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Library

This library contains research reports produced by the Building America program and other building science resources used to support this Solution Center. The materials cover both new construction and existing homes. Use the search box and/or the filters to explore hundreds of residential building resources. Access to some references not produced by Building America may require purchase from the publisher. Documents are listed alphabetically. While we continually update our database, links may have changed since posting. Please contact our webmaster if you find broken links.

Showing results 1 - 35 of 35

2018 IFC - International Fire Code

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2018 edition of code establishing regulations involving life and property safety from fires and explosion hazards, including emergency planning, fire department access and water supply, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and hazardous materials planning and storage.

2018 IWUIC - International Wildland-Urban Interface Code

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2018 edition of the code establishing regulations to safeguard life and property from the intrusion of wildland fire and to prevent structure fires from spreading to wildland fuels; regulates defensible space and provides ignition-resistant construction requirements to protect against fire exposure...

2021 IWUIC - International Wildland-Urban Interface Code

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2021 edition of the code establishing regulations to safeguard life and property from the intrusion of wildland fire and to prevent structure fires from spreading to wildland fuels; regulates defensible space and provides ignition-resistant construction requirements to protect against fire exposure...

Earthquake Country Alliance: Refrigerators

Author(s)
Earthquake Country Alliance
Organization(s)
Southern California Earthquake Center
Publication Date
Factsheet describing how to secure refrigerators and other major appliances to wall studs using earthquake appliance straps or angle brackets and bolts.

Earthquake Country Alliance: TVs, Computers and Electronics

Author(s)
Earthquake Country Alliance
Organization(s)
Southern California Earthquake Center
Publication Date
Factsheet describing how to secure televisions, microwaves, computers, and other electronics to prevent damage during earthquakes.

Earthquake Country Alliance: Water Heater

Author(s)
Earthquake Country Alliance
Organization(s)
Southern California Earthquake Center
Publication Date
Factsheet describing how to secure water heaters to resist seismic activity.

Earthquake Retrofit Your Home

Author(s)
City of San Jose Planning Building and Code Enforcement
Organization(s)
City of San Jose Planning Building and Code Enforcement
Publication Date
Factsheet describing ways to retrofit a home to make it more earthquake resistant.

Earthquake Valve Overview

Author(s)
MBS Engineering
Organization(s)
MBS Engineering
Publication Date
A one-page fact sheet outlining the purpose of an earthquake valve and how the valve can stop gas from flowing into a residence or building.

FEMA Flood Map Service Center: Search By Address

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
A address searchable geographic information system for visualizing the flood hazard of an address and its surrounding area.

FEMA P-530: Earthquake Safety at Home

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Guide provides homeowners ways to prepare for an earthquake and protect a home against earthquake damage.

Fire Resistant Decks

Author(s)
FIRESafe Marin
Organization(s)
FIRESafe Marin
Publication Date
Webpage from FireSafe Marin explaining the vulnerability of different deck setups and materials.

Fire Sprinkler Coalitions

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
A webpage containing information on state-based fire sprinkler coalitions.

Firebreak: Wildfire Resilience Strategies for Real Estate

Author(s)
Urban Land Institute
Organization(s)
Urban Land Institute
Publication Date
Updated wildfire risk assessment, community impacts, and building science measures following the disastrous 2020 wildfire season in the western U.S.

Firescaping

Author(s)
FIRESafe Marin
Organization(s)
FIRESafe Marin
Publication Date
Webpage from FireSafe Marin explaining the different landscaping strategies near homes to lower the risk of a home's ignition from wildfire.

FireWise Research Fact Sheet Series

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety,
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
IBHS,
NFPA
Publication Date
Webpage listing 10 factsheets describing research by IBHS into wildfire causes and construction tips for reducing the risk of ignition.

Generator Safety factsheet for consumers

Author(s)
Electrical Safety Foundation International
Organization(s)
ESFI
Publication Date
Webpage describing safe operation of backup electrical generators for use during power outages.

Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition

Author(s)
Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition
Organization(s)
HFSC
Publication Date
Website containing educational and marketing resources for residential fire sprinklers.

Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety

Author(s)
California Seismic Safety Commission
Organization(s)
SSC
Publication Date
Guidebook that provides information on earthquake hazards that can damage homes, the design and retrofit of earthquake resistant housing, and how to find more information on earthquake safety.

House Siding Options, Plus Costs, Pros & Cons 2020

Author(s)
Siding Cost Guide
Organization(s)
Siding Cost Guide
Publication Date
A starting point for ballparking and comparing the cost of different siding materials and a brief overview of the pros and cons of different siding materials.

Ignition Resistant Construction Design Manual

Author(s)
Colorado Springs Fire Department
Organization(s)
City of Colorado Springs Colorado
Publication Date
Wildfire guidance for homes located in the wildland urban interface, focused on site design and individual pieces of the home.

NFPA 25 - Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
An NFPA standard for inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire sprinklers, including fire pump operation and flow tests, evaluation techniques such as sprinkler inspections, valve status tests, internal piping assessments, and forward flow tests for backflow preventers, and water storage system...

Prepare for Wildfire - Fire-Resistant Landscaping

Author(s)
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Organization(s)
Cal Fire
Publication Date
Article from CAL FIRE on fire-resistant landscaping to mitigate ignition of homes.

Regional Wildfire Retrofit Guides

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage that provides regional guides to help home and business owners prioritize necessary retrofit projects for wildfire resistance.

Siding Cost.org

Author(s)
sidingcost.org
Organization(s)
sidingcost.org
Publication Date
Website providing the pros and cons of different siding materials for home building, including wood, vinyl, fiber cement, stucco, brick, metal, and stone.

What Are Seismic Shut-Off Valves?

Author(s)
MBS Engineering
Organization(s)
MBS Engineering
Publication Date
An informational guide established to educate the public on seismic shut-off valves and how to avoid fires following an earthquake.

Wildfire Home Retrofit Guide

Author(s)
Restaino Christina,
Kocher Susan,
Shaw Nicole,
Hawks Steven,
Murphy Carlie,
Quarles Stephen L
Organization(s)
University of Nevada Reno Extension,
University of California Cooperative Extension,
Tahoe Resource Conservation District,
Cal Fire
Publication Date
Guide from University of Nevada, Reno Extension providing specific recommendations for how to retrofit existing homes for wildfire resilience.