BASC Search | Building America Solution Center

Right - Brick veneer is installed with a 1-inch air space behind the brick, metal flashing and weep holes above and below the windows and at the base of the wall to direct out water that gets behind the brick.

Publication Date

Wed, 12/01/2004 - 12:00

Right – Foil-faced insulation was added after the crawlspace was dried and sealed by diverting water runoff, sealing off crawlspace windows and vents, and adding sump pumps and exhaust fan ventilation

Publication Date

Mon, 09/01/2014 - 12:00

Porch roofs, pergolas, and large overhangs can effectively shade windows and doors facing south, southeast, southwest, or even due east or west for most of the day if the overhang is very deep and sufficiently wide.

This overhang for a south-facing window provides full shade in the summer and full sun in the winter, optimizing savings in both cooling and heating energy (results shown for 2pm in both summer and winter, 36N latitude).

Publication Date

Tue, 07/25/2023 - 12:00

The south face of this home has an overhanging second floor, a pergola, and a roof eave to provide effective window and door shading for both floors in the summer without blocking view, diffuse daylighting, breezes, or ingress/egress

Wrong - Missing kick-out flashing to divert rainwater runoff into the gutter where the roof meets the wall has caused discoloration and water damage behind the stucco next to this second-story window.

In tropical climates such as Puerto Rico, some houses have metal jalousie louvers instead of glass windows; metal jalousies look like shutters, but typically offer little debris resistance.

Reference

Coastal Construction Manual - Principles and Practices of Planning, Siting, Designing, Constructing, and Maintaining Residential Buildings in Coastal Areas, Fourth Edition, Volume II, FEMA P-55

Author(s)

Coulbourne William,

Jones Christopher P,

Kapur Omar,

Koumoudis Vasso,

Line Philip,

Low David K,

Overcash Glenn,

Passman Samantha,

Reeder Adam,

Seitz Laura,

Smith Thomas,

Tezak Scott

Organization(s)

Federal Emergency Management Agency,

FEMA,

Applied Technology Council,

ATC,

URS Group,

DK Low and Associates,

Atkins,

TLSmith Consulting

Volume II of a two-volume report providing a comprehensive approach to design, construction, and renovation of homes located in coastal environments.

Publication Date

Mon, 08/01/2011 - 12:00

This room has several passive and low-energy cooling features including a ceiling fan, fully operable French doors, window shading, an outdoor water feature, and light-colored hard-scaping.

Publication Date

Tue, 06/28/2022 - 12:00

A resilient multifamily building in Puerto Rico constructed of concrete on a raised slab foundation with a hip roof design for wind resistance and deep overhangs and permanent awnings to keep sun and rain off windows.

Publication Date

Tue, 01/01/2019 - 12:00

A 5,000- 6,000 Btu/hr air conditioner drawing about 500 watts can be installed in one window of a designated cool room (it is important that the installation is insulated and well-sealed

An NFRC glazing system energy performance label will report U-factor, solar heat gain coefficient, visible transmittance, and air leakage; if the window is ENERGY certified, the ENERGY STAR label will be located next to the NFRC label

Publication Date

Thu, 05/18/2023 - 12:00

The 2-foot overhang on the left performs better than the 2-foot vertical fin on the right for providing shade in the summer and solar heat gain in the winter (results shown for west-facing window, 2pm, 36N latitude).

Publication Date

Tue, 07/25/2023 - 12:00

The 8-foot-deep west-facing overhang on the left provides much better shading late in the day than the 2-foot-deep overhang on the right (results shown for west-facing window, late summer, 36N latitude).

Publication Date

Tue, 07/25/2023 - 12:00

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

Right – This home’s above-grade walls are constructed in a factory where wall panels of 2x6 studs are assembled and sheathed with a coated OSB product, then windows are installed and flashed before shipping the panels to the site for assembly by crane.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

Windblown embers and firebrands are the most common cause of structural fires in wildfires, followed by fires started by radiant heat igniting surfaces or breaking windows and allowing embers in, followed by direct flame contact

Publication Date

Fri, 01/01/2021 - 12:00

Wrong - Missing kick-out flashing to divert rainwater runoff away from the house and into the gutter where the roof meets the wall has caused discoloration of the stucco and water damage behind the stucco by the front porch and the second-story window.

Each floor of this two-story modular home is constructed in a factory, including the 2x6, 24-inch on-center walls, R-21 fiberglass batt cavity insulation, and rigid exterior foam, housewrap, windows, and trim, then connected on site.

Right – This hot-humid climate home employs several hurricane- and termite-resistant features including concrete block construction, borate-treated framing, a hip roof design with metal drip edge, impact-rated windows, and an unvented attic.

Publication Date

Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:00

This garage door was blown from its track by positive wind pressure and adhesive-set roof tiles were pulled up but the windows were protected by roll-up shutters from the 140 to 160 mph hurricane winds.

Reference

Coastal Construction Manual - Principles and Practices of Planning, Siting, Designing, Constructing, and Maintaining Residential Buildings in Coastal Areas, Fourth Edition, Volume II, FEMA P-55

Author(s)

Coulbourne William,

Jones Christopher P,

Kapur Omar,

Koumoudis Vasso,

Line Philip,

Low David K,

Overcash Glenn,

Passman Samantha,

Reeder Adam,

Seitz Laura,

Smith Thomas,

Tezak Scott

Organization(s)

Federal Emergency Management Agency,

FEMA,

Applied Technology Council,

ATC,

URS Group,

DK Low and Associates,

Atkins,

TLSmith Consulting

Volume II of a two-volume report providing a comprehensive approach to design, construction, and renovation of homes located in coastal environments.

Publication Date

Mon, 08/01/2011 - 12:00

Right - In cooler climates, landscape shading should focus on the east- and west-facing walls, while leaving the south side of the house clear for solar access in winter (well-sized roof overhangs could provide summer shading for the south-facing windows)

Publication Date

Fri, 09/24/2021 - 12:00

The 8-foot deck/overhang on the left provides better summer shading than the 2-foot extended-width overhang, which performs better than the 2-foot window-width overhang, which performs better than the 2-foot vertical fin (late summer, 36N latitude)

Publication Date

Tue, 07/25/2023 - 12:00

This home survived the Laguna Beach fire of October 1993, which claimed more than 400 neighboring homes, thanks to a fire-resistant tile roof, stucco exterior, stucco-covered boxed eaves and under-decks, double-pane windows and selective landscaping

Publication Date

Fri, 12/08/2017 - 12:00

Adding Automated Shading to the High Performance Toolkit: HVAC, Health & Wellness, and High Tech

Author(s)

Katie Cort,

Shannon Christie

Organization(s)

PNNL,

Attachments Energy Rating Council,

EEBA

Publication Date

October, 2020

Webinar from Katie Cort and Shannon Christie on automated window shading and its applications for energy efficiency and demand response, leading to a discussion on integration for complete smart homes.

Insulated Headers

Solid wood headers above windows and doors are often oversized for the load they need to carry. And the solid wood creates a cold spot because there is no insulation. On a non-load-bearing wall (a gable-end wall), the header space can often be left open so it can be insulated like the rest of the...

View-preserving interior solar screens such as these help reduce glare and solar heat gain while maintaining view to the outside

Publication Date

Mon, 11/14/2022 - 12:00

Spray Foam Insulation Applied over the Siding of Existing Exterior Walls

Guide describing how to install spray foam on the exterior of the existing home after framing over the existing siding.