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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 2001 - 2050 of 2100

WaterSense Labeled New Home Inspection Checklist

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
WaterSense
Organization(s)
EPA,
WaterSense
Publication Date
Resource that provides a checklist of program criteria for water-efficient new homes under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) WaterSense program.

WaterSense Products

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
WaterSense
Organization(s)
EPA,
WaterSense
Publication Date
Resource that provides guidance when choosing products that meet WaterSense program requirements.

WaterSense Specification for Homes

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
WaterSense
Organization(s)
EPA,
WaterSense
Publication Date
Webpage describing specification requirements including checklist that establishes the criteria for water-efficient homes under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) WaterSense program.

WaterSense Technical Evaluation Process for Approving Home Certification Methods

Author(s)
US Environmental Protection Agency,
WaterSense
Organization(s)
EPA,
WaterSense
Publication Date
Document on the EPA WaterSense webpage describing the technical evaluation process used by EPA WaterSense to authorize home certification organizations to certify homes through the WaterSense program.

Ways to Stay Safe in a Natural Disaster

Author(s)
NorthWest Natural
Organization(s)
NW Natural
Publication Date
Webpage from NW Natural on how to prepare homes with natural gas service for earthquakes and floods, what to do during an emergency, and how to respond after the emergency has passed.

Weather Related Fatality and Injury Statistics

Author(s)
National Weather Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Organization(s)
NOAA
Publication Date
Web page providing statistics on weather related fatalities and injuries.

Weatherstripping

Author(s)
South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff
Organization(s)
South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff
Publication Date
Article describing an overview of weatherstripping requirements.

Weatherstripping

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing how weatherstripping can be an easy and cost-effective way to save money on energy costs and improve comfort by reducing drafts.

Weep Holes in Brick and Stone Veneer

Author(s)
Don Jackson
Organization(s)
Journal of Light Construction,
JLC
Publication Date
An article written by Don Jackson of The Journal of Light Construction on how to detail brick veneer siding wall.

West Village Community: Quality Management Processes and Preliminary Heat Pump Water Heater Performance

Author(s)
Dakin Bill,
Backman Christine,
Hoeschele Marc,
German Alea
Organization(s)
ARBI,
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report evaluating performance/efficiency of central heat pump water heaters and quality assurance/quality control processes in system startup, operation and efficiency program participation.

West Village Student Housing Phase I: Apartment Monitoring and Evaluation

Author(s)
German Alea,
Bell Colin W,
Dakin Bill,
Hoeschele Marc
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report assessing the performance and cost-effectiveness of a zero net energy community project in Davis, CA.

Western Red Cedar Siding General Installation

Author(s)
Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
Organization(s)
Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
Publication Date
Webpage describing how to flashing installation

Westford House, BSI-018

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report describing sloped roof assemblies with high levels of thermal performance.

What Are Seismic Shut-Off Valves?

Author(s)
MBS Engineering
Organization(s)
MBS Engineering
Publication Date
An informational guide established to educate the public on seismic shut-off valves and how to avoid fires following an earthquake.

What are the Connections between Mercury and CFLs?

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
A website explaining the connection between using compact fluorescent lightbulbs and the amount of mercury released into the environment.

What is a Levee?

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Document describing what levees are, how they work, and who owns them.

What Is a Seismic Shut-Off Valve?

Author(s)
MBS Engineering
Organization(s)
MBS Engineering
Publication Date
Infographic explaining what a seismic shut-off valve is and providing frequently asked questions.

What Is a Weep Hole and Its Purpose?

Author(s)
Krejci Cassie,
Muncaster John
Organization(s)
Polyguard
Publication Date
An article describing a way to protect drain and ventilation holes in brick veneer siding against pests. Selecting a fine screen mesh opening (1/55-inch or 0.5-mm) is important to guard against small insects such as subterranean termites.

What Makes it Energy Star? Performance Criteria

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Information sheet outlining the criteria for ENERGY STAR qualified, windows, doors, and skylights.

What to Do if a Wildfire is Approaching

Author(s)
IBHS DisasterSafety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Guidelines from IBHS on modifications to homes to prepare for a wildfire if evacuation orders are anticipated for the area.

What's Wrong with My Home? The Simple Answer May Be...You

Author(s)
Puttagunta Srikanth
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Information sheet discussing the differences between homeowner energy consumption trends in highly efficient homes.

What’s Wrong With This Practice? Undercutting Doors, Info-804

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Article discussing the risks that can occur from undercutting bedroom doors to provide return airflow from bedrooms, as well as corrective measures that can be taken to address these risks.

When should I worry about snow accumulation on the roof?

Author(s)
Cold Climate Housing Research Center
Organization(s)
CCHRC
Publication Date
Webpage describing how different amounts and types of snow loads affect the structural integrity of roofs and homes.

Where Tornadoes Happen

Author(s)
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Center for Science Education
Organization(s)
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Center for Science Education
Publication Date
A heat map showing the average number of tornadoes per year across the United States

Where Your Front Door Meets the Forest

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Organization(s)
USDA
Publication Date
Webpage describing the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and how to plan residential building to mitigate wildfire risks associated with building in the WUI.

Which Spray Foam is Right For You?

Author(s)
Zoeller William
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Document describing different spray foam materials including some pros and cons and technical specifications.

Whole Home Tankless Gas Water Heaters

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Wepage providing information on ENERGY STAR certified gas tankless water heaters with information on how they cut water heating expenses as well as a product finder tool to find ENERGY STAR certified products.

Whole House Fans

Author(s)
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Organization(s)
PG&E,
California Public Utilities Commission
Publication Date
Technical fact sheet describing proper operation, sizing, and installation of whole-house fans.

Whole House Mechanical Ventilation - A South Chicago Case Study

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report summarizing results from a case study about whole-house mechanical ventilation systems in Chicago.

Why Add a Tank to a Tankless Water Heater?

Author(s)
Chandler Michael
Organization(s)
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Publication Date
Article about one way to deal with the cold-water surprise effect of tankless water heaters.

Why Choose CW and AW Fenestration Products

Author(s)
Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance
Organization(s)
FGIA
Publication Date
Web article describing the defining characteristics of the CW and AW window performance classes.

Why Expansion Tanks Need to be Understood

Author(s)
Eatherton Mark
Organization(s)
Contractor Magazine
Publication Date
Article explaining the importance of expansion tank knowledge.

Why Right-Size? Science Versus Practicality

Author(s)
Puttagunta Srikanth
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Document about proper HVAC system sizing.

Why Seal and Insulate?

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Introductory guide to air sealing the envelope of a home to reduce wasted energy and save on energy costs.

Why We Need to Know More About Basement Moisture

Author(s)
Cheple Marilou,
Huelman Patrick H
Organization(s)
University of Minnesota,
UMN,
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
ASHRAE,
NorthernSTAR,
NSTAR,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL
Publication Date
Conference paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Thermal Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings describing moisture from basements and crawlspaces as a source of indoor humidity and providing recommendations for finishing below-grade spaces to limit potential indoor...

Wildfire and the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)

Author(s)
U.S. Fire Administration
Organization(s)
USFA
Publication Date
Webpage from USFA compiling resources from across the U.S. on Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) information.

Wildfire Hazard Potential

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Organization(s)
USDA
Publication Date
Webpage from USDA and U.S. Forest Service with a map of potential wildfire risk across the U.S.

Wildfire Operations: Wildfire Science

Author(s)
Canada Government of Northwest Territories Department of Environment and Climate Change
Organization(s)
GNWT ECC
Publication Date
Website describing how wildfires spread and how fuels, weather, and topography influence fires.

Wildfire Prepared Protect Your Home from Wildfire

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage that providing designation program enables homeowners to take preventative measures for their home and yard to protect against wildfire.

Wildfire Public Policy

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage describing ways builders and communities an reduce wildfire risk.