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Guides A-Z

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Above Deck Rigid Foam Insulation for Existing Roofs

This guide provides information about installing Insulating sheathing above the roof deck on existing homes. This retrofit assembly is appropriate for homes with conditioned attics or where the retrofit is intended to create a conditioned attic.

Advanced Framing Overview

Advanced framing is a collection of strategies used to reduce the amount of lumber in walls which allows more room for insulation and thus decreases the heat loss and gain as well as lumber costs. Traditional wall framing often uses more studs and thus more lumber than necessary to support the...

Air Handler Closet Retrofit

Guide describing repair and reconfiguration of air handler closet and platform when replacing air handler.

Air Leakage Testing Garage to House Air Barrier

Guide describing how to properly test the air barrier between the garage and house, and how to ensure the air barrier is tight enough to prevent garage air from entering the home.

Air Sealed, Insulated Basements

Guide describing how to insulate a basement to improve the overall thermal performance of the building and provide more dry, usable conditioned space for home occupants and for HVAC equipment.

Air Sealing Multifamily Party Walls

Guide describing how to air seal the gap between the drywall shaft wall (i.e., common wall) and the structural framing between units in multifamily housing.

Anti-Freeze – Solar Hot Water

This measure guide describes basic steps for designing and installing an indirect (anti-freeze) solar hot water system.

Asphalt Shingle Roofs

Guide discussing disaster resistance related to asphalt shingle roofing when installing roofing on new construction or when repairing or replacing roofing on existing homes.

Attic Eave Minimum Insulation

Guide providing information about constructing a roof with full insulation at the eaves, and insulating eaves in existing homes.

Attic Knee Walls

This guides describes how to insulate and air seal attic knee walls and floor joist cavities under knee walls.

Attic Radiant Barriers

Guide describing application of a radiant barrier layer in the attic to block radiant heat transfer between hot surfaces and heat-absorbing surfaces.

Attic Ventilation Fans

Guide describing the use of attic ventilation fans to mechanically pull outside air through the attic in an attempt to cool the attic, control moisture, and prevent ice dams.

Automatic Gas Shutoff Valves

Guide describing different types of gas shutoff valves to shutoff the flow of natural gas into a home to stop gas spills due to an accident or natural disaster.

Basement Blanket Insulation

Guide describing Installing blanket fiberglass insulation on the interior walls of a conditioned, unfinished basement as an alternative to best practice solutions.

Bathroom Exhaust Fans

Guide describing how to install a bathroom fan to remove excess moisture, cleaning chemical fumes, etc.

Bathroom Fan Ratings

Guide describing the bathroom exhaust fan ENERGY STAR rating requirements.

Bathroom Faucets

Guide describing how to install WaterSense® labeled bathroom faucets and accessories.

Cantilevered Floor

Guide describing how to air seal and insulate a cantilevered floor.

Chimneys Connected to Roof Structure

Guide providing information about flashing around a chimney to protect the intersection of the roof and chimney walls from water intrusion and anchoring of a chimney to prevent collapse in high winds.

Clay or Concrete Tile Roofs

Guide discussing disaster resistance related to clay or concrete tile roofing when installing roofing on new construction or when repairing or replacing roofing on existing homes.

Clothes Washers

Guide describing how to install efficient clothes washers in new and existing homes.

Combustion Furnaces

Guide describing combustion furnaces with compliance and installation guidance.

Compact Air Distribution

Guide describing design and installation of compact duct systems for central heating and cooling systems.

Condensing Boilers

Guide describing condensing boilers and hot water heat distribution systems used for home heating.

Continuous Rigid Insulation Sheathing

This guide describes installation procedures for continuous rigid insulation to help provide thermal protection and reduce thermal bridging; depending on the product it may also serve as structural sheathing, or the moisture control layer.

Cool Roofs and Walls to Reduce Heat Gain

Guide providing information on how cool roofing and wall cladding surfaces work, which climates can most benefit from them, and how to find and select cool roofing and wall cladding products.

Core and Manifold Plumbing

Guide describing effective ways to distribute hot water using either a core (compact) plumbing layout or a central homerun manifold piping system.

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.

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

To minimize flood risks with new construction, homes should be built on high ground outside of high-risk flood areas and above the base flood elevation (BFE). New homes should be constructed in conformance with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and local floodplain management regulations...

Design for Extreme Heat

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