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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 51 - 100 of 126

FEMA P-957, Snow Load Safety Guide

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Report informing building stakeholders about the risks a snow event poses to their buildings, preventative measures to take before the snow season, and actions that should be taken before, during, and after a snow event.

Fire in California: Preparing Your Home

Author(s)
University of California Cooperative Extension
Organization(s)
University of California Cooperative Extension
Publication Date
Guidelines from the University of California Cooperative Extension on how fires spread, how homes typically burn, and what homeowners can do to prepare their homes for wildfire season.

Fire Protection of Facades

Author(s)
Marija Jelčić Rukavina,
Milan Carević,
Ivana Banjad Pečur
Organization(s)
University of Zagreb
Publication Date
A guide for designers, architects, engineers, and fire experts on how to design rainscreen and ventilated cavities such that they don’t contribute to the spread of a fire.

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.

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.

Firetherm

Author(s)
Firetherm
Organization(s)
Firetherm
Publication Date
An example of commercially available thermally expansive fire stopping products for controlling the spread of fires in a rainscreen cavity.

Flame-Spread Ratings

Author(s)
Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshall
Organization(s)
Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshall
Publication Date
Site showing flame spread ratings and definitions for common building materials.

Flood and Hurricane Resistant Buildings, BSD-111

Author(s)
Joseph Lstiburek
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Guide from Building Science Corporation on how to construct a flood and hurricane resistant home.

Flood-Resistant Material

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
A FEMA description of what constitutes a flood-resistant material.

Formaldehyde

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Detailed information about Formaldehyde including health effects and strategies to reduce exposure.

Fortified Home Hail Supplement to the High Wind Standard

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance to high wind and hail.

Fortified Home High Wind Standard

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance in severe thunderstorms, straight-line wind events, and high winds at the outer edges of tornadoes.

Fortified Home Hurricane Standard

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance in severe thunderstorms, straight-line wind events, and high winds at the outer edges of tornadoes.

Fortified Home: Choosing the Right Tape

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Checklist providing recommendations for the right tape in order to reduce the risk of leaks during storms with wind-driven rain.

Greenguard Certification for Paints and Coatings

Organization(s)
GREENGUARD Environmental Institute
Publication Date
Standard describing GREENGUARD Emission Criteria for use with GREENGUARD Certification Program for Low Emitting Products.

Home Survival in Wildfire-Prone Areas: Building Materials and Design Considerations

Author(s)
Quarles,
Valachovic,
Nakamura,
Nader,
De Lasaux
Organization(s)
University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Publication Date
A guide that summarizes building materials and design considerations for increasing wildfire-resistivity of homes in areas that are prone to wildfires.

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.

How to Destroy a Wall in Two Easy Steps

Author(s)
Mark Parlee
Organization(s)
Journal of Light Construction
Publication Date
A story about how omission of two small but critical wall details, a kick-out flashing and a weep screed, lead to extensive water damage to a wall.

How to Find Indoor airPLUS Compliant Low Emission Products

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Companion document to the Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications, providing guidance on identifying compliant products, including industry databases and examples of product labeling.

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.

Ignition Resistant Construction Guide

Author(s)
FireSafe Montana
Organization(s)
FireSafe Montana
Publication Date
Ignition resistant residential construction and landscaping guidelines from FireSafe Montana.

Impact Resistance of Brick Veneer Structures to Hurricane Debris

Author(s)
Bennett Richard M,
Borchelt Gregg J,
Bryja Jim,
Kjorlien Bill
Organization(s)
Canada Masonry Design Centre,
CMDC
Publication Date
An impact test report from projectile missile tests against brick veneer, verifying that brick veneers perform well to resisting hurricane force wind driven debris.

Inspection and Verification Guidance for WaterSense® Labeled New Homes

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
PDF detailing the inspection and verification guidance for WaterSense labeled new homes including indoor and outdoor efficiency requirements, and homeowner and building management education.

Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rules

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
EPA’s 2008 Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule (as amended in 2010 and 2011), aims to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation, repair and painting activities.

Masonry Detailing Series

Author(s)
International Masonry Institute
Organization(s)
International Masonry Institute
Publication Date
Webpage featuring hundreds of illustrations of masonry construction details for brick, congrete, stone, tile, stucco, etc.

Moisture Performance of High-R Wall Systems

Author(s)
Shah,
Kochkin
Organization(s)
Home Innovation Research Labs
Publication Date
The next generation of building enclosures is a key step toward achieving high-performance goals through decreasing energy load demand and enabling advanced space-conditioning systems. Yet the adoption of high-R enclosures and particularly high-R walls has been a slow-growing trend because...

Moisture, Mold and Construction Practices

Author(s)
U.S. Gypsum Company
Organization(s)
U.S. Gypsum Company
Publication Date
Brochure discussing specific practices for mitigating moisture and mold during the construction process.

Mold, Housing & Wood

Author(s)
Robbins,
Morrell
Organization(s)
Western Wood Products Association
Publication Date
Document addressing common questions about moisture, mold and wood.

Mulching Your Trees and Landscapes

Author(s)
University of Tennessee
Organization(s)
University of Tennessee
Publication Date
Pamphlet describing different types of mulches and their benefits.

Nail Withdrawl Capacities in OSB

Author(s)
Premier SIPS
Organization(s)
Premier SIPS
Publication Date
Information sheet with nail withdrawl capacities in OSB.

Performance profiles of exterior fire protective building envelopes

Author(s)
Jarnskjold Tobias,
Jensen Geir,
Knudsen Atle
Organization(s)
Edition Diffusion Presse Sciences,
EDP Sciences
Publication Date
A study on how fires spread through exterior building envelopes with discussion on how fires propagate in a rain screen cavity.

Plaster and Drywall Assemblies Manual

Author(s)
Fowler Mark,
Stanley Bryan,
Coats Darin
Organization(s)
Technical Services Information Bureau,
Walls & Ceilings
Publication Date
Manual covering design, detailing, material selection and troubleshooting for plaster, IEFs, and drywall, with info on continuous insulation, air barriers, rain screens, fire and sound ratings, etc.

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.

Product Approval Menu

Author(s)
Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation
Organization(s)
Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation
Publication Date
Database of approved products that meet the requirements of the High Velocity Hurricane Zone.

Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Website from the EPA containing information for homeowners and renters about how to identify asbestos in the home and how to deal with it to reduce exposure to it.

Rain Screen Acknowledgement Form

Author(s)
City of Newberg
Organization(s)
City of Newberg
Publication Date
An example of a form a building codes department created to ensure builders are fully aware and have taken steps to provide drainage so that water doesn’t accumulate behind siding. This example is from the city of Newberg, Oregon.

Reduce Pest Intrusion

Author(s)
Building Energy Codes Program
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Fact sheet explaining code-compliant methods for dealing with pests.

Resistance of Exterior Walls to High Velocity Projectiles

Author(s)
Scott Kashuba,
Marc Kuzik,
Michael Hatzinikolas
Organization(s)
The Canadian Masonry Research Institute
Publication Date
Testing of various siding materials for their ability to resist bullets from small firearms.