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Library

This library contains research reports produced by the Building America program and other building science resources used to support this Solution Center. The materials cover both new construction and existing homes. Use the search box and/or the filters to explore hundreds of residential building resources. Access to some references not produced by Building America may require purchase from the publisher. Documents are listed alphabetically. While we continually update our database, links may have changed since posting. Please contact our webmaster if you find broken links.

Showing results 1 - 19 of 19

Common Flashing Details

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Brochure providing information about flashing.

FEMA P-431, Tornado Protection, Selecting Refuge Areas in Buildings

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
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.

FEMA P-550. Recommended Residential Construction for Coastal Areas: Building on Strong and Safe Foundations

Author(s)
Coulbourne Bill,
Haupt Matt,
Sundberg Scott,
Low David K,
Yeung Jimmy,
Squerciati John
Organization(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
FEMA,
URS Corporation,
DK Low and Associates,
Greenhorne and O'Mara,
Dewberry and Davis
Publication Date
Report providing recommended designs and guidance for rebuilding homes destroyed by hurricanes in the Gulf Coast.

FEMA P-762: Local Officials Guide for Coastal Construction

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
A guide aiming to assist local officials and community decision makers in coastal areas in adopting and implementing sound mitigation measures to lower building natural disaster vulnerability.

Fire in California: Windows

Author(s)
University of California Cooperative Extension
Organization(s)
University of California Cooperative Extension
Publication Date
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.

General PV Specification

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Brochure on specifications for PV systems.

Groundwater Control, Info-101

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Information sheet about groundwater control.

High-R Roofs Case Study Analysis, BA-1006

Author(s)
Straube,
Grin
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report that considers a number of promising wall systems that can meet the requirement for better thermal control.

Indirect / Passive Air-Flow Systems

Author(s)
Kang,
Lutz-Carillo
Organization(s)
UT Austin School of Architecture
Publication Date
Report detailing natural ventilation and passive airflow systems.

IRC FAQ: Conditioned Attics, GM-0905

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
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.

Living with Fire: Homeowners' Firesafe Guide for Montana

Author(s)
FireSafe Montana
Organization(s)
FireSafe Montana
Publication Date
Guide for homeowners describing actions they can take to modify their home and the surrounding site to create a survivable space to reduce the amount of damage a home would likely experience during a wildfire.

Metal Roof Systems in High-Wind Regions

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
A Recovery Advisory guide reccomending practices for designing and installing metal roof systems that will enhance wind resistance in high-wind regions (i.e., greater than 90-miles per hour [mph] gust design wind speed).

Using Adhesives to Beef Up Houses

Author(s)
Cushman Ted
Organization(s)
The Journal of Light Construction,
JLC
Publication Date
Article describing how adhesives can be used to make homes in high-wind locations stronger and how adhesives could be too effective resulting in overloading foundation anchors under earthquake loads.

Wall Bracing Examples

Author(s)
Verona,
WI Building Department
Organization(s)
Verona,
WI Building Department
Publication Date
Document describing wall bracing techniques and suggestions for the city of Verona, WI building department.