Library

Article describing ways builders can improve the hurricane resistance of the homes they construct, especially 1) strengthening the continuous load path, 2) upgrading the building envelope, and 3) improving the roof system performance.

Report describing a project whose goal was to determine the prevalence of residential comfort system faults with a focus on air conditioners and heat pumps, and on key faults that can occur during installation: (1) incorrect refrigerant charge level (undercharge or overcharge); (2) indoor coil...

Report (1) compares existing measurement methods, based on field testing in a wide range of buildings, (2) presents the development of two new methods to directly measure exterior and interior leakage of an attached unit, and compares to existing methods; and (3) experimentally evaluates the...

Brochure describing the benefits of air-sealing for homeowners.

Article by the Canadian Government on attic ventilation and considerations for moisture and ice dams.

Fact sheet providing background and technical information on Trombe wall design

Attachment or installation of foundations, floors, roofs, insulation, utilities, and finishes to concrete masonry walls as well as on special tools and fasteners available for use with concrete masonry.

Webpage showing the minimum efficiency levels and maximum sound levels for ENERGY STAR certified residential ventilating fans.

Report using relative humidity and temperature data from NOAA to measure average equilibrium moisture content for each month of the year in 262 locations in the United States and 122 locations outside the United States.

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

Fact sheet describing actions homeowners can take to safely cleanup their homes after a flood with links to additional resources from the EPA.

Video course by the Lighting Controls Academy presenting an overview of the basic functionality of today’s lighting controls, benefits and the basic questions to ask when identifying an appropriate lighting control strategy

Article describing dozens of ideas on how to retrofit a home so it is more earthquake ready.

Study investigating measured cooling energy savings in homes across the U.S. from the installation of roofing with higher solar reflectance.

Technical article presenting the results of an analysis on the effect of insect screens on window solar heat gain coefficients and U-values.

Information sheet with nail withdrawl capacities in OSB.

Guide for electrical systems design including installation guidance and best practices for flood-prone areas.

Guide for fuel systems design including installation guidance and formulas for calculating loads and buoyancy forces for specifying number, type and capacity of strapping for hold-downs in flood-prone areas.

Report describing a study using parametric computer simulations of 112 single-family and 63 multi-family residential building prototypes to quantify the contributions of building components such as roofs, walls, windows, infiltration, outside air, lighting, equipment, and people to the aggregate...

Document describing correct construction of swales, designed to trap particulate pollutants (suspended solids and trace metals), promote infiltration, and reduce the flow velocity of storm water runoff.

Paper that illustrates a performance check between the thermal performance of a Massive Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) wall system mocked up and Whole Building Performance criteria such as total space heating and cooling loads (thermal comfort).

Report documenting the Transformative Efficiency and Automation in Modular Homes (TEAMH) project, which evaluates the integration of advanced building envelope technologies and automation-assisted modular construction to improve residential energy performance and construction efficiency.

Report focusing on the performance and durability of unvented-cathedralized attics in hot-humid climates with both tile and asphalt shingle roofing.

Building science report describing issues with vented attics in hot-humid climates and how sealed attic construction may be a solution.

Report describing the formation of icicles and ice dams along poorly ventilated roofs and how to mitigate ventilation issues with insulation and vents.

Brochure about how to install and use a whole-house fan.

This guide is intended to provide state, local, and Tribal public health officials with information they need to be prepared for smoke events and, when wildfire smoke is present, to communicate health risks and take measures to protect the public.

Fact sheet describing the moisture properties of wood.