Performance of Windows in Walls With Continuous Insulation

Window openings in walls are a significant contributor to poor thermal performance because of thermal bridging through the framing members (e.g., studs, joists, plates, bracing) and because windows lack the thermal properties of insulation. Window installation guidance for walls with continuous insulation (CI) is critical for continued market growth of this energy efficiency technology. This research project offers window manufacturers a starting point and a potential path toward developing installation instructions for windows over CI. The objectives of the research include evaluating the common method for installing windows in walls with CI, as well as establishing acceptance criteria for evaluating the performance of windows installed in walls with and without CI.

A Builder's Guide: Extended Plate & Beam Wall System

Extended Plate and Beam (EP&B) is an advanced wall system developed by Home Innovation Research Labs (HI). The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, Forest Products Labs and DOW Chemical have partnered with HI to test and optimize the system, and now bring you this guide with all the information you need to build a high-performing wall at reasonable cost and effort that meets or exceeds Energy Code prescriptive insulation requirements for all U.S. climate zones.

Durable Solutions for Balconies & Decks

Durable Solutions for Balconies and Decks is an illustrated guide that identifies design principles and construction practices to improve the moisture performance of wood-framed balconies and decks in low- and mid-rise multifamily buildings.

Design professionals have a wide range of choices to select from when considering balcony designs. This Guide focuses on cantilevered balcony designs, which have historically sustained most of the catastrophic structural failures.

The critical area for any cantilevered design is the interface between the cantilevered member and the wall. In addition to sloping of the walking surface and waterproofing membrane, the flashing details must keep water out of the building envelope and promote drying of any components that get wet.

Construction Guide to Next Generation High Performance Walls in Climate Zones 3-5 - Part 2: 2x4 Walls

Part 2 of this Construction Guide to High-Performance Walls in Climate Zones 3-5 provides straightforward and cost-effective strategies to construct durable, energy-efficient walls. It addresses walls constructed with 2x4 wood frame studs, wood structural panel (WSP) sheathing as wall bracing and added backing for foam sheathing, a layer of rigid foam sheathing insulation up to 1.5 inches thick over the WSP, and a cladding system installed over the foam sheathing in low-rise residential buildings up to three stories high. Walls with 2x6 framing are addressed in Part 1 of the Guide.

Construction Guide to Next Generation High Performance Walls in Climate Zones 3-5 - Part 1: 2x6 Walls

Part 1 of this Construction Guide to High-Performance Walls in Climate Zones 3-5 provides time-proven, practical, and cost-effective strategies for constructing durable, energy-efficient walls. It addresses walls constructed with 2x6 wood frame studs, wood structural panel (WSP) exterior sheathing, and a cladding system installed over WSP sheathing in low-rise residential buildings up to three stories high. Walls with exterior board insulation are addressed in Part 2 of the Guide.

Construction Guide - The Wood Tornado Shelter

The United States experiences more tornado activity than any other country in the world. Engineers at the USDA’s Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) have developed a residential tornado shelter that meets industry safety standards and can be built in an existing home by advanced DIYers. This step-by-step Construction Guide can be used by advanced DIYers and remodelers to build this shelter design in an existing home.

Soluciones Duraderas para Balcones y Terrazas

Soluciones Duraderas para Balcones y Terrazas es una guía ilustrada que identifica los principios de diseño y las prácticas de construcción para mejorar el rendimiento frente a la humedad de los balcones y terrazas enmarcados en madera en edificios multifamiliares de altura media y baja.

Professionales de diseño tiene un gran cantidad de opciones en referencia al diseño de los balcones. La guía tiene un enfoque en los balcones con un diseño de viga en voladizo, los que históricamente han sostenido la mayoridad de las fallas estructurales catastróficas.

La zona crítica para las vigas en voladizo es el interfaz entre la viga voladizo y el muro. Conjunto con la pendiente de la pasarela y la membrana impermeabilizante, el diseño de cubrejuntas debe impedir la infiltración de agua en la envolvente del edificio y promover el secado de componentes que se moja. 

TechSpec: The Wood Tornado Shelter

The United States experiences more tornado activity than any other country in the world. Engineers at the USDA’s Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) have developed a residential tornado shelter that meets industry safety standards and can be built in an existing home by advanced DIYers. This TechSpec presents an overview of this tornado shelter’s design and construction process.