BASC Search | Building America Solution Center

Hot Spot: Closed Crawlspace - Installing Wall Insulation

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Video from Home Innovation Research Labs on installing different insulation types in a closed crawlspace foundation.

Instead of solid timber headers over windows, the headers can be insulated by using a sheet of plywood or one piece of solid timer on the exterior with a layer of insulation to the inside.

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Instead of solid timber headers over windows, insulated headers can be used consisting of prefabricated structural insulated panels or site-fabricated with two sheets of plywood sandwiching a layer of rigid foam.

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Impact Resistance of Advanced Framed Wall Systems with Insulating Sheathing as the Primary Sheathing, RR-0603

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Research study describing the impact resistance performance of advanced framed wall systems with insulating sheathing as the primary sheathing from wind blown debris.

Conventional three-stud corner leaves a cavity that must be insulated by the framers—not good.

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Example of the advanced framing technique, double-stud wall cavity, which will later be filled with blown insulation

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Ladder blocking where exterior walls intersect interior walls provides more space for insulation and reduces thermal bridging.

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Using dry wall clips or a 1x nailer strip to avoid the third stud in corners provides more room for insulation and reduces lumber.

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Advanced framing details include open headers and reduced framing around windows and two-stud corners to allow more room for insulation in the wall cavities while reducing lumber costs.

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Advanced Framing vs Traditional Framing

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Video describing traditional 2x4 16 inch on center framing versus advanced framing with 2x6 stud walls at 24 inch on center, insulated corners and headers, wall stud-ceiling joist alignment, etc. providing a strong wall with more room for insulation.

Equivalency of SIP Walls to Light Frame Wood Construction Subjected to Seismic Loading

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Article in the SIPA Technical Bulletin (No. 11) comparing the earthquake resistance of light-frame wood shear wall construction to residential construction with structural insulated panels (SIPS).

2021 IECC Climate Zone 3A: Unvented Attic, 2x6 Wall, Monolithic Slab on Grade

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Wall Assembly | Madrona Passive House

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Video describing the wall assembly of a passive house.

High Performance Building Details - Advanced Framing II

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Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

BSC Information - Common Advanced Framing Details for All Climates, Sheet 201

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Brochure explaining the essential basis for advanced framing and some of the more common advanced framing details.

Advanced Wall Framing

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Fact sheet describing advanced framing techniques that reduce the amount of lumber used in constructing wood-framed houses while providing more space for wall insulation.