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This brief provides an overview of slab-on-grade insulation requirements, insulation protection, and flashing.

The intent of this brief is to provide code-related information about sealing and insulating existing walls in existing residential buildings to help ensure that the measures will be accepted as being in compliance with the code. Providing notes for code officials on how to conduct plan reviews and field inspections can provide jurisdictional officials with information for acceptance. Providing the same information to builders, contractors, designers, and others is expected to result in increased compliance and fewer innovations being questioned at the time of plan review and/or field inspection.

The intent of this brief is to provide code-related information about sealing and insulating existing vented attics to help ensure that the measure will be accepted as being in compliance with the code. Providing the same information to all interested parties (e.g., code officials, builders, contractors, designers, etc.) is expected to result in increased compliance and fewer innovations being questioned at the time of plan review and/or field inspection.

This brief provides an overview of the 2009 through 2015 IRC/IECC code requirements related to air sealing and insulating attached garage walls.

The intent of this brief is to provide code-related information about sealing and insulating crawl space walls in existing residential buildings to help ensure that the measures will be accepted as being in compliance with the code. Providing the same information to all interested parties (e.g., code officials, builders, contractors, designers, etc.) is expected to result in increased compliance and fewer innovations being questioned at the time of plan review and/or field inspection.

From a model code perspective, submittal of construction documentation, permitting, plan review, and field inspection may be required depending upon the specific details of renovating the floor above an unconditioned space (e.g., floor over a vented crawl space). Several different approaches can be taken to seal and insulate existing floors during a renovation project.

The intent of this brief is to provide code-related information about buried ducts in vented attics to help ensure that the measure will be accepted as being in compliance with the code. Providing notes for code officials on how to plan review and conduct field inspections can help provide jurisdictional officials with information for acceptance. Providing the same information to all builders, designers, and others is expected to result in increased compliance and fewer innovations being questioned at the time of plan review and/or field inspection.

New language in the 2015 IECC allows different installation of insulation in floors over unconditioned spaces.

Double stud wall wood framing is not specifically addressed in the International Residential Code (IRC) or International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); it is neither encouraged nor discouraged. Recommendations of where the vapor retarder and air barrier should be placed, based on research and testing are further defined in this Code Compliance Brief.

An entirely new section in the 2015 IECC/IRC regarding fuel-burning appliances basically requires the appliance to be isolated from the building thermal envelope, located either outside or within a separate room if the fuel-burning appliance is supplied by open combustion air ducts. This brief provides an overview of the requirements and further details of approving the actual "room".

Code-related information about recessed lighting.

This brief discusses the provisions in the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and International Residential Code (IRC) related to evaporative cooling.

The focus of this brief is on boiler efficiency, sizing requirements, controls, combustion air, and pipe insulation for the 2015 version of the IRC/IECC.

The intent of this brief is to provide code-related information about ductless mini-split heat pumps to help ensure that the measure will be accepted as being in compliance with the code.

Applicable codes and standards regarding heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) that are an energy-efficient alternative to electric resistance water heaters.