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The addition of insulation to the exterior of buildings is an effective means of increasing the thermal resistance of both wood framed walls as well as mass masonry wall assemblies. For thick layers… Read More

Unvented roof strategies with open-cell and closed-cell spray polyurethane foam insulation sprayed to the underside of roof sheathing have been used since the mid-1990's to provide durable and… Read More

This project examines the implementation of an exterior insulation and over-clad strategy for brick masonry buildings in Chicago. The strategy was implemented at a free-standing two story two-family… Read More

There is little consensus on the incidence of and physics behind moisture problems in dense-packed roof assemblies. Only a handful of field research projects have considered the moisture performance… Read More

Adding insulation to the interior side of masonry walls in cold climates may cause performance and durability problems. Four such concerns were studied in more detail in this work. Embedded wood… Read More

Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity (MVHfH) has partnered with Building Science Corporation to provide high performance affordable housing for 10 families in the retrofit of an existing brick… Read More

This research provides simple, long term, and durable solutions when using tapes and flashing membranes in conjunction with the exterior face of rigid polymeric foam sheathing to create the drainage… Read More

Based on past experience in the Building America program, BSC has found that combinations of materials and approaches—in other words, systems—usually provide optimum performance. No single… Read More

In multifamily buildings, central (typically rooftop) ventilation systems often have poor overall performance, overventilating some portions of the building (resulting in excess energy use), while… Read More

Project Home Again is a development in New Orleans, Louisiana, created to provide new homes to victims of Hurricane Katrina. BSC acted as a consultant for the project, advocating design strategies… Read More