Library

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.

Articles, research, case studies, and more outlining considerations for planning and installation of a fire-protection system.

Article describing five fundamental changes to building construction from the last 50 years and their modern construction consequences.

Brochure-guide describing swales and their qualities, including objective, maintenance, and design considerations.

Detailed information about Formaldehyde including health effects and strategies to reduce exposure.

Checklist providing recommendations for the right tape in order to reduce the risk of leaks during storms with wind-driven rain.

Checklist providing prescriptive instructions on how to retrofit ladder framing on gable end overhangs to achieve a maximum depth of 18 in. from the face of the wall.

Report summarizing the requirements for strenghtening and protecting the roof, openings in the house, and creating a continuous load path to strengthen walls and foundation per the IBHS Fortified Homes Hurricane Standard for Existing Homes.

Website providing resources for roofers to construct high-wind, hurricane, and hail-resistant roofs from IBHS Fortified program.

Checklist providing good and bad methods of fortifying the roof, especially in high wind situations.

Checklist providing good and bad methods of fortifying the roof, especially in hurricanes.

Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for high wind resistance.

Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for high wind and hail resistance.

Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for hurricane resistance.

Website providing technical documents of checklists, calculators, bulletin, modular home toolkit, standard details, and corrosion resistance requirements – map set; describing the requirements of the IBHS Fortified Home program to improve the disaster resistance of new and existing homes.

Article describing a numerical model that can be used to size foundation heat exchanger (FHX) systems.

Website describing wet floodproofing measures to prevent against structural damage, internal damage and damage to electrical components.

Results from a research program testing airtightness, implications of air leakage and contaminant reduction over the garage-to-house interface.

Commercial website providing images to subscribers.

Document describing the emissions criteria for carpets, cushions, and adhesives to qualify as those with low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions under the Carpet and Rug Institute's Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality Testing Program.

Standard describing GREENGUARD Emission Criteria for use with GREENGUARD Certification Program for Low Emitting Products.

Document describing living shoreline techniques for shoreline stabilization.

Guidance from HUD for volunteer team leaders, project managers and supervisors who work in recovery and rebuilding after natural disasters.

Report about opportunities for ventilation when traditional methods are limited by weather conditions or by contaminants in the outdoor air.

Report identifying Building America and 2021 International Energy Conservation Code climate zone designations for every county in the United States; where a county's climate zone designation has changed since the 2018 IECC, that change is indicated as well.

Guide by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships on how to size heat pumps in a cold climate.

Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance to high wind and hail.

Webpage providing maps and information to assess the particular hazards and risks for an area.

Webpage that describes health problems that can be caused by secondhand smoke.

Document providing guidance about building healthy homes using building science principles.

Article from NREL on wall construction guidelines for homes in hot climate zones.

Report that considers a number of promising wall systems that can meet the requirement for better thermal control.

Web article about solar site assessment.

A guide that summarizes building materials and design considerations for increasing wildfire-resistivity of homes in areas that are prone to wildfires.

Guidance from EPA, FEMA, HUD, and NIH on how to deal with asbestos in homes following natural disasters.

Homeowner guidance from CDC, EPA, FEMA, HUD, and NIH on how to safely clean up mold issues following flooding from a natural disaster.

Guidance from EPA, FEMA, HUD, and NIH on homeowner safety dealing with lead contaminants.

Information sheet presenting the correct methods for building an insulated cathedral ceiling.

Article describing considerations for choosing a room-level air cleaner to improve indoor air quality.

Companion document to the Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications, providing guidance on identifying compliant products, including industry databases and examples of product labeling.

Report describing the identification of barriers and proposed practical solutions for the design, installation, and market adoption of heat pump water heaters in new low-rise multifamily housing, focusing on studio and one-bedroom units.

A document aimed at reducing the vulnerability of a gable end roof to wind damage in a hurricane.

Report outlining results from a 2005 hygrothermal pilot study in the South.

Book providing project management guidance in maintaining satisfactory indoor air quality (IAQ) of occupied buildings undergoing renovation or construction.

Article outlining the casuses and solutions for ice dam problems.

Report on on lessons learned from building one multifamily home to the Zero Energy Ready Home program requirements.

Guide detailing best practices on how to build wall assemblies with absorptive claddings such as brick, stone that drain and dry well.

Report discussing the importance of durability and energy efficiency in building construction.

Article describing ways home owners can improve ventilation in their kitchens.