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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 301 - 350 of 799

Earthquake Safety at Home, FEMA P-530

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Guide provides homeowners ways to prepare for an earthquake and protect a home against earthquake damage.

Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition

Author(s)
Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition
Organization(s)
HFSC
Publication Date
Website containing educational and marketing resources for residential fire sprinklers.

Ignition Resistant Construction Design Manual

Author(s)
Colorado Springs Fire Department
Organization(s)
City of Colorado Springs,
State of Colorado
Publication Date
Wildfire guidance for homes located in the wildland urban interface, focused on site design and individual pieces of the home.

Fire Sprinkler Coalitions

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
A webpage containing information provides links to state- and province- based coalitions dedicated to advocating for home fire sprinklers.

Wildfire Prepared Protect Your Home from Wildfire

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage that providing designation program enables homeowners to take preventative measures for their home and yard to protect against wildfire.

Be Wildfire Ready; Defensible Space Saves Lives

Author(s)
Town of Los Gatos California
Organization(s)
Town of Los Gatos California
Publication Date
A webpage outlining recommendations for creating defensible space.

CBE Thermal Comfort Tool

Author(s)
Tartarini Federico,
Schiavon Stefano,
Cheung Toby,
Hoyt Tyler
Organization(s)
Center for the Built Environment,
CBE,
UC Berkeley,
SinBerBEST,
Berkeley Education Alliance for Research in Singapore,
BEARS
Publication Date
Online tool for thermal comfort calculations and visualizations SoftwareX 12, 100563 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.softx.2020.100563

FEMA Flood Map Service Center: Search By Address

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
A address searchable geographic information system for visualizing the flood hazard of an address and its surrounding area.

Create a Fire Smart Yard

Author(s)
FIRESafe Marin
Organization(s)
FIRESafe Marin
Publication Date
Webpage from FireSafe Marin explaining the different landscaping strategies near homes to lower the risk of a home's ignition from wildfire.

Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety

Author(s)
California Seismic Safety Commission
Organization(s)
SSC,
State of California
Publication Date
Guidebook that provides information on earthquake hazards that can damage homes, the design and retrofit of earthquake resistant housing, and how to find more information on earthquake safety.

LEED v4.1 Certification Program

Author(s)
U.S Green Building Council
Organization(s)
USGBC
Publication Date
Website explaining the LEED v4.1 program and providing a portal for those who want to investigate or start a LEED project.

NFPA 25 - Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
An NFPA standard for inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire sprinklers, including fire pump operation and flow tests, evaluation techniques such as sprinkler inspections, valve status tests, internal piping assessments, and forward flow tests for backflow preventers, and water storage system...

NFPA 70: National Electric Code

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
This standard provides a benchmark for safe electrical design, installation, and inspection to protect people and property from electrical hazards and has been adopted in all 50 states.

Securing Your Water Heater

Author(s)
Washington State Department of Health
Organization(s)
Washington State Department of Health
Publication Date
A fact sheet providing homeowners with guidance on properly securing water heaters to prevent them from tipping in an earthquake.

2020 Fortified Home Standard Detail Set Hurricane

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance in severe thunderstorms, straight-line wind events, and high winds at the outer edges of tornadoes.

2020 Fortified Home Standard Summary of Change

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
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 New Homes.

Weather Related Fatality and Injury Statistics

Author(s)
National Weather Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Organization(s)
NOAA
Publication Date
Web page providing statistics on weather related fatalities and injuries.

Fire Pump Basics Fact Sheet

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety,
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
IBHS,
NFPA
Publication Date
Fact sheet providing a reference for the different types of fire pumps and fire pump drivers.

RELi Rating System

Author(s)
Geen Business Certification Inc.,
U.S. Green Building Council
Organization(s)
USGBC
Publication Date
Website describing the RELi rating system and leadership standard that takes a holistic approach to resilient design.

FORTIFIED Home Roof Coverings - Design Pressure Guidance for Roof Coverings

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Checklist highlighting key concepts of wind design uplift pressures and design uplift pressure ratings for proper selection and installation of residential roof covering systems to comply with section R905.1 of the 2015 International Residential Code for a FORTIFIED Roof™–New Roof designation.

FORTIFIED Home Re-Roofing Checklist - High Wind & Hail

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for high wind and hail resistance.

Hail Supplement to the High Wind Standard

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance to high wind and hail.

FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Activities

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Activity sheets describing questions and preparedness action items for a variety of disasters including floods, fires, earthquakes, and winter weather.

Winter Weather

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Website providing consumers with general guidance on preparing for and surviving a winter storm.

Maintain Defensible Space

Author(s)
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Organization(s)
Cal Fire
Publication Date
A webpage outlining CAL FIRE’s recommendations for creating defensible space.

Prevent Home Roof Damage from Heavy Snow and Ice.

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage providing guidance for homeowners on how much snow weight a typical roof can handle and when to consider removing snow from the roof.

Residential Grid-interactive Efficient Building Technology and Policy: Harnessing the Power of Homes for a Clean, Affordable, Resilient Grid of the Future

Author(s)
Rinaldi Kara Saul,
Bunnen Elizabeth,
Rogers Sabine
Organization(s)
AnnDyl Policy Group,
National Association of State Energy Officials,
NASEO
Publication Date
Report identifying efficient, connected, smart, and flexible GEB technologies and their future potential, including barriers and opportunities, recommendations for policymakers, and research needs.

Sustainable Living Series

Author(s)
Office of Sustainability
Organization(s)
Washington University St. Louis
Publication Date
Presentation by the Washington University in St. Louis Office of Sustainability on saving energy.

FORTIFIED Home Hurricane Technical Requirements Summary: Existing Homes

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
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.