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Right – R-23 of blown fiberglass fills the walls and unvented vaulted attic cavities of this marine-climate home while an additional R-20 (4-inches) of graphite-enhanced expanded polystyrene is installed above the roof sheathing.

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The OSB roof decking product comes with an adhered radiant foil barrier which helps to prevent heat transfer in or out of the vented attic, while R-13 unfaced fiberglass fills the advanced-framed 2x6 walls.

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New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Imagine Homes: Stillwater Ranch, San Antonio, TX

Case Study

Case study describing a new home builder that strives to address health, safety, and durability issues in a hot and humid climate.

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.

No Sweat, BSI-094

Reference

Guide providing information on controlling attic ductwork sweating.

Ice Dams, BSD-135

Reference

Article outlining the casuses and solutions for ice dam problems.

Pumpkin Ridge Passive House Video #010: Attic Truss Details

Video

Video describing the attic truss details in a passive house.

Zeroing In, BSI-081

Reference

Report describing Net Zero house design with sloped roof assemblies.

Kick the Can! No Recessed Lights in the Building Envelope

Reference

Article discussing the downside to recessed can lights.

This kneewall has no top plate and the resulting gap provides a wide-open pathway for air and vapor to travel between the living space and the attic

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A 1- and ½-story home with a room located in the attic and the thermal boundary located at either a) the walls and ceiling of the attic room with small vented attic spaces or b) the roof line for an unvented attic

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Pumpkin Ridge Passive House Video #012: Interior Attic Air Barrier

Video

Video describing the interior attic air barrier details in a passive house.

Wrong – No top plate was installed.

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Vulnerability of Vents to Wind-Blown Embers

Reference

Report covering the migration of wind-blown embers in roof vents.

Venting Vapor, BSI-088

Reference

Guide providing information on controlling attic ductwork sweating.

Wrong – There is no weather stripping or gasket around the attic stair hatch

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Wrong – No rigid backing was installed on the attic knee wall.

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Ping Pong Water and The Chemical Engineer, BSI-016

Reference

Article outlining moisture accumulation in open cell spray polyurethane foam.

Cool Hand Luke Meets Attics, BSI-077

Reference

Article describing the difference between conditioned or unvented attics and unconditioned or vented attics.

Building in Extreme Cold, BSI-031

Reference

Article describing the control layers (air, thermal, and vapor barriers) needed to build homes successfully in very cold locations.

Measure Guideline: Buried and/or Encapsulated Ducts

Reference

Project discussing buried or encapsulated ducts and their pros and cons.

Design Options for Locating Ducts within Conditioned Space

Presentation

Presentation with technical training covering several possible approaches to locating ducts within the home’s air and thermal barriers, and then dig into design considerations and details for the spray foam encapsulation approach.

Pumpkin Ridge Passive House Video #13: Completed Wall-to-Attic Air Barrier Details

Video

Video describing the wall-to-attic air barrier details of a passive house.

Air seal attic access panels and drop-down stairs to minimize air leakage.

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Right - Blocking has been installed between the ceiling joists and air sealed in place with canned spray foam to stop air flow beneath the attic knee wall.

Image

Right – R-23 of blown fiberglass fills the walls and unvented vaulted attic cavities of this marine-climate home while an additional R-20 (4-inches) of graphite-enhanced expanded polystyrene is installed above the roof sheathing.

The OSB roof decking product comes with an adhered radiant foil barrier which helps to prevent heat transfer in or out of the vented attic, while R-13 unfaced fiberglass fills the advanced-framed 2x6 walls.

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Imagine Homes: Stillwater Ranch, San Antonio, TX

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

No Sweat, BSI-094

Ice Dams, BSD-135

Pumpkin Ridge Passive House Video #010: Attic Truss Details

Zeroing In, BSI-081

Kick the Can! No Recessed Lights in the Building Envelope

This kneewall has no top plate and the resulting gap provides a wide-open pathway for air and vapor to travel between the living space and the attic

A 1- and ½-story home with a room located in the attic and the thermal boundary located at either a) the walls and ceiling of the attic room with small vented attic spaces or b) the roof line for an unvented attic

Pumpkin Ridge Passive House Video #012: Interior Attic Air Barrier

Wrong – No top plate was installed.

Vulnerability of Vents to Wind-Blown Embers

Venting Vapor, BSI-088

Wrong – There is no weather stripping or gasket around the attic stair hatch

Wrong – No rigid backing was installed on the attic knee wall.

Ping Pong Water and The Chemical Engineer, BSI-016

Cool Hand Luke Meets Attics, BSI-077

Building in Extreme Cold, BSI-031

Measure Guideline: Buried and/or Encapsulated Ducts

Design Options for Locating Ducts within Conditioned Space

Pumpkin Ridge Passive House Video #13: Completed Wall-to-Attic Air Barrier Details

Air seal attic access panels and drop-down stairs to minimize air leakage.

Right - Blocking has been installed between the ceiling joists and air sealed in place with canned spray foam to stop air flow beneath the attic knee wall.

Cold Climate Building Techniques and Concepts: Cathedral Roofs

Right – Attic access door has foam and rubber weatherstripping installed that remains in contact when closed.

Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Retrofitting a 1960s Split-Level Cold-Climate Home

Right - Continuous wall sheathing and blocking has been installed to brace the raised heel trusses.

Field Testing Unvented Roofs with Asphalt Shingles in Cold and Hot-Humid Climates