Guides A-Z | Building America Solution Center

Decks are Wildfire-Resistant

Guide describing how to properly construct decks and other building attachments to be resistant to ignition in the event of a wildfire.

Defensible Space for Protection Against Wildfires

Guide describing how to effectively create defensible space between a residence and potential wildfire fuels in high-risk fire hazard areas.

Demand Plumbing

Guide describing the use of recirculation pumps to speed the flow of hot water to faucets for reduced wait times and savings in energy and water usage.

Design and Retrofit for Flood Protection

Information guide describing constructed flood protection measures to minimize damage and increase structural resilience during a flood.

Design for Extreme Heat

Information guide describing ways to design a home to be resistant to extreme heat.

Direct Vent Equipment

Guide describing categories of direct-vent combustion space- and water-heating equipment and combustion safety testing.

Disaster-Resistant Roof Venting

Guide describing the installation of roof vents that are resistant to damage from high winds and entry of wind-borne rain, wildfire embers, or pests.

Dishwashers

Guide describing how to install dishwashers in new and existing homes.

Distributed Heat Pump Water Heaters for Multifamily Buildings

Guide describing strategies for effectively utilizing integrated consumer heat pump water heaters (HPWH) in multifamily buildings.

Double Walls for More Insulation

Guide describing construction and insulation techniques for double wall framing.

Double-Wall Architectural Feature

Guide describing air barrier installation, insulation installation, and air-sealing for double walls (half or full walls included in a home design as an architectural feature that provides a more dimensional appearance).

Drain Back – Solar Hot Water

Guide describing basic steps for designing a drainback solar hot water system.

Drain or Sump Pump Installed in Basements or Crawlspaces

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

Drainage Plane Behind Exterior Wall Cladding

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

Drinking Water Treatment Systems

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

Dropped Ceiling/Soffit Below Unconditioned Attic

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

Duct Leakage to Outdoors

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).

Ducted Returns

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.

Ductless (Mini-Split) Heat Pumps

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

Ducts Buried in Attic Insulation

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

Ducts Buried in Attic Insulation and Encapsulated

Guide describing approaches to burying and encapsulating ducts in unconditioned attics to increase the overall R-value of duct insulation.

Ducts in Dropped Ceilings

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

Ducts in Interstitial Floor Framing

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

Ducts in Raised Ceiling Sections

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

Earthquake Overview

Overview guide describing how to prepare homes to be resistant to earthquake forces.

ECM Air Handler Fans

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.

Emergency Air Conditioning and Food Refrigeration

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

Emergency Supplies Storage

Guide describing space planning for emergency supplies storage.

Encapsulated Ducts

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.

Enclosure Leakage Test

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

Erosion Control for Slopes, Stream Banks, and Dunes

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.

Evaporative Cooling Systems

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

Existing HVAC System Upgrade or Expansion

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

Existing Skylights Repaired or Replaced and Fully Flashed

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

Exterior Doors Are Insulated, Impact Rated, and Fire Rated

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.

Exterior Edge Insulation for Existing Foundation Slabs

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

Exterior Insulation for Existing Foundation Walls

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

Extreme Heat Overview

Overview guide providing background information on extreme heat in the United States as it relates to homes and links to guides describing specific ways to make homes more resistant to extreme heat.

Final Grade Slopes Away from Foundation

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

Fire-Resistant Wall Assemblies

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

Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Have Proper Ventilation

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

Flashing at Bottom of Exterior Walls

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

Flashing of Penetrations in Existing Roofs

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.

Flashing of Roof-Wall Intersections in Existing Homes

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

Flashing of Wall Penetrations in Existing Homes

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.

Flood-Resistant Crawlspace Foundations

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

Flood-Resistant Pier, Pile, Post, and Column Foundations

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

Flood-Resistant Raised-Slab Foundations

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

Flooding Overview

Overview guide describing residential floodproofing steps.

Floor Above Garage

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.