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TechNote - Humidity Control: Supplemental Dehumidification in Hot-Humid Climates

This TechNote provides an overview of strategies for improving humidity control in hot-humid climates (applicable as well in other humid climates). The focus is on supplemental dehumidification methods using commercially available equipment. Supplemental dehumidification is not intended to be used as a means for compensating for over-sized HVAC equipment or excessive building leakage rates.

Attic Retrofits Using Nail-Base Insulated Panels

File Under: Air Sealing & Building Envelope

This project developed and demonstrated a roof/attic energy retrofit solution using nail-base insulated panels for existing homes where traditional attic insulation approaches are not effective or feasible. Nail-base insulated panels (retrofit panels) consist of rigid foam insulation laminated to one face of a wood structural panel. The prefabricated panels are installed above the existing roof deck during a reroofing effort. The layer of insulation provides the added thermal performance, and the wood structural panel provides the rigid substrate for installation of the roofing membrane.

The Wood Tornado Shelter

File Under: Resilience

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 wood 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. The step-by-step Construction Guide can be used by advanced DIYers and remodelers to build this shelter room design in an existing home.

Estimated Costs of the 2018 ICC Codes Changes for Multifamily Buildings

File Under: Building Codes & Standards

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) provided a list of 26 code changes affecting multifamily construction which were approved for incorporation into the 2018 International Codes. The changes affect the International Building Code (IBC), International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), International Fire Code (IFC), and International Mechanical Code (IMC). This report analyzes the expected cost impact of these code changes on construction practices and materials for multifamily buildings.

Moisture Performance of High-R Wall Systems

File Under: Moisture Management

This research examines the moisture characteristics of high-R wall systems as part of a broader effort to offer solutions that increase builders’ confidence with the adoption of energy-efficient technologies. The high-R walls feature increased wall insulation levels, reduced wall air leakage, and often reduced permeance of material layers. Wall assemblies are subjected to various moisture loads, such as bulk water, built-in moisture (construction moisture), water vapor, and capillary transport through materials in contact with water or in contact with the ground.

Extended Plate & Beam Wall System

File Under: Structural Performance

Home Innovation Research Labs studied the extended plate and beam (EP&B) wall system during a two-year period from mid-2015 to mid-2017 to determine the wall’s structural performance, moisture durability, constructability, and cost effectiveness for use as a high-R enclosure system for energy code minimum and above-code performance in climate zones 4–8.