BASC Search | Building America Solution Center

Right – This builder installs 1 inch of XPS rigid foam on the exterior of the 2x6 walls then covers the foam with ½-inch plywood sheathing, which serves as a nailing surface for siding and trim.

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The slab floor in this multistory multifamily building is continuous, providing the interior floors and balcony floors; rigid foam placed in gaps in the slab at the exterior wall helps to reduce thermal bridging

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IECC Climate Zone 2A: Unvented Attic with Spray Foam at Roof Deck, 2x6 Wall/CMU Wall, Elevated Slab

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IECC Climate Zone 2A: Unvented Attic with Spray Foam at Roof Deck, 2x6 Wall/CMU Wall, Elevated Slab

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Residential Buildings: Foundations

Reference

Website describing the U.S. Department of Energy's residential buildings program.

Polyethylene Over Aggregate

CAD File

Waverly Addition Conditioned Crawl Space

Video

Video describing the conditioned crawl space of a residential home addition project.

Right - This foil-faced polyisocyanurate rigid foam is installed on an existing exterior wall and the seams are taped so the rigid foam can serve as a water control layer

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Closed-cell foam is sprayed into roof cavities along the masonry parapet wall to form a continuous air barrier between the wall and the sheathing of the flat roof

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The basement walls’ interior framing is set in 3 inches from the concrete to allow space for closed-cell foam that is sprayed directly on the concrete, then blown cellulose is added to fill the wall cavity.

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Masonry wall interior retrofit with fluid-applied water control layer, mineral wool rigid foam, and wood or metal stud service cavity (climate zones 1-4 only)

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Right – Closed-cell polyurethane foam is sprayed on the underside of the roof deck to provide structural connections and seal seams in the sheathing to increase wind resistance

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Building Science Education 3.1: First Law of Thermodynamics

Presentation

Video that introduces the First Law of Thermodynamics and how it can be used to analyze how energy moves in and around buildings.

Building Science Education 3.5: Area Calculations

Presentation

Video that explains how to calculate the cross sectional area and net area of a building's walls, which are concepts that are necessary for analyzing the heat transfer.

Rigid foam is installed behind the brick veneer, at the slab edge and perimeter, and down the interior of the stem wall to thermally isolate the concrete floor slab from the stem wall

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Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County, Lake Worth, Florida

Case Study

Case study describing an energy efficient retrofit project in hot-humid climates.

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Pine Mountain Builders, Pine Mountain, Georgia

Case Study

Case study describing a builder in Georgia that designs energy-efficient homes for a green community, yielding homes with HERS scores as lowas 59 and electric bills as low as $50 a month.

Building America Top Innovations 2013: Zero Energy-Ready Single-Family Homes

Case Study

Case study describing a 2013 DOE Building America Top Innovation about construction of net-zero energy ready homes, by several builders working with various DOE Building America research partners including Steven Winter Associates, Building Science Corporation, Home Innovation Research Labs, IBACOS...