Library

Report summarizing commissioning, short-term testing, utility bill data analysis, and results of on-site monitoring of a deep energy retrofit.

Information sheet from FEMA on preparation for extreme heat, including measures for keeping homes cool.

A webpage outlining recommendations for creating defensible space.

Article describing how to choose the right portable electric generator for a home and how to safely operate when power outages happen.

Article from California Earthquake Authority on the benefits of retrofitting homes to withstand earthquake forces, with a focus on foundations, walls, and chimneys.

Article describing the benefits trees provide through quotes and anecdotes.

This Best Practices Manual is the product of Hammer & Hand’s ongoing work to document and internally codify our standard operating procedures for construction practice.

Document focusing on the design and wall components that contribute to a pressure equalized rain screen wall, including the frequency of the weep holes and other brick masonry rain screen wall requirements.

Research study discussing how housewraps restrict or permit the passage of water molecules based on size, but cannot control the direction in which the water vapor molecules move.

Brochure explaining the essential basis for advanced framing and some of the more common advanced framing details.

Brochure providing information about flashing in all cimates.

Information sheet about insulating slabs.

Information sheet providing recommendations on the installation of vapor control layers.

Article describing selecting insulation for minimizing condensation risks.

Report providing water management details for roof assemblies.

Book presenting the best techniques for energy and resource efficient residential construction in the colder climates of North America.

A book about structurally insulated panels.

Report examining the cost differences between a typical home and a home constructed using wildfire-resistant materials and design features.

Case study about Artistic Homes of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the first home builder in the United States to offer true net zero energy construction to the average home buyer on every home it builds.

Guide describing measures that builders in the cold and very cold climates can take to build homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

Web based tool providing decision-making guidance for selecting wall assembly components.

This report will review, and summarize the current state of understanding and research into enclosures with higher thermal resistance, so-called “High-R Enclosures.” Recommendations are provided for further research.

Research study describing a number of promising foundation and basement insulation strategies that can meet the requirement for better thermal control in colder climates while enhancing moisture control, health, and comfort.

Article describing the control layers (air, thermal, and vapor barriers) needed to build homes successfully in very cold locations.

California Office of the State Fire Marshal's homepage for the Building Materials Listing Program, providing builders, contractors, architects, and others with access to a database of fire alarm systems and fire-resistant construction materials including roof coverings, wall, ceiling, and floor...

California Office of the State Fire Marshal's compiled and searchable list of different building materials and their test results for fire resistance.

Document presenting some of the key technical properties of many of the most common building materials.

Webpage explaining how to site and orient a house to take advantage of the solar path.

Document containing recommendations on how to brace roofs and gable end walls based on lessons learned from analyzing the destruction from hurricane Andrew.

Guide informing builders and developers about efficient building practice for constructing homes with structural insulated panels.

Reference investigating the strategy of using buried and/or encapsulated ducts to reduce duct thermal losses in residential buildings.

Report describing a deep energy retrofit project for a two-family wood framed home located in Belmont, Massachusetts.

California State Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 8, Article 3, listing requirements for plumbing contractors.

Article describing correct ways to eliminate water damage by incorporating a sacrificial layer to foundation walls and footings.

Web article describing utility customer’s right to use back-up generators during emergency events, including Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).

Catalog describing FEMA earthquake-resistant construction resources.

Online tool for thermal comfort calculations and visualizations SoftwareX 12, 100563 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.softx.2020.100563

Website of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center.

Information sheet with information about insulating and ventilating attics.

Website providing disaster preparedness information and resources for residents and building owners in locations susceptible to earthquakes.

Fact sheet describing changes made to the 2010 Florida Building Code with regards to wind design loads and requirements.

Case study characterizing the framing factors for the exterior walls, ceilings, and floors of 180 wood-framed low-rise residential buildings across the United States.

Report identifying housing characteristics and energy use for fifteen single-family housing types and specifies measure packages that provide an optimum level of energy savings based on a BEopt analysis.

News article from SFGate explaining and giving figures on how chimney failure is the most common type of damage to homes during an earthquake.

Report on the stability of furring strips as a means for cladding attachment over walls with thick exterior rigid insulation.

Article describing correct ways to attach rigid insulation to the exterior of commercial and residential buildings.

Website providing data indicating climate change.

Climate Consultant is a software tool for helping architects, builders, contractor, homeowners, and students to understand their local climate.

Report assessing the science of climate change with a focus on the U.S.

Fact sheet describing the characteristics that make for a successful coastal residential building, including design and construction recommendations; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”