Guides A-Z

Guide describing how to insulate and air-seal dropped ceilings and soffits to prevent air leakage.

Guide describing how to conduct duct leakage tests on all components of the HVAC system (including the air handler, ductwork, register boxes/boots, and all air devices such as diffusers, registers, or grilles).

Guide describing how to install ducted returns in bedroom walls to balance air pressures between rooms and to enable stale air to return to a central heating system's air handler for reconditioning even when room doors are closed.

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

Guide describing buried ducts in loose-fill attic insulation, a method that can only be used in dry climates.

Guide describing approaches to burying 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.

Guide describing the use of electronically commutated motors (ECMs) in HVAC central air handler fans to reduce power consumption compared to a single-stage fan motor.

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.