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 describing approaches to using less wood in home building that minimize waste.

Fact sheet describing advanced wall framing.

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...

Article describing recessed lighting, which if installed incorrectly may contribute to air leakage and compromise building envelope efficiency.

Report describing approaches to insulating basements in homes built to meet Energy Star levels of performance of heat loss reduction.

Fact sheet describing basement insulation considerations.

Information sheet containing images and descriptions of cantilevers.

Study investigating measured cooling energy performance in side-by-side identical homes with varying roof types, including cool roof technologies.

Study reporting the results of comparative testing of the effect of finished and unfinished metal roofing systems on cooling energy performance in a test facility.

This study focuses on the design, construction, and performance of the interior chase approach as implemented by five different builders in Texas, North Carolina, and Florida.

Article from NAHB research center describing home building techniques for homes in hot climate zones.

Study reporting the results of comparative testing of the effect of various roof types on cooling energy performance in a test facility.

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

Report discussing the potential energy savings of new high-efficiency downlights, and the results of product testing to date.

Report describing ways to retrofit a home to make it more hurricane resistant.

Report aiming to "de-mystify" technology and economic considerations of residential PV systems.

Report seeking to teach building contractors and building inspectors the correct methods for doing typical seismic retrofits that have been designed by an engineer or architect or described in a prescriptive standard.

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 describing the use of attic ventilation to control moisture in cathedral roofs and avoid the formation of ice dams.

Report describing a field study of 31 homes to test envelope and duct leakage and fan flowrates, and to determine ventilation operation characteristics.

Report detailing passive design strategies used at the Zion National Park Visitor Center, including evaporative cool towers.