Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Description
2019 version of the California Residential Code.
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 - 50 of 60
Organization(s)
United Nations
Publication Date
Description
Guidance document from the UN environment programme on climate-resilient buildings and communities practices, including guidance on heat waves, drought, hurricanes, and flooding.
Organization(s)
SoCalGas
Publication Date
Description
Webpage detailing how to purchase and install the correct shut-off valve for homes in California, including differences between earthquake and excess flow valves and how to install each.
Organization(s)
State of California Division of the State Architect
Publication Date
Description
Webpage with certification requirements for excess flow and earthquake valves from California's Division of the State Architect (DSA).
Organization(s)
ASTM
Publication Date
Description
ASTM standard for wood-composite decking and guardrail materials under a variety of tests, including fire performance and UV resistance. This standard was produced in the year 2021, and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link. There are also other versions of this standard...
Organization(s)
Danville
Publication Date
Description
Brochure for natural gas utility customers describing seismic valves and excess flow valves for homes.
Organization(s)
Town of Los Gatos California
Publication Date
Description
A webpage outlining recommendations for creating defensible space.
Organization(s)
Cal Fire,
CAL FIRE - OSFM
Publication Date
Description
California Office of the State Fire Marshal's homepage for the Building Materials Listing Program, providing builders, contractors, architects, and others with access to a database of fire alarm systems and fire-resistant construction materials including roof coverings, wall, ceiling, and floor...
Organization(s)
Cal Fire,
CAL FIRE - OSFM
Publication Date
Description
California Office of the State Fire Marshal's compiled and searchable list of different building materials and their test results for fire resistance.
Organization(s)
CSLB
Publication Date
Description
California State Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 8, Article 3, listing requirements for plumbing contractors.
Organization(s)
CDC
Publication Date
Description
Report describing extreme heat events, how an extreme heat event threatens public health, and how to prepare for and respond to such an event.
Organization(s)
UCLA
Publication Date
Description
Wildfire resistant home checklist from Murray Milne, a professor of architecture at UCLA, who outlines seven steps to take to improve a home's chance of survival during a wildfire.
Organization(s)
PG&E
Publication Date
Description
Guidelines from PG&E outlining how to stay safe during a flood event by shutting off natural gas and electric service to the home.
Organization(s)
Orange County Register
Publication Date
Description
Article describing risks of living in wildfire-prone areas of southern California and ways to reduce risks to homes and communities.
Organization(s)
ICC Evaluation Service
Publication Date
Description
ICC-ES Evaluation Report reviewing proprietary steel shear wall panels developed by Simpson Strong-Tie Company to resist vertical and lateral loads in walls resulting from wind or earthquakes.
Organization(s)
City of Ellensburg
Publication Date
Description
Flyer from the City of Ellensburg WA describing what an excess flow valve is, how they work, and associated costs.
Organization(s)
Colorado Springs Utilities
Publication Date
Description
Website for gas utility customers describing the installation of excess flow valves to stop the flow of natural gas into a home in the event of a line rupture.
Organization(s)
KUB
Publication Date
Description
Webpage describing what excess flow valves are, how they work, and the installation process.
Organization(s)
TECO
Publication Date
Description
Utility webpage describing the monetary costs associated with excess flow valves for TECO in Florida.
Organization(s)
Insurance Information Institute
Publication Date
Description
Webpage with statistics on recent U.S. wildfires.
Organization(s)
Odice
Publication Date
Description
An example of a commercially available thermally expansive fire stopping product for controlling the spread of fires in a rainscreen cavity.
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
Report presenting safe room designs and showing the homeowner and builder/contractor or local design professional how to construct a safe room for a home or small business.
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheets giving steps for residents to shelter in place during several disaster or emergency scenarios, including flash floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, winter storms, active shooters, chemical hazards, nuclear/radiological events, pandemics, as well as guidance for...
Organization(s)
University of California Cooperative Extension
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
IBHS,
NFPA
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheet describing research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety into how burning embers can ignite softwood decks like redwood and cedar and how to minimize the likelihood these decks will be ignited by embers.
Organization(s)
Firetherm
Publication Date
Description
An example of commercially available thermally expansive fire stopping products for controlling the spread of fires in a rainscreen cavity.
Organization(s)
Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshall
Publication Date
Description
Site showing flame spread ratings and definitions for common building materials.
Organization(s)
Prescott Fire Department,
City of Prescott Arizona
Publication Date
Description
A guideline containing fire sprinkler insulation requirements from the Prescott, Arizona Fire Department.
Organization(s)
PG&E
Publication Date
Description
Webpage describing the safety hazards associated with natural gas and tips on how to avoid these hazards by a step process of turning off natural gas service to a home and restoring service afterwards.
Organization(s)
PG&E
Publication Date
Description
Webpage describing when and how to safely turn off the natural gas to the home during an emergency.
Organization(s)
Home Construction and Improvement
Publication Date
Description
A article about the best practice method of installing fiber cement siding, to install flashing at the butt joints of the siding boards, rather than face caulking the butt joints afterwards.
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
Description
Factsheet describing defensible space and wildfire risk reduction steps that homeowners can take to make their homes safer during a wildfire.
How To Shut Off Your Natural Gas In An Emergency – Learn How To Locate And Shut Off Your Natural Gas
Organization(s)
SoCalGas
Publication Date
Description
Webpage describing how to locate and manually shut off natural gas service at the meter.
Organization(s)
SMUD
Publication Date
Description
Webpage describing benefits of adding battery storage to homes and an estimation tool.
Organization(s)
National Research Council Canada
Publication Date
Description
Report for local governments, planners, emergency managers, developers, insurers, and property owners describing ways to improve the wildfire resistance of buildings, infrastructure and communities in the wildland urban interface.
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
Description
NFPA standard for indoor automatic fire sprinkler design and installation, focused on residential dwellings.
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
Description
NFPA standard for indoor automatic fire sprinkler design and installation for low-rise residential occupancies.
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
Description
Standard establishing criteria for levels of health care services or systems based on risk to the patients, staff, or visitors in health care facilities to minimize the hazards of fire, explosion, and electricity.
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
Description
A website outlining considerations for planning and installation of a fire-protection.
Organization(s)
USFA
Publication Date
Description
A webpage that provides wildfire preparedness and safety pictographs.
Organization(s)
State of California,
Cal Fire
Publication Date
Description
Webpage offering recommendations to homeowners and contractors for retrofitting a home to make it more resistant to wildfires.
Organization(s)
Institute for Business & Home Safety
Publication Date
Description
Report covering reducing risk from flooding.
Organization(s)
HUD
Publication Date
Description
Guidance from HUD on how to restore homes following natural disasters in Puerto Rico.
Organization(s)
HUD
Publication Date
Description
Guidance from HUD on how to restore homes following natural disasters in Puerto Rico.
Organization(s)
City of Malibu
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheet for natural gas customers describing city’s seismic gas shut-off valve requirements.
Organization(s)
International Association of Certified Home Inspectors,
InterNACHI
Publication Date
Description
Article defining structural design loads and ways to calculate them, including dead loads, live loads, soil lateral loads, wind loads, snow loads, earthquake loads, and other loads.
Organization(s)
National Wildfire Coordinating Group
Publication Date
Description
Online course describing the behavior of wildfires for firefighters.
Organization(s)
SCEC,
University of Southern California
Publication Date
Description
Webpage from Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) on identifying key problem spots on unreinforced masonry chimneys and how to retrofit them to withstand seismic forces.
Organization(s)
Journal of Light Construction
Publication Date
Description
Article describing ways to construct or retrofit a home to increase is resistance to high winds, hurricanes, and tornadoes.