Resources

Quick links to useful visitor resources

Energy Efficient Retrofits — by Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2010/02/12

 

Low Energy Buildings — by Building Science Corporation — last modified 2009/03/14

 

More about Mold — by zope — last modified 2009/02/21

The following publications and papers deal with issues and questions about dealing with and preventing mold problems.

Homeowner Resources — by zope — last modified 2009/02/21

Articles, white papers and other information resources on a variety of topics with the homeowner in mind.

Vapor Barrier Guidance — by zope — last modified 2009/08/24

Information about vapor barriers including discussions on wall designs, moisture balance, thermal characteristics, vapor permeance characteristics and recommendations by climate zone.

House Plans — by Building Science Corporation — last modified 2009/08/31

House Plans are fully integrated sets of construction drawings created by BSC for specific locations and climates. The sets include floor plans, detailed framing plans and wall framing elevations, exterior elevations and sections, advanced framing and enclosure details, as well as mechanical and electrical plans. Through our multi-disciplinary team approach, interior, framing and mechanical layouts are designed and coordinated well before the start of construction. Duct layouts are not only shown on the mechanical plan but on the framing plan as well. This level of coordination limits changes made in the field and helps to ensure assemblies and systems are installed as designed. Please note that House Plans are posted as examples of high performance housing designs and are not to be used for construction. If you wish to use these plans as a basis for a house design, you should keep the following in mind: most state and local governments require that a set of drawings be stamped by an architect licensed to practice locally; foundation plans need to be developed for the specific site and climate; while these drawings were developed to be compliant with the then-current IRC code, you will need to meet your local building code requirements; finally, since materials and products specified in the drawings may not be available in all locations, you will need to carefully research any substitutions to verify compatibility and performance.