Library

Guide describing sound mitigation measures to lower building natural disaster vulnerability to assist local officials and community decision makers in coastal areas.

Measure Guideline research report providing simple, long term, and durable solutions when using tapes and flashing membranes in conjunction with the exterior face of rigid polymeric foam sheathing to create the drainage plane of a wall system.

Document providing information on basement insulation, air sealing and water management retrofits.

FEMA mitigation assessment team report following Hurricane Charley in Florida including observations, recommendations, and technical guidance for retrofitting hurricane-damaged homes.

Report providing extensive guidance on controlling moisture in building envelopes through proper selection and installation on air, water, thermal, and vapor barriers.

A website issuing watches, warnings, forecasts, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather and increasing the understanding of hazards.

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

Webpage presenting updated maps for annual average temperature and precipitation in the contiguous U.S.

Document describing guidance and requirements for flood openings in walls at and below grade.

Report providing guidance on protecting foundation walls and enclosures from flood damage.

Webpage providing guidance for homeowners on how much snow weight a typical roof can handle and when to consider removing snow from the roof.

Information sheet including a checklist of steps to follow for pouring concrete.

Fact sheet describing design and construction practices to reduce the likelihood of water intrusion in walls and foundations in residential construction.

Document with important building science considerations, designed for members of the residential construction and remodeling industries, as well as owners and managers who work in affordable housing.

Report covering the reconstruction of flood damaged homes.

Report providing recommended designs and guidance for rebuilding homes destroyed by hurricanes in the Gulf Coast.

Guide discussing ways that homeowners in ground-secured houses can reduce the risks and damage caused by floods upon residential buildings.

Article describing moisture and ice dam issues in attics and how to air seal the attic floor.

Website describing the U.S. Department of Energy's residential buildings program.

Research study identifying the best performing, most energy-efficient and cost- effective techniques to provide controlled mechanical ventilation and humidity control in hot- humid climates with thermally efficient building envelopes.

Website providing resources for seismic retrofits for builders and homeowners as well as city permit requirements from the City of Portland OR.

Report providing architects, designers, and homeowners with information to make house plans useful for constructing a more wind resilient structure.

Report on air-sealing programs for energy-efficiency retrofits.

Report describing how to construct a frost protected shallow foundation (FPSF) as a practical alternative to a deeper, more-costly foundation in cold regions with seasonal ground freezing and the potential for frost heave.

Manual describing methods for rodent-proofing buildings.

Q&A article discussing how to address moisture issues in an attic in a wet and humid coastal climate.

Report on hybrid ventilation methods for insulated and sealed crawl spaces.

Reports describing a mathematical methodology for assessing the seismic performance of buildings.

How hard can it be to insulate a flat sheet of concrete? I mean you only have three choices – on the top, on the bottom, or on the edge. OK, you might have some combination of the three as well.

Webpage providing information about design snow loads and a free interactive ground snow load mapping tool for the contiguous United States, as well as snow load calculation methods.

A website providing timely and accurate forecasts and watches for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes over the contiguous United States.

A research paper discussing the use of foundation heat exchangers for ground source heat pump systems in European climates.

This document covers a description of the need and applied solutions for supplemental dehumidification in warm-humid climates, especially for energy efficient homes where the sensible cooling load has been dramatically reduced.

Research study making several recommendations to whole-home program designers and implementers for improving the cost effectiveness and reach of whole-home programs.

Brochure describing insulation approaches for homes with slab-on-grade floors.

Fact sheet describing water management in a residential building.

Article from Green Building Advisor on the importance of window selection in hot climates, with an emphasis on window glazing.

Standard 55 specifies conditions for acceptable thermal environments and is intended for use in design, operation, and commissioning of buildings and other occupied spaces; is the current version of the standard, which was published in the year 2021, and is available for preview and purchase at the...

Factsheet providing design guidance for engineers describing how to characterize snow drifts on roofs in three dimensions rather than two, as anticipated in the 2022 edition of the standards, ASCE 7 - Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures.

Information sheet about types and installation of insulation.

Website providing guidance for people to find and use tools, information, and subject matter expertise to build climate resilience.

Webpage for the United States Geological Survey for the Department of the Interior.

Information sheet with methods for constructing or retrofitting basements to reduce moisture issues.

Presentation describing the challenges of insulating an existing basement, presented to the Building America residential energy-efficiency stakeholder meeting.

Interactive map maintained by the USDA showing plant hardiness zones throughout the U.S.

Technical fact sheet highlighting important building connections and illustrating the proper use of various types of connection hardware; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Building science report describing issues with vented attics in hot-humid climates and how sealed attic construction may be a solution.

Fact sheet describing how to identify heat-related illness and what actions to take.

A builder checklist guide for the water management of properties with appropriately-designed building technologies.