BASC Search | Building America Solution Center

No insulation installed in cavity and not air sealed

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Inadequate amount of insulation installed with compression, misalignment, and voids

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Monitoring of Unvented Roofs with Fibrous Insulation, Diffusion Vents, and Interior Vapor Control in a Cold Climate

Reference

Report detailing a three-winter study on unvented roof assemblies in a cold climate, assessing insulation material, ridge diffusion vent presence, vapor control membranes, relative humidity, and interstitial airflow. Results indicate that utilizing air-permeable fibrous fill insulations in unvented...

Monitoring of Unvented Roofs with Fibrous Insulation, Diffusion Vents, and Interior Vapor Control in a Cold Climate

Reference

Report detailing a three-winter study on unvented roof assemblies in a cold climate, assessing insulation material, ridge diffusion vent presence, vapor control membranes, relative humidity, and interstitial airflow; results indicate that utilizing air-permeable fibrous fill insulations in unvented...

If HVAC duct must be installed in an exterior wall, separate it from the exterior with at least R-6 of continuous rigid insulation

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Wrong: open wall cavity connected to this return air plenum is allowing cellulose attic insulation to be pulled into the furnace

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HVAC ducts, cavities used as ducts, and combustion inlets and outlets may pass perpendicularly through exterior walls but shall not be run within exterior walls unless at least R-6 continuous insulation is provided on exterior side of the cavity

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Builders Challenge High Performance Builder Spotlight: David Weekley Homes, Houston, Texas

Case Study

Case study describing new home construction in the hot-humid climate, optimizing thermal enclosure, HVAC, water heating and lighting measures.

Building Code Training - Residential Thermal Envelope - Air Sealing

Presentation

Presentation describing the Georgia State Minimum Standard Energy Code air barrier requirements, envelope concepts including air flow and thermal properties, and common missed insulation and air-sealing opportunities.

HVAC Ducts Shall Not Be Run within Exterior Walls

Guide

Guide describing the use of building cavities as supply or return ducts.

Air Sealing Duct and Flue Shafts

Guide

Guide describing how to air-seal duct and flue shafts.

Form a sheet metal shield around the flue pipe

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Form sheet metal shield around pipe keeping 3-inch clearance

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Install wood framing cross pieces in the attic rafter bays on each side of the duct chase

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New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Insight Homes: Deep Creek, Seaford, Delaware

Case Study

Case study describing a home builder that has refined its home designs to achieve HERS scores of 49 to 56 on 40 to 70 homes per year.

Small Commercial Building Fact Sheet - Building Envelope

Reference

Fact sheet describing building envelope performance measures applicable to residential and small commercial construction.

Building America Best Practices Case Study Whole-House Solutions for New Homes - Artistic Homes, Albuquerque, NM

Reference

Case study about Artistic Homes of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the first home builder in the United States to offer true net zero energy construction to the average home buyer on every home it builds.

Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Deep Energy Retrofit in the Pacific Northwest

Case Study

Case study describing a whole-house, deep energy retrofit project in the marine climate.

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Tom Walsh & Co., New Columbia, Portland, OR

Case Study

Case study describing a new construction building project of 20 homes that earned HERS scores that represent greater than 50% energy savings in heating and cooling over the 2004 IECC.

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Nelson Construction: Hamilton Way, Farmington, CT

Case Study

Case study describing the design and testing of 10 high-performance homes in Farmington, Connecticut.