Table of Insulation Material R-Values & Other Materials' Insulating Properties InspectAPedia® -
Insulation materials R-values, rates of heat loss or gain, flame spread, toxicity, durability
What insulation "R" values should be used in a building insulation?
Insulation R-Values of materials found in or on buildings
Questions & answers about the insulating properties of various materials
This article provides a Table of Insulation Values and Properties for Various Insulation Materials useful in procedures to measure or calculate heat loss in a building, defines thermal terms like BTU and calorie, provides measures of heat transmission in materials, building insulation design data, and
heat loss in a building. Page top photo by the author. Formula-R and Owens Corning which may be visible in this photograph of pink Styrofoam insulation boards are registered trademarks of Owens Corning and were photographed at a Home Depot® building supply center.
InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.
Table of Characteristics of Various Insulating Materials: fiberglass, mineral wool, cellulose, foam insulating board, UFFI, vermiculite, others
Because no amount of insulation can keep a drafty building warm, also review ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES. See BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION for a discussion of measuring air leakage in buildings. Also see HEAT LOSS INDICATORS (where is the building losing heat during the heating season, or gaining un-wanted heat during the cooling season), and see HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION for a guide to calculating heat loss (or gain) rates for buildings and building insulation.
Table of Insulation & Other Building Material Properties
Insulation or other Building
Material 9
R-Value1
Density2
Perm3
Absorption4
Flame
Spread 5
Smoke6
Toxicity7
Aging
Effects
Air, 3/4"
0.87
Need citation, does not consider internal convection effects
Flooring, sheet resilient floors, linoleum, or tiles
0.05
[Need citation]
Glass
0.1418
Gypsum board
0.6
Drywall
Home®Foam25
Spray or pour
3.921
0.51 lbs/ft3
Insulthane 100, See Plastic, foamed insulation below
Home Foam? should not be installed within 2" / 50mm of heat emitting devices producing temperatures in excess of 200deg.
Closed cell, HCFC or CFC gases;
0-12% shrinkage, Fire safety: may not be left exposed in living area; thermal drift with aging; foil faced improves performance to R7-8.; very good air bypass leak sealing properties
Also see INSULATION CHOICES
Polyisocyanurate foam board, foil faced
6.821 - initial, pentane expanded
5.521 - aged 5 to 10 years
Rigid panel insulation board with foil facing both sides, edges exposed
Thanks to Thanks to Andrew Cole for correcting our data on this product.
5.0 - 6.8
5.5 - 6.521
Initial 7.14
Aged 6.8
2.0
2-3
0
30-50
155-200
CO
Closed cell;
0-12% shrinkage, Fire safety: may not be left exposed in living area. Initial R of 7.14 declines to 6.8 after several months of curing; very good air bypass leak sealing properties
Polyurethane foam insulation rigid panels
7-821 - Initial
6.25 - aged 5 to 10 years
CHC/HCFC expanded foam
Polyurethane foam insulation rigid panels
6.821 - Initial
5.5 - aged 5 to 10 years
Pentane expanded foam
Polyurethane spray insulation - open cell insulation
The R-value of wood varies by wood density, species, moisture content.
Wood door, solid, per inch
1.56
Varies by species, no authoritative source.
Wood, soft
1.25
Questionable, [need citation]
Wood Flooring, assume 3/4" hardwood
0.68
[need citation]
Wood sheathing panels (Plywood,OSB)
2.521
[need citation]
Wood shingle siding, single course
0.87
[need citation]
Wood siding, 1/2-inch clapboard or shiplap
0.81
[need citation]
Notes to the Table of Building Insulation Properties
R-Value is expressed as rate of heat loss per hour per square foot per inch of thickness of material per deg. F - see "R" value definition at Definitions of R K U values For some building materials (such as sheet flooring) we give an R-value for a specfic thickness other than the standard 1".
Insulation density is expressed in pounds per cubic foot of material
Permeability is expressed as the water vapor permeability of the material per inch of thickness. These numbers are most useful to compare one insulating material to another.
Absorption is the tendency of the insulation to absorb water in percent by weight. This is important for assessing the risk of mold in some materials
Flame Spread is a measure of fire resistance of the material. Use these numbers to compare one insulating material to another.
Smoke is a measure of fire safety - that is, the relative amount of smoke produced if the insulation is exposed to flame or combustion
Toxicity is a measure of fire safety - that is, toxins given off if the insulation is exposed to flame or combustion.
Polystyrene may be in molded or extruded forms and like some other plastic or foam insulations may be in open or closed cell form. (Closed cell foams are more moisture resistant). Polystyrene also is referred to as molded expanded polystyrene (MEPS), expanded polystyrene (EPS), and extruded polystyrene (XPS) - the most common foam board insulation product. MEPS & XPS are used in insulated structural panels and in insulating concrete forms (ICFs).
Links to details: Insulation product names in the first table column include links to articles that help identify and provide the properties of each insulating material listed.
Open vs. closed cell: Foam insulation densities vary among closed-cell vs open cell forms. Open cell foams are typically about 1/2 lb/cubic foot; Closed cell foams are more dense and rigid, typically about 2 lb/cu. ft.
C or Thermal conductance of these materials is the reciprocal of the R-value. C is known only when the k, the thermal conductivity of a material is known. k is the heat transmitted through a 1-inch thickness of homogenous material per square foot per hour when there is 1 degree of temperature change. k= (BTU * inch) / sq.ft. * hour * degF.
Air film: This table of R-values does not consider the insulating characteristic of the air film on each side of a surface nor the effects of wind on the air film or on the material itself. Some of these materials are more resistant to wind-caused heat transmission than others.
Moisture: Closed cell foams resist moisture uptake (good) but if construction is improper they can trap moisture (bad) leading to rot or mold problems in other building materials.
Insects: Exterior foam board on foundations can ease attack by wood destroying insects.
Fire & smoke: Foam insulation products present fire-smoke hazards and usually they must be protected with a fire barrier (usually 1/2" drywall).
R-Values for wooden log walls given by the U.S. DOE are in error except for square log walls. D-logs and round logs that are given a nominal log thickness, say 6" logs are calculated by DOE as having an R-value of just over 8. This is incorrect for non-square logs because the cross section of the log is 6" only at the log's widest point. A correct assessment of the R-value of a wooden log wall needs to be calculated based on the average wall thickness, considering the variation in thicknesses over the curvature of the logs. Therefore the DOE's value is on the "high" end of the R-value of a log wall.
R-Values of uninsulated concrete: Concrete Homes Magazine web search 5/18/2010
R-Value for concrete, glass, other materials, Wikipedia web search 5/18/2010 citing Ristinen, Robert A., and Jack J. Kraushaar. Energy and the Environment. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006.
E-Star Colorado. Energy Saving Calculations. Energy Living Alliance, 2008. Web 05/18/2010
U.S. Department of Energy, DOE Handbook, see http://buildingsdatabook.eren.doe.gov/TableView.aspx?table=5.1.3 18 May 2010. The DOE in turn cited these sources
ASHRAE, 1997 ASHRAE Handbook: Fundamentals, p. 24-4, 22-5
DOE, Insulation Fact Sheet, Jan. 1988, p. 6
Journal of Thermal Insulation, 1987, p. 81-95
ORNL, ORNL/SUB/88-SA835/1, 1990
ORNL, Science and Technology for a Sustainable Energy Future, Mar. 1995, p. 17
ORNL for vacuum insulation panel
Wikipedia, web search 5/18/2010 R-Values per Inch
EcoHaus UltraTouch cotton insulation batts batts http://www.ecohaus.com/C-121/ultratouch+batts Web search 5/18/2010
Icynene product information see http://www.icynene.com/icynene-insulation/ - Web search 5/18/2010
HomeFoam®, Home Insulation Corp. - see http://www.homefoam.ca/articles/Why_HF.htm - Web search 5/18/2010
Home Foam® does not contain formaldehyde, fibrous particulate, HFCs1, CFCs2 or HCFCs3 and is a zero-ODP4 product. The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) advises that even sensitive individuals may take occupancy just 24 hours after application is complete.
Air Krete®, Air Krete Inc., P.O. Box 380, Weedsport NY 13166-0380 Keene Christopher, Principal Telephone: (315) 834-
6609, Retrieved 05 Dec 2010, AirKrete® Green Insulation Specifications, original source: http://www.airkrete.com/ Specifications for AirKrete® can be found at http://www.airkrete.com/pdf/072101specification.pdf
AirKrete® Water Permeability Coefficient, 03/02/2005, letter provided by AirKrete, retrieved 05 Dec 2010, original source: http://www.airkrete.com/testResults_files/PermRating.pdf
Questions & Answers regarding this article
Questions & answers about the insulating properties of various materials
Question: What is the R-value for earth, dirt, soil, backfill, or earth berms?
Sir: Does InspectApedia have an R-value for earth when used as a berm on an exterior concrete house wall? Thank you R.J.
Reply: Earth or soil has an R-value of about R 0.25 to R-1.0 per inch at 20% moisture content and other assumptions discussed here
But really, the insulating value of earth depends .... as we elaborate below. Also see "Dirt" in our table of insulating values shown just above
Sketch at left, courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates, illustrates the effects of soil density and moisture as a source of pressure on a foundation wall. As we note below, the R-value of the wet soil (sketch center) will be much lower than dry soil outside of the same volume of dry soil (sketch left). Freezing at the upper level of such wet soil also will affect its heat transfer rate as well as risking foundation damage as we show here.
A short answer to the R-Value of Dirt
Some sources we researched assert that "one inch of 'insulation' is equal to about two feet or more of soil.
If we take 'insulation' to be a bit more specific, say the most commonly-used material, fiberglass, that's about R3 /inch for fiberglass, or if we believed the soil R-value rule of thumb about dirt, that's about 24/ 3 = about R 0.8 for arbitrary "dirt" insulation value.
R 0.8 sounds pretty reasonable if we assume about 20% moisture content, and if we consider for comparison or a "sanity check" that the R-value of uninsulated concrete is about R 0.8/inch.[1] Other engineering sources cite the R-value of earth as about R 0.25 per inch. Without normalizing for soil properties and moisture content, these numbers are very arm-waving rules of thumb.
But really this is in my opinion a very unreliable figure given the discussion below about the effects on heat transfer of soil properties and soil moisture. Heck even snow does better, at about R1/inch. In addition to avoiding the confusion that comes from an unreliable R-value for earth (take R 0.25 if you like), discussions of earth berm housing and underground housing usually consider the effects of thermal mass on building comfort, not just R-values.
R-values measure resistance to heat flow or transfer between materials. But thermal mass considers the storage effects of the mass of soil (or concrete block or ?) or other materials that comprise and surround a building. Thermal mass stores heat and returns it during cooler periods, evening out swings in building temperature. So let's keep in mind that while the R-value of two feet of soil outside of a building wall, say, may be R 0.5, that 24" of dirt has much greater thermal mass than the same quantity (in equivalent R-vale) of an insulating material such as fiberglass or solid foam insulation.
What all of this means is that it is a mistake to try to equate thermal mass and insulating values, and it makes no sense to forget about heat flow rates in or out of a structure if you are paying to heat or cool a building.
Details about the Insulating Properties of Dirt, Soil, Backfill, or Earth Berms
The R-value of earth depends on the type of soil and its water content. Even more significant can be the movement of groundwater through the surrounding soil, as moving water will significantly increase the rate of heat transfer from warm to cool areas.
At least important to anyone asking this question will be the assumptions about
The soil temperature Ts at some depth where it is stable (such as below the frost line in a freezing climate, perhaps as deep as 20 feet. A Journal of Light Construction online forum discussion of soil insulating properties includes the observation that
" [earth provides a ] huge amount of thermal mass, and that's what you'll be working with or fighting against. The soil temperature at about 20' is equal to the year round ambient temperature, so that will tell you what you'll be working with/against. If you want the room warmer or cooler than that, it's easier to install insulation and create a thermal mass inside that insulated envelope, if the ambient temperature is close to what you want, well, you don't need heat."[2]
For a more scholarly discussion of the insulating properties of soil you should consult a heat transfer engineer or a soils engineer. But here are my views of some important parameters to consider when assigning an insulating value to soil:
Soil temperature, or average soil temperature, or stable soil temperature at some pertinent depth, say below the frost line, below or around a structure, Ts.
Soil properties, such as average soil density and moisture levels and, as we cite above, the presence or absence of moving water through the soil
Target indoor temperature in the conditioned space, that is, the anticipated or target temperature of the indoor conditioned space, Ti
Building shell: the insulating value of the building shell or its resistance to heat flow from the warm to cool sides of the building exterior walls - R. Also, the air leakiness of compared building shells; an earth-bermed structure should leak less air than a similar structure whose exterior walls are exposed
Temperature differences: the difference between surrounding soils and the building interior, or slightly more formally, between Ts and Ti. If for a given climate those temperatures are close, then the heat flow into or out of the surrounding earth may be slow enough to give a workable design. If the difference between those two is great, then in my OPINION, a building design would be wise to include building shell insulation of sufficient R-vale. The temperature difference between conditioned and unconditioned space is in my opinion a most critical figure since the larger that difference (delta T) the faster heat will flow from warm to cool materials.
Material I've reviewed about earth sheltered homes and schemes that use electric radiant heated floors over uninsulated soil (where electricity is dirt cheap), but I'd prefer to evaluate that "design" with comments by heat transfer experts since it seems to me that any system that pumps heat into uninsulated ground in a cold climate is spending a significant portion of their heating dollar to return heat to Mother Earth rather than to Mommy upstairs.
The claim that "heat you pump into the ground under or around a home doesn't really go anywhere" is in violation of the basic laws of thermodynamics and is simply not so. Heat flows from warmer to cooler materials. Sure we can expect there to be a temperature gradient in cool soil beneath or against a heated building, but heat flows from warmer to cooler materials, it doesn't magically stop dead at some arbitrary distance. Just where energy costs are very low and are expected to stay low might it sound plausible to use uninsulated earth for heat storage under or around a building.
References for the insulating properties of soil or dirt or earth
[1] Building Envelope, Basement, Kansas State University engineering extension, Energy Extension Service, KSU Engineering Extension
133 Ward Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
Phone: 785.532.6026 Fax: 785.532.6952, web search 08/16/11, original source: www.engext.ksu.edu/ees/henergy/envelope/basement.html
[2] "R-value of Dirt", Journal of Light Construction Forum, archive, web search 08/16/11, original source: forums.jlconline.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-42036.html
National Research Council, Canada, NRC Institute for Research in Construction, web search 08/16/11, original source: http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/fulltext/nrcc43093/
Hait, John, Passive Annual Heat Storage (PAHS), Rocky Mountain Research Center; 1st ed(1983),
ISBN-10: 0915207001
ISBN-13: 978-0915207008 "Passive annual heat storage: Improving the design of earth shelters, or, How to store summer's sunshine to keep your wigwam warm all winter "
Hait, John, Passive Annual Heat Storage: Improving the Design of Earth Shelters, quoting Amazon review: a unique approach to using the earth as a low cost heat storage media which surrounds one's house. Technically accurate and from this physicists point of view a correct assessment of the laws of nature involved and how to use them to our advantage.
"Earth Thermal Storage Systems, [radiant floor heating], ", Therma-Ray Inc.
670 Wilsey Road, Unit 6
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Canada E3B 7K4
Tel: 866-457-4600 (toll free) or 506-457-4600
Email: info@thermaray.com Web: web search 08/16/11, original source: http://www.thermaray.com/solutions/earth.html
CanGEA Canadian Geothermal Energy Association,
PO Box 1462 Station M
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
T2P 2L6
Tel:(403) 801 6805
Email: info@cangea.ca web search 08/16/11, original source: http://www.cangea.ca/
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Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
Use the links at the left of each page or these links just below to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.
Thanks to Andrew Cole, FOAM FACTOR, a Canadian based installer of 2lb. Closed Cell foam. Mr. Cole informs us that they only work with this material. "We feel that the superior performance characteristics make it a far superior choice in building envelopes of all types. Our material of choice now is POLARFOAM 7300-0 SOYA which is manufactured by DEMILEC here in Canada." Mr. Cole can be contacted at 905-271-6644 or at acole@bestsprayfoam.com - 04/30/2009.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 2010, $69.00 U.S., is available from Carson Dunlop. The Home Reference Book is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. InspectAPedia.com ® author/editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.
"The Elimination of Unsafe Guardrails, a Progress Report," Elliott O. Stephenson, Building Standards, March-April 1993
"Are Functional Handrails Within Our Grasp" Jake Pauls, Building Standards, January-February 1991
Access Ramp building codes:
UBC 1003.3.4.3
BOCA 1016.3
ADA 4.8.2
IBC 1010.2
Access Ramp Standards:
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), Public Law 101-336. 7/26/90 is very often cited by other sources for good design of stairs and ramps etc. even where disabled individuals are not the design target.
ANSI A117.4 Accessible and Usable buildings and Facilities (earlier version was incorporated into the ADA)
ASTM F 1637, Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces, (Similar to the above standards)
American Plywood Association, APA, "Portland Manufacturing Company, No. 1, a series of monographs on the history of plywood manufacturing",Plywood Pioneers Association, 31 March, 1967, www.apawood.org
Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality.
Asbestos: How to find and recognize asbestos in buildings - visual inspection methods, list of common asbestos-containing materials
Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print).
Asbestos Identification and Testing References
Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed
the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone
Brick Nogging, Historical Investigation and Contemporary Repair, Construction Specifier, April 2006. Historical use of brick in timber-framed buildings, drawing on the investigations of the Kent Tavern in Calais, VT.
"Brick nogging is a European method of construction which was brought to the new world in the early-nineteenth century. It was a common construction method that employed masonry as infill between the vertical uprights of wood framing." -- quoting the web article review.
Building Research Council, BRC, nee Small Homes Council, SHC, School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, brc.arch.uiuc.edu. "The Small Homes Council (our original name) was organized in 1944 during the war at the request of the President of the University of Illinois to consider the role of the university in meeting the demand for housing in the United States. Soldiers would be coming home after the war and would be needing good low-cost housing. ... In 1993, the Council became part of the School of Architecture, and since then has been known as the School of Architecture-Building Research Council. ... The Council's researchers answered many critical questions that would affect the quality of the nation's housing stock.
How could homes be designed and built more efficiently?
What kinds of construction and production techniques worked well and which did not?
How did people use different kinds of spaces in their homes?
What roles did community planning, zoning, and interior design play in how neighborhoods worked
"An Example of Colonial Paneling", Norman Morrison Isham, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol. 6, No. 5 (May, 1911), pp. 112-116, available by JSTOR.
Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack: the lower floors of this building contained spray-on fire-proofing asbestos materials.
"Energy Savers: Whole-House Supply Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Whole-House_Supply_Vent.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11880?print
"Energy Savers: Whole-House Exhaust Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Whole-House_Exhaust.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11870
"Energy Savers: Ventilation [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Ventilation.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Natural Ventilation [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Natural_Ventilation.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Energy Recovery Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Energy_Recovery_Venting.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11900
"Energy Savers: Detecting Air Leaks [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Detect_Air_Leaks.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Air Sealing [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Air_Sealing_1.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
Falls and Related Injuries: Slips, Trips, Missteps, and Their Consequences, Lawyers & Judges Publishing, (June 2002), ISBN-10: 0913875430 ISBN-13: 978-0913875438 "Falls in the home and public places are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in the United States, but are overlooked in most literature. This book is unique in that it is entirely devoted to falls. Of use to primary care physicians, nurses, insurance adjusters, architects, writers of building codes, attorneys, or anyone who cares for the elderly, this book will tell you how, why, and when people will likely fall, what most likely will be injured, and how such injuries come about. "
Fiberglass: Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Health Concerns About Airborne Fiberglass: Fiberglass in Indoor Air from HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
Humidity: What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem?
Lighting, proper use of: proper aiming of a good flashlight can disclose hard to see but toxic light or white mold colonies on walls.
Pergo AB, division of Perstorp AB, is a Swedish manufacturer or modern laminate flooring products. Information about the U.S. company can be found at http://www.pergo.com where we obtained historical data used in our discussion of the age of flooring materials in buildings.
Piquet Wall Construction: See this photo of
piquet wall construction - involving timber-framed wall construction with long top girts, diagonal timber bracing, and small diameter logs
placed vertically along with concrete chinking to fill in the wall plane.
Plank House Construction: weblog from plankhouse.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/plank-house-construction/ and where plank houses were built by native Americans, see
Large 1:6 Scale Plank House Construction / P8094228,
Photographer: Mike Meuser
06/12/2007 documented at yurokplankhouse.com where scale model Museum quality Yurok Plank Houses are being sold to raise money for the Blue Creek - Ah Pah Traditional Yurok Village project.
Re-Bath, tub lining products is a bath tub relining manufacturer and distributor located in Tempe, Arizona - see rebath.com
Rubblestone Wall Filler: See this Lartigue House using exterior-exposed rubblestone filler between vertical timbers of a post and beam-framed Canadian building.
Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Second Edition, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen,A. S. Hyde, Jon R. Abele, ISBN-13: 978-1-933264-01-1 or
ISBN 10: 1-933264-01-2,
available from the publisher, Lawyers ^ Judges Publishing Company,Inc., www.lawyersandjudges.com sales@lawyersandjudges.com and also from the InspectAPedia Bookstore (Amazon.com)
The Stairway Manufacturers' Association, (877) 500-5759, provides a pictorial guide to the stair and railing portion of the International Residential Code. [copy on file as http://www.stairways.org/pdf/2006%20Stair%20IRC%20SCREEN.pdf ] -
How to Clean Moldy Wood Framing & Sheathing How to clean/seal mold from/on exposed lumber or plywood subfloor or roof sheathing indoors - some suggestions based on our field and laboratory research
Lighting, proper use of: proper aiming of a good flashlight can disclose hard to see but toxic light or white mold colonies on walls.
Manufactured & Modular Homes: Modular Building Systems Association, MBSA, modularhousing.com, is a trade association promoting and providing links to contact modular builders in North America. Also see the Manufactured Home Owners Association, MHOAA, at www.mhoaa.us. The Manufactured Home Owners Association of America is a National Organization dedicated to the protection of the rights of all people living in Manufactured Housing in the United States.
Stuff that is not mold but is often mistaken for it - things you may not want to test. Also, not all "black mold" is toxic - here are examples of harmless black mold.
Mold-Resistant Building Practices, advice from an expert on how to prevent mold after a building flood and how to prevent mold growth in buildings by selection of building materials and by anti-mold construction details.
Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen, Jon R. Abele, Alvin S. Hyde, Cindy A. LaRue, Lawyers and Judges Publishing; ISBN-10: 1933264012 ISBN-13: 978-1933264011
Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Second Edition, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen,A. S. Hyde, Jon R. Abele, ISBN-13: 978-1-933264-01-1 or ISBN 10: 1-933264-01-2, available from the publisher, Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company,Inc., www.lawyersandjudges.com sales@lawyersandjudges.com and also from the InspectAPedia Bookstore (Amazon.com)
Steps and Stairways, Cleo Baldon & Ib Melchior, Rizzoli, 1989.
"The Dimensions of Stairs", J. M. Fitch et al., Scientific American, October 1974.
"The Elimination of Unsafe Guardrails, a Progress Report," Elliott O. Stephenson, Building Standards, March-April 1993
"Are Functional Handrails Within Our Grasp" Jake Pauls, Building Standards, January-February 1991
"Weather-Resistive Barriers [copy on file as /interiors/Weather_Resistant_Barriers_DOE.pdf ] - ", how to select and install housewrap and other types of weather resistive barriers, U.S. DOE
Weaver: Beaver Board and Upson Board:
Beaver Board and Upson Board: History and Conservation of Early Wallboard, Shelby Weaver,
APT Bulletin, Vol. 28, No. 2/3 (1997), pp. 71-78, Association for Preservation Technology International (APT), available online at JSTOR.
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