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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 1901 - 1950 of 2447

Roof-to-Wall and Deck-to-Wall Flashing, FEMA Technical Fact Sheet No. 5.2

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing the importance of proper roof and deck flashing, and typical and enhanced flashing techniques for coastal homes; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Rooftop Solar Panel Attachment: Design, Installation, and Maintenance - Hurricane Irma and Maria in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Recovery advisory guide providing guidance on existing code requirements as well as recommend best practices for attachment design, installation, and maintenance of rooftop solar panels to increase panel wind resistance in the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Maria.

Room Air Conditioners

Author(s)
Energy Saver,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Web page providing an overview of room-level air conditioning systems such as window units and mini-splits.

Safe Room Funding

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
FEMA information on safe room funding to regional governments.

Safe Room Resources, FEMA P-388 CD

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
A CD guide intended to help communities mitigate damage or loss from tornadoes and other extremewind events, and provide public information resources for conveying the importance of safe room construction.

Safety: Excess Flow Valves

Author(s)
Pacific Gas & Electric
Organization(s)
PG&E
Publication Date
Brochure for utility customers describing installation of an excess flow valve to automatically shut off natural gas flow into a home in the event of a gas line rupture.

San Francisco's Big Seismic Gamble

Author(s)
Fuller Thomas,
Singhvi Anjali,
Williams Josh
Organization(s)
New York Times
Publication Date
Article describing San Francisco and how impending seismic activity may affect modern skyscrapers.

Save More On Laundry with a Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

Author(s)
Leslie Jones
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR,
U.S. EPA,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Publication Date
Article explaining the energy cost reduction and other benefits associated with installing a heat pump clothes dryer

Saving Energy through Advanced Power Strips

Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Organization(s)
NREL
Publication Date
Infographic providing details on choosing the right advanced power strip based on your habits to reduce the electricity wasted when your electronic devices are idle.

Savings Calculator

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
A website calculator that can calculate how much you can save by switching to ENERGY STAR certified products.

Scaling Up to Zero Energy Ready - and Down to 530 ft2

Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Organization(s)
NREL
Publication Date
Research report detailing Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) partnership with Manatee County Habitat for Humanity to design a compact, Zero Energy Ready Home in Florida, tackling challenges like equipment sizing and indoor air quality, offering insights for projects surpassing building code...

Science of Cool Roofs

Author(s)
CoolCalifornia
Organization(s)
California Air Resources Board
Publication Date
Webpage discussing the characteristics of sunlight and how cool roofs work to reduce solar heat gain.

Sealed Attics?

Author(s)
Coble Brian
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Article describing how insulating and air sealing unfinished attic spaces can lead to reduced energy bills in some homes.

Securing Your Water Heater

Author(s)
Washington State Department of Health
Organization(s)
Washington State Department of Health
Publication Date
A fact sheet providing homeowners with guidance on properly securing water heaters to prevent them from tipping in an earthquake.

Seismic Building Code Provisions for New Buildings to Create Safer Communities - Earthquake Resistance Through Building Codes

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program
Organization(s)
FEMA,
NEHRP
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing improvements in the earthquake resistance of residential and commercial new construction through the adoption into the International Residential Code of seismic provisions including those developed by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP).

Seismic Building Codes

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Website providing links to building codes, seismic codes, code enforcement, safe buildings, and seismic retrofitting.

Seismic Design Map

Author(s)
Structural Engineers Association of California,
California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development
Organization(s)
SEAOC,
OSHPD
Publication Date
Web-based tool that uses the USGS web services to retrieve seismic design data and presents it in a report format.

Seismic Design Principles

Author(s)
Lorant Gabor
Organization(s)
Whole Building Design Guide,
WBDG,
Gabor Lorant Architects,
Inc.,
Lorant Group
Publication Date
Website providing an introduction to the concepts and principles of seismic design.

Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings, ASCE/SEI 41-13

Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE
Publication Date
Standard using deficiency-based and systematic procedures that use performance-based principles to evaluate and retrofit existing buildings to withstand the effects of earthquakes.

Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings, ASCE/SEI 41-17

Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE
Publication Date
Standard using deficiency-based and systematic procedures that use performance-based principles to evaluate and retrofit existing buildings to withstand the effects of earthquakes. The current version of this standard was published in the year 2017, and is available in both digital and print...

Seismic Gas Shut-Off Valve Requirements

Author(s)
City of Malibu
Organization(s)
City of Malibu
Publication Date
Fact sheet for natural gas customers describing city’s seismic gas shut-off valve requirements.

Seismic Retrofit Training For Building Contractors and Inspectors Participant Handbook

Author(s)
McCormick Timothy P
Organization(s)
Woodward Clyde Federal Services and the Hazard Mitigation Technical Assistance Partnership,
City of Los Angeles,
Structural Engineers Association of Southern California,
SEAOSC
Publication Date
Report seeking to teach building contractors and building inspectors the correct methods for doing typical seismic retrofits that have been designed by an engineer or architect or described in a prescriptive standard.

Seismic Retrofitting

Author(s)
The Getty Conservation Institute
Organization(s)
The GCI
Publication Date
Newsletter containing five articles focused on seismic retrofitting.

Seismic Safety of the Building Envelope

Author(s)
Arnold Chris
Organization(s)
Whole Building Design Guide,
WBDG,
National Institute of Building Sciences,
NIBS
Publication Date
Article outlining the key issues related to the protection of the building envelope against seismic forces.

Seismic Safety: Gas Shutoff Devices, SB-1898

Author(s)
California Legislative Information
Organization(s)
California Legislative Information
Publication Date
Description of California Senate Bill SB 1898, which requires the sale of new seismic gas shutoff devices sold in California to be certified by the State Architect.

Selecting a Lot and Siting the Building, FEMA Technical Fact Sheet No. 2.2

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing guidance concerning lot selection and building siting considerations for coastal residential buildings, including factors that constrain siting decisions, coastal setback lines, common siting problems, and suggestions for builders, designers, and owners; also published in FEMA...

Selecting Caulk

Author(s)
Robinson Bill
Organization(s)
Journal of Light Construction,
JLC
Publication Date
Article describing various types of caulks and sealants, their formulas and best uses.

Selecting Lighting Controls

Author(s)
Jessica Kelly,
Ruth Taylor,
Dan Blitzer
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Publication Date
Document serving as a resource to assist decision-makers in understanding how networked lighting control system attributes can satisfy project objectives at an appropriate cost and functionality

Selection Process for Replacement Windows

Author(s)
Efficient Windows Collaborative
Organization(s)
National Fenestration Rating Council,
NFRC
Publication Date
Step-by-step guide demonstrating replacement window selection process.

SelecTree: A Tree Selection Guide

Author(s)
Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute,
California Polytechnic State University
Organization(s)
UFEI,
Cal Poly
Publication Date
Website tool that can search for trees by name or characteristics and retrieve data describing tree attributes including site preferences and general characteristics and considerations.

Sensitivity Analysis of Installation Faults on Heat Pump Performance

Author(s)
Piotr Domanski,
Hugh Henderson,
Payne W Vance
Organization(s)
National Institute of Standards and Technology,
NIST
Publication Date
Technical study exploring the impact of different installation faults on heat pump performance in a single-family house.

Serenbe Nest Cottages

Author(s)
Butler Tom,
Curtis O,
Kim E,
Roberts S,
Stephenson R
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
Home Innovation Research Labs,
HIRL,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Southface
Publication Date
Report describing construction of test homes in Atlanta, GA meeting Building America savings targets and serving as a basis of design for other homes Martin Dodson plans to build within the Serenbe community.

Servicing High Efficiency Boilers Part 2

Author(s)
Eatherton Mark
Organization(s)
Contractor Magazine
Publication Date
Second part of an article series focusing on servicing high efficiency modcon boilers. This part focuses on paperwork and follow-up communication with the homeowner for scheduling annual maintenance.

Servicing High Efficiency Modcon Boilers

Author(s)
Eatherton Mark
Organization(s)
Contractor Magazine
Publication Date
Article describing the author's experiences in owning and servicing a modcon boiler.

Severe Weather Fire Safety

Author(s)
U.S. Fire Administration,
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
U.S. Fire Administration,
FEMA
Publication Date
Description webpage providing information about home fire safety during sever weather for consumers.