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Information Sheets

BSC Article Info-001: Residential Best Practices Criteria
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.
BSC Article Info-101: Groundwater Control
Water managed foundation systems are different from waterproofing systems. Waterproofing relies on creating a watertight barrier without holes. It can’t be done.
BSC Article Info-110: Soil Gas Control
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.
BSC Article Info-201: Common Advanced Framing Details
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.
BSC Article Info-301: Drainage Plane/Water Resistive Barrier
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.
Folder High R-Value Wall Assemblies
BSC has undertaken a study for the US DOE's Building America research program to identify and evaluate residential enclosure assemblies that cost effectively provide 50 percent improvement in thermal resistance. Details regarding water management, air management, vapor management and thermal management are described in the following sheets. Look for future wall, foundation and roof case studies.
BSC Article Info-302: Pan Flashing for Exterior Wall Openings
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.
BSC File Building America Quality Control Checklist Appendix
This appendix contains Building Science Information Sheets that provide more information for specific inspection points on the BSC Building America Quality Control Checklist. Each Information Sheet is a one or two page document that can easily be printed for use on site or attached to a trade scope of work or contract.
BSC Article Info-303: Common Flashing Details
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.
BSC Article Info-304: Integrating Deck Ledger Board with Drainage Plane
Maintaining drainage plane continuity at deck ledger locations provides a particular challenge.
BSC Article Info-305: Reservoir Claddings
Reservoir claddings are materials that absorb and store a portion of water that falls on their surface. Drainage must be provided behind reservoir claddings.
BSC Article Info-306: Interior Water Management
This information sheet will present examples of strategies to manage risks of liquid water sources occurring on the interior of the building.
BSC Article Info-310: Vapor Control Layer Recommendations
The current International Residential Code (IRC 2009) provides excellent guidance for the installation of vapor control layers.
BSC Article Info-312: Vapor Permeance of Some Building Materials
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.
BSC Article Info-311: Vapor Open Assemblies
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.
BSC Article Info-401: Air Barriers—Airtight Drywall Approach
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.
BSC Article Info-405: Sealing Air Barrier Penetrations
Most air barrier systems will require supplemental air sealing to seal around penetrations.
BSC Article Info-406: Air Sealing Windows
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.
BSC Article Info-407: Air Barriers—Tub, Shower and Fireplace Enclosures
To create an effective air barrier in a building, it is first necessary to cover the big holes.
BSC Article Info-408: Critical Seal (Spray Foam at Rim Joist)
The rim joist, band joist, or any area that connects building components, are particularly problematic to air seal properly.
BSC Article Info-500: Building Materials Property Table
This table presents some of the key technical properties of many of the most common building materials.
BSC Article Info-511: Basement Insulation
Basements need to be dry for reasons of indoor air quality, pest control, and durability of the building.
BSC Article Info-501: Installation of Cavity Insulation
This information sheet will address the installation techniques important to the effective performance of cavity insulation.
BSC Article Info-512: Crawlspace Insulation
The crawlspace is insulated to control heat flow and to minimize cold surfaces that can condense water and elevate local relative humidity.
BSC Article Info-513: Slab Edge Insulation
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.
BSC Article Info-601: Sealed Combustion
In order to ensure good indoor air quality, all combustion appliances are recommended to be sealed combustion units, as opposed to naturally aspirated units.
BSC Article Info-602: Ducts in Conditioned Space
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.
BSC Article Info-603: Duct Sealing
Ductwork, furnaces and air handlers should be sealed against air leakage.
BSC Article Info-604: Transfer Ducts and Grilles
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.
BSC Article Info-606: Placement of Intake and Exhaust Vents
Ventilation system intakes must be sufficiently separated away from potential contaminant sources, and locations of dust and debris.
BSC Article Info-607: Refrigeration System Installation and Startup Procedures, and AC Equipment Efficiency
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.
BSC Article Info-610: Central Fan Integrated Ventilation Systems
All buildings require controlled mechanical ventilation, or the controlled, purposeful introduction of outdoor air to the conditioned space.
BSC Article Info-608: What's the Big Deal About Refrigerant Charge—Why Should the Builder or Homeowner Care?
A brief explanation of system charging, superheat and subcooling including results of improper charging.
BSC Article Info-620: Supplemental Humidity Control
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.
BSC Article Info-701: What's Wrong With This Project? Top Chord Bearing Truss
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.
BSC Article Info-702: What's Wrong With This Project? Inset Flanged Window
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.
BSC Article Info-703: What's Wrong With This Project? Interior Door Framing
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.
BSC Article Info-704: What's Wrong With This Project? Site-Made Beam
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.
BSC Article Info-705: What's Wrong With This Project? Interior Framed Beam
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.
BSC Article Info-706: What's Wrong With This Project? Supporting Framing Around Windows
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.
BSC Article Info-707: What's Wrong With This Project? Non-Load Bearing Framing
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.
BSC Article Info-708: What's Wrong With This Project? Interior Wall at Exterior Wall
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.
BSC Article Info-709: What's Wrong With This Project? Extra Window Framing
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.
BSC Article Info-801: What's Wrong With This Practice? Using Unsealed Wall Cavities or Panned Floor Joists as Return Plenum
The issue is about using unsealed wall stud cavities or panned floor joists as a return air plenum.
BSC Article Info-802: What's Wrong With This Practice? Using Unsealed Wall Cavities Between Garage and Living Space as Return Plenum
The issue is using unsealed wall stud cavities as a return air plenum located in a wall between a garage and living space.
BSC Article Info-803: What's Wrong With This Practice? Unsealed Conditioning Equipment Outside Conditioned Space
The issue is the unsealed conditioning equipment and ducts located outside the conditioned space in a vented attic, unconditioned crawlspace or basement.
BSC Article Info-804: What's Wrong With This Practice? Undercutting Doors
The issue is undercutting bedroom doors to provide return airflow from bedrooms.