Skip to main content

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 - 39 of 39

Author(s)
Elgqvist Emma
Organization(s)
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheet providing information on building-scale and utility-scale battery storage for disaster resistance.
Author(s)
Sonne Jeffrey K,
Vieira Robin K
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy,
ECEEE
Publication Date
Description
Paper describing the effects of tree canopies on residential climates indicating tree cover to be beneficial to climate conditions
Author(s)
Parker Danny S,
Sonne Jeffrey K,
Sherwin John S
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Description
Study reporting the results of comparative testing of the effect of finished and unfinished metal roofing systems on cooling energy performance in a test facility.
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Description
Website describing and providing a map showing the tsunami risk index for the United States, which home owners and builders can use to determine the tsunami risk of their location.
Author(s)
Pacific Gas & Electric
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.
Author(s)
Commins Tav
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).
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Organization(s)
EPA,
FEMA,
HUD
Publication Date
Description
Homeowner guidance from EPA, FEMA, HUD, and NIH on dealing with radon following a natural disaster.
Author(s)
Knowles III Hal S,
Ruppert Kathleen C,
Lenfesty Karla A,
Halderman Barbara
Organization(s)
University of Florida IFAS Extension
Publication Date
Description
This document covers how broken windows can allow wind and rain inside the house and even lead to roof failure.
Author(s)
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Organization(s)
Cal Fire
Publication Date
Description
A webpage outlining CAL FIRE’s recommendations for creating defensible space.
Author(s)
Neuhauser Ken,
Gates Cathy,
Pettit Betsy
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Guidebook providing useful examples of high performance retrofit techniques for the building enclosure of wood frame residential construction in a cold and somewhat wet climate.
Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
Description
An NFPA Standard that identifies a method for determining the minimum water supply necessary for structural fire-fighting purposes in areas where it has been determined that there is no water or inadequate water for fire fighting.
Author(s)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Organization(s)
OSHA
Publication Date
Description
A fact sheet educating the public on the proper operation of chainsaws to reduce the risk of injury from use.
Author(s)
U.S. Fire Administration
Organization(s)
U.S. Fire Administration
Publication Date
Description
A webpage that provides wildfire preparedness and safety pictographs.
Author(s)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Organization(s)
CDC
Publication Date
Description
Webpage describing steps homeowners can take to prepare their home and car for winter storms.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Brochure with information about how to select and install house wrap and other weather-resistive barriers.
Author(s)
Peters Stephen T,
Robertson Ian N
Organization(s)
University of Hawaii College of Engineering
Publication Date
Description
Projectile missile testing of various wall panel configuration to understand how the different wall constructions would perform when struck with wind driven debris from a hurricane.
Author(s)
MBS Engineering
Organization(s)
MBS Engineering
Publication Date
Description
An informational guide established to educate the public on seismic shut-off valves and how to avoid fires following an earthquake.
Author(s)
Krejci Cassie,
Muncaster John
Organization(s)
Polyguard
Publication Date
Description
An article describing a way to protect drain and ventilation holes in brick veneer siding against pests. Selecting a fine screen mesh opening (1/55-inch or 0.5-mm) is important to guard against small insects such as subterranean termites.
Author(s)
IBHS DisasterSafety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Description
Guidelines from IBHS on modifications to homes to prepare for a wildfire if evacuation orders are anticipated for the area.
Author(s)
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Center for Science Education
Organization(s)
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Center for Science Education
Publication Date
Description
A heat map showing the average number of tornadoes per year across the United States
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Organization(s)
USDA
Publication Date
Description
Webpage describing the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and how to plan residential building to mitigate wildfire risks associated with building in the WUI.
Author(s)
Canada Government of Northwest Territories Department of Environment and Climate Change
Organization(s)
GNWT ECC
Publication Date
Description
Website describing how wildfires spread and how fuels, weather, and topography influence fires.
Author(s)
Congressional Research Service
Organization(s)
CRS
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheet providing recent statistics on wildfires in the U.S.