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Wrong – No air barrier installed between the walls and a larger gap between the walls that needs sealing

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Wrong – If the insulated sheathing will serve as an air barrier and drainage plane, any cuts and seams must be taped or sealed.

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Infrared thermography during depressurization testing reveals air leakage at corner of spray foam-insulated room where wood-to-wood seams in framing were not air sealed

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Right-- IR photo shows how effectively spray foam insulated/air sealed attic kneewall and the floor cavities under kneewall

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Construct exterior walls with insulated concrete forms (ICFs) that provide insulation without thermal bridging, as well as air sealing, a drainage plane, and high structural strength.

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Right – Structural insulated sheathing can provide racking strength (lateral load resistance), and serve as an air barrier and thermal barrier if installed according to manufacturer’s specifications with taped, sealed seams

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Right – This attic knee wall and the floor joist cavity openings beneath it are being sealed and insulated with spray foam.

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The attic kneewall and the open floor cavities under kneewall are both sealed and insulated in one step with spray foam insulation

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Other Exterior Walls

Video

Video describing how to properly air seal exterior walls.

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.

Technology Solutions Case Study: Preventing Thermal Bypass

Case Study

Case study describing techniques used to prevent thermal bypass in new homes.

Advanced Framing vs Traditional Framing

Video

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.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)

Video

Video describing structural insulated panels.

Builders Challenge Technology Information Packages - Cold Climate: Chicago

Case Study

Case study describing building in cold and very cold climates.

Options for Advanced Walls

Presentation

Webinar from Dan Wildenhaus of BetterBuiltNW explaining the critical components of an advanced wall assembly, walls that reduce thermal bridging, improve building tightness, and overall reduce UA levels. Free EEBA login required.

Building America Efficient Solutions for New Homes: Case Study: Concord Cape Prototype

Case Study

Case study describing a Concord Cape Cod style home designed in August 2008 by architects and engineers at Building Science Corporation, who developed the drawing set and specifications for the high performance custom home in Concord, Massachusetts.

Interior details of an insulated closed crawlspace

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New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Lancaster County Career and Technology Center Green Home 3 - Mount Joy, Pennsylvania

Case Study

Case study describing the Green Home 3 project, which achieved a 44% whole-house energy savings over the Building America New Construction B10 Benchmark, DOE Zero Energy Ready Home certification, and National Green Building Standard Gold-level certification.

Technology Solutions Case Study: Stand-Off Furring in Deep Energy Retrofits

Case Study

Case study describing a stand-off furring strategy that minimizes the physical connections to each existing wall stud, uses spray foam to encapsulate existing siding materials (including lead paint), and creates a vented rain screen assembly to promote drying.

Wrong – No air barrier installed between the walls and a larger gap between the walls that needs sealing

Wrong – If the insulated sheathing will serve as an air barrier and drainage plane, any cuts and seams must be taped or sealed.

Infrared thermography during depressurization testing reveals air leakage at corner of spray foam-insulated room where wood-to-wood seams in framing were not air sealed

Right-- IR photo shows how effectively spray foam insulated/air sealed attic kneewall and the floor cavities under kneewall

Construct exterior walls with insulated concrete forms (ICFs) that provide insulation without thermal bridging, as well as air sealing, a drainage plane, and high structural strength.

Right – Structural insulated sheathing can provide racking strength (lateral load resistance), and serve as an air barrier and thermal barrier if installed according to manufacturer’s specifications with taped, sealed seams

Right – This attic knee wall and the floor joist cavity openings beneath it are being sealed and insulated with spray foam.

The attic kneewall and the open floor cavities under kneewall are both sealed and insulated in one step with spray foam insulation

Other Exterior Walls

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

Technology Solutions Case Study: Preventing Thermal Bypass

Advanced Framing vs Traditional Framing

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)

Builders Challenge Technology Information Packages - Cold Climate: Chicago

Options for Advanced Walls

Building America Efficient Solutions for New Homes: Case Study: Concord Cape Prototype

Interior details of an insulated closed crawlspace

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Lancaster County Career and Technology Center Green Home 3 - Mount Joy, Pennsylvania

Technology Solutions Case Study: Stand-Off Furring in Deep Energy Retrofits

Double Walls for More Insulation

Continuous Rigid Insulation Sheathing

Reducing Thermal Bridging in Mass and Steel-Framed Multifamily Buildings