Library

Initiatives of smoke-free housing policies in New York State.

Toolkits for residents and owner/managers who live and work in federally assisted housing.

Report informing building stakeholders about the risks a snow event poses to their buildings, preventative measures to take before the snow season, and actions that should be taken before, during, and after a snow event.

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.

Specifications to assist builders in designing and constructing homes equipped with a set of features that make the installation of solar energy systems after the completion of the home’s construction easier and less expensive.

Spreadsheet tool that computes solar reflectance index (SRI) and roof surface temperature based on solar reflectance and thermal emittance using ASTM standard E 1980.

Standard describing a simple, relatively cost-effective approach to evaluating the ability of a variety of materials to support microbial growth using a small chamber method. A preview of the standard is available at the link, with the full version available for purchase.

Standard describing methods for installing radon mitigation systems in existing residential buildings three stories or less in height which was published in the year 2021 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link.

Detailed requirements for testing, exposure modeling, and allowable limits for modeled indoor air concentrations.

Website providing information on all types of pest management for multi-family housing.

Article describing ways to protect roofs from water infiltration by using self-adhering underlayment in vulnerable locations such as roof valleys, eave edges (to help deal with ice dams), rake edges, roofs to vertical walls (such as dormers), sidewall protection, the bottom of dormer valleys, and...

Fact sheet describing water management in a residential building.

Document with information on preventing termites when using ICFs.

Fact sheet describing the test procedure for wind and wind driven rain resistance of discontinuous roofing systems.

Manuals describing design, materials, and installation techniques applicable to almost all types of roof systems; four-volume set includes Metal Panel and SPF Roof Systems, Membrane Roof Systems, Architectural Metal Flashing and Condensation and Air Leakage Control, and Steep-Slope Roof Systems.

Article from Purdue University on the potential for white paint technology to lower air conditioning usage requirements.

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.

Fact sheet outlining best design and construction practices for tile roofing in high wind areas; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Report presenting information that aids qualified architects and engineers in the identification of the best available refuge areas in existing buildings for sheltering in place during a tornado.

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.

Report reviewing unvented roof assemblies, such as conditioned attics and unvented cathedral ceilings that are becoming common in North American construction.

Document summarizing the various papers on unvented conditioned cathedralized attics found on BSC's website.

Report covering wind uplift and roofing membrane failures.

Webpage describing the use of cool roofs to reduce heat islands and and benefits and costs.

Article describing a method for flashing roof vent boots, describing how to flash the pipe, how to flash over and under the pan, and finish by shaping the shingles, as well as addressing potential water leakage by adding an additional seal with EPDM flashing tape with a butyl adhesive backing to the...

Report describing the formation of icicles and ice dams along poorly ventilated roofs and how to mitigate ventilation issues with insulation and vents.

Report describing the use of attic ventilation to control moisture in cathedral roofs and avoid the formation of ice dams.

Guide providing information on controlling attic ductwork sweating.

Report covering the migration of wind-blown embers in roof vents.

This text is one of series of supporting documents that provide guidance on implementing the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for drinking-water quality; intended to support improvement of water safety within buildings.

Article describing how to weatherproof dormers using peel-and-stick membranes when flashing a dormer.

Web-based manual providing guidance for removal and preventing entry of nuisance wildlife.

Report describing sloped roof assemblies with high levels of thermal performance.

Web page explaining what a cool roof is and how they work, as well as benefits to their use and links to research studies.

Webpage describing how different amounts and types of snow loads affect the structural integrity of roofs and homes.

Article describing ways to design and construct a building to resist wildfires.

Study showcasing the location of the highest uplift force on the hip, ridge, and perimeter regions of roofs, and thus roofing material needs for the most fasteners and adhesive at these locations.

Study analyzing wind pressures on hip roofs where two hip roofs come together forming an L or T shaped roof or building.

Fact sheet describing impact-resistant window systems with specifics on Florida’s building codes.

A hurricane retrofit guide describing techniques for strengthening roof-to-wall connections for family homes.

Report describing Net Zero house design with sloped roof assemblies.