Whole-Building Design Strategies -

Disaster Resistance

Guide describing how to air-seal doors that are next to unconditioned spaces.

Guide describing ways to seal drywall to the top plate of an exterior wall to air-seal the wall cavity.

Guide describing how to air-seal the rough openings around doors and windows.

Guide providing guidance on insulating attic eaves in new and existing single-family homes and multifamily buildings.

Guide describing how to insulate and air-seal attic knee walls and floor joist cavities under knee walls.

Guide describing application of a radiant barrier layer in the attic to block radiant heat transfer between hot surfaces and heat-absorbing surfaces.

Guide describing how to install back-draft dampers in exhaust fans to make a shared duct possible.

Guide describing combustion furnaces with selection and installation guidance.

Guide describing condensing boilers and hot water heat distribution systems used for home heating.

Guide describing how ice dams form and how roofs can be constructed to prevent them.

Guide describing how to provide a strong continuous load path from the roof through the wall to the foundation to ensure a structurally sound building and increase racking resistance in hurricanes, high winds, tornados, and earthquakes.

Guide describing how to provide combustion air for fireplaces and how to test fireplaces for combustion safety.

Guide describing different options for providing seismic and thermal resistance for homes with basement foundations, crawlspace foundations, or crawlspace foundations with a "cripple" wall.

Guide describing how to install low-e interior storm windows.

Guide describing how to install low-e exterior storm windows.

A guide describing how to elevate and secure HVAC equipment for protection against floods, earthquakes, and high winds.

Guide describing how to correctly slope solid surfaces outside a home so rainwater flows away from the home.

Guide describing how to apply heavy membranes at eaves in cold climates to help guard against ice dams.

Guide describing how to retrofit older solid masonry homes to withstand seismic activity while including energy efficient retrofits.

Guide describing how to construct the walls of a home with bracing to resist wind and earthquake loads.