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.

A report showing what happens when windows break as a result of temperature differences between the inside and outside of the home, as well as code standards for the State of California regarding window exposure to wildfires.

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.

Report describing dry floodproofing technologies for non-residential buildings, including information about regulatory requirements, design considerations, and descriptions of floodproofing methods and equipment.

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

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.

Commercial website providing images to subscribers.

Article describing the fundamentals and basics of glazing hazard mitigation practices for both new and existing buildings.

Report focuseing on dynamic window and opaque envelope technologies for GEBs, including electrochromic glazing, automated attachments, and thermal storage.

Document describing living shoreline techniques for shoreline stabilization.

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.

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

Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

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.

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

Article summarizing for potential homeowners items to check or demand from the builder in designing a home for a cold climate.

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.

Factsheet describing how triple-pane windows can outperform standard single and double-pane windows.

Factsheet describing re-siding retrofits containing exterior insulation and window upgrades aimed at improved energy savings and comfort.

Factsheet outlining how window attachments like cellular shades, roller shades, storm windows with low-emissivity coatings, and solar screens are low-cost steps that can be implemented to keep homes cool in the summer.

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

NOAA webpage providing images and short descriptions of different types of hurricane shutters.

Article outlining the casuses and solutions for ice dam problems.

Study evaluating opportunities for reducing cooling energy use in a hot dry climate through the use of shading and window options.

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.

Study using simulations to understand the impact that shading and natural ventilation would have had on the survivability of non-air-conditioned buildings during the 2021 heat wave in the Pacific Northwest.

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

This document covers how broken windows can allow wind and rain inside the house and even lead to roof failure.

Report with guidance for installing windows with foam sheathing on wood-frame walls.

Article describing methods for designing and constructing multifamily buildings with insulating concrete forms (ICFs).

Guide describing the use of a collaborative, multidisciplinary process that considers and optimizes the building as an entire system including its technical equipment and surroundings for efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective construction and operation over the building’s entire lifespan.

Report describing as-found interior platform return plenums, the magnitude of their contribution to the total amount of duct leakage, and techniques and results of retrofits executed by the HVAC trade during equipment replacement.