Information Sheets are short, descriptive overviews of basic building science topics, from duct sealing to reservoir claddings. Through illustrations, photographs, and straightforward explanations, each Information Sheet covers the essential aspects of a single topic. Common, avoidable mistakes are also examined in the What’s Wrong with this Project? and What’s Wrong with this Practice? mini-series.
Information Sheets are useful both as an introduction to building science and as a handy reference that can be easily printed for use in the field, in a design meeting, or at the building permit counter.
This list contains some of the basic characteristics that should be met in all high performance homes. It has been used as our baseline criteria for all of BSC’s Building America projects.
Water managed foundation systems are different from waterproofing systems. Waterproofing relies on creating a watertight barrier without holes. It can’t be done.
Soil gas moves through holes due to a pressure difference. Since we cannot eliminate the holes, the only thing we can do is control the pressure.
Advanced framing, as the name implies, means using the lumber intelligently in wood framing. This information sheet will explain the essential basis for advanced framing and some of the more common advanced framing details.
All exterior claddings pass some rainwater. Siding leaks, shingles leak, brick leaks, stucco leaks, stone leaks, etc. As such, some control of this penetrating rainwater is required.
A pan flashing is an element installed below every window and door designed to collect and direct any water that may leak through or around the opening back out to the exterior.
The fundamental principle of rainwater control is to shed water by layering materials in such a way that water is directed downwards and outwards out of the building.
Maintaining drainage plane continuity at deck ledger locations provides a particular challenge.
Reservoir claddings are materials that absorb and store a portion of water that falls on their surface. Drainage must be provided behind reservoir claddings.
This information sheet will present examples of strategies to manage risks of liquid water sources occurring on the interior of the building.
The current International Residential Code (IRC 2009) provides excellent guidance for the installation of vapor control layers.
Vapor barriers were originally intended to prevent assemblies from getting wet. Incorrect use of vapor barriers is leading to an increase in moisture-related problems.
Good design and practice involve controlling the wetting of building assemblies from both the exterior and interior and different climates require different approaches. This chart lists some common vapor permeance characteristics.
Several steps must be taken to create air barrier continuity at the perimeter of drywall assemblies, at all penetrations through the drywall, and, finally, in areas of the enclosure without interior drywall.
Most air barrier systems will require supplemental air sealing to seal around penetrations.
As a component of the air barrier system, the connection between windows and other air barrier components is critical to the overall air barrier performance.
To create an effective air barrier in a building, it is first necessary to cover the big holes.
The rim joist, band joist, or any area that connects building components, are particularly problematic to air seal properly.
This table presents some of the key technical properties of many of the most common building materials.
This information sheet will address the installation techniques important to the effective performance of cavity insulation.
Polyisocyanurate insulation is a common commercial and residential roof and wall insulation. It has one of the highest R-values per inch of thickness among common insulations. However, labeled R-value differs from in-service R-value for many insulations. Building Science Corporation (BSC), and others have been examining this difference. BSC has found significant thermal performance differences between different manufacturers of insulation products and significant differences based on in-service temperature. The following discussion relates to BSC’s work to date with polyisocyanurate roof insulation.
Basements need to be dry for reasons of indoor air quality, pest control, and durability of the building.
The crawlspace is insulated to control heat flow and to minimize cold surfaces that can condense water and elevate local relative humidity.
For slab on grade construction, the slab edge represents a significant heat loss potential. This is important not only to the energy performance of a building but moisture management of the building as well.
In order to ensure good indoor air quality, all combustion appliances are recommended to be sealed combustion units, as opposed to naturally aspirated units.
The location of the duct system can have a significant impact on the overall performance of the system–both the utility use and the ability to provide comfort.
Ductwork, furnaces and air handlers should be sealed against air leakage.
The ductwork systems in these houses are designed to supply air to the individual rooms, and to have the air return to a central return grille.
Ventilation system intakes must be sufficiently separated away from potential contaminant sources, and locations of dust and debris.
The performance of the cooling system is evaluated and assured through a series of measurements including: air flow, pressures, temperatures, humidity levels, and power draw.
A brief explanation of system charging, superheat and subcooling including results of improper charging.
All buildings require controlled mechanical ventilation, or the controlled, purposeful introduction of outdoor air to the conditioned space.
High performance homes—due to superior insulation, better performing windows and more efficient lighting and appliances, can be expected to have smaller sensible cooling loads than typical new homes in the same geographic region.
This series of Information Sheets discusses a specific residential construction project with framing issues in Phoenix, Arizona. Top chord bearing truss in conventional residential construction framing consumes considerably more wood than necessary resulting in extra costs of both time and materials.
This series of Information Sheets discusses a specific residential construction project with framing issues in Phoenix, Arizona. Inset flanged windows in a 2x6 wall resulted in significant extra wood around window opening.
This series of Information Sheets discusses a specific residential construction project with framing issues in Phoenix, Arizona. The issue is the interior doors framed with an excessive amount of wood.
This series of Information Sheets discusses a specific residential construction project with framing issues in Phoenix, Arizona. The issue is the site-made beam made by laying framing lumber down on the flat and building it up.
This series of Information Sheets discusses a specific residential construction project with framing issues in Phoenix, Arizona. The issue is a horizontally layered site-made beam.
This series of Information Sheets discusses a specific residential construction project with framing issues in Phoenix, Arizona. The issue is the supporting framing around windows.
This series of Information Sheets discusses a specific residential construction project with framing issues in Phoenix, Arizona. The issue is framing non-load bearing doors and windows the same as load bearing walls.
This series of Information Sheets discusses a specific residential construction project with framing issues in Phoenix, Arizona. The issue is the interior wall at exterior wall connection.
This series of Information Sheets discusses a specific residential construction project with framing issues in Phoenix, Arizona. The issue is the extra framing used unnecessarily around window openings.
The issue is about using unsealed wall stud cavities or panned floor joists as a return air plenum.
The issue is using unsealed wall stud cavities as a return air plenum located in a wall between a garage and living space.
The issue is the unsealed conditioning equipment and ducts located outside the conditioned space in a vented attic, unconditioned crawlspace or basement.
The issue is undercutting bedroom doors to provide return airflow from bedrooms.
