of Home Builders Research Center,

U.S. Department of Agriculture

NAHB Research Center,

USDA

Report describing research testing results on roof truss to wall connections in light frame wood systems.

FEMA Continuous Load Path

2023

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

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

Field Evaluation of Four Novel Roof Designs for Energy-Efficient Manufactured Homes

2015

Dentz Jordan,

et al.

Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,

ARIES

Report of a field evaluation of four novel roof designs to see how each design would reduce space-conditioned energy use so that the knowledge gained could be applied to the design of new manufactured homes.

Field Performance of Unvented Cathedralized (UC) Attics in the USA, PA-0502

2005

Rudd Armin

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Journal article reporting on field experience of unvented cathedralized (UC) attics in several environments in the United States.

Field Testing Unvented Roofs with Asphalt Shingles in Cold and Hot-Humid Climates

2015

Ueno Kohta,

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report to understand the long-term moisture performance of unvented roof assemblies with fibrous insulation.

FPC Residential Monitoring Project: New Technology Development - Radiant Barrier Pilot Project

2015

Parker Danny S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

The FPC Monitoring project has evaluated radiant barrier systems (RBS) as a new potential DSM program.

Guidelines for Ventilating Attics and Cathedral Ceilings to Avoid Icings at Their Eaves

2001

Tobiasson Wayne N,

Buska James S,

Greatorex Alan R

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Report describing the use of fresh air ventilation systems to eliminate the formation of icicles and ice dams along the eaves of roofs.

Home Energy Guide - Techniques, Tactics, and Tips: Ice Dams

2003

Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Information Center

Minnesota Department of Commerce

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.

Homeowner's and Renter's Guide to Reducing Radon After Disasters

2015

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Federal Emergency Management Agency,

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

EPA,

FEMA,

HUD

Homeowner guidance from EPA, FEMA, HUD, and NIH on dealing with radon following a natural disaster.

How to Build an Insulated Cathedral Ceiling

2011

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor

Information sheet presenting the correct methods for building an insulated cathedral ceiling.

How to Install Cellulose Insulation

2011

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Information sheet presenting techniques for installing cellulose insulation.

How to Perform a Heat-Loss Calculation, Part I

2012

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Website blog with guidance about calculating heat-loss.

How to Prevent Roof Damage from Winter Ice Buildup

2019

Dorsi Chris

Montana State University Extension,

MSU Extension

Article from Montana State University Extension explaining how proper insulation techniques can greatly reduce the risks of ice dams on roofs in cold climate zones.