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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 2251 - 2300 of 2340

West Village Community: Quality Management Processes and Preliminary Heat Pump Water Heater Performance

Author(s)
Dakin Bill,
Backman Christine,
Hoeschele Marc,
German Alea
Organization(s)
ARBI,
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report evaluating performance/efficiency of central heat pump water heaters and quality assurance/quality control processes in system startup, operation and efficiency program participation.

Westford House, BSI-018

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report describing sloped roof assemblies with high levels of thermal performance.

What Are Seismic Shut-Off Valves?

Author(s)
MBS Engineering
Organization(s)
MBS Engineering
Publication Date
An informational guide established to educate the public on seismic shut-off valves and how to avoid fires following an earthquake.

What are the Connections between Mercury and CFLs?

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
A website explaining the connection between using compact fluorescent lightbulbs and the amount of mercury released into the environment.

What is a Contract?

Author(s)
State of California Department of Consumer Affairs
Organization(s)
State of California
Publication Date
Webpage outlining the definition of contracts and how they function

What is a Cool Exterior Wall?

Author(s)
Cool Roof Rating Council
Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Web page explaining what a cool exterior wall is and how they work, as well as benefits to their use and links to research studies.

What is a Cool Roof?

Author(s)
Cool Roof Rating Council
Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Web page explaining what a cool roof is and how they work, as well as benefits to their use and links to research studies.

What is a Levee?

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Document describing what levees are, how they work, and who owns them.

What Is a Seismic Shut-Off Valve?

Author(s)
MBS Engineering
Organization(s)
MBS Engineering
Publication Date
Infographic explaining what a seismic shut-off valve is and providing frequently asked questions.

What Is a Weep Hole and Its Purpose?

Author(s)
Krejci Cassie,
Muncaster John
Organization(s)
Polyguard
Publication Date
An article describing a way to protect drain and ventilation holes in brick veneer siding against pests. Selecting a fine screen mesh opening (1/55-inch or 0.5-mm) is important to guard against small insects such as subterranean termites.

What Makes it Energy Star? Performance Criteria

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Information sheet outlining the criteria for ENERGY STAR qualified, windows, doors, and skylights.

What to Do if a Wildfire is Approaching

Author(s)
IBHS DisasterSafety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Guidelines from IBHS on modifications to homes to prepare for a wildfire if evacuation orders are anticipated for the area.

What's Wrong with My Home? The Simple Answer May Be...You

Author(s)
Puttagunta Srikanth
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Information sheet discussing the differences between homeowner energy consumption trends in highly efficient homes.

What’s Wrong With This Practice? Undercutting Doors, Info-804

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Article discussing the risks that can occur from undercutting bedroom doors to provide return airflow from bedrooms, as well as corrective measures that can be taken to address these risks.

When should I worry about snow accumulation on the roof?

Author(s)
Cold Climate Housing Research Center
Organization(s)
CCHRC
Publication Date
Webpage describing how different amounts and types of snow loads affect the structural integrity of roofs and homes.

Where Tornadoes Happen

Author(s)
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Center for Science Education
Organization(s)
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Center for Science Education
Publication Date
A heat map showing the average number of tornadoes per year across the United States

Where Your Front Door Meets the Forest

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Organization(s)
USDA
Publication Date
Webpage describing the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and how to plan residential building to mitigate wildfire risks associated with building in the WUI.

Which Spray Foam is Right For You?

Author(s)
Zoeller William
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Information sheet about insulation materials.

Who's Leading: The Dance Between Mini-Splits and Existing HVAC Systems

Author(s)
Metzger Cheryn E
Publication Date
Conference paper presented at the 2020 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings presenting the results of an evaluation of control strategies used when new mini-splits are installed in a home with an existing HVAC system.

Whole Home Tankless Gas Water Heaters

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
A factsheet providing information on ENERGY STAR certified gas tankless water heaters with information on how they cut water heating expenses while providing a continuous delivery of hot water.

Whole House Fan Technology Fact Sheet

Author(s)
Southface Energy Institute,
ORNL
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Brochure about how to install and use a whole-house fan.

Whole House Fans

Author(s)
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Organization(s)
PG&E
Publication Date
Technical fact sheet describing proper operation, sizing, and installation of whole-house fans.

Whole House Mechanical Ventilation: A South Chicago Case Study

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report summarizing results from a case study about whole-house mechanical ventilation systems in Chicago.

Why Add a Tank to a Tankless Water Heater?

Author(s)
Chandler Michael
Organization(s)
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Publication Date
Article about one way to deal with the cold-water surprise effect of tankless water heaters.

Why Expansion Tanks Need to be Understood

Author(s)
Eatherton Mark
Organization(s)
Contractor Magazine
Publication Date
Article explaining the importance of expansion tank knowledge.

Why Seal and Insulate?

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Introductory guide to air sealing the envelope of a home to reduce wasted energy and save on energy costs.

Why We Need to Know More About Basement Moisture

Author(s)
Cheple Marilou,
Huelman Patrick H
Organization(s)
University of Minnesota,
ASHRAE,
ORNL,
NorthernSTAR,
NSTAR,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Publication Date
Conference paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Thermal Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings describing moisture from basements and crawlspaces as a source of indoor humidity and providing recommendations for finishing below-grade spaces to limit potential indoor...

Wildfire codes and standards

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
Website containing links to key wildfire codes and standards.

Wildfire Hazard Potential

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Organization(s)
USDA
Publication Date
Webpage from USDA and U.S. Forest Service with a map of potential wildfire risk across the U.S.

Wildfire Home Retrofit Guide

Author(s)
Restaino Christina,
Kocher Susan,
Shaw Nicole,
Hawks Steven,
Murphy Carlie,
Quarles Stephen L
Organization(s)
University of Nevada Reno Extension,
University of California Cooperative Extension,
Tahoe Resource Conservation District,
Cal Fire
Publication Date
Guide from University of Nevada, Reno Extension providing specific recommendations for how to retrofit existing homes for wildfire resilience.

Wildfire Operations: Wildfire Science

Author(s)
Canada Government of Northwest Territories Department of Environment and Climate Change
Organization(s)
GNWT ECC
Publication Date
Website describing how wildfires spread and how fuels, weather, and topography influence fires.

Wildfire Operations: Wildfire Science

Author(s)
Canada Government of Northwest Territories Department of Environment and Climate Change
Organization(s)
GNWT ECC
Publication Date
Webpage describing the behavior of wildfires.

Wildfire Public Policy

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage describing ways builders and communities an reduce wildfire risk.

Wildfire Ready

Author(s)
DisasterSafety.org
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
A webpage providing guidance on increasing the wildfire resistance of a home.

Wildfire Risk to Communities

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Organization(s)
USDA,
USDA Forest Service
Publication Date
A website created by the U.S. Forest Service, containing interactive maps, charts and resources to help communities explore their risk to wildfires.

Wildfire Smoke Impacts on Residential IAQ

Author(s)
Antonopoulos Chrissi A,
Emmerich Steven,
Karg Rick,
Singer Brett C
Organization(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
ASHRAE
Publication Date
Article describing the impacts of wildfire smoke on indoor air quality and some ways ASHRAE is responding.

Wildfire Statistics

Author(s)
Congressional Research Service
Organization(s)
CRS
Publication Date
Fact sheet providing recent statistics on wildfires in the U.S.

Wildfire-Resistant Buildings

Author(s)
Journal of Light Construction
Organization(s)
Journal of Light Construction
Publication Date
Article describing ways to design and construct a building to resist wildfires.

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)

Author(s)
U.S. Fire Administration
Organization(s)
U.S. Fire Administration
Publication Date
Webpage from USFA compiling resources from across the U.S. on Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) information.

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Products

Author(s)
CAL FIRE Fire Engineering Division
Organization(s)
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection,
Cal Fire,
CAL FIRE - Office of the State Fire Marshal,
CAL FIRE - OSFM
Publication Date
A list of exterior building products and materials approved for use in wildland urban interface zoned homes. These products are non-combustible or ignition-resistant.

Wildland Urban Interface Construction Shasta County

Author(s)
Department of Resource Management Building Division
Organization(s)
County of Shasta California
Publication Date
An example of wildland urban interface construction requirements for new buildings built in very high fire risk zones/areas.