Library

Information sheet designed for the residential construction and remodeling industries, as well as owners and managers working in affordable housing. This sheet presents building guidance for both new construction and rehabilitation, as well as practices that can be used by property maintenance...

Article describing key takeaways from two symposia held during Building Innovation 2016: The National Institute of Building Sciences Fourth Annual Conference and Expo, including that resilience can be affordable and cost-effective.

Guide addressing immediate responses for cleaning up after natural disasters, including a list of construction retrofit guidance for natural disasters.

App developed by HUD to assist homeowners with lead paint and other hazards common to older homes.

Report covering the reconstruction of flood damaged homes.

Information about recycling CFL lightbulbs.

Guide describing ways builders can block off entry points and otherwise make homes inhospitable to all manner of pests.

Report from FEMA on how to reduce damage from localized flooding including planning, drainage, building codes and retrofits, and regulations.

Research project aimed to verify whether homes in the New Jersey HPwES program achieved 30% source energy savings, and if so, what measures were implemented to achieve them.

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

This study used an advanced airflow, energy and humidity modeling tool to evaluate the potential for residential mechanical pre-scooling strategies to reduce peak electriciy demand.

Report including an overview of the buried duct research and information the retrofit methodology used to install and test the three existing duct systems, including short- and long-term data collection.

Information sheet describing refrigerant line installation and system startup procedures.

When it comes to protecting yourself and your family from foodborne illness, one of your most effective tools is the kitchen refrigerator.

The ENERGY STAR criteria for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers.

Fact sheet describing an alternative to piles in V Zones and A Zones in coastal areas where soil properties preclude pile installation, but the need for an “open foundation system” still exists and recommendations for good masonry practices in coastal environments; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home...

Website describing the RELi rating system and leadership standard that takes a holistic approach to resilient design.

The RERH specifications and checklists take a builder and a project design team through the steps of assessing a home’s solar resource potential and defining the minimum structural and system components needed to support a solar energy system.

Fact sheet describing NFIP requirements for repairs, remodeling, and additions, and discussing opportunities for retrofitting in coastal flood hazard areas with recommendations for exceeding the minimum NFIP requirements; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction...

Report researching cost- effective solution packages for significant energy efficiency and indoor air quality improvements masonry multifamily urban buildings.

Table in the IRC describing bracing requirements for specified wind speeds and building story locations.

Webpage containing downloadable fact sheets covering carpet-related topics including Indoor Air Quality, Asthma and Allergy, Cleaning Products, and Environmental Sustainability.

Document presenting results from testing prototype HVAC duct system designs that would locate the entire length of duct work within the air and thermal barriers of the building envelope. These include one that incorporated a high-side supply register, one that utilized a single soffit located within...

Report providing information on mechanical air-cleaning devices for ventilation when conventional methods are not warranted.

Document containing some of the basic characteristics for energy performance, durability, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality that should be met in all high performance homes.

Standard covering provisions for electrically operated single- and multiple-station carbon monoxide (CO) alarming devices used in various types of residential occupancies to protect against acute effects of exposure to CO. This version of the standard, originally published in 2001 and revised in...

Standard covering provisions for electrically operated single- and multiple-station carbon monoxide (CO) alarming devices used in various types of residential occupancies to protect against acute effects of exposure to CO. This version of the standard, originally published in 2017 and revised in...

Report describing information from DOE about rules and standards for residential air conditioners and heat pumps.

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.

Presentation providing information about correctly installing ductwork in new and existing homes.

IECC code note explaining new fan efficacy requirements, along with how to determine which fans are affected by the new fan requirements.

Report aimed at gaining a better understanding about benefits, challenges and technologies associated with natural gas feedback systems.

Paper covering a parametric study of foundation heat exchanger-based ground source heat pump systems for several house configurations in a range of European locations, with an emphasis on determining feasible combinations.

Website with information and research about residential hot water distribution systems.

Report evaluating mechanical AC precooling strategies in homes as a method for improving the load factor by shifting cooling operation from on-peak to off-peak hours.

A fact sheet educating homeowners on the importance of residential safe rooms, including their cost and how to register a safe room with local officials.

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

Brochure with information on residential solar hot water systems.

Fact sheet describing residential tornado safe room doors.

Website describing the USRC, which "brings an unparalleled level of capability to the mission of improving community resilience in the built environment."

Website providing resilient housing articles that relate to codes, including webinars, training, and guest articles.

Webpage with guidance document detailing voluntary interim guidelines for conducting home energy ratings on multifamily residential buildings.

Presentation describing RESNET grading criteria for insulation installation.

Report describing how modification of model specifications to include guidance on energy efficiency measures can create a greater level of consistency in executing energy efficiency retrofit measures across the multiple regions where a developer may work.

Report summarizing the results of laboratory testing of 20 advanced power strip products.

Report describing research efforts focused on examining the audit reports for quality, comprehensiveness, and consistency.

The Retrofit Decision Tool is an online tool to help homeowners, multifamily building owners and contractors to start the conversation about which retrofits they can employ to achieve zero-carbon-alignment.

A guide on how to anchor fuel tanks to avoid damage from flooding and seismic events to the home by using straps and solid concrete slabs.

Research study about a high performance retrofit of an existing brick building (a former convent) into condominiums, all affordable housing.

Technical paper covering the retrofit of unreinforced masonry buildings.