Library

Article describing products that can enhance the efficiency and safety of clothes dryer vents.

Report providing builders in marine climates with guidance for building homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

Article describing thermal bridging, construction practices that encourage thermal bridging, and solutions.

Report describing advanced framing techniques, including discussion of cost and energy savings.

Manual describing best practices or home construction in Alaska and northern climates.

Technical fact sheet describing ways to construct asphalt shingle roofs to be more resistant to high winds and hurricanes; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Fact sheet describing recommended practices for installing brick veneer that will enhance wind resistance in high wind regions and examples of proper installations and brick veneer tie spacings; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Document providing background and approach for the prep work necessary prior to adding attic insulation - focusing on combustion safety, ventilation for indoor air quality, and attic ventilation for durability.

Article describing different kinds of water-resistant backer boards.

Article explaining the importance of regular inspections of boiler systems in maintaining their safety, lifespan, and efficiency.

Document providing guidance to U.S. home builders who want to accept the challenge.

Presentation about building highly efficient, affordable homes that will achieve 40% whole-house energy savings in mixed-humid climates.

Document providing a resource to help builders large and small build high-quality, energy-efficient homes that achieve 30% energy savings in space conditioning and water heating in the marine climate.

Report summarizing the guidelines for developing and reporting analytical results in a consistent and meaningful manner for all home energy uses.

Report provides a proposed set of guidelines for estimating the energy savings achieved by a package of retrofits or an extensive rehabilitation of an existing home.

Document describing the Building America research benchmark for the residential building program.

Report summarizing research results for the 30% energy savings level and demonstrates that lead builders can successfully provide 30% homes in the Marine Climate Region on a cost-neutral basis.

Report summarizing research results for the 30% energy savings level and demonstrates that lead builders can successfully provide 30% homes in the Hot-Dry / Mixed-Dry Climate Region on a cost-neutral basis.

Report investigating implementation of advanced framing in both production and prototype built homes built in a variety of climate regions across the USA.

Research study describing a number of promising foundation and basement insulation strategies that can meet the requirement for better thermal control in colder climates while enhancing moisture control, health, and comfort.

Report comparing a variety of roof insulating strategies to present their advantages and disadvantages according to several comparison criteria.

Report providing a summary of key lessons learned from the first ten years of the Building America program and also included a summary of the future challenges that must be met to reach the programs long term performance goals.

Document providing an example procedure for establishing acceptance-range criteria to assess results from software undergoing BESTEST-EX.

Article describing the control layers (air, thermal, and vapor barriers) needed to build homes successfully in very cold locations.

Document with the Quality Control Checklist developed as both a guide to assist in the transition to high performance home building, and as a simplified tool to be used as part of any builder's on-site quality control procedures.

Article describing customer tip sheet and how ceiling fans are one of the most popular and generally well regarded of all home energy efficiency features.

Report describing ventilation system design, including a central fan integrated supply (CFIS) system, made up of a 6-inch outdoor air intake duct connected to the return side of the air handler with a fan cycling control to make sure the fan runs a programmed minimum amount of time.

Report aimed to quantify the impact of closed crawlspaces in new homes, and investigate modeling software to ensure accuracy of energy consumption predictions in these homes.

Fact sheet providing guidance and best practices on the selection of building materials used for coastal construction, and discussing flood, wind, corrosion, decay resistance, and protection recommendations; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact...

Fact sheet describing the characteristics that make for a successful coastal residential building, including design and construction recommendations; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Installation manual describing proper installation practices, industry standards and the code requirements of roofing tiles.

Information guide describing issues with concrete floors, in multiple climate zones.

Document discussing moisture considerations and testing techniques for concrete floors.

Report describing the monitored long-term performance of two solar domestic water heating systems in northern climates.

Fact sheet summarizing NFIP requirements, general guidelines, and recommendations concerning the construction and installation of decks, access stairs and elevators, swimming pools, and accessory buildings under or near coastal residential buildings; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s...

Technical fact sheet proving information on creating defensible space to reduce the risk of damage from fires to property.

Report explaining the principles of seismic design to architects.

Fact sheet describing design and construction practices that reduce the likelihood of flood damage in the event that flood levels exceed the BFE, including illustrations of appropriate construction practices; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact...

Document providing design guidance and software tool information for forced-air HVAC systems.

Information about dense pack, cellulose insulation.

Information sheet with HVAC duct insulation, testing, maintenance and performance information.

Report providing an introduction to the NEHRP recommended seismic provisions for new buildings and other structures.

Presentation describing the history of ECM motors, an overview of ECM motor technology, and a lesson on the installation of ECM motors.

The objective of this research was to quantify the field performance of wood-frame walls clad with a variety of common claddings in a mixed-humid climate.

Fact sheet describing requirements and recommendations for enclosures and breakaway walls for their use below the BFE, including a diagram of a compliant wall system and examples of systems that have either resulted in increased damages or increased flood insurance premiums; also published in FEMA P...

Paper describing the effects of tree shade on residential electricity consumption and energy savings in summer and winter.

A standard providing minimum energy efficiency requirements for buildings that are not low-rise residential buildings.

Report describing construction site erosion and sediment control practices recommended and required by a county planning department.

A publication developed by the U.S. Forest Service for its employees and other federal agency staff describing erosion control methods.

Report evaluating the accuracy of the regression technique used in 2006 by using the same least-squares regression analysis on data created from hourly energy simulation software.