BASC Search | Building America Solution Center

Attic Eave Minimum Insulation

Guide providing guidance on insulating attic eaves in new and existing single-family homes and multifamily buildings.

Sealed and Insulated Flex Ducts

Guide describing how to air seal and insulate flex ducts.

Blown Insulation for Existing Vented Attic

Guide describing how to insulate a vented attic in an existing home using blown insulation added to the attic floor.

Air Sealing and Insulating Ceilings in Vented Attics

Guide describing how to air-seal and insulate a ceiling where the insulation is installed on top of the ceiling (on the attic floor) in a vented attic.

Spray Foam Insulation Applied to Existing Attic Floor

Guide describing how to apply spray foam insulation to ceilings in existing homes.

Below Deck Spray Foam Insulation for Existing Roofs

Guide describing how to add spray foam insulation to the underside of the existing roof deck as part of the conversion of a vented attic to an unvented, insulated attic.

Rigid Foam Board Interior Insulation for Existing Foundation Walls

Guide describing how to insulate closed crawlspace walls and band joist areas with rigid foam board insulation.

Water Managed Roof – Re-roofing and Adding Insulation Over a Sloped Roof

Guide describing how to re-roof an existing home with a sloped and add insulation above the roof deck.

Retrofit an existing roof by installing rigid foam above the roof deck with a ventilation space between the rigid foam and the new roof sheathing plus new moisture and air control layers and cavity insulation in the roof rafters.

Plan view of exterior masonry brick wall retrofitted with furring strips, three layers of rigid mineral wool insulation staggered and taped at the seams, and topped with metal hat channel providing a ventilation gap surface to nail under the lap siding

Publication Date

Fri, 08/13/2021 - 12:00

This close-up of an exterior wall retrofit of a masonry brick home shows the fluid-applied water and air control layer (white), 2x4 furring strips and two layers of rigid foam insulation (pink), then 1x4 furring which provides a ventilation gap

Publication Date

Fri, 08/13/2021 - 12:00

Vented versus Unvented Attic

Guide describing options for designing and locating the thermal boundary at either the attic floor or along the roof line in new and existing homes.

Ceilings and Attics

Author(s)

Southface Energy Institute,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Organization(s)

ORNL,

SEI

Publication Date

February, 2000

Information sheet with information about insulating and ventilating attics.

Technology Solutions Case Study: Complete and Fully Aligned Air Barrier

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Organization(s)

PNNL

Publication Date

August, 2012

Case study describing the elimination of excessive humidity in the attic of a multi-floor, single-family home that was causing condensation and water damage along the roof and eaves.

Home Performance Assessment

Information guide describing how to apply a whole-house approach to home improvement with energy efficiency upgrades, improved indoor air quality, and increased comfort.

Calculating Design Heating Loads for Superinsulated Buildings, Ithaca NY

Author(s)

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

Steven Winter Associates

Organization(s)

CARB,

SWA

Publication Date

August, 2015

Case study describing heating loads for super-insulated buildings.

Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Washington, D.C.

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

Steven Winter Associates

Organization(s)

PNNL,

CARB,

SWA

Publication Date

September, 2009

Case study describing a retrofit project in Maryland.

Operation Helping Hands Green Dream 2 Prototype, New Orleans, Louisiana

Author(s)

Building Science Corporation

Organization(s)

BSC

Publication Date

July, 2010

Case study describing a building project in the hot-humid climate zone.

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Rural Development Inc.- Colrain: Near Zero Energy

Author(s)

Steven Winter Associates

Organization(s)

CARB,

SWA

Publication Date

February, 2009

Case study describing a retrofit project in the cold and very-cold climate zones.

Operation Helping Hands Green Dream 1 Home, New Orleans, Louisiana

Author(s)

Building Science Corporation

Organization(s)

BSC

Publication Date

April, 2009

Case study describing a building project in the hot-humid climate zone.

The New American Home 2011 Orlando, Florida

Author(s)

IBACOS,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Organization(s)

IBACOS,

NREL

Publication Date

December, 2010

Case study describing innovative technologies, construction techniques, products, and design trends in new home construction.

Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Habitat for Humanity South Sarasota County, Venice, Florida

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Organization(s)

PNNL

Publication Date

November, 2011

Case study describing a deep energy renovation of a home in Florida.

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Project Home Again Phase I

Author(s)

Building Science Corporation

Organization(s)

BSC

Publication Date

February, 2009

Case study describing a building project in the hot-humid climate zone.

Air Sealing Bathroom and Kitchen Exhaust Fans

Guide describing how to air-seal bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans.

Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: National Grid Deep Energy Retrofit Pilot Program - Clark Residence

Author(s)

Building Science Corporation

Organization(s)

BSC

Publication Date

March, 2010

Case study describing a retrofit project in the cold and very-cold climate zones.

Technology Solutions Case Study: Properly Sized and Located Return Air Inlets

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Organization(s)

PNNL

Publication Date

August, 2012

Case study describing how a properly designed duct system is essential for keeping a home comfortable, managing indoor air quality, and maximizing the performance of heating and cooling equipment.

BSC Information - Vapor Control Layer Recommendations for All Climates, Sheet 310

Author(s)

Building Science Corporation

Organization(s)

BSC

Publication Date

September, 2009

Information sheet providing recommendations on the installation of vapor control layers.

IRC FAQ: Conditioned Attics, GM-0905

Author(s)

Building Science Corporation

Organization(s)

BSC

Publication Date

May, 2009

Report discussing how to create livable space in the attic that meets IRC code requirements by either creating a ventilated roof assembly, or and unvented attic assembly.

Sealed Crawl Spaces with Integrated Whole-House Ventilation in a Cold Climate

Author(s)

Puttagunta Srikanth,

Zoeller William,

Williamson James

Organization(s)

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA

Publication Date

July, 2015

Report on hybrid ventilation methods for insulated and sealed crawl spaces.

Technology Solutions Case Study: Sealed Crawl Space with Integrated Whole-House Ventilation in a Cold Climate

Author(s)

Steven Winter Associates

Organization(s)

CARB,

SWA

Publication Date

October, 2015

Case study describing methods to seal crawl spaces in cold climate homes with integrated whole-house ventilation systems.

Moisture-Safe Unvented Wood Roof Systems, RR-1001

Author(s)

Smith John,

Smegal Jonathan,

Straube John

Organization(s)

University of Waterloo,

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Publication Date

April, 2010

Document describing a hygrothermal modeling study, including all of the US climate zones, a range of interior humidity levels and numerous arrangements and types of insulation.

Whole-House Fans

Guide describing the types of whole-house fans, installation details to reduce energy loss, and how to operate them for comfort and energy savings based on climate zone.

Radon Fan

Guide describing how to install a radon mitigation fan with various types of house foundations.

Building America Case Study Technology Solutions for Existing Homes: Concord Four Square Retrofit

Author(s)

Building Science Corporation

Organization(s)

BSC

Publication Date

January, 2012

Case study describing a four-square Concord home retrofitted by Building Science Corporation in Massachusetts.

Building America Case Study Technology Solutions for Existing Homes: Bedford Farmhouse High Performance Retrofit Prototype

Author(s)

Building Science Corporation

Organization(s)

BSC

Publication Date

December, 2013

Case study describing project conducted by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell (HfHGL) and Building Science Corporation (BSC).

The Performance Check Between Whole Building Thermal Performance Criteria and Exterior Wall Measured Clear Wall R-Value, Thermal Bridging, thermal mass and airtightness

Author(s)

Kosny Jan,

Christian Jeffrey E,

Desjarlais Andre O,

Kossecka Elisabeth,

Berrenberg Lance

Organization(s)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

Polish Academy of Sciences,

PAN,

American Polysteel Forms,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

June, 1998

Paper that illustrates a performance check between the thermal performance of a Massive Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) wall system mocked up and Whole Building Performance criteria such as total space heating and cooling loads (thermal comfort).

Technology Solutions Case Study: Sealed Air-Return Plenum Retrofit

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Organization(s)

PNNL

Publication Date

August, 2012

Case study describing the retrofit of a leaky air handler.

Calculating Attic Passive Ventilation

Information guide describing how to calculate attic passive ventilation with example calculations.

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Devoted Builders, LLC, Mediterranean Villas, Pasco, WA

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Organization(s)

PNNL

Publication Date

February, 2013

Case study describing 50% energy saving projects for new multifamily homes in cold climates.