Guides A-Z

Guide describing installation of sump pumps in the basement or crawlspace of a home.

Guide describing installation of a fully sealed continuous weather resistant barrier to provide a drainage plane to keep rainwater out of above-grade walls.

Guide describing EPA WaterSense requirements for drinking water treatment systems including water softeners.

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.

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 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.

This guide provides criteria and installation guidance for ENERGY STAR windows.

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 impact rated or have protective coverings in hurricane and high wind zones.

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 how to properly grade a site so water will flow away from the foundation.

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 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 how to help drain water away from the perimeter footing.

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 garage doors that are pressure-rated to withstand wind pressures from hurricanes, high winds, and tornados.

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

Guide describing sizing and installation of foundation heat exchangers, which can be connected to a heat pump system used for spacing conditioning as well as domestic water heating.

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