Reports

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Comparison of Subflooring Installations Using the DAP Urethane Adhesive and Cartridge Adhesive

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DAP Products, Inc. (DAP) developed a new urethane adhesive for subflooring (OSB, plywood) installation on wood floor joists. The adhesive is delivered by a reusable dispensing gun loaded with a pressurized canister of expanding urethane that fills gaps as it bonds. Preliminary evaluations by DAP indicate their adhesive has a much higher coverage rate and takes less time to install than cartridge subfloor adhesive and DAP engaged the NAHB Research Center to validate their findings.

Quality Management System Primer

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Building high performing homes (HPH) that are energy efficient, durable, comfortable, and safe to live in does not simply require knowledge of building science principles. It also requires the ability to properly design, specify, and install new technologies and systems. Quality management systems (QMS) provide the infrastructure necessary to ensure repeatability as well as manage continual improvement to increase first time quality, reduce warranty, and increase customer satisfaction. As a result, QMS is needed as the industry shifts from building conventional to HPH and ultimately state-of-the-art homes such those meeting the DOE’s Challenge Home.

High Heel Roof-to-Wall Connection Testing

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This study is Phase III of a test program that responds to the new requirements for roof-to-wall connections in 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) and expands upon the previous phases that evaluated innovative roof-to-wall connection systems.

National Green Building Standard Analysis

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This report details the proposed point structure for the prescriptive approach of the energy efficiency chapter of the 2012 NGBS. This proposed point structure was developed with support from the BA house design and simulation protocols. The source energy was calculated for both the reference home and the proposed house in each specific climate. This analysis also compared the simulated energy performance of a home designed to meet the revised NGBS Chapter 7 at the Gold level with reference to the 2010 BA Benchmark using the BA House Simulation Protocols. The results of modeling various houses in multiple climate zones indicate that the range of energy savings for the designs is 40%–50% for the Gold level. This range aligns well with BA program energy savings goals of 30%–50% whole-house energy savings.

TetraGRIP™ Squeak Test Report

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Historically, floor squeaks have been a significant callback problem for home builders. To provide builders a possible solution to this problem, Paslode developed the TetraGRIP™ fastening system and had Home Innovation Research Labs test its "squeak reduction/elimination" capabilities. The testing conducted was based on a test method developed by Home Innovation Labs for determining the propensity of a subfloor fastener to cause squeaks due to relative movement between the subfloor and the fastener.

Evaluation of Test Method for Assessing the Propensity for a Subfloor Fastener to Cause Floor Squeaks

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Historically, floor squeaks have been a significant “call back” problem for home builders. Homebuyers do not want to hear squeaking sounds as they walk across the floor of their newly constructed home. There are a number of causes of floor squeaks. The most prominent cause is due to relative movement between the subfloor material and the fastener, resulting in squeaks. Traditional fasteners initially hold the subfloor firmly to the supporting floor joist and relative movement is prevented. However, over time gaps are created and relative movement often occurs.

Methodology for Calculating Energy Use in Residential Buildings

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This white paper describes a method for determining energy usage in a representative single-family house for a specific energy code in a specific location. Energy usage is expressed in terms of electric (kWh) and natural gas (therm) usage. Beyond that, this paper also provides procedures to: 1) convert energy metric based on application (site, source, or cost); 2) calculate percent energy savings between different editions of an energy code; 3) perform a regional (e.g., state, county) or national energy analysis; and 4) analyze energy impact or neutrality of code amendments.

2009 IECC Cost Effectiveness Analysis

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A strong push was made by many advocacy groups, including the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to increase the stringency of the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). This effort resulted in a number of major changes which impact both energy savings and construction costs for residential construction. As part of the federal effort to encourage state and local adoption of the more stringent code, provisions were also included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to persuade states to adopt the 2009 IECC.

2012 IECC Cost Effectiveness Analysis

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A strong push was made by many advocacy groups, including the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to increase the stringency of the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) to achieve a 30 percent energy savings relative to the 2006 IECC. This effort resulted in a number of major changes which impact both energy savings and construction costs for residential construction.

Retrofit Improvements: Bracing of Hillside Homes

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Forensic investigation indicates that partial or complete collapse of hillside houses is a common calamity when earthquakes hit. The most at risk houses have the entry floor located at or near street level and tall wood light-frame walls providing support at the hillside edge of the floor. These homes may have a “walk-out” basement. Referred to as down-slope houses, the largest level is supported by a discontinuous foundation that “flows” with the grade which slopes down and out. The structure between the foundation and the main level of the house, as typically constructed, provides a poor interconnection that is susceptible to shaking. Walls at the sides of down-slope houses are also irregularly shaped as they are “stepping” down the hillside. These cripple walls, and the fact that the main floor is usually pinned to an upper and lower foundation (which are disconnected), provide many pivot points from which the rigid floor system may shake out of plane and cause failures of the elements that support it. Retrofitting downslope houses is a job that requires an engineered design and specialty contractor. As a result, the cost of this retrofit will vary with the scope of the project.