Browse by Category | Building America Solution Center

Guide describing how to construct homes and decks to manage heavy snow loads in winter weather.

Guide discussing how to install metals roofs to resist damage from high winds, hurricanes, ice, and wildfires.

Guide describing how to select the siding materials best suited to withstand hazards like rain, wind, hail, fire, and pests.

Guide describing how to properly apply mulch to landscaping for water retention and erosion control.

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

Guide describing various ways of implementing passive and low-energy cooling techniques for a house.

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

Information guide providing an overview of pest-resistant construction practices and guides in the Building America Solution Center for builders, contractors, and home owners.

Guide describing methods for installing pest-resistant ground cover around foundations to resist borrowing rodents and other pests.

Guide describing how to install appropriate connectors to provide a continuous load path to improve the wind resistance of attached porches, carports, and decks during high-wind events.

Information guide describing best practices for dealing with hazards that might be encountered when returning to a home to do renovations after a natural disaster.

Guide describing battery backup systems, for use with or without photovoltaic panels, to safely store and supply electricity during a power outage.

Guide describing ways builders can block off entry points and otherwise make homes inhospitable to all manner of pests.

Guide describing different options for providing seismic and thermal resistance for homes with 'cripple' wall crawlspace foundations, which are known for their instability.

Guide describing ways to retrofit an existing roof to increase its resistance to damage during hurricanes, high winds, and earthquakes.

Guide describing how to insulate closed crawlspace walls and band joist areas with rigid foam board insulation.

A guide for choosing, installing, and flashing roof anchoring systems for solar panels.

Information guide describing roof construction techniques and tactics for fire resistance.

Guide describing requirements for sealing roof sheathing to increase resistance to high winds and rain.

Guide describing how to apply self-adhered asphaltic membranes at eaves in cold climates to help guard against ice dams.

Guide describing construction and protection of roof edges to resist air pressures at roof edges during high-wind events.

Guide describing options for providing access to the roof via openable skylights, dormer windows, or roof hatches, for occupants of homes in areas prone to severe flooding.

Guide describing how to seal roof valleys and how to seal around pipes, chimneys, and other roof deck penetrations.

Guide describing the design of a shelter-in-place room in a home for protection during hurricanes and tornadoes.

Whole-Building Design

Managing Snow Loads on Roofs and Decks

Metal Roofs

Moisture-, Impact-, Fire-, and Pest-Resistant Exterior Siding

Mulching

Outdoor HVAC Equipment Elevated and Secured for Resistance to Floods, Earthquakes, and High Winds

Passive and Low-Energy Cooling

Patio Slabs, Porch Slabs, Walkways, and Driveways Slope Away from House

Pest Control Overview Guide

Pest-Resistant Ground Cover at Foundation Perimeter

Porches, Carports, and Deck Attachments

Pre-Retrofit Assessment of Post-Disaster Home and Site Hazards

PV Battery Storage for Power Outages

Reduce Pest Intrusion

Retrofit Existing Crawl Space Foundations with Cripple Walls to Increase Seismic Resistance and Thermal Performance

Retrofit of Existing Roofs for Hurricane, High Wind, and Seismic Resistance

Rigid Foam Board Interior Insulation for Existing Foundation Walls

Roof Anchor System for Solar Panels

Roof Construction for Fire Resistance

Roof Deck Sheathing and Sealing for Sloped Roofs

Roof Eaves Sealed with Self-Adhering Membrane in Cold Climates

Roof Edge Protection

Roof Escape Openings for Flood-Prone Areas

Roof Valleys and Penetrations Sealed

Safe Rooms and Storm Shelters

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Whole-Building Design