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...

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

Fact sheet describing advanced framing techniques that reduce the amount of lumber used in constructing wood-framed houses while providing more space for wall insulation.

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...

Fact sheet providing background and technical information on Trombe wall design

An online learning management resource for the construction community.

Information sheet with information about insulating and ventilating attics.

Paper describing the effects of tree canopies on residential climates indicating tree cover to be beneficial to climate conditions

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.

Article containing background knowledge on expansion tanks.

Article explaining common myths about expansion tanks and proper facts.

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.

Study evaluating opportunities for reducing cooling energy use in a hot dry climate through the use of shading and window options.

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.

Information sheet with nail withdrawl capacities in OSB.

Article describing moisture and ice dam issues in attics and how to air seal the attic floor.

Guide on retrofitting insulation in cavities.

Brochure describing insulation approaches for homes with slab-on-grade floors.

Brochure with information about how to select and install house wrap and other weather-resistive barriers.

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.

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.

Article explaining the importance of expansion tank knowledge.

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.