Library

Website detailing how to prepare for, stay safe during, and return home after hurricanes.

Article describing issues with condensation in unvented attics insulated with open-cell spray foam.

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

A news article documenting the milestone of the FORTIFED homes program surpassing 18,000 homes.

Recommendations from IBHS describing how to safely use generators during winter storm power outages.

ICC-ES Evaluation Report reviewing proprietary steel shear wall panels developed by Simpson Strong-Tie Company to resist vertical and lateral loads in walls resulting from wind or earthquakes.

Wildfire guidance for homes located in the wildland urban interface, focused on site design and individual pieces of the home.

Ignition resistant residential construction and landscaping guidelines from FireSafe Montana.

An impact test report from projectile missile tests against brick veneer, verifying that brick veneers perform well to resisting hurricane force wind driven debris.

Case study describing Alachua County, Florida’s, green infrastructure strategy for land use development that incorporates rain gardens, ponds, swales, and native vegetation to manage stormwater.

Report documenting the results of a NYSERDA-funded research project to demonstrate the costs and benefits of a best practice systems approach to improving exhaust ventilation system performance in five multifamily buildings in New York State.

Article describing how air speed affects thermal comfort and how fans can provide energy savings.

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 detailing natural ventilation and passive airflow systems.

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

Webpage describing indoor air quality.

Standard supporting indoor air quality performance by producers, purchasers and policy makers to improve the environmental performance of products and services.

This research study used pollutant measurements, home inspections, diagnostic testing and occupant surveys to assess IAQ in 24 new or deeply retrofitted homes designed to be high performance green buildings in California.

Resource hub describing indoor air quality research performed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Indoor airPLUS is a voluntary partnership and labeling program that helps new home builders improve the quality of indoor air by requiring construction practices and product specifications that minimize exposure to airborne pollutants and contaminants.

Website helping builders, designers, and home energy raters find products that are compliant with the EPA Indoor airPLUS Construction Specification requirements for low-emission materials.

Document outlining specifications that were developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize new homes equipped with a comprehensive set of indoor air quality (IAQ) features.

Website providing the technical specifications and related documents for home builders, subcontractors, architects, and other housing professionals interested in certifying a home to the EPA's Indoor airPLUS program requirements.

A factsheet providing information on how to prevent pests from entering the home by sealing cracks and openings.

Article describing excess flow valves installed on gas lines to shut-off natural gas flow to a home in the event that a gas line is severed due to an earthquake, natural disaster, earthquake, etc.

Article from Samuel L. Manzello and Sayaka Suzuki on tests undertaken to find the ideal amount of board spacing to resist deck ignition during fires.

Webpage detailing how to purchase and install the correct shut-off valve for homes in California, including differences between earthquake and excess flow valves and how to install each.

Site showing flame spread ratings and definitions for common building materials.

Article from Building Science Corporation explaining 'wash and wear buildings' that are designed to be flooded and washed out afterwards.

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

Article describing what evaporative coolers are, how they work, different types, performance, where they are appropriate, and how to install and maintain them.

Report showing installers how to attach ducts, pipes, and associated equipment to buildings to minimize earthquake damage.

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

Article describing the insurance savings of a home with a hip roof versus a gable roof from the perspective of an insurance advisor.

Fact sheet describing the newly developed Ventilation-Integrated Comfort System (VICS) that reduces space requirements and eliminates costly ductwork for separate heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, all while enhancing performance, addressing the demand for energy-efficient homes, and...

Article describing how the configuration of surrounding buildings affects the wind loads on a hip roof in a low-rise building.

Article outlining the use of spray polyurethane foam in residential buildings.

Report that describes BSC's Houses That Work II (HTWII) climate-specific technical resource, beginning with an overall HTWII introduction and four sections explaining the four most important hygro-thermal climate regions: Hot-Humid, Mixed-Humid, Cold, and Hot-Dry/Mixed-Dry.

Website providing a probabilistic map of the expected number of damaging earthquakes around the U.S.

Research report discussing the reduction of HVAC energy consumption to meet U.S. greenhouse gas targets and DOE's energy-efficient building goals. It introduces iComfort, an IoT-based system for optimizing home comfort and energy savings.

Report discussing how to create livable space in the attic that meets IRC code requirements by either creating a ventilated roof assembly, or and unvented attic assembly.

Webpage describing benefits of adding battery storage to homes and an estimation tool.

Information sheet about efficiency and health benefits of MERV filters.

Document from IBHS explaining how to inspect homes for earthquake preparedness and retrofit solutions for homes that have suffered structural damage as a result of earthquakes.

Article describing dozens of ideas on how to retrofit a home so it is more earthquake ready.

Guide describing tools for island and hurricane-prone communities on redevelopment and rehabilitation of homes to prepare for future natural disasters.

Web page describing how to identify heat-related illness and how to prevent it.