Library

Results from a research program testing airtightness, implications of air leakage and contaminant reduction over the garage-to-house interface.

Guide describing how and where to install flashings in order to weatherproof a roof.

Guide by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships on how to size heat pumps in a cold climate.

Report describing the advantages and best practices for installing heat pump water heaters (HPWH), highlighting their improved energy efficiency, reliability, and critical considerations such as condensate management, proper sizing, and optimal installation location to enhance performance and...

Webpage describing federal regulation related to excess flow valves on residential natural gas lines.

Website with articles on home ventilation and indoor air quality.

Article from The Earthbound Report on passive cooling design strategies for homes located in hot climates.

Report by the FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team on damages due to Hurricane Irma which struck Florida in September 2017, and recommendations for construction for future disaster resistance and preparedness.

A report describing the development of a methodology to properly size heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment for concrete homes in the US and Canada.

Report presenting system design packages for cold and mixed-humid climates.

Article describing the effect metal roofs have on thermal performance in hot-humid climates.

Website providing the technical specifications and related documents for home builders, subcontractors, architects, and other housing professionals interested in certifying a home to the EPA's Indoor airPLUS program requirements.

Article describing the correct installation of clothes dryer exhaust ducts.

Report showing installers how to attach ducts, pipes, and associated equipment to buildings to minimize earthquake damage.

Report that describes BSC's Houses That Work II (HTWII) climate-specific technical resource, beginning with an overall HTWII introduction and four sections explaining the four most important hygro-thermal climate regions: Hot-Humid, Mixed-Humid, Cold, and Hot-Dry/Mixed-Dry.

2017 version of a standard covering requirements for single- and dual-pane windows, glazed side-hinged door systems, sliding doors, tubular daylighting devices, and unit skylights developed jointly by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), the Canadian Standards Association...

A presentation describing the standards regarding who is responsible for what part of the design to ensure the roof truss is properly designed and braced.

The next generation of building enclosures is a key step toward achieving high-performance goals through decreasing energy load demand and enabling advanced space-conditioning systems. Yet the adoption of high-R enclosures and particularly high-R walls has been a slow-growing trend because...

An NFPA standards document that provides minimum requirements for the design, construction, installation, and maintenance of tanks and accessory equipment that supply water for private fire protection.

A document providing guidance on integrating a PV array with a roof system.

A fact sheet educating the public on the proper operation of chainsaws to reduce the risk of injury from use.

Standards for requirements, performance, construction, workmanship and others for structural-use panels.

Blog article describing considerations for how to use trees for shading to reduce cooling energy demand.

Table of criteria for pool pumps to achieve ENERGY STAR certification.

Fact sheet describing how to prepare for a natural disaster and assemble a disaster supply kit.

Table calculating friction losses of PVC pipe fittings.

Table calculating friction losses for PVC pipe by length.

Article describing how structural screws can be used to provide resistance to wind uplift in buildings.

Guide describing ways builders can block off entry points and otherwise make homes inhospitable to all manner of pests.

U.S. DOE report summarizing findings from literature and research relevant to HVAC installation practices.

Report providing guidance on indoor air quality in single-family and multifamily housing for designers, builders, property managers, homeowners, buyers, and renters.

Report describing how to construct a frost protected shallow foundation (FPSF) as a practical alternative to a deeper, more-costly foundation in cold regions with seasonal ground freezing and the potential for frost heave.

Recovery advisory guide providing guidance on existing code requirements as well as recommend best practices for attachment design, installation, and maintenance of rooftop solar panels to increase panel wind resistance in the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Maria.

Article describing San Francisco and how impending seismic activity may affect modern skyscrapers.

Reports describing a mathematical methodology for assessing the seismic performance of buildings.

Description of California Senate Bill SB 1898, which requires the sale of new seismic gas shutoff devices sold in California to be certified by the State Architect.

Website providing a link for purchasing NFPA 703, Standard for Fire Retardant—Treated Wood and Fire–Retardant Coatings for Building Materials.

Website providing a link for purchasing NFPA 1144, Standard for Reducing Structure Ignition Hazards from Wildland Fire.

Standard describing methods for testing the airtightness of buildings and HVAC equipment.

Standard specification covering the properties of a cured single- or multicomponent cold-applied elastomeric joint sealant for sealing, caulking, or glazing operations on buildings, plazas, and decks for vehicular or pedestrian use, and types of construction other than highway and airfield pavements...

Test method that measures the capture efficiency of wall-mounted domestic range hoods under controlled conditions in a test chambers which available for preview and purchase at the link and was published in the year 2018.

Website providing information on all types of pest management for multi-family housing.

Report providing information based on research and case studies, to remodelers and consumers about opportunities to increase home energy performance.

Presentation on sustainable development including water conservation, passive solar, daylighting, natural ventilation, and land use.

A story about bees building a hive in the drainage plane behind the brick veneer siding. The bees entered the wall through unprotected drainage holes.

DOE-sponsored report describing the experimental design and results of testing the energy performance of Hunter Douglas double-cell cellular shades under various control schemes in the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Lab Homes.

Report outlining a case study about a building project in the hot-humid climate zone.

Article from Texas A&M University and the University of Maryland analyzing why and how urban flooding happens and what can be done to mitigate damage.

Conference paper summarizing the relative performance of currently available Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWH) models, the energy implications of different installation locations (garage, basement, or conditioned space) and ducting configurations (exhaust ducting, full ducting, or no ducting), as well...

Article describing a field study that test ventilation performance in nine homes and found current ventilation was inadequate to remove PM2.5 and CO2 levels; however, a directly exhausting range hood can reduce peak PM2.5 concentrations by 75% or more.