Building Envelope Handbook

This Best Practice Handbook covers the roof, walls, and floor assemblies of the building envelope.

October 12, 2023

A collection of our best content related to the building envelope, thermal envelope, and air control through the building enclosure that we have. The compilation of videos, animations, podcasts, articles, and construction details relating to the building envelope is divided into five sections:

Foundation Details
Engineering and Design
Window Openings
Floor and Wall Construction Details
Roof details

We will update this page annually, but check the home page for recent building envelope content.

Foundation Details

May 3, 2018

Updated: June 15, 2023

A Slick Transition from Foundation Insulation to Wall Sheathing

Outside insulation is an effective way to keep heat in. The devil is in the details, such as this one

Framing

Insulation & Air Sealing

WRB & Flashing

Details in 4D

detail

January 7, 2021

Updated: June 15, 2023

Air Seal Wall Sheathing to the Foundation

One of the biggest air leaks in a house is where the wood meets the concrete

Framing

Insulation & Air Sealing

WRB & Flashing

Glues, Sealants, Coatings

Video

video

May 13, 2022

Updated: May 21, 2024

Handbook: A Floating Insulated Subfloor For Slab On Grade Construction

Five videos about how to install a subfloor over thick insulation without sleepers.

Concrete & Masonry

Insulation & Air Sealing

Jobsite Handbooks

aggregation

June 7, 2017

Updated: July 22, 2024

Drone Zone 2: Foundation Waterproofing and Drainage Solutions

A peek at interior and exterior foundation waterproofing in one single house

Concrete & Masonry

Video

video

May 9, 2016

Updated: June 15, 2023

Monolithic Slab Edge Insulation for Warm and Hot Climates

An affordable insulated slab foundation suitable for climate zones 1, 2, and 3

Concrete & Masonry

Insulation & Air Sealing

Details in 4D

detail

July 11, 2016

Updated: December 5, 2023

Frost-Protected Monolithic Slab

An affordable insulated slab foundation suitable for climate zones 4, 5, and 6

Concrete & Masonry

Insulation & Air Sealing

Details in 4D

detail

January 21, 2016

Updated: October 31, 2023

How to Pour an Insulated Floating Slab

Work the surface with a series of trowels to bring the water to the surface for a smooth finish

Concrete & Masonry

August 10, 2016

Updated: June 15, 2023

Retrofitting Hydronic Heating into an Uninsulated Basement Slab

Direct the heat toward the feet

Concrete & Masonry

HVAC & Mechanicals

Insulation & Air Sealing

Engineering and Design Considerations

August 22, 2018

Updated: September 9, 2024

Air Barriers: 7 Minutes of BS—Building Science, Syncopated

You can't simply go down to the hardware store and buy a box labeled air barrier

Insulation & Air Sealing

Podcasts

podcasts

June 28, 2018

Updated: September 9, 2024

Vapor Permeance: 7 Minutes of BS—Building Science w/a Beat

Vapor barriers cause a lot more harm than good in many parts of North America. Understanding vapor barriers begins with knowing what it means to be one

Roofing

Insulation & Air Sealing

Siding & Exterior Trim

WRB & Flashing

Podcasts

podcasts

April 16, 2021

Updated: May 28, 2024

Thermal Bridging: A Podcast About BS (#buildingscience)

A thermal bridge is an area of the building enclosure—whether it be the walls, roof, or foundation—that has significantly higher heat flow than intended.

Insulation & Air Sealing

Podcasts

podcasts

October 18, 2017

Updated: September 9, 2024

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): 7 Minutes of BS

A three-pronged solution to indoor pollution: Isolate, eliminate, and ventilate

HVAC & Mechanicals

Podcasts

podcasts

September 30, 2024

Flood Resistant Construction: 7 Minutes of BS

If you can't build to stay dry, build to tolerate wet

Insulation & Air Sealing

December 11, 2023

Updated: May 28, 2024

Lstiburek on Water: It is Unbalanced, Crazy—and Beautiful

Bulk water's job description is literally to rot houses, but the REAL danger occurs when it changes phase from liquid to solid, and gas...

Design

Podcasts

Construction Phase

October 6, 2018

Updated: May 28, 2024

ViscoElasticity: 7 Minutes of BS (#BuildingScience)

The science of stickiness: a molecular look at tape's adhesive and cohesive properties

WRB & Flashing

Podcasts

podcasts

July 5, 2021

Updated: January 3, 2024

How Groundwater Moves

This sand-and-water model confirms mathematical predictions about how groundwater moves through soil

May 30, 2023

Updated: May 28, 2024

Hot Roof, Cold Roof: Where Did the Terms Come From? (7 Minutes of BS)

Vented roofs are often called cold roofs because they are—(theoretically) cold from ventilation air

Roofing

Podcasts

podcasts

Window Openings

November 7, 2017

Updated: June 15, 2023

A Window Install in a Thick ZIP Wall

The general idea of installing windows is to plug the big hole that you just cut in the wall.

February 22, 2020

Updated: October 2, 2023

Liquid Flashing a Window Opening in a Double-Stud Wall

A monolithic layer of protection for holes in walls

WRB & Flashing

Glues, Sealants, Coatings

February 23, 2018

Updated: October 13, 2023

A Better Way to Let Windows Drain

Water often finds its way into holes in the wall. It is your job to help it get out.

Construction Phase

Article

January 22, 2018

Updated: June 15, 2023

The Model ReModel Show: Plugging Holes in the Wall

Putting a window in the hole means sealing around the edges, too

July 5, 2016

Updated: June 15, 2023

Innie Window Installation On an Exterior Foam Retrofit

A deep energy retrofit in Concord, MA illustrates everything you need to know to bring a house to energy überville

Insulation & Air Sealing

Siding & Exterior Trim

WRB & Flashing

Video

video

July 20, 2023

Outie Window Installation: Weave It Into The Continuous Exterior Foam Insulation

The complete video collection on insulating, air sealing, and installing windows in a superinsulated sunroom addition in Wayland, MA

video

Windows & Doors

Insulation & Air Sealing

Jobsite Handbooks

Floor and Wall Construction Details

September 29, 2017

Updated: June 15, 2023

Airseal the Rim Joist and Wall Framing Connection

Glue the rim joist, caulk the gaps, and overhang the wall sheathing to tighten this leaky building assembly

Framing

Insulation & Air Sealing

Details in 4D

detail

March 21, 2019

Updated: June 15, 2023

Basic Wall Framing (2): Sheathing Framed Walls

Snap a line, put the panel on the line and nail it, tape the seams, and where to snap that line in the first place.

Framing

Insulation & Air Sealing

WRB & Flashing

Video

video

April 25, 2017

Updated: June 15, 2023

Flashing Pipes, Framing, and Exhaust Vents in Exterior Walls

For walls with a pre-applied weather barrier, make sure the tape is compatible with the WRB coating—or use a primer

Insulation & Air Sealing

WRB & Flashing

Details in 4D

detail

March 14, 2016

Updated: June 15, 2023

Airtight Drywall: Step by Step

With blower door tests in the building code, it is up to more than just the insulators or the GC to deliver results: many trades have a stake.

Insulation & Air Sealing

Tile, Flooring, Drywall

Glues, Sealants, Coatings

Details in 4D

detail

January 20, 2020

Updated: June 15, 2023

Weaving a Deck Ledger into a Wall With Thick ZIP Panels

Peel and stick Z-flashing and some padding pushes a ledger flush with the face of the thick panels. A cover sheet of peel and stick completely waterproof the ledger before the deck is framed

September 18, 2020

Updated: June 15, 2023

Awesome Wall: Because Sometimes We Screw Up

Belt, suspenders, rainscreen, and redundancy make this wall awesome.

Siding & Exterior Trim

February 3, 2021

Updated: May 22, 2024

Double Wall Framing Guide

This collection of videos and animations covers basic wall framing as the first stages of a double wall house with 12-inch thick exterior walls. The jobsite was in Scarborough, Maine, climate zone 6A.

Framing

Jobsite Handbooks

aggregation