Library

2006 edition of the code establishing regulations to safeguard life and property from the intrusion of wildland fire and to prevent structure fires from spreading to wildland fuels; regulates defensible space and provides ignition-resistant construction requirements to protect against fire exposure...

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...

Information on the control of air flow across building enclosures to control moisture damage, reduce energy losses, and ensure occupant comfort and health. A continuous, strong, stiff, durable and air impermeable air barrier system is required between the exterior and conditioned space to control...

ASTM standard providing test methods for determining duct air leakage in low-rise residential and commercial buildings.

Fact sheet providing background and technical information on Trombe wall design

Research study about key sustainability concepts, durability, energy efficiency and new flood resistant design.

Case study describing solar thermal and photovoltaic systems in new construction.

Technical report detailing a study in which actual cooling loads are compared to modeled cooling loads.

Article introducing the FTC’s new EnergyGuide label, including estimates of annual energy usage.

Article describing codes and test methods related to fire-resistant construction of decks.

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

A book describing how to complete an earthquake retrofit plan for wood-frame residential buildings.

Report on problems and solutions with EIFS stucco wall cladding systems.

Research project addressing low-cost options that reduce monthly energy costs and improve the quality of life by enhancing comfort levels in low-income homes.

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

Brochure providing information on the design of the EPA Region 8 headquarters in Denver, CO.

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.

An engineering design guide for hydronic heat loops, discussing the features and advantages of condensing boilers.

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.

Guide providing information on using exterior foam insulating sheathing in building wall assemblies to enhance thermal performance.

Report providing an introduction to current photovoltaic and solar thermal building practices.

Best Practices document providing an introduction to current photovoltaic and solar thermal building practices.

Report summarizing approaches to addressing duct leakage in hot humid climates.

Standard supporting indoor air quality performance by producers, purchasers and policy makers to improve the environmental performance of products and services.

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.

Brochure discussing specific practices for mitigating moisture and mold during the construction process.

Information sheet with nail withdrawl capacities in OSB.

Report discussing the benefits of modern evaporative cooling systems for use in hot dry climate zones.

The Enhanced F-scale is a set of wind estimates (not measurements) based on damage which uses three-second gusts estimated at the point of damage based on a judgment of 8 levels of damage to the 28 indicators listed.

Fact sheet from Wisconsin Focus on Energy explaining how to prevent future ice dams on homes by learning about their formation and mitigation of contributing factors.

Report promoting public safety and welfare by reducing the risk of earthquake-induced damage to existing homes.

Report from FEMA describing techniques for floodproofing structures.

A field guide with residential construction best practices.

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 presenting results from whole-house monitoring efforts in hope that they may be useful for others moving towards zero energy homes.

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 reviewing unvented roof assemblies, such as conditioned attics and unvented cathedral ceilings that are becoming common in North American construction.

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.

Document providing guidance on water management concepts and applications for residential buildings.

Specification of criteria for lavatory faucets and faucet accessories under the U.S. EPA WaterSense Program.

Article describing how to weatherproof dormers using peel-and-stick membranes when flashing a dormer.

Article about one way to deal with the cold-water surprise effect of tankless water heaters.

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.