BASC Search | Building America Solution Center

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

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

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.

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

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)

Publication Date

Fri, 08/13/2021 - 12:00

Building Science Education 3.1: First Law of Thermodynamics

Author(s)

Paul Torcellini

Organization(s)

NREL

Publication Date

July, 2021

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

Author(s)

Paul Torcellini

Organization(s)

NREL

Publication Date

July, 2021

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.

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

Publication Date

Wed, 10/18/2023 - 12:00

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

Publication Date

Wed, 10/18/2023 - 12:00

Residential Buildings: Foundations

Author(s)

U.S. Department of Energy

Organization(s)

DOE

Publication Date

August, 2022

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

SIP Details: Insulspan Technical Information

Author(s)

Insulspan

Organization(s)

Insulspan

Publication Date

February, 2014

Website providing information about INSULSPAN structurally insulated panels.

Waverly Addition Conditioned Crawl Space

Publication Date

October, 2013

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

This home’s exterior walls consist of two 2x4 walls; the R-49 double wall cavity is filled with 2 inches of closed-cell spray foam plus dense-packed cellulose.

The exterior of the home is wrapped in a continuous layer of rigid foam with all seams taped to provide a thermal, air, and moisture barrier and serve as a drainage plane, eliminating the need for house wrap.

Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance

Author(s)

Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance

Organization(s)

SPFA

Publication Date

August, 2020

SPFA website homepage.

Airflow within drop-in ceiling assemblies is generally not a concern due to the limited vertical height. However, airflow within air gaps in walls is a concern due to the much larger vertical height.

Publication Date

Sat, 09/14/2024 - 12:00

Moisture Control Guidance for Building Design, Construction and Maintenance

Author(s)

Environmental Protection Agency

Organization(s)

EPA

Publication Date

December, 2013

EPA guidance document providing information on moisture control in buildings.

DOE ZERH 2013 Case Study: e2 Homes Winter Park, Florida [2-page summary version]

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

U.S. Department of Energy

Organization(s)

PNNL,

DOE

Publication Date

January, 2013

Case study describing the first certified DOE Zero Energy Ready Home—the “Wilson Residence” in Winter Park, Florida.

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

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Organization(s)

PNNL

Publication Date

January, 2013

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.

Connector plate and drywall clips

Publication Date

Mon, 02/01/2010 - 12:00

The inner liner of the flex duct is fastened to the collar with a tension tie, the connection is sealed with mastic, then the outer layer is pulled over and sealed with mastic or foil tape (Steven Winter Associates 2013).

In this gut rehab, drywall was removed then a sprayer-applied sealant was used to seal all large cracks and seams and then the 2x4 walls were filled with spray foam.

After spraying the 2x6 wall cavities with 2 inches (R-13) of closed-cell spray foam, the walls are covered with netting and an additional 3.5 inches of fiberglass (R-13) is blown in.

Publication Date

Thu, 01/01/2015 - 12:00

This home has a cost-saving shallow frost-protected foundation that uses rigid foam laid vertically at the base of the 16-inch-deep footers to protect the foundation from frost damage.

Right – Open-cell spray foam is installed over closed-cell spray foam in this hybrid approach to achieve adequate attic ventilation while allowing some vapor permeability.

Publication Date

Mon, 09/30/2019 - 12:00

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

Publication Date

Fri, 08/13/2021 - 12:00

CCHRC: Thermal Mass in Alaska

Publication Date

May, 2014

Author(s)

Craven

Organization(s)

Cold Climate Housing Research Center,

CCHRC

Video describing what thermal mass is and answering some frequently asked questions about how to utilize it in Alaska.

Termites and ICFs

Author(s)

Insulated Concrete Forms Association

Organization(s)

ICF Builder

Publication Date

September, 2017

Document with information on preventing termites when using ICFs.

Right – This wall is constructed with the sill plate overhanging the top of the foundation wall so that when rigid foam is installed on the exterior of the foundation wall, its surface will align with the surface of the wall sheathing.

Publication Date

Mon, 09/30/2019 - 12:00

How to Keep Attic Vent From Freezing Up in Winter

Publication Date

December, 2017

Author(s)

Tinsley

Organization(s)

Cold Climate Housing Research Center,

CCHRC

Video describing techniques to prevent attic plumbing vents from freezing during Alaskan winters.

Infrared Camera Home Inspection

Publication Date

June, 2020

Author(s)

Todd Usher

Organization(s)

Addison Homes

Video showing the inspection of the thermal envelope of a house using an infrared camera. Infrared inspection uses differences in temperature to locate potential water leaks or voids in insulation.

Marine Climate

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

U.S. Department of Energy

Organization(s)

PNNL,

DOE

Publication Date

March, 2015

Spray Foam Upper Walls Adjoining Unconditioned Attics

Publication Date

July, 2015

Video describing how to insulate skylight shafts and knee walls correctly.

Floor Above Garage

Publication Date

July, 2015

Video describing best practices for air-sealing floors above garages.

Advances in Manufactured Home Energy Efficient Design

Author(s)

ARIES

Organization(s)

ARIES Collaborative

Webinar explaining advances in energy efficient design for manufactured homes.

Raised-Heel Trusses

Author(s)

American Plywood Association

Organization(s)

APA

Publication Date

September, 2011

Information sheet with the definition and uses for a raised truss.

Wall Assembly | Madrona Passive House

Publication Date

December, 2014

Video describing the wall assembly of a passive house.

Transfer Grilles (2)

Publication Date

July, 2015

Video describing how to install transfer grilles.

Interior wall attached with top plate metal connector, drywall clips support drywall, side view

Publication Date

Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:00

Example of an HVAC installer’s balancing report form

Publication Date

Sun, 05/01/2011 - 12:00

The thermal boundary for a gable roof can be located at either a) the flat ceiling with a vented attic or b) the roof line for an unvented attic

The exterior walls of this home consist of two wall cavities: a 2x6 wall with plywood sheathing plus 8-inch I-joists sheathed with engineered wood; both cavities are dense-packed with cellulose for R-60 total.

Right – A 1-inch layer of XPS rigid foam covers the 2x6 wall studs and is topped by ½-inch-thick plywood sheathing, which is covered with draining house wrap and serves as a nailing surface for siding and trim.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

When architects and builders think of the house as a systems, all of the parts are designed to work together for a healthy, durable home that minimizes builder callbacks while cutting energy, maintenance, and repair costs down the road.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/01/2011 - 12:00

Concrete Homes

Author(s)

Portland Cement Association

Organization(s)

PCA

Publication Date

January, 2012

Information sheet discussing the properties and benefits of insulating concrete forms.

Floor Above Unconditioned Basement or Vented Crawlspace

Publication Date

July, 2015

Video describing how to properly air-seal floors above unconditioned basements and vented crawlspaces.

Waverly Home Addition | Exterior Cladding Details

Publication Date

February, 2014

Video describing the exterior cladding details of a residential home addition project.

Concrete Slab over Polyethylene

Publication Date

July, 2015

Video describing concrete slab over polyethylene barrier.

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

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Organization(s)

PNNL

Publication Date

April, 2012

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

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Organization(s)

PNNL

Publication Date

April, 2012

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.

DOE ZERH HIA 2013 Case Study: Preferred Builders, Old Greenwich, Connecticut

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

U.S. Department of Energy

Organization(s)

PNNL,

DOE

Publication Date

April, 2013

Case study describing a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home 2013 Housing Innovation Award Winner in Old Greenwich CT, that scored HERS 42 without PV and HERS 20 with PV.

Right: Ductwork is installed in direct contact with lower truss cords. In this picture the main trunk is laying on the truss cords and branch ducts are temporarily held with strapping across truss cords. Ducts are well sealed with mastic

A low-sloped shed roof with the thermal boundary located at either a) the flat ceiling with a vented attic or b) the roof line for an unvented attic

The builder installed 1.5 inches of soy-based spray foam on the outside of the walls over the OSB sheathing, then kept a ¾ inch gap between the foam and the brick veneer siding to allow moisture vapor from the bricks to dissipate.

These factory-built walls consist of 9.5-inch I-studs sheathed with coated OSB, faced with OSB, and dense-packed with cellulose; a second interior surface of drywall is added to provide a 1.5-inch cavity for electrical wiring.

Window and Door Rough Openings

Publication Date

July, 2015

Video describing how to air-seal around window and door rough openings.

Seal Seams in Air Handler Cabinets

Publication Date

July, 2015

Video describing how to seal air handler cabinet seams.

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.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

Are the Walls Closing In?

Author(s)

Kochkin

Organization(s)

Home Innovation Research Labs

Webinar describing research on moisture performance in high-R walls.

Structural headers are not needed on nonbearing walls

Publication Date

Tue, 03/01/2011 - 12:00

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.

Completed wall retrofit of masonry home (on right) showing new lap siding attached over four inches of rigid foam; windows were boxed with plywood to accommodate depth of foam plus 1x4 furring strips

Publication Date

Fri, 08/13/2021 - 12:00

Your Northern Home: Walls

Publication Date

February, 2012

Author(s)

Benesch

Organization(s)

Cold Climate Housing Research Center,

CCHRC

Video describing how walls in cold climates must address three key issues: air leakage, moisture movement, and conductive heat losses.

Transfer Grilles (1)

Publication Date

July, 2015

Video describing how to install transfer grilles.

An Inset Shear Panel constructed with 2x4 dimensional lumber installed into a 2x6 stud bay

Publication Date

Thu, 08/12/2021 - 12:00

A Thermally Broken Steel Connection

Author(s)

West Chris

Organization(s)

Journal of Light Construction,

JLC

Publication Date

April, 2017

Article describing methods for thermally isolating a garage in a Passive House-certified multifamily building.

Passive House Basement Foundation Walls: Karuna Video #3

Publication Date

January, 2012

Video describing the details of the basement foundation walls in a passive house.

Glasswood Commercial Passive House Retrofit: Air Barrier

Publication Date

April, 2013

Video describing the air barrier installed in a passive house.

Polyethylene is being attached to the crawlspace floor and walls with plywood furring strips

Publication Date

Wed, 02/01/2012 - 12:00

The Larsen-truss 9-inch wall cavities were covered with a smart vapor membrane that was fastened to the trusses with furring strips, which also provide an air gap behind the wood siding; each truss cavity is then filled with blown cellulose.

Publication Date

Wed, 12/29/2021 - 12:00

Energy Code - Module 7: Ducts, HVAC, Hot Water, and Lighting

Author(s)

Nebbia

Organization(s)

Newport Partners

Publication Date

January, 2022

Webinar that will explain mandatory and prescriptive requirements related to duct installation, insulation, sealing, and testing, as well as requirements for heating, cooling, and hot water systems and controls.

No Sweat, BSI-094

Author(s)

Lstiburek Joseph W

Organization(s)

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Publication Date

April, 2016

Guide providing information on controlling attic ductwork sweating.

Vinyl Siding Installation Manual

Author(s)

Vinyl Siding Institute

Organization(s)

Vinyl Siding Institute

Publication Date

October, 2022

Publication with installation guidance for vinyl siding.

Third Street

Author(s)

Gifford Henry

Organization(s)

Home Energy Magazine

Publication Date

September, 2005

Article describing how an affordable multifamily building achieved energy savings for the same cost as code-minimum construction.

Pest proofing of this unvented crawlspace includes a metal termite shield that extends out from sill plate, metal flashing wrapping bottom of exterior rigid foam, and a termite inspection gap above interior rigid foam.

Pest proofing of this unvented crawlspace includes a metal termite shield that extends out from the sill plate, metal flashing wrapping the bottom of exterior rigid foam, and a termite inspection gap above interior rigid foam.

Publication Date

Mon, 03/01/2021 - 12:00

DOE ZERH HIA 2013 Case Study: e2 Homes, Winter Park, Florida

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

U.S. Department of Energy

Organization(s)

PNNL,

DOE

Publication Date

January, 2013

Case study describing a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home 2013 Housing Innovation Award Winner in Winter Park FL that scored HERS 57 without PV or HERS -7 with PV.