Guides A-Z

Guide describing ductless heat pump systems used for single-room or whole-house heating and cooling.

This guides describes buried ducts in loose-fill attic insulation, a method that can only be used in dry climates.

This guide describes approaches to buryng and encapsulating ducts in unconditioned attics to increase the overall R-value of duct insulation.

Guide describing method for installing ducts in a duct chase above a dropped ceiling.

Guide for designing and installing interior ducts in an interstitial floor cavity in new and existing homes.

Guide describing method for designing and installing ducts in a raised ceiling chase.

Home owners who use an HVAC system with a central air handler fan can realize significant energy savings by using a fan with an electronically commutated (ECM) motor (see Figure 1). Savings will be even larger for homeowners who run the HVAC fan continuously or frequently to filter the air or to...

Guide describing methods for providing space cooling and refrigeration during extreme heat events and/or power outages.

Guide describing space planning for emergency supplies storage.

Guide that illustrates how and when to encapsulate ductwork in unconditioned attics, increases the R-value of duct insulation, mitigating condensation issues and reducing air leakage.

Guide describing how to use a blower door test to determine building envelope air leakage.

Guide describing methods for short-term control of erosion during construction and long-term measures for controlling erosion on sloped sites or sites with river banks or shore lines.

This guide describes evaporative cooling technologies which can be used to cool homes in dry climates.

Guide describing how to upgrade or expand an existing HVAC system.

Guide describing how to repair or replace skylights in existing homes.

Guide describing the use of doors that are insulated and are impact rated or have protective coverings for resistance to hurricane, high winds, wildfires and thermal losses.

Guide describing how to install slab edge insulation when retrofitting existing slab-on-grade foundations.

Guide describing how to insulate a new foundation wall or an existing foundation wall by adding rigid insulation to the exterior side.

Guide describing wall assemblies and materials that are resistant to destruction from wildfires.

Guide describing how to provide combustion air for fireplaces and how to test fireplaces for combustion safety.

Guide describing how to apply flashing to the bottom of exterior walls to create a continuous drainage plane.

Guide describing how to provide a continuous water control layer across the roof assembly by sealing all penetrations for pipes, vents, etc. in existing roofs.

Guide describing how to install and properly integrate flashing at the intersection of the wall and roof on an existing home.

Guide describing how to install flashing that is integrated with air and water control layers around piping, vents, and other wall penetrations as part of an exterior wall retrofit.

Guide describing how to design or retrofit a crawlspace to reduce the risk of damage during a flood event.

Guide describing how to construct flood-resistant homes using pier, pile, post, or column foundations.

Guide describing ways to construct a raised-slab foundation to increase a home's resistance to floods.

Guide describing how to create an air barrier between the garage and the conditioned space above it to prohibit pollutants from entering a home's interior.

Guide describing how to air seal and insulate the floor above an unconditioned basement or crawl space.

Guide describing construction of gable roof overhangs to resist uplift pressures in high winds.

Guide describing fuel tank anchoring practices for disaster resistance.

Guide describing the air sealing of rim joists on walls connecting homes and attached garages.

Guide describing gas-fired boilers and hot water heat distribution systems used for home heating.

Guide describing how to install a tankless hot water heater in a new or existing home to provide domestic hot water that is heated on demand without the standby losses associated with tank storage water heaters

Guide providing information about ground-source (geothermal) heat pumps including an overview of technology and guidance on compliance and installation.

Guide describing the installation of gutters, downspouts, and alternate options for managing rainwater run-off from roofs.

This guide provides information about heat pump water heaters.

Guide describing lighting choices and installation procedures in new and existing homes.

This guide describes the uses, selection process, and specification of high-MERV filters.

Guide providing information about high-performance and high-efficiency windows including ENERGY STAR-certified windows.

Guide describing materials and methods for incorporating thermal mass into the construction of a home for temperature regulation, energy savings, and resistance to extreme heat and cold.

Guide describing the advantages and disadvantages of gable roof and hip roofs and how both designs react under high wind loads.

Guide describing the use of building cavities as supply or return ducts.

Guide describing different options for providing seismic and thermal resistance for homes with basement foundations, crawlspace foundations, or crawlspace foundations with a "cripple" wall.