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Library

This library contains research reports produced by the Building America program and other building science resources used to support this Solution Center. The materials cover both new construction and existing homes. Use the search box and/or the filters to explore hundreds of residential building resources. Access to some references not produced by Building America may require purchase from the publisher. Documents are listed alphabetically. While we continually update our database, links may have changed since posting. Please contact our webmaster if you find broken links.

Showing results 51 - 100 of 122

Guide for Team Leaders to Help Disaster Victims Get Back to a Healthy Home

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration,
Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes
Organization(s)
HUD,
CDC,
EPA,
FEMA,
OSHA
Publication Date
Guidance from HUD for volunteer team leaders, project managers and supervisors who work in recovery and rebuilding after natural disasters.

Heat Pump Water Heaters in Small Spaces Lab Testing: “The Amazing Shrinking Room”

Author(s)
Larson Sam,
Larson Ben
Organization(s)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
NEEA,
Cascade Engineering Services,
Larson Energy Research
Publication Date
Report describing a laboratory assessment that provides insights into space requirements and venting strategies for heat pump water heaters (HPWH) to enhance retrofit installations and provide actionable guidance for manufacturers, designers, engineers, installers, and owners.

Heat.gov

Author(s)
National Integrated Heat Health Information System,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Organization(s)
NOAA,
NIHHIS
Publication Date
Federal webpage providing information regarding extreme heat and health for the United States.

Heating and Cooling With a Heat Pump

Author(s)
Natural Resources Canada
Organization(s)
Natural Resources Canada
Publication Date
Report providing information for HVAC designers, installers, and consumers about air source heat pumps.

How to Insulate Your Basement

Author(s)
Mathews Erin
Organization(s)
This Old House
Publication Date
An article and video of a breakdown on the preparation and installation of basement insulation.

HVAC Sizing Tool

Author(s)
BetterBuilt Northwest,
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Organization(s)
BetterBuiltNW,
NEEA
Publication Date
Software tool available free online that can help calculate heating and cooling requirements to accurately size HVAC equipment in as little as 15 minutes.

Improving The Passive Survivability of Residential Buildings During Extreme Heat Events in the Pacific Northwest

Author(s)
Rempel Alexandra,
Danis Jackson,
Rempel Alan,
Fowler Michael,
Mishra Sandipan
Organization(s)
Applied Energy,
National Science Foundation,
NSF
Publication Date
Study using simulations to understand the impact that shading and natural ventilation would have had on the survivability of non-air-conditioned buildings during the 2021 heat wave in the Pacific Northwest.

Installer's Guide - Ductless Heat Pumps for Cold Climates

Author(s)
BetterBuilt Northwest,
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Organization(s)
BetterBuiltNW,
NEEA
Publication Date
Factsheet describing techniques for installing ductless heat pumps in cold climate locations.

Introduction to the National Seismic Hazard Maps

Author(s)
U.S. Geological Survey,
Earthquake Hazards Program
Organization(s)
USGS
Publication Date
Website providing a probabilistic map of the expected number of damaging earthquakes around the U.S.

Introduction to the National Seismic Hazard Maps

Author(s)
U.S. Geological Survey
Organization(s)
USGS
Publication Date
Website providing a probabilistic map of the expected number of damaging earthquakes around the U.S.

Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, ASCE/SEI 7-16

Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE,
SEI
Publication Date
Standard using performance-based principles to determine dead, live, soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, earthquake, wind, and fire loads, and their combinations for general structural design. This version of the standard was published in the year 2016 and is available in both digital...

Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, ASCE/SEI 7-22

Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE,
SEI
Publication Date
Standard using performance-based principles to determine dead, live, soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, seismic, and wind loads, and their combinations for general structural design. The current version of this standard was published in the year 2022 and is available in both digital...

Mulching to Improve Soil Health, E484A

Author(s)
Sabata,
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
USDA
Publication Date
Article describing mulch requirements and benefits.

Mulching with Lawn Clippings

Author(s)
Garden City Harvest
Organization(s)
Garden City Harvest
Publication Date
Article describing mulching with lawn clippings.

Mulching Your Trees and Landscapes

Author(s)
University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service
Organization(s)
University of Tennessee
Publication Date
Pamphlet describing different types of mulches and their benefits.

National Fenestration Rating Council Certified Products Directory

Author(s)
National Fenestration Rating Council
Organization(s)
NFRC
Publication Date
Database from the National Fenestration Rating Council providing a directory of NFRC-certified window products searchable by manufacturer, product type, CPD number, or various NFRC label specifications.

National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) Viewer

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Online geospatial map with interactive viewer showing flood risk areas and base flood elevations

National Flood Insurance Technical Bulletins

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Resources describing the National Flood Insurance Program's technical bulletins for flood zone construction, including foundation walls, corrosion protection, floodproofing, and breakaway walls among other topics.

Natural Ventilation

Author(s)
Energy Saver
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
DOE Energy Saver webpage providing a brief summary of natural ventilation for houses.

NFRC Certified Products Directory

Author(s)
National Fenestration Rating Council
Organization(s)
NFRC
Publication Date
Database of NFRC rated windows.

North American Fenestration Standard/Specification for Windows, Doors, and Skylights

Author(s)
American National Standards Institute,
Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance,
American Architectural Manufacturers Association,
Window & Door Manufacturers Association,
Canadian Standards Association
Organization(s)
ANSI,
FGIA,
AAMA,
WDMA,
CSA
Publication Date
Standard/specification establishing requirements for fenestration products to be referenced by model codes.

Particulate Matter

Author(s)
American Lung Association
Organization(s)
ALA
Publication Date
American Lung Association web page providing information on particulate matter and indoor air quality.

Passive Cooling

Author(s)
Smarter Homes NZ
Organization(s)
Smarter Homes NZ
Publication Date
Article from Smarter Homes NZ on home building techniques that incorporate passive cooling.

Passive Design

Author(s)
Green Home Technology Center
Organization(s)
Ohio State University Extension,
OSU
Publication Date
Website providing guidance on passive heating, cooling, and lighting methods.

Passive Solar Design

Author(s)
Williams College
Organization(s)
Williams College
Publication Date
Article from Williams College on the key elements of passive solar design for homes.

Permeable Pavement

Author(s)
City of Mercer Island
Organization(s)
City of Mercer Island
Publication Date
Brochure describing what permeable pavement is, where to install it, and how to maintain it.

Plug-In Heat Pump Water Heaters: An Early Look to 120-Volt Products

Author(s)
Larson Ben,
Larson Sam
Organization(s)
Larson Energy Research,
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
NEEA
Publication Date
Report describing a laboratory assessment on the performance of Rheem 120-volt heat pump water heaters (HPWH), aimed at identifying optimal installation locations for these new "plug-in" models based on comprehensive testing under various conditions.

Preparedness Webinars

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Database describing FEMA preparedness webinars including natural hazard preparedness.

Proper Mulching

Author(s)
Fayetteville NC
Organization(s)
Fayetteville NC
Publication Date
Pamphlet describing proper mulching around trees and problems and benefits associated with mulching.

Rammed Earth Construction

Author(s)
First in Architecture
Organization(s)
First in Architecture
Publication Date
Article describing rammed earth construction

Rebuild Healthy Homes App - (IOS)

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Organization(s)
HUD
Publication Date
App developed by HUD to assist homeowners with lead paint and other hazards common to older homes.

Residential Buildings: Foundations

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Website describing the U.S. Department of Energy's residential buildings program.

Residential Toilets

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Resource that differentiates products in the marketplace that meet WaterSense requirements.

SelecTree: A Tree Selection Guide

Author(s)
Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute,
California Polytechnic State University
Organization(s)
UFEI,
Cal Poly
Publication Date
Website tool that can search for trees by name or characteristics and retrieve data describing tree attributes including site preferences and general characteristics and considerations.

Sizing and Building a Battery Bank

Author(s)
Global Technology and Information Services
Organization(s)
SIL International,
GTIS
Publication Date
Web page describing the basics of how to size and build a battery bank for electricity storage.

Standard 62.2-2022 - Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Residential Buildings, ANSI/ASHRAE

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
American National Standards Institute
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
ANSI
Publication Date
Standard that describes the minimum requirements for residential buildings to achieve acceptable indoor air quality via dwelling-unit ventilation, local mechanical exhaust, and source control. This version of the standard was published in the year 2022, and is available for preview and purchase at...

Storm Windows

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
ENERGY STAR webpage describing the benefits of storm windows and a link to a product list.

Storm Windows Key Product Criteria

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Webpage providing an ENERGY STAR climate zone map and criteria for ENERGY STAR storm windows per climate zone.

Suggested Emergency Food Supplies

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Organization(s)
USDHS
Publication Date
Article describing suggested food supplies, sanitation, safety, and cooking for during and after an emergency.

The Corsi-Rosenthal Box

Author(s)
Burnes Roberta
Organization(s)
Kentucky Department of Air Quality
Publication Date
Presentation describing how to make a Corsi-Rosenthal Box for air cleaning.

The Energy In Modular (EMOD) Buildings Method, A Guide To Energy-Efficient Design For Industrialized Construction Of Modular Buildings

Author(s)
Pless Shanti,
Podder Ankur,
Kaufman Zoe,
Klammer Noah,
Dennehy Conor,
Muthumanickam Naveen Kumar,
Rothgeb Stacey,
Louis Joseph,
Swanson Colby,
Wallace Heather,
Blazek Cedar
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Oregon State University,
Momentum Innovation Group,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report describing use of the Energy in Modular (EMOD) method to design, produce, and deliver affordable, net-zero energy, low-carbon, and healthier buildings through industrialized (factory) construction of modular buildings; modeling of whole buildings and subassemblies of components, pods, panels...

Thermally Broken Balconies

Author(s)
Haberli Marc,
Collins Cillian
Organization(s)
Perkins & Will
Publication Date
Technical report describing the impact of thermal bridging in balcony connections, presenting alternative design strategies, performance analyses, and case studies to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in building envelopes.